The findings of a new study published online in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery indicates that even slight declines in hearing, smaller than the usual cutoff for diagnosing hearing loss, are associated with measurable mental decline in seniors. When researchers included participants with mild hearing loss in their study, they found evidence that the well-established [...]
If you've noticed that you’re not hearing as well as you used to and have decided it’s time to have your hearing tested, here are 7 questions to ask your audiologist to ensure you get the best possible outcome. First off, congratulations on being proactive with your hearing health. Untreated hearing loss can put you [...]
If your child has been diagnosed with hearing loss, the right hearing aids can be vital to their development for language development and educational success. At least two out of every 1,000 children screened for hearing loss in the U.S. are born deaf or with some degree of hearing loss. Other children will develop hearing loss [...]
People with unilateral hearing loss now have the opportunity to hear out of both ears. In July, the FDA approved the use of cochlear implants for single-sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss for patients 5 years of age and older based on data from a clinical trial conducted by Margaret Dillon, AuD, and the UNC [...]
New patients often ask us why we recommend a comprehensive audiological evaluation (CAE) for any problem related to the ear. This is because a CAE is the only objective measure of your inner ear health and is the cornerstone of an ear examination. Just as an eye doctor measures visual acuity at each of your [...]
According to a large study published in JAMA Network Open this past July, hearing loss in middle age was found to be associated with higher odds of cognitive decline and dementia later in life. Using data from more than 16,000 men and women, researchers found that a new diagnosis of hearing loss between ages 45 [...]
Some risk factors for hearing loss are understandable—think aging, excessive noise exposure, or traumatic brain injury—but other risks aren’t always so obvious. Here are seven unexpected risk factors for hearing loss that may surprise you: 1. Sleep apnea Several studies published in the last few years have strongly linked sleep apnea to hearing loss. Medical professionals aren’t entirely [...]
If you or a loved one has suddenly developed hearing loss, see your doctor right away. While often downplayed as not serious, any new or sudden hearing loss should be taken seriously by both you and your healthcare providers. Why? The sooner you get a thorough audiological workup, the better your chances are for a [...]
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 [...]
If hearing aids are recommended after your hearing is tested, your Audiologist will then work with you to find the right hearing aids. That selection process, called a hearing aid fitting, starts with an assessment of your needs and ends with follow-up visits after the customized programming of your devices. Hearing aids work best when they [...]