The history of hearing loss features incredible stories of the inventive ways that people have learned how to communicate with one another. Knowing the brief history of hearing loss will inspire you to think differently about how you communicate, to challenge yourself to be more creative in your thinking about how other people communicate, and give you tools to bridge any communication impasses you may …
Advantages of Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Hearing aid technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the century since they were first introduced. The incorporation of rechargeable batteries is one of the most recent advancements in hearing aid technology. It’s been a challenge to master: at first, rechargeable batteries tiny enough to fit in hearing aids lacked sufficient power to sufficiently move the needle. But hearing aids with rechargeable batteries are …
Why Pretending to Hear Doesn’t Help
Imagine yourself in a conversation without the ability to hear what others have to say. What would you do? For some people, the first instinct is to call out for help, and that impulse makes it possible for many people with hearing loss to pursue assistance as soon as they realize the problem. Yet, other people have different responses to that situation. Some might try …
Ways to Accommodate Your Loved Ones with Hearing Loss
If you have a loved one with hearing loss, you know how challenging it can be to communicate. Sometimes all the conditions are right, and yet you struggle to get across a simple message or to convey a basic question. Although there are many reasons for the seemingly random nature of miscommunication among those with hearing loss, one of the simplest reasons is that each …
Musicians & Hearing Loss
For all of the cheer they bring, did you know there is a dark side to the life of a classical musician? We tend to think of rock musicians as people who experience hearing loss. But classical musicians also experience hearing loss in high numbers, according to new studies from Norway and Finland. A high number of classical musicians have hearing loss Both Norway and …
Building Connections | May is Better Hearing and Speech Month
Better Hearing and Speech Month is a designated month dedicated to improving communication for all. Every May, the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) sponsors Better Hearing and Speech Month to raise awareness of an often-overlooked condition: hearing loss. Hearing loss is often undiagnosed and neglected because it is an invisible disorder that develops over time. This is partly because hearing loss rarely occurs overnight. …
Going Digital with Your Hearing Aids
Hearing aid technology has changed a lot in the last decade, and you might not even recognize a hearing aid if you saw it. You may think hearing aids are like the clunky devices your uncle wore 15 years ago. But today’s hearing aids are small, sophisticated devices that provide the best in clear hearing. Like much of the technology you use every day, hearing …
Difficulties with Communication Could Signal a Hearing Loss
When we discuss hearing loss, we often talk about permanent hearing damage that takes place in the inner ear. Most hearing loss occurs when tiny sensory cells called “hair cells” are damaged or destroyed, limiting our capacity to detect sound. These tiny cells are the way the body picks up sound waves vibrating in the air and sends a signal to the brain. In the …
Dealing with Noise Pollution in Your Neighborhood
Noise-related hearing loss is the most common form of hearing loss, in part because many people don’t recognize the extent to which excess noise can permanently damage their hearing – or how loud the world around them is. Dangerous noise levels in our everyday environment is called noise pollution and it can have a big effect on how well we hear. If you live around …
How Hearing Aids Can Change Your Life
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, only around 20 percent of people who may benefit from hearing loss intervention seek care. Of the few that eventually do so, the general timeline between the first hearing loss diagnosis and the first pair of hearing aids is around a decade. Ignoring a condition and hoping it goes away is human nature, but hearing loss can only intensify …