The Hearing Knowledge Hub
-
New book to guide your through hearing loss
If you’re living with hearing loss – perhaps you’ve only recently learnt that you have a hearing loss – you may find it hard to come to terms with the news. Luckily, there’s a newly published book that may help you to change the way you feel about hearing loss. ‘Hear & Beyond: Live skillfully with hearing loss’ is by author, blogger and film maker, Shari Eberts, who has an adult-onset, genetic hearing loss. She has co-written the book with Gael Hannan, a speaker, writer and trainer on hearing loss issues who has severe-to-profound hearing loss, which was diagnosed at age three. Both women bring their experiences to this easy-to-read…
-
Noise pollution
The creators of a new technological innovation are hoping to give city dwellers a chance to open their windows untroubled by noise from the street. The Sound Eclipse, designed by design firm Kristil & Shamina, hangs in a window with a microphone on the back of the device to capture noise from the outside. Speakers on the room-facing side emit sound waves that match and invert the wave of the external sounds, cancelling them out. Tests show that Sound Eclipse reduces noise by up to 15 decibels, similar to wearing noise-cancelling headphones. The prototype of the Sound Eclipse is one of six finalists in the prestigious…
-
Electrodes stimulate the hearing brain to improve hearing speech in noise
Sometimes the biggest scientific breakthroughs happen by accident. Recently surgeons found that stimulating a specific part of the brain’s auditory cortex near the planum temporale immediately improved speech perception over background noise. They happened to be implanting electrodes into a patient’s brain to pinpoint the area that triggered the person’s epilepsy seizures – a tactic used in severe cases of the condition. Surgeons stimulated the patient’s planum temporale while playing sound clips of someone talking in extensive background noise. The patient deciphered the spoken sentence and rated the clarity as a 4 or 5 out of 5. Without stimulation, the patient could hear only a few of the words and rated…
-
103 year old gets cochlear implant
When 103-year-old Leslie Hodgson went to the hospital on his birthday, he told doctors that he had researched cochlear implants, and it was time for him to have one. Leslie, who is also registered blind, underwent the procedure to fit the electronic device in March at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough. The implant, which was inserted behind his ear, uses electrical stimulation to provide a sense of sound.The retired architect from Cumbria has no family and lost touch with friends after losing his hearing 10 years ago. He had communicated with friends via telephone but even that became too difficult. Surgeon Noweed Ahmad, who fitted Leslie’s cochlear implant, said: “Leslie…
-
Tips to help with Auditory Processing Disorder
How to live well with auditory processing disorder (APD) If we diagnose you or a loved one with APD, it’s important to know that there’s plenty that can be done to manage the condition so you get the most out of each day. Use the technology available: There are excellent amplification and assisted listening devices to help you to hear a person who is speaking and to block out background noise. We’ll advise you of the best option for you and your situation. Brain training: No matter what your age, your brain can improve its processing skills. We can support you with brain training programmes to enhance your ability to…
-
Do you have auditory processing disorder?
Do you have APD? Even when a person has normal hearing, they may still face challenges with listening and processing information. This is called auditory processing disorder, or APD. APD is a lifelong disability and an acknowledged hearing impairment by the World Health Organisation. It’s unrelated to intelligence but it can affect your ability to take on board information, follow directions, read and engage in conversation. A child with APD will find it harder to learn to read and spell. Every person who is living with APD is affected differently, depending on their ability to cope and adapt. APD also varies in severity, day-to-day and during the day and can…
-
Noise in the workplace. What you need to know.
Studies show dentists have twice the rate of hearing loss and tinnitus compared to the general population due to the loud drills and equipment that they use daily. The noise from these can top 90 decibels (dB). According to the NHS, any sound over 85dB can be harmful to hearing. Since 2008, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations have applied to all workplaces. These state that a daily noise exposure averaged over eight hours of 80dB requires employers to provide information, training and make hearing protection available. When that level reaches 85dB, employers are required to take measures to reduce noise exposure. That means wearing hearing protection and providing hearing…
-
Are the beers affecting your ears?
Today marks the beginning of Alcohol Awareness Week, and, while we don’t want to get preachy, it’s important to understand how regularly overindulging on the booze can lead to damaged hearing. Excessive drinking causes a toxic environment in the inner ear, damaging those tiny hair cells that translate sound into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain, which can lead to hearing loss. Excessive booze damages the auditory cortex in the brain, making you unable to correctly process sounds. It can also change the volume and composition of fluid in the inner ear, causing dizziness and imbalance as well as hearing loss. Tinnitus can be an unwelcome side effect too.…
-
November is stress awareness month. How does stress affect your hearing health?
For many people, the past 18 months of pandemic life have been among the most stressful of their lives for a host of reasons. With November the month of International Stress Awareness Week, it seems like a good time to remind everyone of the link between stress and hearing damage. As well as being bad for the heart, circulatory problems can also put your hearing at risk. Good circulation is vital if the small sensory hairs of the inner ear are to work properly and do their job of translating the noise received by your outer ears into electrical impulses for the brain to interpret as sound. Deprive them of…
-
3D Printed Eardrums!
Hearing in 3-dimensions? If you’ve been wondering what the point of 3-D printing is, let us introduce you to a new development in hearing health. A team of Harvard researchers and surgeons in the USA have developed a 3-D printed graft that can be implanted to repair a damaged eardrum. Called the PhonoGraft, this innovation has just entered commercial development and aims to solve the pain and hearing loss of eardrum perforation – a problem that affects millions of people worldwide. The eardrum, known as the tympanic membrane, is a thin membrane that conducts sound in the ear and protects against any nasties like bacteria or viruses that may find…
