In my last blog, I discussed the disturbing results of a new research study that found one in five American teenagers already has some degree of hearing loss----a startling 31 percent increase since the late 1980s. The study results were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and showed that the number of teens with impaired hearing in at least one ear rose to 20 percent from 15 percent.

Your child needn’t be included in these statistics. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) sponsors an excellent website called It's a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing. This national public education campaign is designed to increase awareness among parents of children about the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). With this information, parents and other adults can encourage children to adopt healthy hearing habits before and during the time that they develop listening, leisure, and working habits. NIDCD is one our government’s National Institutes of Health.

This site includes a wealth of resources, including tips for protecting your child’s hearing, ways to talk to your child about hearing loss and hearing protection, podcasts featuring NIDCD personnel and much more. You can check out this valuable resource by logging on to www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov

A new research study has found that one in five American teenagers already has some degree of hearing loss----a startling 31 percent increase since the late 1980s.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston used government survey data to compare rates of hearing loss among 12- to 19-year-olds during 1988 to 1994, with the period 2005 to 2006. They based their findings on records of and interviews with nearly 4,700 kids ages 12-19 in a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The results showed that the number of teens with impaired hearing in at least one ear rose to 20 percent from 15 percent. The study results were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In most cases, the hearing loss was slight. However, hearing loss is usually permanent and potentially progressive. Even mild degrees of hearing loss in children can negatively affect their educational performance and their social interactions.

The reason for the dramatic increase in hearing loss isn't clear, but many parents contend with kids who play their video games and portable music players too loud. Long-term exposure to very loud noises, including music, can cause permanent hearing loss. A case in point: a recent study of children in Australia found a 70 percent increased risk of hearing loss with the use of personal stereo devices.

If you notice changes in your child's hearing -- especially in the ability to hear when there's background noise – you should consider taking your child for a hearing test. And check back for my next blog, which will offer ways parents can protect their children's hearing.

By Joni Doherty, MD, PhD

Some of my patients prefer to sleep wearing earplugs, for a variety of reasons. A snoring spouse, ambient noises like crickets or birds chirping, or loud neighbors can sometimes make wearing earplugs the only way to get a good night’s sleep. But can wearing them night after night be harmful?

An article in a recent issue of the Saturday Evening Post features a touching article on how the latest implantable hearing technology has changed the lives of a sister and her brother.

I performed the revision surgery on Mary Kay Windham with the Envoy Esteem implantable hearing aid in May 2005 as part of the clinical trials being conducted through my office. Shohet Ear Associates was one of only three sites in the US to be engaged in this unique clinical trial. As she relates in the article, her result was so good, she urged her brother, to undergo the same surgery. In May 2008, I implanted her brother with the same device. The change in both their lives has been extraordinary.

According to Mary Kay, “Two months after surgery, Bob and I spoke for half an hour—on ordinary cell phones. He heard every word I said, as I could with him. Those who are hearing-impaired understand exactly how precious is this gift of new technology.”

To read the full article, click here.

By Joni Doherty, MD PhD

Migraine-associated vertigo (MAV) refers to dizziness and/or vertigo that is commonly thought to be related to migraine. Many patients diagnosed with MAV do not have headaches, or have chronic non-specific headaches that don't fit into the migraine classification developed by the International Headache Society. MAV was previously rarely diagnosed, but is now showing up as one of the most common causes of chronic dizziness and/or recurrent vertigo.

Patients with MAV often report chronic dizziness, a "rocking" sensation when still, recurrent episodes of rotational vertigo, chronic daily headaches, migraine headaches, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, poor visual acuity,  nausea and more. Patients usually do not have all of these symptoms—many of  those with chronic dizziness often do not experience acute rotational vertigo or even a migraine headache. Sometimes, MAV occurs in individuals with a history of classical migraines, and they may or may not experience these type of migraines any longer.

The cause of this condition is unknown but progress is being made through clinical experience and genetic research. Migraine susceptibility may be inherited, as it seems to run in families. Diagnosis is difficult because many of these symptoms cannot be objectively documented, and physical and neurological examinations are often completely normal. Diagnostically, one must determine whether the dizziness and headaches are independent or related to each other, and in particular, whether they are a manifestation of migraine. MAV is often misdiagnosed as Meniere's Disease, Vestibular Neuritis or as a psychiatric disorder. However, unlike these conditions, migraine disorder is extremely common, affecting 10 to 20 percent of the population in the United States.

Treatment of migraine-associated vertigo is the same as the treatment for migraine in general: medication, and identification and avoidance of “triggers” such as chocolate, cheese, alcohol, and MSG during food preparation. Additional triggers include an interruption in sleep patterns (too much or too little), stress, or inflammation. Neck tension or tension headaches can even exacerbate a migraine in susceptible individuals. If you are suspect you are suffering from MAV, consult a specialist such as an otologist, a physician subspecialist within the specialty of ENT.

According to a study published in May 2010 in the journal Pediatrics, hearing loss in one ear is enough to cause language problems for kids. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri tested 74 pairs of school-age siblings. Half the children had hearing loss in one ear, while their siblings had normal hearing.

The study found that the impaired kids scored lower on both comprehension and speech tests and were more likely to be receiving speech therapy than their siblings; but up to one in 20 kids with such hearing loss often don't receive the help they need, such as a front seat in class, hearing aids or special education.

"Unlike children with hearing loss in both ears, who are routinely fitted with hearing aids and receive accommodations for disability, children with hearing loss in one ear may not be considered to have a 'significant hearing loss,'" the researchers wrote. “Our results suggest that children with hearing loss in one ear should be eligible for the same accommodations as children with hearing loss in both ears."

The key idea of study, according to its authors, is that we don't want to ignore children with hearing loss in one ear.
 
Click here to review the study.

A study of more than 3500 men over a nearly 20-year period has found that folic acid may reduce the risk of hearing loss in men by 20 percent. The results of the study were presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Men are more likely to experience hearing loss than women. The study’s researchers used data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study cohort from years 1986 to 2004, which included 51,529 male health professionals. In this population, the investigators identified 3,559 cases of hearing loss. When they evaluated the nutritional data, they discovered that men older than 60 who had maintained a high folic acid (folate) intake had a 20 percent reduced risk of developing hearing loss. Folate occurs naturally in food; folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements and as a food additive. Other nutrients, including the antioxidants vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, did not demonstrate any benefit regarding hearing loss.

The daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for folate is 400 micrograms for both men and women ages 19 and older. Men who want to help reduce their risk of hearing loss can their recommended RDA of folate through supplementation or by eating food rich in the B vitamin, including green leafy vegetables, lentils, beans, and fortified cereals.
 

According to research conducted by otolaryngologists at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, roller coasters can give you more than a quick shot of adrenaline. They have linked the force of acceleration in roller coasters to ear barotrauma, which in extreme cases can lead to temporary hearing loss, dizziness, ear pain or the sensation of ear popping.

Ear barotrauma occurs when there is a relatively quick change in pressure outside the ear drum and the pressure in the middle ear space. This common condition is most often occurs during air travel and scuba diving, and most recently to the use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today's roller coasters have higher speeds and sharper turns, which are more likely to result in ear injury. In the case studied, a 24-year-old man turned his head during a roller coaster ride, causing his right ear to be exposed to about 0.6 PSI (pounds per square inch) when the roller coaster accelerated. The researchers estimated the ride he was on reached a maximum speed of 120 mph within 4 seconds.  The pressure caused barotrauma to the ear, resulting in pain, swelling of the ear canal, and an inflamed ear drum. Study results were presented April 30 at the Triological Society's 113th annual meeting in Las Vegas.

Although the risk of experiencing barotrauma when riding a roller coaster is low, it is most likely to occur if passengers do not remain facing forward during the ride. To minimize your risk, always remain facing forward during the ride to help prevent the full impact of acceleration hitting your ear.

Children with cochlear implants rate their quality of life as highly as children with normal hearing, according to one of the first studies that looked at children as well as their parents.

A team of American researchers asked 84 children with cochlear implants how they felt about themselves, their family lives, their friends and school. The questionnaires were completed at various summer camps designed for children with CIs in Texas and Colorado. Parents were questioned separately, and the responses were compared with those of a control group of 1,501 children the same ages, 8 to 16, with normal hearing. The paper appears in the Feb. 1 issue of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.

The lead author, Betty A. Loy, is quoted as saying the information would be useful to parents making decisions about cochlear implants for their babies. “They want to know: ‘Is my kid going to be made fun of? Is my kid going to be bullied? How is my kid going to feel about themselves with this apparatus on their head?’ ” said Dr. Loy, of the Dallas Cochlear Implant Program.

To read the full story in the New York Times, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.

The latest trends in restaurant design are having an unfortunate side effect: ear-splitting noise. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal puts a spotlight on the problem: Restaurants housed in cavernous spaces with wood floors, linen-free tables, high ceilings and lots of windows—all of which cause sound to ricochet around what are essentially hard-surfaced echo chambers. Upscale restaurants have done away with carpeting, heavy curtains, tablecloths, and plush banquettes gradually over the last decade. But these were design features which helped absorb noise. To add to the din, some high-end establishments are blaring classic rock from Led Zeppelin, Guns ‘n’ Roses and the Who to up the  familiarity factor. A restaurant reviewer in San Francisco found that at one eatery, the decibel level was 80—just under the level hearing specialists consider damaging to hearing after long-term exposure.

The article offers some helpful suggestions for deflecting the noise problem. Diners worried they will end up in a noisy restaurant may want to Google pictures of the restaurant. Walls of windows, high ceilings, boxy dimensions, a surfeit of hard lines and a dearth of soft materials should raise red flags. Call the restaurant and ask if it has acoustical paneling or other sound-reducing materials. Once in a noisy restaurant, seek out tables in alcoves or side rooms, which can barricade or at least deflect noise. And if you find yourself in a sound trap, speak up. Convincing management to turn down the music is a double boon: The music itself gets softer, and then other diners lower their voices because they are no longer competing with the music.
To read the full article, click here.