Healthy Heart and Healthy Hearing Part 2
How does good cardiovascular health benefit hearing? The American Heart Association study concluded a healthy cardiovascular system can maintain the blood vessel health of the cochlea, thus protecting hearing. The typical recommendations apply to hearing health in conjunction with heart health. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, good cholesterol numbers and managing blood pressure are all standard and smart recommendations for maintaining cardiovascular health. These are a few simple steps that do not require expensive gym memberships or mystical diets. The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of activity per day to begin making a difference in heart and overall body health.
Healthy Heart and Healthy Hearing Part 1
It is a well known and often advertised fact that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death among Americans. Cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association, accounts for more than one-third of all deaths in America annually. What is not quite as well know is the fact that healthy cardiovascular health can be of great benefit to healthy hearing in older Americans. A recent study published in the Journal of Audiology has determined there is a significant correlation between a healthy heart and healthy hearing during aging.
Pumping iron while protecting hearing, Part 2
There is no significant difference between the types of music people choose to use while they exercise. From the soothing sounds of Celtic music to the heaviest of heavy metal, volume is often the great motivator to keep the whole body engaged in exercise and the mind distracted from a dull activity. People who walk to exercise often use different types of music to vary the rhythm of their walking for more beneficial cardiovascular exercise. Those exercising, who are bombarded by external and internal sounds that tend to distract, have been found to listen to their music at nearly 75% of top volume. That is well past the safe volume of hearing recommended by hearing professionals.
Pumping iron while protecting hearing Part 1
Hundreds of thousands of Americans visit the gym for a workout on a weekly basis; some Americans make it a daily routine to stop at the gym. What all of those people may not realize is as they are fine tuning their body shape and cardiovascular health, they may be destroying their hearing. On any day, at any time of day, one can walk into a normal gym scene and see almost all of the exercisers wearing their iPods or other electronic music devices with the ear buds fixed securely in their ears. According to a study published in the December of 2009 issue of The International Journal of Audiology, those who use loud music to motivate during exercise may be doing serious damage to their hearing.
Music and Tinnitus, Part 2
Because tinnitus can so often be a temporary condition that only makes an appearance under very particular circumstances, it is a difficult condition to diagnose and treat. Hearing professionals often have no indication of what has caused the tinnitus and cannot diagnose if the condition will correct itself or become permanent.
Music and Tinnitus, Part 1
In a recent study by the American Tinnitus Association, or ATA, there are an estimated 50 million people in the United States living with the misery of tinnitus. There is a group of approximately two million people within that larger group who suffer from tinnitus so severe they cannot live a normal life. Tinnitus is a condition that affects the hearing of a patient in one or both ears. Tinnitus causes a number of odd sounds to occur in the affected ear including ringing, hissing, humming, buzzing or roaring. These errant noises can so affect the patient they are unable comfortably hear, work or sleep. There are commonly used treatments available for patients suffering from tinnitus including hearing aids, relaxation techniques and even more serious treatments such as cochlear implants. Unfortunately for all patients suffering from tinnitus, there is no known cure for the disorder. There is new research being conducted that indicates music therapy may be a viable option for treatment of patients with tinnitus.
Hearing Tests Don’t Hurt
It is not unusual for older people to experience some extent of hearing loss, which can be so gradual that it is not immediately apparent there is a problem. In fact, recent studies have concluded only one in four Americans who acknowledge they have hearing loss will actually go to a hearing professional for a diagnosis and treatment. There are some simple signs to indicate it is time to see a certified hearing health professional. If someone has asked you more than once if you have a hearing problem, if you are frequently exposed to loud noises, such as construction sites or loud music, or if you are beginning to experience difficulty distinguishing speech within a noisy environment, it is time to make an appointment for an exam.
Which hearing aid will work best?
A full examination and diagnosis by a licensed hearing professional is the only way to determine the best hearing aid for a particular case of hearing loss. Hearing aids are generally recommended for both ears, regardless of the extent of loss in each ear. If you have two ears with a hearing loss and a hearing aid is fit for one ear this can put unnatural strain on the patient. Two hearing aids will allow the patient to more precisely identify sound and its location, much as both ears do in a person with normal hearing. Hence better word understanding especially in groups or noisy environments.
Do all Hearing Aids work the same?
Not all hearing aids work the same for all patients. There are two distinctly different types of hearing aids available for hearing loss patients, analog and digital. Analog hearing aids work by converting sound waves into amplified electronic signals. These electronic signals are then transmitted to a speaker which is worn inside the ear. All analog hearing aids are programmed by the manufacturer or provider with a computer; however, sometimes they can be adjusted by the user for different types of sound environments. The analog type of hearing aids can be set by the user for locations such as crowded events, small dinner parties or open locations such as theaters.
Different styles of hearing aids
There are five basic styles of hearing aids and, based on the extent of the hearing loss and patient preference, any of the five can be prescribed to treat mild to severe hearing loss. Traditional behind the ear hearing aids, for many years, were the only style available for patients with hearing loss. These hearing aids were usually expensive, bulky and uncomfortable to wear for the patient. Fortunately, advances in digital technology have provided hearing loss patients additional alternatives to the bulky traditional hearing aids.
