It’s a noisy world out there. Even if you don’t live in a noisy neighborhood or working environment you may be surprised at all the noise you come into contact with every day. If you believe that a little noise can’t hurt you, nothing could be further from the truth. When noise becomes loud enough it can induce hearing loss …
How Treating Hearing Loss Supports Your Brain
Many people think of hearing loss as an ear issue; however, your brain is just as affected. While we hear with our ears, we interpret this information once it is sent to our brain. If the sound never reaches our brain, then our mind is forced to process audio information with limited data. The brain is responsible for controlling the …
Treating Sudden Hearing Loss
Sudden hearing loss, also known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) or sudden deafness, is the rapid decline of hearing ability. It is characterized by a quick loss of hearing that typically impacts one ear and happens either all at once or over the course of a few days. This differs from other forms of hearing loss which usually occur …
Hearing Aids Can Help Single-Sided Hearing Loss
Most of us hear binaurally, meaning we hear with two ears. This helps us locate the direction and proximity of sound as well as help us maintain our balance. While traditionally hearing aids are worn in both ears in rare cases hearing loss only affects one ear and not the other. This is known as unilateral hearing loss and can …
The Role of Ears in the Balance System
For most of us, it is not till we suffer from dizziness or vertigo that we may wonder how we stay balanced. When everything is going well, it is actually the brain, in cooperation with other parts of our body including eyes, joints, muscles, skin and the ears, which keeps us standing upright. The ears play a particularly important part …
Hearing Loss & Vertigo: All About Meniere’s Disease
Vertigo is a sensation of feeling off balance or dizzy. You may feel like the world around you is spinning out of control. If you are subject to unexpected vertigo you are most likely searching for possible causes. Often these issues are connected to complications in the inner ear, which controls much of the body’s balance capability. One cause of vertigo …
Osteoporosis and Sudden Hearing Loss
Did you know that your bones have the ability to actually replenish themselves throughout our lifetime? However, osteoporosis slows this process down creating weakened bones that are more vulnerable to breakage. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become more vulnerable to damage and breaks. The International Osteoporosis Foundation projects that this condition affects approximately 200 million people worldwide. It is …
5 Comorbidities of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is one of the most common medical conditions that people navigate. Over 48 million people, nearly 1 in 5, have some degree of impaired hearing. Extensive research has established links between hearing loss and other medical conditions including cardiovascular disease and dementia. These associations are known as comorbidities which describe the coexistence of two or more chronic conditions. …
Coming to Terms with Your Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is one of the most common medical conditions that people experience. According to the Hearing Health Foundation, 1 in 8 people live with some degree of impaired hearing. Impacting over 40 million people in the U.S., hearing loss is a public health epidemic that is often underdiagnosed. Impaired hearing often happens gradually so it can remain unnoticed for …
How Socializing Benefits Older Americans
Social engagement is critical not only during early stages of identity development, but throughout our lives. Healthy relationships and interaction with others continues to shape who we are as learning and growing are lifelong processes. Physical exercise is often emphasized as a major component of health. But another aspect of maintaining overall health and wellness is social engagement. Social wellness …