Hearing loss can be a problem for the whole family, not just the individual. Below are a few strategies that can help with effective communication at home: Maintain eye contact : Face the speaker and maintain eye contact. Facial expressions and body language add vital information to communication Gain attention: Gain the listener’s attention before you…
View detailsA cochlear implant can be a life changing treatment for people with severe hearing loss who receive little benefit from hearing aids. An important component of the cochlear implant process is to approach the first several weeks after activation with realistic expectations, commitment and patience. A cochlear implant is designed to bypass the damaged hair…
View detailsSound and Taste: Where Is the Connection? Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which two or more senses interact; stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. One of the most common forms of synesthesia is grapheme-color synesthesia, in which people perceive individual letters…
View detailsWhat Kind of Hearing Loss Do You Have? As described in our last blog post, the human ear can be divided into three general parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Hearing loss can occur in any, or multiple, parts of the pathway from the ear to the brain. Depending on…
View detailsA Brief History The introduction of the jet engine aircraft in the late 1940s and early 1950s raised concerns about hazardous noise and was one of the most important occurrences to the subsequent development of hearing conservation programs (Nixon, 1998). No sound of the jet engine’s magnitude had ever been routinely experienced in the military…
View detailsThe Benefits of Binaural Listening The question regarding whether to purchase one or two hearing aids is an important topic to address with your audiologist during a hearing aid consultation. Hearing aids are an investment in your hearing health that can contribute to improved communication with family and friends and lead to better quality of…
View detailsHearing Loss and Communicating with Family If you have hearing loss, you have probably noticed that your difficulty hearing is not just a problem for you, but for your whole family. When families have trouble communicating, they often report a decrease in perceived intimacy and an increase in conflict. This is because for most people,…
View detailsBecoming More Successful With Your CI One of the most important steps in the cochlear implant process is rehabilitation. Research studies demonstrate that patients adjust more quickly and achieve greater overall success when they actively participate in a rehabilitation program. Rehabilitation with a cochlear implant can be done at home with computer based programs and listening…
View detailsSudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) A rapid decline in hearing that occurs all at once or over the course of several hours and should be treated as a medical emergency. SSNHL most often occurs in one ear and may be accompanied by a feeling of fullness and ringing (tinnitus) in the affected ear as well…
View detailsNoise Induced Hearing Loss Exposure to loud noises is a common cause of hearing loss among the population. 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.” For more information on noise induced hearing loss,…
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