A study conducted by Harvard University found an overwhelming relation between heart disease and hearing loss. “Hearing loss has occurred 54% more often in people with heart disease than in the general population.” Heart disease can be caused by problems with blood flow and blood vessels. It often results from plaque build-up on the arteries (atherosclerosis) which makes it difficult for blood to flow through the veins, arteries, vessels and bodily organs – especially the inner ear.
Hearing loss is not only the consequence of ineadequate blood flow to the auditory system. Recent research (Hull RH, Kerschen SR, The influence of cardiovascular health on peripheral and central auditory function in adults: a research review. AmerJournAud 2010;19(1):9-6. shows corresponding damage to the brainstem and auditory pathways resulting in difficulties processing, decoding and understanding speech.
THE LINK
The inner ear is extremely sensitive to blood flow. Inadequate blood flow and blood vessel trauma damages the nerves of the inner ear. Hearing loss could be an early, in fact the first, warning sign of an impending heart attack or stroke.
The nerves of the inner ear are so sensitive and fragile that Harvard researchers concluded the ear might be the first organ to feel the effects of cardiovascular disease. They stated that if blow flow is inadequate. The nerves of the inner ear are so sensitive that hearing loss can be an early warning sign of impending cardiovascular disease.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Get a baseline hearing test now. If you are receiving treatment for cardiovascular disease, monitor your hearing regularly for any changes.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chromic autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack healthy tissues. The result is inflammation, pain, deformity of the affected areas and stiffness in the joints. Astudy conducted by the Arthritis Foundation found an overwhelming connection between rheumatoid arthritis and hearing loss, with a 42.7% correlation.
Hearing loss is the most common health-related issue, with up to 72% prevalence in rheumatoid arthritis (The Open Rheumatology Journal, Jan. 2016)
THE LINK
Rheumatoid Arthritis is associated with many other diseases that are also known to adversely affect hearing such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and kidney dysfunction.
Another link between rheumatoid arthritis and hearing loss is medications. Many medications are known to cause hearing loss. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which is often used to manage the pain of R.A., can cause hearing problems. A 2012 study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, showed that taking these pain medications six or seven times a week increased the risk of hearing loss by 24%. These painkillers, such as Advil, Motrin or Tylenol restrict blood flow to the inner ear. Blood carries oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body, so when less blood reaches the ear, the cells become damaged, resulting in loss of hearing.
What you can do
Get a baseline hearing test now. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your medications should be reviewed and your hearing monitored regularly for any associative changes.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Founder of the Hearing Health Centers in Chicago, demonstrates how to insert and remove a Lyric Hearing Aid. To learn more about Hearing Aids, visit https://hearinghealthcenter.com/hearing-aids-chicago/
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Founder of the Hearing Health Centers in Chicago, demonstrates how to insert and remove a Lyric Hearing Aid. Learn more about Hearing Aids here
Na na na na na na na na BATMAN!
(Above: Our patient, Riley, who is battling cancer was gifted with hearing aids from his favorite superhero, Batman, due to the donations from the Fisher Foundation).
In 2005, the Fisher Foundation was established by Dr. Ronna Fisher to provide hearing services and treatment to those in need. Dr. Fisher and the Hearing Health Center team provide education to the community, ear protection to our troops and hearing aids to children and adults.
The most popular event The Fisher Foundation hosts is an annual Hike 4 Better Hearing in which the community comes together to spread awareness for hearing health and raise donations for this great cause.
With the combined efforts of the HHC team, patients, sponsors and community, we are able to provide the gift of hearing to many special individuals. Take this opportunity to find your inner superhero and spread the joy of hearing. With Batman’s help we are unstoppable! We want to help even more people this year and educate the public about our most precious sense…hearing.
Website: fisherfoundationforhearing.org
Melissa Mandra, Au.D.
Everyone (well, everyone over 50) worries about losing their memory and fears the “A” word…Alzheimer’s. We all know someone who has it; and we all panic at the thought of, “that could be me.” So we take care of ourselves. We try to eat better, exercise some, check our blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly and suffer through periodic prostate/mammogram/colonoscopy exams.
BUT THERE IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. YOU ARE PROBABLY MISSING A SIMPLE BUT CRITICAL CHECKUP.
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD A HEARING TEST? GRADE SCHOOL?
No one wants to admit or deal with difficulty hearing and understanding. The majority of people assume that frequently misunderstanding conversations and saying, “What,” “huh,” “pardon me,” all the time is just another unwanted consequence of getting older. Difficulty hearing is usually dismissed and ignored: even by your doctors. Most doctors don’t even ask about your hearing let alone include a hearing check as part of your routine physical.
A multitude of studies at John Hopkins¹, CUNY Graduate Center², and elsewhere³ have confirmed definitive links between untreated hearing loss and brain function.
CONSIDER THE FACTS:
- You don’t hear with your ears. Your ears are just an appendage to catch the sound signals and send it to your brain to process.
- There is a specific area of the brain (Wernicke’s area) whose sole purpose is to decipher and make sense of the sound it receives from your ears.
- Your ability to hear, process and understand is directly related to your cognitive functioning.
- When your hearing diminishes, your brain stops getting the stimulation it needs to process information.
- Lack of adequate stimulation causes deterioration. It’s a classic case of “use it or lose it.”
- Your brain’s ability to hear, understand and process sound information is directly related to your memory. You can’t remember what you didn’t hear!
CLINICAL STUDY RESULTS:
- 83% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have untreated hearing loss
- Even a minimal decrease in hearing doubles the risk of dementia. A moderate loss (the majority of people seeking treatment) raises the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s 500%.
- Every test of cognitive function was significantly worse in scores for mental status, memory and executive functions in those with untreated hearing problems.4
- When your hearing diminishes, your brain stops getting the stimulation it needs to process information.
- Hearing loss actually shrinks the brain one cubic centimeter every year due to the loss of grey matter and brain tissue.5
- Diminished hearing ability significantly affects your kinesthetic sense of your environment. You are 300% more likely to lose your balance and fall when your hearing decreases.6
- Early detection and treatment increases cognition, improves memory, preservers speech processing ability and enriches personal relationships
- When treated with hearing aids, 33% of Alzheimer’s patients were reclassified to a less severe category
- Appropriate hearing treatment increases cognitive function, enhances memory, improves balance and decreases depression.7
- In every case, caregivers reported that hearing treatment improved their relationship.
Why do we frequently check our blood pressure, heart, cholesterol levels, moles, eyes and teeth? Why do we have regular checkups and examinations?
Because early detection and treatment is critical!
Difficulty hearing is not just an inconvenience and getting your hearing checked is no longer optional. Yearly hearing checkups are vital to your overall health can well being.
And it could save your brain!
- http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_and_dementia_linked_in_study
- Weinstein, BE, Amsel, L (1986). Hearing loss and senile dementia in the institutionalized elderly. Clinical Gerontologist, 4: 3-15.
- JAMA Intern Med. Published online January 21, 2013
- Uhlmann, RF, Larson, EB, Rees, TS, Koepsell, TD, Duckert, LG (l989). Relationship of hearing impairment to dementia and cognitive dysfunction in older adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 261(13): 1916-9.
- http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_accelerated_brain_tissue_loss_
- http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_three_fold_risk_of_falling
- http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151029005494/en/Long-Term-Study-Show-Wearing-Hearing-Aids-Reduces
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of the iconic rock group, The Who, said, “Dr. Ronna Fisher, at Hearing Health Center, is the only person I trust with my hearing.” Near the end of Monday night’s performance of the rock opera, Tommy, at Ravinia Festival, Daltrey talked about the struggles with his hearing. “Do yourself a favor, he told the standing ovation crowd, go get your hearing checked. It’s more important than you know.”
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of the iconic rock group, The Who, said, “Dr. Ronna Fisher, at Hearing Health Center, is the only person I trust with my hearing.”
Near the end of Monday night’s performance of the rock opera, Tommy, at Ravinia Festival, Daltrey talked about the struggles with his hearing loss. “Do yourself a favor, he told the standing ovation crowd, go get your hearing checked. It’s more important than you know.” Learn more tag www.hearinghealthcenter.com
Our world has become increasingly loud in the past 20 years; think cars, trains, subways, and the general hum of the city life. Our exposure to these sounds alone is most likely not enough to be considered a hazard to our hearing, but they do influence how we listen to other mediums which may be a danger to our hearing.
Since the turn of the century, our access to sound has increased; personal music players and blue tooth headsets. We have really taken our access to sound “on-the-go” into what could be a 24/7 experience. The ability to listen to music on your walk to work or during a workout is fun and exciting, and the ability to make a phone call while grocery shopping or multi-tasking is surely convenient- but I have to wonder…where is your volume set?
Most personal headsets are offered of a generic fit of “one size fits all”. The problem with this non-custom fit model is that it allows room for acoustic leakage, which means that sound is able to leak in and out through the cracks. If ambient sound is leaking in, the result is an increase in volume so that we can hear our phone call or music over the background noise.
This is where we go from loud to TOO LOUD.
The best thing that you can do to avoid hearing loss due to exposure to loud sound from your headphones is to purchase custom-fit sleeves for your ear-buds. A mold of your ear canal, taken by an Audiologist, will be used to create a soft custom piece that will fit right over your ear-bud, giving you the isolation from the ambient sound that you need in order to turn the volume down.
A good rule of thumb is the 80% rule; always keep the volume at no more than 80% of full on volume. In addition to keeping your ears safe, you always want to be able to hear other things going on around you, and never want someone from the other end of the bus to be able to know exactly what song you’re listening to. And when in doubt, consult your Audiologist!! We are here to help!
Roger Daltrey and Dr. Ronna Fisher
Roger Daltrey, lead singer and founder of the iconic rock group, The Who, says, “Dr. Ronna Fisher, at Hearing Health Center, is the only person I trust with my hearing.”
Near the end of Monday night’s performance of the rock opera, Tommy, at Ravinia Festival, Daltrey talked about the struggles with his hearing. “Do yourself a favor, he told the standing ovation crowd, go get your hearing checked. It’s more important than you know.”
At almost every concert, Roger Daltrey encourages concertgoers to wear hearing protection in order to avoid later needing hearing aids themselves.
“I advise you all — all you rock-and-roll fans — take your f—ing ear plugs to the gigs. If only we had known when we were young … we are lip-reading,” Daltrey told the audience.
Daltrey was in Chicago eight years ago when he first met Dr. Ronna Fisher. At the time, he was only interested in being fit for in-ear performance monitors. When Dr. Fisher overheard him admonishing his band for playing so loud that he couldn’t hear himself sing, she knew that, most likely, it wasn’t the band’s problem. She convinced him to have his hearing tested, and as she suspected, the band was not to blame. Daltrey had a significant hearing loss, and Fisher fit him with his first set of hearing aids. He now visits Dr. Fisher every time he is in Chicago.
For the record, though, Daltrey is not the only member of The Who to battles difficulties with his hearing. Who co-founder Pete Townshend, has wrestled with hearing problems for decades and, according to Daltrey, now wears hearing aids in both of his ears.
Earlier this year, fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Eric Clapton disclosed he is also beset with major hearing issues. Other rock legends whose hearing has been afflicted include Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, who was warned by doctors that he could lose all his hearing if he did not stop touring.
Johnson had constant tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing, hissing sound in the ears that no one else can hear except you. “I was in big, big trouble”, said Johnson. “I didn’t think I could handle it,” “To have something in your head, a constant noise, it’s probably the most horrendous thing a musician, could have, not to mention anyone else. I will try and help anyone who asks. Right now, I hear it screaming away in my head.”
Roger signs his “Tommy” setlist
Most often, in fact 95% of the time, when there is tinnitus, there is hearing loss. Noises in your head/ear is often the first sign/symptom that something is wrong with the auditory system. At first, it comes and goes. This is a warning. Protect your ears, your hearing, and your brain. If you ignore it, and continue exposing your ears/auditory system/brain to excessive sound, the tinnitus becomes permanent.
How can you protect yourself? Take a break every once in a while. Take off your headphones and give your ears a chance to rest and normalize. Turn down the volume when you start listening again.
Get custom ear pieces. Headphones and earbuds let sound leak out so you turn the sound up louder. Customized ear pieces, that can be made to fit whatever device you’re using, sits deeper into your ear canal and closer to your eardrum. Sound doesn’t leak out and the volume is reduced.
Invest in quality headphones and earphones. You’ll be less likely to crank up the volume to dangerous levels if the sound is balanced. There’s also less chance of damaging high frequencies if the headphones aren’t distorting the high-end. Think of how uncomfortable it is to listen to really horrible headphones — that discomfort might be the early stages of damage. (1)
As for Roger Daltrey, he told his audience that he plans to continue performing “for a long time; I am lucky to be doing what I do, so thank you.”
Read more: Roger Daltrey’s Hearing Loss: Who’s Sorry Now (1)