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.
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!
GROUP HONORED FOR “LEADING WITH THEIR HEART”
Chamber of Commerce honors Highland Park business and community leaders for “building communal values and taking time to kindle a collective optimism in the lives of their neighbors.”
Story appears in the Highland Park Chamber’s 2018 Community Guide.
It can be frustrating to physically handle and manipulate hearing aids for someone who has poor dexterity. Fortunately, recent technology in hearing aids has made this much easier!
First, there is the Lyric hearing aid. The audiologist inserts the Lyric hearing aid in the office; there is absolutely NO maintenance required by the patient. The user does not have to remove the Lyric, put it in the ear, clean the hearing aid, or change batteries! For someone with limited dexterity, the Lyric can be the perfect solution!
There are many styles of hearing aids, some of which are easier to insert in the ear than others. Custom in-the-ear hearing aids tend to be easier for many patients to insert. They can come with a large battery, making it easier to handle.
Changing batteries in a hearing aid can be time-consuming and inconvenient. In the past, there was no way around changing a battery when using a hearing aid. Now, almost all manufacturers have a rechargeable option that eliminates the need to change batteries.
There are many solutions to help make wearing a hearing aid easier for individuals with limited dexterity. It is important that you discuss these options with your hearing care professional. If you would like more information, please contact us!
-Dr. Jaclyn Riel, Au.D., CCC-A
We are proud to partner with the Fisher Foundation for Hearing Health Care to provide hearing aids to those in need. Click below to see the recent coverage on WCIU’s The Jam!