We’re often asked by patients diagnosed with an aidable (treatable) hearing loss in both ears why they have to wear a hearing aid in both ears. The list below outlines the advantages of hearing with two ears (binaural hearing) versus hearing with one ear (monaural hearing). ADVANTAGE OF HEARING WITH TWO EARS Improved Speech Clarity Balanced Hearing Wider Hearing Range – A voice barely heard at ten feet away with one ear can be heard up to 40 feet away with two ears. Better Sound Identification – Many noises that sound almost exactly alike can be identified more easily when heard with two ear ..read more

INCIDENCE OF HEARING LOSS Millions and millions of Americans have hearing loss.  Estimates range from 36 – 40 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. The National Institute of Health reports that the percentage of adults with a disabling hearing loss increases with age: 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. 5 percent of adults aged 55 to 64 have disabling hearing loss. 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 have disabling hearing loss. 50 percent of those who are 75+ have disabling hearing loss. Unfortunately statistics also demonstrate that a significant numbe ..read more

If you are married to, live with or love someone who has a hearing loss this article is for you.  Being in a relationship can at times be trying.  Being in a relationship with someone who has a hearing loss that they refuse to do anything about can at times be impossible.  Never are you more acutely aware of how much you interact with someone until you are repeating yourself two or three times, enduring the TV or radio louder that you would like it to be, every single time it’s on or are constantly correcting misunderstandings, “No, that’s no what I said, that’s just what you heard. It’s exha ..read more

This is the time of year when we make our list of resolutions for the New Year. We reflect back on the past year and take note of the areas we’d like to change.  Here are a few of the top New Year’s Resolutions people make every year. TOP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS Lose Weight Volunteer to Help Others Quit Smoking Get a Better Education Get a Better Job Save Money Get Fit Eat Healthy Food Manage Stress Manage Debt Take a Trip Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Drink Less Alcohol In all likelihood, if you’ve thought about making a New Year’s resolution it involves one or more of the items on this list.  N ..read more

Osteoporosis is a disease that thins and weakens the bones to the point that they become fragile and break easily. Women and men with osteoporosis most often break bones in the hip, spine, and wrist, but any bone can be affected. In the United States, more than 40 million people either already have osteoporosis or are at high risk due to low bone mass, placing them at risk for more serious bone loss and fractures. Although osteoporosis can strike at any age, it is most common among older people, especially older women. HEARING LOSS AND OSTEOPOROSIS Sound enters your outer ear canal eventually ..read more

You know you’re having problems hearing and you know you probably need a hearing aid.  What you really want to know is, “How long can you wait to get a hearing aid?”  We all have issues that we’d rather avoid, for example we put off going to the dentist or to the doctor unless we’re in pain.  You’d probably get to a hearing healthcare provider more quickly if a hearing loss caused pain, but that’s not typically the first sign of a hearing loss. When you first begin to experience trouble hearing it’s quite possible, even understandable that you aren’t really sure if you’re having a problem hea ..read more

One of the more challenging listening situations for individuals with a hearing loss is trying to communicate in a restaurant.  Even the most elegant restaurants tend to be on the noisy side.  Numerous conversations are going on all around you, dishes and silverware are constantly clanging and music is playing in the background.  And being in a seated position eliminates your ability to move closer to the person or persons you want to hear. The Better Hearing Institute has published a comprehensive list of helpful tips for hearing impaired diners. Plan ahead by picking a quieter restaurant. Fo ..read more

Tinnitus (pronounced “tin-it-tus”) is an abnormal noise in the ear.  It is extremely common – nearly 36 million Americans have tinnitus.  More than half of the normal population has intermittent tinnitus.  About 6% of the general population has what they consider to be “severe” tinnitus.   Tinnitus may be in both ears or just in one ear.  Seven million Americans are so severely affected that they cannot lead normal lives. PEOPLE DESCRIBE TINNITUS IN MANY WAYS Ringing Buzzing Hissing Whistling Clicking Pulsing Roaring Whooshing TYPES OF TINNITUS There are two different categories or kinds of ..read more

There are many disorders that can lead to a temporary and/or a permanent loss of hearing.  The connection between many diseases and hearing loss is only recently beginning to be better understood, Hypothyroidism is just one example of a disease that has the ability to impact your hearing. WHAT IS HYPOTHYROIDISM? Hypothyroidism, also known as underactive thyroid, is a condition in which the thyroid gland, which supplies hormones to keep the metabolism in working order, is not functioning properly. This results in lower than required levels of essential hormones that are distributed to the rest ..read more

If have a hearing loss, you are not alone.  Millions and millions of Americans suffer with some degree of hearing loss, with estimates ranging from 30 – 36 million.  Hearing loss is one of the most common health problems in the United States, just behind arthritis and heart disease.  Unfortunately the average person waits a considerably long time before deciding the problem is bad enough to warrant a visit to a healthcare professional. HERE ARE 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ADDRESS THE PROBLEM SOONER RATHER THAN LATER A new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that older people ..read more