Second-Hand Smoke Linked to Hearing Loss in Children

Reprinted from Voice on America

A new study links second-hand smoke to hearing loss in children.

Some 1,500 teenagers were given hearing tests in the study. They were also tested for cotinine, which is produced when nicotine is metabolized, so it's a good marker for exposure to tobacco smoke.
"What we found was that the higher the level of cotinine in their blood - and thus the higher the level of exposure to second-hand smoke - there was greater prevalence of the hearing loss," says Dr. Anil Lalwani of New York University Medical Center, who conducted the study.

In conducting the study, Lalwani wanted to extend what was known about the association between second-hand smoke and the ear. For example, children exposed to tobacco smoke get more ear infections.

"We also know that adults who smoke have an earlier hearing loss than adults who do not," Lalwani says. "And this made us wonder whether early exposure to second-hand smoke that children would be exposed to, is that also deleterious to the auditory system?"

Most of the 12- to 19-year-olds in the study who had measurable hearing loss weren't aware of it. They might miss things in class and not hear instructions. Lalwani says the loss could be enough to be causing real harm.

"Kids who have second-hand smoke exposure have behavioral issues as well as cognitive issues. So it's quite possible that even this mild hearing loss that these children might have may be impacting their development in school."

Why hearing is affected by second-hand smoke remains a bit of a mystery. Lalwani suggests it may be because of known effects of tobacco smoke on blood vessels, possibly compromising the flow to the inner ear. Another possibility is a toxic component of the smoke acting more directly.

Link Between Hearing Loss And Falls

Reprinted from Voice On America

Researchers have found an intriguing link between the risk of falling and hearing loss.

Among aging populations, falls are a major health hazard. A stumble that might lead to just a painful bruise in a younger person can result in a broken hip, disability, and even death in older adults.

Researchers analyzed data from an ongoing U.S. health study, called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Lead author Frank Lin, of Johns Hopkins University, said he and his colleague, Luigi Ferrucci of the National Institute on Aging, compared measurements of hearing loss in adults age 40-69 with participants' response to questions about any recent falls they might have had.

"And what we found is that someone's hearing ability is directly related to their chances of having falls in the past year," Lin said. "For someone with just even a mild hearing loss compared to normal hearing, they basically had about a three-fold increased chance of having falls over the past year."

Lin's study found a strong association, not cause-and-effect. But why might hearing loss contribute to falling? He says there are several possibilities.
Poor hearing could make people less aware of the environment around them. Or it may be linked to another function of the ear, specifically the inner ear, which isn't used just for hearing.

"It actually helps you maintain balance; so it provides balance information to the brain. But in the current study, we actually accounted for someone's balance ability, and we still saw this association between someone's hearing abilities and their chances of having falls over time."

Lin's findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, confirm several previous studies that have probed the link between hearing loss and falls.

Good Hearing = Good Mood

Reposted from Marketwatch.com

Investing in your hearing health is worth every penny and has self-esteem benefits. As many as 72 percent of U.S.-based respondents agree that getting a hearing aid was definitely worth it, and that their hearing aids are worth every cent. An overwhelming majority - 83 percent - of all hearing aid users surveyed agreed that their quality of life changed for the better once their hearing improved. Among all U.S.-based respondents, 76 percent with hearing aids said their devices have a positive influence on their general mood, and 68 percent report an improvement in their mental fitness, evidenced by heightened receptiveness and improved concentration.

People with untreated hearing loss also reveal the importance of good hearing for good mental health. Globally, respondents affected by moderate to severe hearing loss who did not wear a hearing aid reported feeling sad or depressed more frequently than hearing aid owners (22 percent without a hearing aid versus 15 percent with a hearing aid). Additionally, these individuals were more likely to feel insecure and anxious (21 percent without a hearing aid versus 13 percent with a hearing aid) and suffer from insomnia more often (31 percent without a hearing aid versus 24 percent with a hearing aid). These symptoms are often regarded as possible first indicators of depressive disorders.

"People with hearing loss lack some important opportunities for human contact," said Gail B. Brenner, AuD., Hearing Technology Associates LLC, Philadelphia, PA. "The consequences of this isolation can be the development of depression and increased anxiety, but also increasing mistrust of others. While the tendency for depression among people with untreated hearing loss is significantly higher, differences between people who use hearing aids and people who have no hearing loss are marginal. This shows that a hearing aid can support the prevention of depression for people who experience hearing difficulties."

Better Hearing = Better Love Life

Of all U.S.-based respondents who have hearing aids, 68 percent confirmed that their personal relationships improved since they started wearing hearing aids. Furthermore, almost half (44 percent) of U.S.-based respondents surveyed said that their love life had changed for the better since wearing a hearing aid.

You can take an online hearing quiz and read more about hearing loss here, or call 801-770-0801 for a free hearing consultation.

How Loud Is Too Loud?

Dr. Garrett's daughter just finished a science project where she won honorable mention.  What kind of project would the daughter of an Audiologist do you ask?  Something based on hearing, of course!

The gist of the project was on determining what form of hearing protection really works best in noise.  She tested active noise-cancelling head phones, passive noise-cancelling headphone, foam earplugs, cotton, hands over ears, and fingers in ears.  Surprisingly enough, the best results were for putting your fingers in your ears.

An important part of her project dealt with researching at what point sounds become "too loud" and are actually damaging your hearing.  Here is a chart showing the Maximum Recommended Noise Dose Exposure Levels:

Noise Level (dBA)	Maximum Exposure Time per 24 Hours
85	8 hours
88	4 hours
91	2 hours
94	1 hour
97	30 minutes
100	15 minutes
103	7.5 minutes
106	3.7 minutes
109	112 seconds
112	56 seconds
115	28 seconds
118	14 seconds
121	7 seconds
124	3 seconds
127	1 second
130–140	less than 1 second
140	NO EXPOSURE

So, how do you know if the noise level is too high?  If you have a smart phone, there are some new apps out there that work pretty well as sound level meters. 
iPhone Apps:

1. dB Volume Meter
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/db-volume-
meter/id353432115?mt=8
(or http://tinyurl.com/6rtrbka if link is broken.)

2. TooLoud?
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tooloud/id393039065?mt=8

Android App:

3. deciBel SPL Meter
https://market.android.com/details?id=bz.bsb.decibel&feature
search_result
(or http://tinyurl.com/7uqhf2y if link is broken.)

If you think that your hearing may have been damaged due to noise exposure, go to our website at www.utahhearingaids.com for more information or call our office for a free consultation with a Doctor of Audiology at 801-770-0801.

LACE Therapy For Better Listening Skills

Hearing better is a lot like physical therapy.  It takes work and you tend to get out of it benefits proportional to what you put into it.

One type of therapy we offer at Timpanogos Hearing & Balance is called LACE (Listening And Communication Enhancement).  This is a low cost training program that allows you to perform additional training in your own home.  This program is proven to improve one's ability to listen more effectively especially in noisy situations, which is the main complaint of people with hearing loss.

LACE is done using a computer or DVD. LACE is designed to enhance listening and communication skills, get the patient involved in the therapeutic process, improve confidence levels, and provide communication strategies. The program consists of a variety of interactive and adaptive training tasks for listening to speech in noise, rapid speech, and auditory memory.

 Besides the immediate feedback given for each task, LACE provides the patient with a graph depicting daily improvement and progress from the start of the training.

It should be reinforced at this point that better hearing is not a passive process where you simply let the hearing aids do all the work; success does not rest solely on the hearing aid and the expertise of the hearing healthcare professional. To optimize your hearing aid experience you must become an active participant. One of the best ways to do this is to become an active listener using software like LACE.

LACE training is conducted in the privacy of your own home at a pace comfortable to you.. LACE consists of twenty 20-30 minute listening exercises of progressing difficulty and can be completed in ten days, or longer if you wish. Research on thousands of people with hearing loss demonstrates that you can expect on average a 40% improvement of speech comprehension in noisy situations, if you complete the training program. Using the listening skills you will acquire with this software, along with communication strategies as well as the advanced features of your hearing aids such as directional microphones or wireless technology you could do even better depending on your degree of hearing loss.

Here are some questions and answers about LACE.

Q. How do I know if I need LACE auditory retraining therapy?
A. All people whose hearing loss is less than profound or deaf will benefit from auditory retraining therapy. In fact even normal hearing people can benefit by training their brain to listen better in noisy situations.
Q. Where do I get LACE software?
A. You can get LACE directly from your hearing healthcare professional at Timpanogos Hearing & Balance.
Q. How much does it cost?
A. If you purchased hearing technology from Timpanogos Hearing & Balance, we only charge $50 for the program.  If you buy it online, you will pay $100 to $150.
Q. What equipment will I need to do LACE?
A. It is preferred while wearing your hearing aids that you use a computer with loudspeakers through your mouse or keyboard. If you do not have a computer the DVD version allows you to take the listening skills training using the DVD remote but for those with manual dexterity problems this may be difficult. In addition you will not be able to connect to the Internet to send your on-going results to your hearing healthcare professional, which is a helpful part of your therapy program.
Q. Will my acquired listening skills be permanent?
A. Yes they will; but some people may need refresher training with their software.

If you have questions about this program of about hearing better in general, you can call our office at 801-770-0801 or go to www.utahhearingaids.com. 

Why Ear Wax and Hearing Aids Aren't Friends

Cerumen or earwax is a self-cleaning agent produced in your ears with protective, lubricating, and antibacterial properties. Earwax is not really a "wax" but a water-soluble mixture of secretions (produced in the outer third of the ear canal), plus hair and dead skin. Earwax is not formed in the deep part of the ear canal near the eardrum, but in the outer one-third of the ear canal. It naturally works its way out of the ear through movement of your jaw while speaking and chewing.

But for patients who wear hearing aids, special attention must be paid to make sure earwax does not damage the aid or impair function. Cerumen in the ear canal can cause the hearing aid to fit poorly and not seal properly. If the hearing aid fits poorly, sound produced by the aid passes around it and out of the ear canal, where it is picked up by the microphone and reamplified. A positive feedback loop is created and audible, high-pitched feedback results. Cerumen removal eliminates feedback, when the feedback is due to excess cerumen.

Too much earwax can also damage the listening device. In fact, current estimates from various hearing aid manufacturers indicate that 60 to 70 percent of all hearing aids sent for repair are damaged as a result of contact with cerumen.

Patients who wear hearing aids should have their clinician examine the ears for impacted cerumen during a routine healthcare visits, but this does not need to occur more frequently than every three months. Examination is accomplished by removing the hearing aid and inspecting the ear canal with a handheld otoscope. If the patient has bilateral hearing aids, the second ear is examined after replacing the first hearing aid, to facilitate communication.

If your doctor finds evidence of earwax impaction, he or she may need to perform a variety of techniques to help remove the obstruction. These include:

1. Flushing the ear with cerumenolytic (wax-dissolving) agents, which include water, saline, and other agents of comparable efficacy.
2. Using irrigation or ear syringing.
3. Manual removal with special instruments or a suction device, which is preferred for patients with narrow ear canals, eardrum perforation or tube, or immune deficiency.

If you would like to have a complimentary ear wax check, please call our office at 801-770-0801 or see www.utahhearingaids.com for more information.

Reposted from the American Academy of Otolaryngology

New Study Shows Link Between Diabetes and Hearing Loss in Women

A recent study has proven that diabetes is often associated with hearing loss in women.  The study, done by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, examined the medical records of 990 men and women who had hearing tests between 2000 and 2008. Patients with diabetes were divided into two groups: well-controlled and poorly controlled.  The poorly controlled diabetics had  28%  worse hearing than those without diabetes.

The study also discovered that the younger the diabetic was, the more likely she was to suffer from hearing loss.

Because men are already more likely to experience hearing loss due to louder lifestyles and activities, the study was not able to prove any relationship between diabetes and hearing loss in men.

The implications in this study are significant.  There have been previous links proven between diabetes and loss of sight, so many physicians recommend yearly vision exams when a patient is diagnosed with diabetes.  This study implies that they should also be referred for yearly audiologic examinations as well.

This information was presented at a medical meeting and should not be conclusive until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.  You can find out more about hearing loss at www.utahhearingaids.com or call our office for a free hearing consultation at 801-770-0801.

Get Your Hearing Checked During American Heart Month!

What do those two things, hearing and heart health, have to do with each other?  Research shows plenty.  For example:

In one study, published in The Laryngoscope, researchers hypothesized that low-frequency hearing loss is associated with underlying cardiovascular disease; and a mathematical formula using audiometric pattern and medical history to predict the probability of cardiovascular diseases and events was developed and tested. The researchers concluded that the audiogram pattern correlates strongly with cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial disease, and that it may represent a screening test for those at risk. The researchers also concluded that patients with low-frequency hearing loss should be regarded as at risk for cardiovascular events, and that appropriate referrals should be considered.

In another study, published in the June 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers looked at hearing sensitivity in older adults and its association with cardiovascular risk factors. They concluded that modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease may play a role in the development of age-related hearing loss. Risk factors associated with poorer hearing sensitivity in men included high triglyceride levels, high resting heart rate, and a history of smoking. In women, poor hearing sensitivity was associated with high body mass index, high resting heart rate, fast aortic pulse-wave velocity (PWV), and low ankle–arm index (AAI).

In still another study, published in the June 2010 issue of the American Journal of Audiology, the authors reviewed research that had been conducted over the past 60 plus years. They found that the negative influence of impaired cardiovascular health on both the peripheral and central auditory system, and the potential positive influence of improved cardiovascular health on these same systems, was found through a sizable body of research.

To schedule a free consultation with one of our Doctors of Audiology, call us at 801-770-0801 or go to www.utahhearingaids.com for more information.

New Study Links Hearing Loss With Increase Risk of Dementia

A recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging has found that adults with hearing loss are significantly more likely than adults with normal hearing to develop dementia.  The study also concluded that the greater the hearing loss, the higher the risk.

The study followed 639 people ages 36 to 90 who initially did not have dementia.  The volunteers were tested for hearing loss and dementia every two years for nearly two decades.

Researchers found that those with hearing loss at the beginning of the study were much more likely to develop dementia by the end.  The risk of dementia only began to rise once hearing loss began to interfere with the ability to communicate-- for example in a noisy environment such as a restaurant.

Interestingly enough, the study also found a link between hearing loss and Alzheimer's risk, but the link was not as strong as between hearing loss and dementia.

The author of the study, Frank Lin, M.D. says that whatever causes dementia also causes hearing loss, but they don't have clear evidence.  He states that it is more likely that the stress caused by the effects of untreated hearing loss contributes to dementia and Alzheimer's.

Previous studies have proven that those with untreated hearing loss experience fatigue, stress and frustration after spending extra energy trying to decipher what those around them are saying.  This also contributes to social isolation, which has also been proven to contribute even more to dementia.  Dr. Lin says that it could be a combination of those two-- neurological stress and social isolation, that is the cause.

Unfortunately, people don't tend to give hearing loss the same kind of attention they give other conditions such as high blood pressure.  However, this research tells us that we may want to take a more serious look at treating hearing loss-- not just as a matter of improving quality of life, but also as a matter of increasing over-all health.

Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a greater emphasis on hearing loss research and on finding the link between hearing loss and other aging related conditions.

If you would like a free hearing consultation with a Doctor of Audiology, please call our office at 801-770-0801.

You can read the full study from the Archives of Neurology here.

Hearing loss — a great disease burden, but very little research carried out.

Hearing loss affects more and more people.  The World Health Organization says that hearing loss will be one of the top 10 disease burdens in many countries and will have a great social and economic impact. Despite this, 40 times less money is used on research into hearing loss than on cardiovascular conditions per person affected.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that by 2030 adult onset hearing loss will be in the top 10 disease burdens in high or middle income countries, above cataracts and diabetes.

According to Action on Hearing Loss, hearing loss is therefore a potential health crisis that we cannot ignore. It is therefore worth noting that a lot less money is used on research into hearing loss than for example cardiovascular conditions and diabetes.

Significant costs

Innumerable studies from around the world have documented, that hearing loss has significant personal consequences and social and economic costs and impacts both employment and education.

Research by Action on Hearing Loss has shown that even at times of low unemployment, people with severe and profound levels of hearing loss were more than four times more likely to be unemployed than the general population. Hearing loss also more than doubles the risk of depression in older people and children with hearing loss have an increased risk of mental health problems.

Source: Hearing Matters, Action on Hearing Loss, 2011

Researchers believe that there is a direct link between tinnitus and stress.

Do you suffer from tinnitus (ringing in your ears)?  Did you know that recent studies have proved that tinnitus is 2.5 times more prevalent in those under stress?   This is shown by a study from The Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

In the study, the test persons were exposed to stressful situations, for example answering questions while at the same time being interrupted. After the test, blood tests were taken as were new hearing tests. The blood tests tested for levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone which is activated in stressful situations and animal tests have shown that cortisol affects hearing.

“We found that tinnitus is 2.5 times more prevalent in people who are under long-term stress,” says Professor Barbera Canlon, who was one of the people leading the research.

Perceiving sound poorly

There was also a clear tendency showing that sound recognition and the ability to perceive spoken numbers in noise was worse in the group of stressed subjects than in other people, says Barbera Canlon.

According to Barbera Canlon, this is the first time that it can be proven that long-term stress has an effect on hearing.

“It is important to consider long-term stress and the risk of burnout when treating tinnitus and over-sensitivity to sound,” says Barbera Canlon.

The researchers surmise, that tinnitus and stress react together in that stress can lead to tinnitus and tinnitus can lead to stress.

Thorough investigations

The researchers looked at 348 people, who were divided into three groups depending on their stress levels. The subjects underwent a thorough health examination and hearing tests. 31% of the participants in the study said, that they had tinnitus and a third of these had severe tinnitus.

Reprinted from www.hear-it.org