Hearing

Families Fight for CMV Screenings

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common virus in the United States, but few know it can cause permanent health problems in unborn babies.

New Study Examines How Face Masks Affect Speech Recognition in Background Noise

Researchers at Villanova University found that in low levels of background noise (for the purposes of recognizing spoken sentences immediately after presentation), face masks have a small effect related to speech production without a mask, and some masks have no effect. In high levels of background noise, the effects of different mask types become more apparent.

Homemade cloth masks and N95 respirators had the largest impact on speech recognition while surgical masks had no effect.

Reference

COVID-19 and Its Effects on Hearing

While we have learned a lot about COVID-19 over the last year, questions still linger regarding its long-term effects.

The Royal National Institute for the Deaf, the Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust, and the University of Manchester recently funded research investigators at the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Center to explore the potential impacts to hearing on patients previously hospitalized for COVID-19.

A New Hope for Patients with Severe Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction

Imagine seeing life through a handheld video camera. When you are still everything seems fine; but as soon as you start to move, the picture is far from perfect. Even a small step creates a jostling of the screen, leading to blurry, jumpy vision. This is how people with severe bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) see the world due to a complete lack of neural input from either ear. But there is hope!

The Masking Dilemma

In recognition of World Hearing Day, March 3, the Academy’s Health-Care Relations Committee wants to share some helpful information and tips to manage wearing a mask and communicating with patients.

By Katharine A. Williams, Rebecca Henning, Jessica Spratt Novak, Margaret Kettler, Brittany Kyzer, and Emily Venskytis

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.”