Jason Day and BPPV The 2015 U.S. open was recently played at Chambers Bay. During the second round of play, Jason Day, the 8th ranked golfer in the world, was overcome with symptoms of vertigo and collapsed on the 9th hole. His diagnosis: BPPV. This is not the first time Day has experienced these symptoms.…

How do I know if I should update my hearing aids? Hearing aid technology advances every day and as a result, new products and programming options are constantly becoming available. Many hearing aid wearers will wonder how they know if they need a change in programming or an update in technology to a newer product.…

Hearing Loss: You Are Not Alone Hearing loss is the third most common physical impairment reported by Americans, following only arthritis and heart disease. In fact, approximately 48 million Americans, or 20% of the population, suffer from some degree of hearing loss.  Because hearing loss is essentially an “invisible disorder,” meaning someone cannot see that…

What is Tinnitus? Tinnitus, more commonly known as “ringing in the ears”, is the presence of sound in the ears or head where no external sound source is present. It can also be described as a buzzing, hissing, or roaring noise depending on the patient’s perception.  According to the American Tinnitus Association, 50 million people…

Why do my hearing aids whistle? Many hearing aid users wonder about that high pitched whistle sound that sometimes comes from one or both of their hearing aids. What is it and why does it happen? That high pitched sound is referred to as feedback and it can occur with any sound system that involves…

Reading the Graph An audiogram is a graphical representation of pure tone audiometry test results. It charts the softest sounds (threshold) that a patient can hear at each frequency tested. The frequency of the tone is displayed across the x-axis (horizontal), while the loudness of sound is displayed along the y-axis (vertical). Frequency is measured…

Hyperacusis: What is it? Hyperacusis is defined as an unusual intolerance to ordinary environmental sounds. Individuals with hyperacusis usually have inappropriate responses to sounds that are not bothersome to a typical person.  This differs from loudness recruitment, in which a person with hearing loss cannot tolerate moderate to loud sounds. With loudness recruitment, loud sounds…

First time hearing aid users Approximately 8.4 million people in America currently wear hearing aids. While some of those individuals may have been wearing hearing aids for decades, some are just starting their journey to better hearing. If you are considering hearing aids for the first time, or considering trying amplification again after a long…

Loud Noise and Hearing Loss Roughly 10 million cases of hearing loss can be attributed to noise exposure. Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is characterized by a gradual, progressive loss of high frequency hearing sensitivity that usually presents as a “notch” that occurs at or around 4000 Hz. NIHL can occur from a one-time exposure…