Hearing

Hearing Devices and Fatigue

We know it can be exhausting to keep up to date on all of the pertinent research literature in our field. Luckily, Holman, et al (2021) recently published a nice review of the literature related to hearing loss and hearing device use as it relates to fatigue.

We previously shared with you their findings related to hearing loss and fatigue, now let us see what these authors found in regards to the fitting of a hearing device.

Hearing Loss and Fatigue

Yawn!

Wait! Don't nod off yet! There is a recently published systematic review that you may be interested in checking out (Holman et al, 2021).

Hearing Impairment, Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease, and Cognitive Function, and Individuals Who Are Hispanic or Latino

Is there a relationship between hearing impairment, risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and cognitive function for individuals who identify as Hispanic/Latino?

Stickel and colleagues (2020) addressed this question by analyzing results obtained on 9,180 individuals between the ages of 45-74 years who identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Experiences of Patients with Hearing Loss and a Comorbid Psychiatric Diagnosis

Are you curious about the experience of hearing loss and auditory rehabilitation for your older adult patients who have a current psychiatric diagnosis? If so, you may want to read a recently published qualitative study by Emma Laird and colleagues (2020).

Classifications of Meniere’s Disease

Jessie J, a popular British pop singer, shared that she was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease (MD) after waking up Christmas Eve morning with hearing loss in her right ear and vertigo.

She reported in her Instagram live feed that it felt like her right ear was “completely deaf” and that she “couldn’t walk a straight line.”

Use of Diagnostics and Intervention in Children with SNHL

As audiologists, we know that early detection and intervention for permanent, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is critical for language development, academic achievement, and social and emotional well-being.

The authors of this study investigated 53,711 children with hearing loss and a mean age of 7 years 3 months. The children were both male and female, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White.

Noise Pollution and Health Effects

A recent article in Medical News Today highlights some of the less obvious effects noise and noise pollution have on our bodies.

While hearing loss is a commonly known consequence of over exposure to noise, noise pollution, the presence of unwanted sounds in the environment, has been shown to affect mental health, sleeping patterns, physical health, and impact learning.

The Sound of the End Marks a New Beginning

A ghost corners and gets Pac-man. Mario, Luigi, or Princess Peach crash the kart against a barrier. A zombie punches you in one of the tunnels of Area 51. All of these events mark a major “end” in a classic arcade game and have memorable sound effects that have become indelible in our brains.

COVID-19 and Its Impact on Hearing Health Care for Older Adults

As audiologists, we are acutely aware that COVID-19 and related prevention and mitigation efforts have impacted our practices and our patients.

Gaeta (2020) queried 150 older adults about their communication difficulties and thoughts on hearing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority (n=119) experienced at least some hearing difficulties, half wore hearing aids (n=76), and just over half (n=79) reported communication difficulties due to masks.

Bored Out of My Mind

Hi! I am a hearing aid and I am bored out of my mind.

It took years, no decades, for me to hone the skills to be a discriminating listener. At first, I could tell when sound was coming from the front versus other directions. Then, I could tell when you were speaking from when the fan was whirring or traffic was zipping by.

It took a lot of hard work but I even learned how to pull out the voice of whomever was speaking with you from the random noises in the background.