Understanding Auditory Processing Disorders in Children

Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD) also referred to as APD and how it affects children will be explained in this article.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), explains how Auditory Processing Disorders happens because of the inability of the brain to process and interpret sounds around you. This is not due to hearing loss.

This condition shows symptoms, which are closely related to other illnesses, such as hearing damage or loss of hearing, which is why the help of a group of professionals is enlisted, in order to correctly diagnose the child. Although this group of professionals is involved in the process, only an audiologist, such as Dr. Joseph Duran, is able to correctly diagnose the condition.

After APD is diagnosed, the treatment of the condition varies by the individual with the condition. NIDCD lists some treatment options, these include: auditory trainers, environmental modifications, exercises to improve language-building skills, auditory memory enhancement and auditory integration training, among other treatments.

For more information about this and other disorders contact your local New Generation Hearing Center.

Effects of Auditory Processing Disorder and Hearing Health

Suffering from hearing loss is not only caused by hearing damage, this article will go over a hearing health condition called Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), whose effects on hearing loss do not lie on damage to the auditory system.

According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), ADP sufferers experience “a greater than expected difficulty hearing and understanding speech even though no measureable hearing loss exists.” Individuals with this condition may think they suffer from loss of hearing when that is not the case.

As ASHA explains, ADP has similarities with conditions such as language impairment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and learning disabilities, among other conditions. So how can this condition be diagnosed? ASHA states “It is important to take a multidisciplinary approach for accurate diagnosis of this disorder. Members of the team may include the speech-language pathologist, psychologist, classroom teacher, physician, parent and the audiologist.” If the results of this approach show a correlation with ADP, an audiologist will be able to continue on by providing a variety of tests based on the patient’s characteristics.

If you believe you or your child may suffer from this condition, contact your local Miami Hearing Center.

Chronic Otitis Media With Effusion and Your Hearing Health

Chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) is an illness which affects hearing health. Children are the most susceptible due to their smaller Eustachian tubes. In this article we will go over this condition, and how it may result in loss of hearing.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), there are signs that you should look for in your child that might suggest he or she suffers from this type of ear infection.

The signs include:

· Tugging or pulling at the ear(s)

· Fussiness and crying

· Trouble sleeping

· Fever (especially in infants and younger children)

· Fluid draining from the ear

· Clumsiness or problems with balance

· Trouble hearing or responding to quiet sounds

Prevention of this condition and avoidance of hearing damage is very important. Prevention begins by reducing risk factors that lead to an ear infection. Make sure your child is vaccinated against the flu every year. Other suggestions given by NIDCD include “Wash[ing] hands frequently, avoid exposing your baby to cigarette smoke.

Never put your baby down for a nap, or for the night, with a bottle. Don’t allow sick children to spend time together.”

It is important to take care of your child’s hearing health, as to prevent conditions that might result in hearing loss.

High Noise Levels May Lead to Hearing Loss

Protecting your hearing health and preventing hearing loss is very important. The number of individuals now suffering from hearing damage is on the rise and you should become aware of what actions to avoid that might cause harm to your hearing. This article will concentrate on how to prevent noise-induced hearing loss by knowing how different sound levels affect your hearing.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), has created a bookmark, illustrated on the left, listing noise levels in decibels and their sound source, and also explaining how each noise level affects your hearing health.

According to NIDCD, being exposed to a sound level of 85 decibels or above will put you on the risk of suffering from loss of hearing. It explains the effects each noise level on your hearing as follows:

110 Decibels

Regular exposure of more than 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss.

100 Decibels

No more than 15 minutes of unprotected exposure recommended.

85 Decibels

Prolonged exposure to any noise at or above 85 decibels can cause gradual hearing loss.

If you would like to find out more, visit your local Miami hearing center. An audiologist will be able to help you find out about other ways in which you can take care of your hearing health.

Test Your Hearing Health With These Questions

Many adults or children may suffer from hearing loss and not even know it. This article will discuss the signs you should look for, that might indicate you or your child may suffer from loss of hearing. This self-test will allow you to know if its time to see an audiologist.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing association (ASHA), there are behaviors or symptoms associated with hearing damage that you should look for, in order to know if its time for your child to undergo a hearing health screening. These signs include:

· Your child is inconsistently responding to sound.

· Language and speech development is delayed.

· Speech is unclear.

· Volume is turned up high on electronic equipment (radio, TV, CD player, etc.).

· Your child has a hard time following directions.

· Your child often says, "Huh?"

· Your child does not respond when called.

If you believe you might suffer from hearing loss, these questions also provided by ASHA, will help you know if you should visit your local Miami Hearing Center. If most of these questions are answered with “yes”, you might need to get a hearing test.

· Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?

· Do you hear better through one ear than the other when you are on the telephone?

· Do you have trouble following the conversation with two or more people talking at the same time?

· Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high?

· Do you have to strain to understand conversation?

· Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background?

· Do you have trouble hearing in restaurants?

· Do you have dizziness, pain, or ringing in your ears?

· Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves?

· Do family members or coworkers remark about your missing what has been said?

· Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)?

· Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?

· Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?

· Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?

Visit your local Miami Hearing Center where an audiologist will be able to better assess your condition.

Folic Acid's Benefits on Hearing Health

In a previous article we discussed how many nutrients may prevent loss of hearing. In this article we will talk about Folic Acid, also known as Folate. A Folic acid supplement may help prevent hearing loss.

728 individuals from ages of 50 to 70, were part of a Dutch study which showed that a deficiency in folic acid, resulted in high blood levels of homocysteine. In the study half the group was given folic acid supplements whereas the other half was given a placebo pill.

Those who received a folic acid supplement showed less low-frequency hearing loss than those who took placebo pills.

WebMd published an article in which Robert A. Dobie, MD, of the University of California, stated "If this [hearing] benefit applies to the entire population (a big 'if') and continues to accrue each year (another big 'if'), one might expect a 5-decibel reduction in age-related [hearing loss] over a 20-year period," Dobie calculates.

The results of this would result in a lesser chance of individuals having to use hearing aids. For more information on the benefits of good nutrition on your hearing health, as well as hearing loss diagnosis, visit your local Miami hearing center.

Hearing Loss and Baby Boomers

A recent article written by USA Today discusses how the Baby Boomer generation has a high occurrence of hearing loss. 36 million Americans suffer from loss of hearing, and of these, a percentage are 65 years of age or older.

The federal health officials, explains that 25% to 40% of people over the age of 65 suffer from hearing damage. A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University estimated that 63% of individuals over the age of 70, have “mild to severe impairment.” Men are the most affected by hearing loss, this is because men are more likely to work in loud environments, like a construction site.

Daniel Sklare who is the program director at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders explained how “this is an incredibly common condition," he went on to say that only 20% of the people with hearing loss actually seek help from an audiologist.

If you are over the age of 65 and believe you might be suffering from hearing loss, visit your local Miami hearing center, where an expert will help you diagnose and treat the condition.

Hearing Health Affected by Nutrition

Sufferers of hearing loss have to deal with the negative effects this has on their lives. Having to ask people to repeat themselves or raise their voice so you may be able to understand them can create an uncomfortable situation. It is very important to take care of your hearing health, and to do this you should also check your nutrition. There are two nutrients that are said to prevent loss of hearing – folate and omega-3 fatty acids.

A study published by the Journal of Nutrition explains how a person over 50 years of age, who has a low level of vitamin-B folate has 35 percent risk of suffering from hearing damage. The study was conducted on 3,000 people in Australia, which showed that a deficiency in folate causes an increase in the homocysteine levels, which in turn could restrict blood flow to the cochlea. The cochlea is the part of the ear that converts sound energy into signals that travel to the brain and help you hear properly.

Dr. Bamini Gopinath, Ph.D, who is the author of the study explained how "Omega-3s could potentially help maintain a healthy vascular supply to the cochlea, thereby preventing age-related hearing loss." He went on to state “it’s possible that folate can, too, but more research is needed."

If you would like to find out more on how to protect your hearing health, visit your local New Generation Miami Hearing Center.