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One in Seven Middle-Aged Adults Has Hearing Loss
03-21-2011Researchers in Madison, Wisconsin have discovered that 14% of middle-aged Americans have some sort of hearing loss. For those aged 48 to 59, that percentage jumps to around 20%, and for those 80 years old and older, the percentage skyrockets to 90%. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health research study included 3,285 subjects from 21 to 84 years of age.
Siemens Motion 501
04-13-2010I've had three different hearing aids in my life, and the Motion 501 ITE is the best and most comfortable out of all of them. It isn't very hidden on my ear, but it is quite stylish. My hearing loss isn't severe, so I wasn't in need of something too strong. If you have severe hearing loss this many not be the one for you. I have it on the second to highest setting and it is perfect for me. If you are looking for an everyday hearing aid I would recommend this one.
Music Devices and Teen Hearing Loss
02-16-2011
Your teenager may be putting his or her hearing health in jeopardy. The Telegraph newspaper reports that one in five teenagers has some form of hearing loss.(1) The article cites a Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Boston study comparing hearing loss in teens for the period from 1988 – 1994 (14 percent of teens) to 2005-2006 (19.5 percent of teens.)
Clearly a major risk factor in hearing loss is a wider variety of personal listening devices such as iPods or MP3 players. There is no doubt that the music industry has been revolutionized by personal music devices. It is rare these days to see a young person without something lodged in his ear, be it an iPod or a cell phone earpiece. Unfortunately, it may soon be hearing aids occupying those young ears.
It is common knowledge that exposure to loud noises can lead to hearing loss, and teenagers have been listening to music at very high volume levels for half a century or more. Extremely loud noise can inflict damage even if the exposure happens only once. On the other hand, some sounds that don’t seem particularly ‘ear-splitting’ can actually be quite damaging if it lasts long enough. For example, even city traffic noise can lead to eventual hearing loss if a person is exposed to it over an extended period of time.
One doesn’t have to completely give up ‘loud’ music in order to protect one’s hearing – it’s a matter of common sense, caution and moderation.
Time Magazine reported on a Colorado University/Children's Hospital in Boston study that sought to assess and quantify the risks of the use of ear phones.(2) The study, led by Cory Portnuff, found that “90 minutes a day at 80% volume is probably safe for long-term hearing — a useful cutoff point to keep in mind. But softer is better: you can safely tune in at 70% volume for about 4½ hours a day. The risk of permanent hearing loss, Portnuff says, can increase with just five minutes of exposure a day to music at full volume.”(2)
CNN’s “Paging Dr. Gupta” health blog (3) reports on a study that appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA.) “What we're seeing is a big jump in the prevalence of hearing loss in a very short period of time, in less than one generation,” says Dr. Roland Eavey, an author on the study. “That means we're on the front edge of an epidemic.”
There are steps parents can take to protect their children from hearing loss. Dr. Gupta’s health blog lists several useful resources:
- Websites of many of the device manufacturers explain how to set the devices to a specific volume level
- ListenToYourBuds.org is a website designed for the young user, to explain the risks and dangers of loud music
- The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website (www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/ruler.html) includes a chart that shows the decibels of common noises and how much prolonged exposure is considered unsafe.
Hearing loss is a serious and devastating affliction and should not be taken lightly. But armed with the proper knowledge, music lovers can safely listen to their favorite tunes and preserve and protect their good hearing.
References:
(1) “iPods and MP3 players' linked to teenage deafness", The Telegraph, 9:00PM BST 17 Aug 2010 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7950020/iPods-and-MP3-players-linked-to-teenage-deafness.html)
(2) “iPod Safety: Preventing Hearing Loss in Teens, By Alice Park, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009 (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1881130,00.html)
(3) Adolescent hearing loss on the rise in U.S., Sabriya Rice, CNN Medical Producer, August 17, 2010 (http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/17/adolescent-hearing-loss-on-the-rise-in-u-s/)
Hearing Loss and Dementia
03-30-2011Researchers are calling for “critically needed” “rehabilitative strategies” for confronting a newly discovered association between hearing loss and the progression of dementia.
How to be a smart hearing aid buyer
03-18-2011
Many people have a misconceptions about hearing aids and believe there is no solution to their hearing problem. Consumerrespots.org conducted a national survey of 1,100 people who bought hearing aids in the past three years, and lab-tested the features of 44 hearing aids to learn more about the following challenges.
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