The Ear is the Window to the Heart

Learn what your hearing can tell us about your heart health!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States today. According to the CDC, one person dies every 36 seconds from cardiovascular disease. The term “heart disease” can refer to many different heart conditions, but the most common is coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque build-up on our arteries. This build-up results in a decrease in blood flow, which could eventually lead to a heart attack. Heart disease is often prevented through lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol, controlling high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising.

But what does this have to do with your hearing?

The tiny blood vessels in your hearing organ, known as the cochlea, is often one of the first places to be affected by a decrease in blood flow. This reduction of blood flow in the cochlea causes hearing loss. In this way, your hearing health does act as a window to your heart health. Multiple studies now show a strong association between poor cardiovascular health and hearing loss. Because it is one of the first places affected by poor circulation, your hearing may actually be one of the first indications of heart disease!

Hearing loss that is linked to heart disease has a specific configuration that can be identified during a hearing test. If you suspect poor cardiovascular health, it is important to talk to your doctor and consider a hearing test to screen for this early marker of heart disease. Additionally, it is important to have your hearing tested if you have a heart condition, or if you have a family history of heart disease.

Early identification is key, for both your hearing and heart health!

GET YOUR HEARING CHECKED ASAP!

Call us at (312) 260-5037 to discuss further or click here to make an appointment.

Dr. Katrina Lapham, Au.D.

Hearing loss formerly thought “minor” can cause cognitive problems

Studies now show significant changes in the brains of those with early stage hearing loss in comparison with those whose hearing is normal. Specifically, even with minimal auditory deprivation, the brain actually re-organizes itself, which results in poorer speech processing in noise and deterioration of cognitive functioning.

This is a problem. The good news: the decline is reversible.

Following clinical treatment with high-quality, expertly fitted hearing aids, the brain re-organized itself back to the original state.

Just six months after wearing hearing aids, both visual and working memory improved. In addition, processing speed as well as executive cognitive skill* performance were increased

Even better news: You can change the number one risk factor for dementia.

The association between genetics and Alzheimer’s is 60%. That means you have control of 40%.

According to distinguished medical journal The Lancet, “among all of the modifiable risk factors, hearing loss is the most significant modifiable factor leading to dementia.”

Your hearing ability accounts for 37% of all the factors you can change to reduce your risk of dementia.

NO TIME TO LOSE…GET YOUR HEARING CHECKED ASAP!

Call your local office to discuss further or click here to make an appointment.

Chicago (Downtown): (312) 260-5037

Highland Park: (847) 607-6150

Naperville: (847) 607-6150

Oak Brook: (630) 426-6245

Park Ridge: (630) 426-6245

*Executive cognitive functions are the prerequisite to any purposeful and goal-directed action. They allow one to generate plans, solutions to problems, or organizing structures that guide future action. They rely on working memory, mental flexibility, and retrieval of relevant information from memory stores.

The bad news: It’s worse than we previously thought

Early stage hearing loss was formerly considered “mild,” and depending on your lifestyle, would not trigger symptoms of difficulty communicating.

However, studies¹ now show significant changes in the brains of those with early stage hearing loss in comparison with those whose hearing is normal. Specifically, even with minimal auditory deprivation, the brain actually re-organizes itself, which results in poorer speech processing in noise and deterioration of cognitive functioning. This is a problem.

The good news: the decline is reversible.

Following clinical treatment with high-quality, expertly fitted hearing aids, the brain re-organized itself back to the original state.

Just six months after wearing hearing aids, both visual and working memory improved. In addition, processing speed as well as executive cognitive skill* performance were increased

Even better news: You can change the number one risk factor for dementia.

Research shows that about two thirds of the risk for dementia is hereditary or genetic. Therefore, one third of the risk of dementia is from causes that are modifiable. Hearing loss accounts for about 9% of dementia risk, a greater proportion than factors like hypertension, obesity, depression, diabetes and smoking. According to distinguished medical journal The Lancet, “among all of the modifiable risk factors, hearing loss is the most significant modifiable factor leading to dementia.”²

Click Here to read the full article >>>

¹Sharma A, Glick, H. Cortical neuroplasticity and cognitive function in early-stage, mild hearing loss: Evidence of neurocognitive benefit from hearing aid use. Front Neurosci. 2020:14(93):1-22 ² Livingston G, Sommerlad A, Ortega V. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. The Lancet 2017;390(10113):2673-2734

THE BEGINNING

Brianna Jones has worn a hearing aid in her left ear since she was four years old. Now she was going off to college and wanted to make sure her hearing aid was working perfectly before she left.

This was the first time I had met Brianna and her mom. Testing showed her hearing was stable, but I was confused. More in depth diagnostic analysis indicated that the etiology of the loss was Otosclerosis (an abnormal growth of one of the bones in the ear that prevents the transmission of sound) and could be surgically corrected.

I asked Brianna and her mom, “If I told you that your hearing could be fixed with surgery, would you want to do it?” They were both stunned. Mrs. Jones said that the Ear Nose and Throat specialist, who diagnosed Brianna at the age of three, told her that Brianna could not have surgery. She has been wearing a hearing aid ever since.

I told them I wanted them to see a specialist so they would know if there was another option.

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Several months after I saw Brianna, I took my dog to a new vet. We were getting to know each other and he mentioned he lived in Elmhurst. I was surprised that he traveled to Northbrook every day, where his office is located. Then I said, “Well, it’s no different than me. I have an office in Oakbrook.”

He stopped what he was doing and said, “What’s the name of your practice? I think I just wrote you a check.”

My vet’s name is Dr. Scott Jones. And yes, he is the father of Brianna Jones.

“My wife hasn’t stopped talking about you since she came home from that appointment. My daughter went to the specialist you recommended and we’re waiting for the CT scan results to see if Brianna can have surgery.”

END OF STORY

I stopped at the vet’s to pick up some medication. Dr. Jones came rushing out to the waiting room with a big grin, and hugged me. “My daughter has normal hearing,” he announced.

Doctors of Audiology are the only qualified professionals licensed to prevent, evaluate, diagnose and treat non-medical (95% of all hearing problems) hearing and balance problems. It requires eight years of studying and training in the anatomy and physiology of the auditory and vestibular systems as well as the intricacies and pathways of the brain.

The single most important factor in determining successful patient outcomes and satisfaction is the knowledge and expertise of the provider.

What to do if you suddenly experience hearing loss

As a Patient Care Coordinator, nothing is more alarming then getting a frantic call from a patient in panic mode because they suddenly lost their hearing. Working at the front desk and handling calls from patients at the Chicago office for the last six years, I’ve noticed an increase in these cases of sudden idiopathic hearing loss, or “sudden deafness”. This phenomenon, known as Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) is often unexplained. Although the exact cause, in many cases, is unknown, some causes for SSHL are barotrauma, certain medications, a viral attack and autoimmune disorders. SSHL is characterized as a rapid loss, usually in one ear, either all at once or over the course of a few days.

It concerns me that patients often do not realize the severity of their sudden hearing loss. Permanent ramifications, such as irreversible hearing impairment and/or constant ringing in the ear, called tinnitus, can result if the loss is not treated immediately.

Working in one of the premier audiology offices in the world, I know what is at stake for these patients, and always find ways to fit them in to see one of our Doctors of Audiology.

The audiologist first determines that the sudden hearing loss is not due to allergies, sinus infection, earwax clogging the ear canal, or other common conditions. If the loss is indeed SSHL, we refer immediately to an ENT (Otolaryngologist), or the nearest ER. Oral steroids or steroid injections into the ear is the standard treatment for SSHL. Steroids can minimize and/or reverse the hearing loss.

Most importantly, know that you are not alone. If you experience sudden deafness, the hearing professionals at the Hearing Health Center will do everything they can to combat the hearing loss and return your hearing back to normal.

Resources:

NIDCD (National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders) Fact Sheet

(1) Sudden Deafness
NIH Pub. No. 00-4757
March 2018

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech and language. Visit the NIDCD website at https://nidcd.nih.gov/directory to search the directory.

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Toll Free Voice: 800-241-1044
Toll Free TTY: 800-241-1055
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov
Web: www.nidcd.nih.gov

The Link Between Hearing Loss and Dementia

Hearing loss could be an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease

In 2011, Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D., informed her staff about the link between dementia and hearing loss. She said Hearing Health Center, the Company she founded in 1984, has a new mission: To tell and educate everyone they meet about the dangers and risks of hearing loss. Her staff did not believe her. No one did, including the physicians she tried to educate.

That did not stop her. Dr. Fisher is known for being an early adopter in hearing techniques and technology. She knew that poor capacity to process and understand speech is a sign that the brain is shutting down. “When the brain can no longer make sense of the information it receives, cognitive function is in danger,” Said Fisher. She enacted a new diagnostic protocol at all Hearing Health Center offices. The new protocol included testing the brain’s ability to process and understand speech, especially in background noise.

The link between hearing loss and dementia is now definitive.

“The risk of developing dementia doubles for older adults with mild hearing loss, and triples for those with moderate hearing loss. In addition, for those with severe hearing loss, the risk is five times that of someone who does not suffer hearing loss. Notably, the Lancet study also found that of nine potential risk factors for developing dementia, hearing loss was the highest at nine percent.”

By 2060, the proportion of those over 60 will double, and those living with dementia is expected to triple. In addition, recent research has found that shrinkage of brain tissue is fast-tracked for those with hearing loss. The rate of brain tissue atrophy accelerates 40% faster in those with hearing loss when compared to those with normal hearing. Overall, those with hearing loss were found to have lost more than an additional cubic centimeter of brain tissue each year compared with those without impaired hearing.

To date, we do not know the actual causal or correlational link between the two conditions. There are however, several theories.

Hearing loss and cognitive decline occur in parallel. Hearing loss could be an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, causing impaired speech perception, especially in the presence of background noise. “Studies have shown a strong association, and, in addition, we have seen that the severity of cognitive decline is associated with the severity of hearing loss, which shows a compelling connection.”
Hearing loss increases demands on cognitive resources. The brain has to work a lot harder just to attend and listen with diminished hearing ability. The struggle to understand, and grasp, the conversation requires the brain to “borrow” cognitive tasks from other parts of the brain, especially memory. Basically, the more effort it takes to listen, the less information gets transferred to memory,
Hearing loss causes brain reorganization and/or social deprivation, resulting in cognitive decline. A decrease in hearing ability often causes withdrawal from social interactions and engagement. In turn, there is a reduction in cognitive function necessary to access and interact with the environment.

Regardless of cause/effect/correlation between hearing loss and dementia, it is definitive that early detection and treatment with hearing aids is critical in preventing and/or slowing cognitive decline. A new study at the University of Manchester claimed wearing hearing aids could slow the process of dementia by up to 75 percent.

Several mechanisms may explain the relationship between hearing aid use and slower cognitive decline.

Hearing aids reduce depression, promote social engagement, increase both social engagement and physical activity, and improve self-efficacy.
Hearing aids reduce the adverse impacts of sensory deprivation on brain function.
Hearing aids stimulate the neural pathways to the brain and increase the critical information the brain needs to process speech.

Audiologists are the only uniquely qualified experts who are skilled in providing diagnostic and rehabilitative care in treating hearing, balance and tinnitus.

Thousands of patients are grateful and thankful to Hearing Health Center. As one patient succinctly stated, “Staying abreast of the latest medical news, pro-actively implementing new techniques, and offering the latest technology from every manufacturer, is why I went there 8 years ago and why I won’t go anywhere else.”

Over 100,000 people will descend on Chicago’s Grant Park for Lollapalooza this year. The annual festival is already wreaking havoc on traffic, and is sure to kill millions of tiny hair cells in the ears that respond to sound. Many attendees will go home with permanent hearing damage.

In previous years, the level of the music was measured anywhere from 115 to 135 decibels. “At that level,” said Dr.

Ronna Fisher, AuD audiologist, “permanent damage can occur in two minutes.”

“Once it’s gone…it’s gone,” says Fisher. “You will never hear the music, or anything else, clearly again.”

Do not be a martyr…or stupid.

The music is too loud if:

You experience any buzzing/ringing/noises (tinnitus) in your ears
Sounds, voices, hearing, is muffled when you leave
If you have to yell to be heard, it is too loud.

Tips to Protect Whatever Hearing You Have Left

Try to position yourself away from the speakers (where the sound is loudest)
Wear earplugs. Almost any kind will protect your ears if you get them in correctly. For frequent concertgoers, get custom, high fidelity earplugs (available at any Audiology office). They will fit your ears perfectly and let you hear the music and the singer while decreasing harmful sounds.
Take a break. Ears that get a break have time to recover and do not suffer as much damage.
Drinking and smoking make you less sensitive to sound (ever get into your car in the morning and the radio is blasting from the night before?). Pay attention.

If you still have ringing/buzzing,etc, and voices still sound muffled and unclear, after 48 hours, you need professional help. Now. Call your local Doctor of Audiology, Primary Physician, or ENT specialist.

Every Voice is Too Precious to Miss: Going Above and Beyond

A Patient Care Story

$\"\"$ At Hearing Health Center, going the extra mile is part of our mission statement. We strive to bring our patients the best care in every way we can; it’s written into our foundation. That’s why Dr. Robert Risley made a home visit recently after he had seen all of his patients for the day.

Let’s say this patient’s name is Sarah. Sarah is homebound in an apartment and lives with a care giver. Since her hearing aids are no longer strong enough for her hearing needs, Sarah relies on written notes for her caregiver and subtitles on the television to stay engaged with what is happening around her. Her daughter does not live locally, making assisting her mother a near-impossible task.

The circumstances surrounding our health do not define us. That’s why Dr. Risley brought his portable audiometer in hopes of being able to improve Sarah’s quality of living. We do not realize the divide hearing loss wedges between us and our loved ones. Old hobbies become a challenge, routine life feels much more fast-paced and confusing. Hearing loss is gradual; the average American waits seven years before seeking help. Do yourself and your loved ones the biggest favor and stop in for a hearing check-up. You’ll be glad you did.

Protecting your hearing doesn’t mean skipping activities you love; learn how to get the most out of your concert experience.

$\"Earplugs.\"$ Let’s face it: today’s world has become increasingly loud, yet people do not think about their ears when attending concerts. They may say, “I’m paying to hear the music, why would I plug my ears?” Well, there is plenty of research to suggest that loud noises damage your hearing, the most alarming is the fact that the average live concert clocks in at 100 decibels at the back of the venue. If you move closer to the stage, you not only are closer to the speakers but also the fans screaming all around you.

Your hearing health is integral to your overall well-being. While you could get away with using disposable foam earplugs that you buy in mass quantities of neon colors, there are earplugs that have been specifically engineered for music-goers. Rather than suffocate all noise reaching your ear, these earplugs use filters with a nearly flat frequency which dials back the volume rather than muting the audio. As you can expect, these plugs cost more than your bargain plugs you get at the drug store, but they are well worth the cost of hearing music without sacrificing your long term hearing health.

National Public Radio’s (NPR) Tiny Desk is an intimate concert series where artists play for an audience in a small, office-sized studio. The trick to these performances is that no musician plays louder than the singer can project their voice without amplification, ensuring a clear and balanced sound. Sound engineers are able to create this because the studio is a small space. However, when sound engineers need to balance a venue bigger than a typical office that balance goes out the window. As we know, the louder the sound is, distortion also increases. If you prefer to be close to the performance, being closer to the speakers inevitably can lead to hearing loss.

Hearing loss is an extremely common condition, especially as we age. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders states that prolonged exposure to sounds can damage the cells in the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus. Any extended contact with noise of 85 decibels (sounds of heavy city traffic) can and will damage your hearing. Makes sense right?

If you or a loved one have experienced hearing loss, schedule a completely free appointment today.

To read full story, click here.

Helen Keller said, “Blindness cuts us off from things, but the loss of the most vital stimulus – the sound of the voice – is much worse.” Remaining healthy has become a focus, even an obsession with Americans, particularly with baby boomers. Health issues do not happen in a vacuum; your body needs every sense for it to properly operate. Hearing health is of paramount importance to long term brain and heart health.

Prevention and early detection with regular heart, blood pressure, cholesterol, colon, liver, skin and every type of screening has become near-mandatory in today’s age. We want to live longer and make the most of our lives through remaining active which allows us to stay engaged with friends and loved ones, travel and partake in our favorite pastimes.

Yet we totally disregard our number one form of communication, engagement and way of maintaining relationships. We ignore our hearing. Doctors rarely screen for hearing disorders or even think to ask about a patient’s hearing health. Difficultly with hearing and understanding are rarely a problem, or evident, in quiet environments or when communicating face-to-face. “It’s not that bad” is what every audiologist has heard countless times.

All over the world, the one common element that brings happiness and joy is being with the people you care about and love. All over the world, sharing, laughing, telling stories and relating memories brings the greatest pleasure, warmth and feelings of love.

When your ability to hear and understand the spoken word diminishes, so do yours enjoyment of the things you love doing, the people you love being with and your ability to achieve happiness.

If that is not enough reason to get a hearing checkup immediately, the findings of every study in the last fifteen years should motivate you to run to your nearest audiologist.

hearing health center

Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.