Hand dryers are ubiquitous in public restrooms, but according to research recently published in the Canadian journal Paediatrics & Child Health, the noise they make may be harmful to children's ears. And the study's author can speak from personal experience. "Sometimes after using hand dryers my ears would start ringing," 13-year-old Nora Keegan from Calgary, Canada, told [...]
When summer rolls around, many families head to the beach or the pool for a day of fun in the water or relief on a hot day. An afternoon of swimming or splashing around in the backyard or community pool or nearest beach is a major part of summer fun. But it's important to protect [...]
Spring is in full bloom all around the country - flowers are blooming, birds are singing and the days are getting warmer. It also brings seasonal allergies along with rain and erratic temperature shifts, all of which can have an impact on your ears and hearing. Changes in barometric pressure When the barometric pressure drops [...]
If you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may want to get your hearing tested. While researchers are still studying the relationship between the two, hearing loss and sleep apnea appear strongly linked, according to several studies published in the past few years. One, a study of nearly 14,000 people found that hearing impairment was more common [...]
How Common is Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears) According to studies, more than 50 million people in the United States have reported experiencing tinnitus, resulting in an estimated prevalence of 10% to 15% in adults. Experts believe that about one in five individuals who experience tinnitus are bothered enough by the condition to seek clinical [...]
Researchers have developed a new device that can be used to visualize how sound-induced vibrations travel through the ear. The technology is providing new insight into how the ear receives and processes sound waves and, with additional development, might one day be used by physicians to diagnose diseases that affect hearing. The new imaging tool [...]
When you think of hearing loss, understandably, things you could be hearing come to mind. There are tons of activities that depend on your ability to hear like listening to an audiobook, enjoying music, communicating with family, knowing when the oven buzzer goes off or being warned of danger. What you may not think about [...]
Hearing loss can be genetic or caused by damage to the ear – but did you know that there are also some diseases that can cause hearing loss? When it comes to hearing loss, we tend to associate it with aging or something caused by genetic predisposition. But certain diseases can actually increase a person's [...]
Did you know that hearing is the only one of our senses that is constantly active – even when we sleep? Your ears don't stop hearing when you sleep, it's just that your brain chooses to ignore sound. Here are ten more fun facts about hearing that you might not know... #1. Newborn babies’ middle [...]
Over half a million people worldwide with severe hearing loss use an electronic implant in the ears to be able to let them understand speech. Cochlear implants, as they are known, are one of the most successful technologies to have come out of neuroscience, but only provide partial correction for any hearing deficit. For example, [...]