Thursday, March 31, 2011

How Prevalent is Hearing Loss in Adults?

Every year the number of people diagnosed with conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss or mixed hearing loss increases. In this article we will discuss how the number of adults suffering from this condition has increased.

The American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) states, “The number of Americans with hearing loss has evidentially doubled during the past 30 years.” As per federal surveys, in 1971, 13.2 million adults suffered from loss of hearing. By 1977 the number had increased to 14.2 million. Fast forward 14 years later and the number reached a staggering 20.3 million people with hearing damage. By the year 2000, the number had climbed up to 28.6 million Americans who suffer from hearing health damage.

What has caused this rapid increase in the numbers of people suffering from hearing loss? According to ASHA “Noise exposure has long been known to be a risk factor for hearing loss. More than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis.” If you suspect you, or someone you know might suffer from hearing loss, contact your local New Generation Miami hearing center, where an expert will be able to better diagnose and treat the condition.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Loss of Hearing In Children: How Common Is it?

Newborns who are not diagnosed correctly during the hearing health screening given to them after birth are hindered in their speech development among other things. Diagnosing a child with hearing loss, sadly adds to the numbers of children who suffer from this condition.

The American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) explains children now suffering from this condition form part of the 28.6 million Americans who had an auditory disorder in the year 2000. A decade later, the numbers have increased. The negative effects of hearing damage in a child, according to ASHA include difficulty with learning “vocabulary, grammar, word order, idiomatic expressions, and other aspects of verbal communication.”

ASHA goes on to say that in the 2000-01 school year, 5,775,722 children in the United States were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B. ASHA explains, “it is estimated that approximately 391,000 school-aged children in the U.S. have unilateral hearing loss.” If you believe your child may suffer from loss of hearing, visit your local Audiologist, such as Dr. Joseph Duran, who will help diagnose and treat the hearing damage.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Hearing Health Screenings of Newborns Might be Innacurate

In previous articles we have discussed the importance of early diagnosis of hearing loss in newborn children. A study conducted by Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago showed htat one third of children who received a hearing loss screening showed normal results yet later needed a cochlear implant.

The study, which was published in the Archives of Otolaryngology, explained the reasons for this might be because children may suffer from a delayed onset of hearing health problems occurring in the inner ear or the central processing centers of the brain. The loss of hearing that occurs from this condition cannot be detected immediately after birth.

The study was conducted by the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago; according to the researchers "when universal newborn hearing screening programs were initially conceived, it was presumed that most hearing-impaired children, especially those without risk factors for progressive hearing loss, would fail the objective screening performed during the newborn period." They went on to explain that “since that time, it has been recognized that many causes of childhood hearing loss are associated with progressive loss."

The study discussed how children who showed hearing loss during their screenings received a cochlear implantation almost a year earlier than those who passed the initial screening. If you believe your child might suffer from hearing damage, visit your local Miami Hearing Center, where an audiologist will be able to conduct a hearing test and give a proper diagnosis.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

One in Four College Students Suffer from Hearing Damage

The University of Florida conducted a small study about hearing loss in college students. The results showed that one in four college students now suffer from loss of hearing. The research was conducted with 56 students in their early 20s. They were asked about their hearing health, and then given a hearing test.

The results of the study showed that students who believed their hearing to be in the normal range suffered from hearing loss of 15 decibels. These results show a mild level of hearing loss, which does not require the students to wear a hearing aid, but it could still negatively affect their learning. Among the 56 students tested, 7 percent of these suffered from 25 decibels of loss of hearing.

The researchers explained that this increase in hearing loss, found among these young adults, could be the result to constant exposure to loud noise, due to their use of mobile music players. The males in the group had the highest level of hearing damage.

If you believe you might suffer from hearing loss, do not hesitate to visit your local Miami hearing Center, where an audiologist will help diagnose you appropriately.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Information You Should Know Before Buying a Hearing Aid

Before deciding if a hearing aid is right for you, understanding your hearing loss is important. Do you know what type of loss of hearing you suffer from? Do you know if it is permanent? What does your audiogram say about the sounds you can and cannot hear? These are a few of the many questions you should ask yourself and answer accurately before purchasing a hearing aid.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) states that you should visit your local Audiologist, who will give you a hearing exam and help diagnose the degree and type of hearing loss you suffer from, as well as, determine the right hearing aid for you.

ASHA explains that to find out which hearing aid is right for you, “the audiologist will want to find out about your typical communication activities at home, at work and in social and leisure activities.” This is because the professional needs to know your needs in order to prescribe the hearing aid that will help improve your quality of life.

For more information do not hesitate to contact your local New Generation Miami Hearing Center, which will provide you with a wide-selection of hearing aids.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Hearing Loss: How it is Described

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) published an article on the configuration of hearing loss. ASHA states that this refers to “the degree and pattern of hearing loss across frequencies (tones), as illustrated in a graph called an audiogram.” Hearing loss can occur when only high tones or low tones are affected. As well as when the same amount of hearing loss occurs for both the low and the high tones.

The hearing loss can be described bilaterally or unilaterally. Bilaterally meaning both ears suffer from loss of hearing, unilateral hearing loss which means only one ear suffers from hearing damage. Hearing loss can also be described symmetrically or asymmetrically. Symmetrically meaning the degree of hearing loss is the same in both ears, whereas asymmetrically means that one ear might have a higher or lower level of hearing loss as compared to the other.

Hearing loss can either occur progressively or suddenly. If hearing loss occurs suddenly, you must consult with your local audiologist who will be able to diagnose you and help treat your condition, as well as prescribe the correct hearing aid to improve your quality of life.

Finally, hearing loss is described as fluctuating or stable. Fluctuating hearing loss means your hearing health might improve or deteriorate over time. If you would like to know more about hearing loss, visit your local Miami hearing center

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Otosclerosis: Causes and Symptoms

In this article we will go over Otosclerosis, a condition that occurs when there is abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, which results in loss of hearing.

The National Center of Biotechnology (NCBT), explains how there is no known cause for this condition. There is a belief that it might pass down through families. NCBT explains, “People who have Otosclerosis have an abnormal sponge-like bone growing in the middle ear. This growth prevents the ear from vibrating in response to sound waves. Such vibrations are needed in order for you to hear.”

Hearing loss, is one of the many symptoms of this condition. Ringing of the ears (Tinnitus) may also result from Otosclerosis. It is important to visit your local Audiologist, such as Dr. Joseph Duran, who will give you a hearing test, and determine the level of hearing loss that occurred due to this disease.

The National Center of Biotechnology states, that the treatment of this condition may only be given until there are severe hearing problems. A hearing aid may be used to help improve your hearing. Surgery can also be an option, as explained by the NCBT “Surgery to remove part of the ear (stapes) and replace it with a prosthesis can cure conductive hearing loss.”

For more information contact your local New Generation Miami hearing center.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Meniere’s Disease: Causes and Symptoms

Hearing loss can occur due to a variety of reasons, ranging from regular exposure to loud noise to a disease. In this article we will go over Meniere’s disease. A condition that affects the inner ear resulting in trouble with balance and loss of hearing.

Meniere’s disease is caused by head injuries, a middle ear infection and syphilis. According to the National Center of Biotechnology (NCBI), Meniere’s disease can also occur due to allergies, the use of alcohol, smoking, stress, and an infection of the respiratory system, among others.

NCIB explains that signs to look for that may indicate you might suffer from this condition which affects your hearing health, include diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, severe nausea, vomiting, and sweating. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, but there are ways, which can help improve this condition. These include the reduction of sodium in your diet, as well as taking water pills (diuretics) to reduce the fluid pressure in the inner ear.

For more information on this condition, contact your local New Generation Miami Hearing center, and make an appointment with an Audiologist.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Hearing Loss: The different Degrees

Loss of hearing is the result of conditions such as Mixed Hearing Loss, Conductive Hearing Loss, Sensorineural Hearing Loss, and Unilateral Hearing Loss. The level to which each of these conditions affect your hearing health varies. How do you know when you have a profound or a mild degree of hearing loss?

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the level of hearing loss is measured in decibels (dB HL). Normal hearing ranges from -10 dB to 15 dB. A person suffering from slight hearing loss has a range of 16 dB to 25 dB.

If a person suffers from mild hearing loss, due to hearing damage, they have a hearing loss range of 26 dB to 40 dB. A moderate degree of loss of hearing ranges from 41 dB to 55 dB. A moderately severe hearing loss is between 56 dB to 70 dB. Severe hearing loss is between 71 dB to 90 dB. Profound hearing loss, which would be the highest level of hearing loss, it means they have a hearing loss range of 91 dB or more.

If you believe you are suffering from any type of hearing damage, do not hesitate to contact your local Audiologist, such as Dr. Joseph Duran, who can perform a hearing test to check for the degree of hearing loss.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Unilateral Hearing Loss and your Hearing Health

Hearing loss can affect one or both ears. In this article we will talk about Unilateral Hearing loss (UHL). This condition occurs when a person suffers from loss of hearing from one ear but whose other ear is completely healthy.

The degree of hearing loss varies from mild to severe. This condition also affects both children and adults. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) “approximately 1 out of every 10,000 children is born with UHL, and nearly 3% of school-age children have UHL.” This condition can have negative effects on a child’s education, as well as social interaction and speech-language development. The reason for this being that most children with UHL are not diagnosed with the condition early on and do not receive any kind of treatment.

What causes Unilateral Hearing loss? ASHA explains that abnormality in the outer, middle or inner ear can cause this condition as well as infections or illnesses, head injury, exposure to loud noise, traumatic brain injury and genetics. For more information contact your local New Generation Miami Hearing Center.