Hearing Problems in Children – Signs to Look For
Hearing loss is not just a problem that affects older individuals. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2 to 3 of every one thousand babies are born deaf or with some amount of impaired hearing. Childhood hearing loss can be caused by developmental abnormalities in the structure of the ear, by a middle…
Hearing in Spiders, Dolphins, Cats and More
The ability to hear is important to just about all living creatures; even though scientists have discovered many species of blind fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, no deaf vertebrate species have been identified. That said, hearing doesn’t necessarily call for ears. Only vertebrate animals have ears, whereas invertebrate animals utilize various other sense organs in…
How Crowds and Background Noise Impact Your Ability to Hear
A frequent question from patients relates to the ability to hear in crowded places. Person-to-person conversations and even small group conversations don’t cause them any trouble. Not so in crowded situations. Whether in large public space outdoors such as a football game or indoors at a party, they report being unable to distinguish the speakers’…
Hearing Aid Technology Development and Innovations since the 17th Century
The technique originally used as a hearing aid remains in use to this day, the instinctual desire to cup a hand behind your ear to better collect sounds so that you can hear them. Born out of necessity, the earliest tools used to aid hearing came about in the early 17th century. They were the…
Are Rechargeable Batteries Sensible for Use with my Hearing Aid?
Rechargeable hearing aid batteries are a smart idea – in theory. But are they sensible in real life? The first rechargeable hearing aid batteries were large (meaning that they could only be used in over-the-ear type aids), took hours to recharge, and did not hold that charge for very long. Instead of the 12 to…
Tinnitus Signs and Symptoms – What to Look For
Tinnitus is defined by The American Tinnitus Association as the condition in which a person hears sounds that most often no one else can hear. It is a condition that seems to be related to age (most cases appear after the age of 50), and is much more common in men than in women. An…