5 Summer Activities That Can Permanently Cause Damage and Alter Your Life
Fireworks
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, elaborate firework displays reign supreme. Most fireworks have sound upwards of 125 dB, (think diesel engines or the level of sound which actually causes pain), easily causing permanent hearing damage.
Outdoor Concerts
Summer festivals, outdoor concerts and music festivals are great summer activities for the entire family. However, since outdoor venues cause the sound to disperse, bands turn the music up even louder. In addition to permanent hearing damage, oftentimes, the results of listening for too long and too loud, is tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Sometimes it goes away…and sometimes it doesn’t. Always try to sit away from the speakers.
Parades
Marching bands, sirens, motorcycles, and revving engines are loud…louder than you think. Loud enough to cause hearing damage in just a few minutes.
Yard Work
Any noise measuring in excess of 80 dB (decibels)has the potential to be harmful to hearing. Heavy traffic, window air conditioner, noisy restaurants fall into this category. Most equipment used for yard work measures in excess of 95dB.
Air & Water Shows
The sights and sounds and aerial stunts of air and water shows are exciting and breathtaking. But the noise of the jet engines can be ear-splitting, especially when pilots venture close to the ground. A jet engine at takeoff is 140 decibels. At that level, and depending on how close you are, damage can happen within minutes.
PROTECT YOUR EARS AND YOUR HEARING
Wear ear plugs. Custom-made (made from an impression of your ears for an exact fit) are best. But over-the-counter, foam plugs will do the job. Children are especially prone to hearing damage from loud noise. Their ear canals are smaller, and it takes less noise to cause irreversible damage. Protect yourself and your kids by wearing earplugs. Baby Banz makes lightweight foam-filled ear cups for youngsters.
Itchy, Itchy Ears: Common Causes and Solutions
By Dr. Hilary MacCrae, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
When asking about ears, every audiologist has heard this: “My ears don’t hurt, but they itch a lot!” Whether or not a person uses hearing aids, itching in the ears is very common. But why?
A lot of things can cause itching all over the body, and the ear is no different. I’ve briefly listed some common causes and solutions, but saved an in-depth look for conditions related to hearing aid issues.
CAUSE: Dry Skin
Itchy, dry skin in the ear canal can be caused by your environment—cold winds and dry air in the winter and over-air conditioned air in the summer. It can also be caused by over-cleaning (especially with cotton swabs, which can absorb natural oils too quickly) and by natural aging.
SOLUTION: Moisturize
A drop or two of an oil like Miracell® in each ear at night will absorb while you sleep and often provides fast relief—but take care to never place oil in an ear that has history of holes in the eardrum. Lotion on a little finger or cotton swab can also be put inside the ear canal. Often a humidifier can be the answer to dry skin.
CAUSE: Medical Conditions
Medical conditions like allergies, outer ear infections like “swimmer’s ear” and eczema or psoriasis can cause or worsen itching inside the ear canal. Surprisingly, high levels of stress or anxiety can be felt as itching and discomfort all over, including inside the ears.
SOLUTION: Seek Medical Treatment
Ear, nose, and throat physicians: If allergies or ear infections are the issue, physicians specializing in the ears, nose, and throat (“ENTs” or “otolaryngologists”) can prescribe helpful treatments. Dermatologists: Skin-specialized doctors can help with diagnoses like eczema and psoriasis, for which there are many different treatments available. If you think stress might be the problem, talk it out with a licensed counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. You may relieve yourself of more than just an itch!
Hearing Aid Issues
Although hearing devices don’t usually cause allergic reactions, there are other ways they might contribute to itching.
- Ear wax: If there is a build-up of ear wax inside the ear, a hearing aid can make it worse, causing itching or irritation until the ear is cleaned.
- Loose fit: If a hearing aid is sitting too loosely inside the ear, it can “tickle” the canal and cause itching.
- Tight fit/moisture: If a hearing aid has a very tight fit in the ear, and is worn for a very long time each day, moisture can accumulate behind the hearing aid and cause a damp, itching feeling (kind of like when you sweat in the summertime).
- Sensitivity to cleaning solutions: While the hearing aids themselves are usually hypoallergenic, clients will rarely experience allergic reactions to cleaning solutions either in our clinic or over-the-counter versions used at home.
SOLUTIONS: See Your Hearing Care Provider
- Audiologists, and audiology assistants: The hearing care providers at HHC can work with you to look at the fit of your hearing devices (loose/tight) and make recommendations of how to proceed with other changes and treatments. We can also look deeply in your ears, a process called “otoscopy,” to see if dry skin, ear wax, or allergic reactions are the problem. When in doubt, contact your provider!
Scratch Them…Gently!
There’s nothing else like scratching an itch, but we have some recommendations for how to go about it, to avoid causing more problems. Here are some techniques:
- Push and wiggle: Placing a finger on the space in front of the ear and “wiggling” can help ease itching with or without a hearing aid in place. This is using the flat of your finger, not your fingernail!
- Readjust your hearing device: If possible, remove and re-place your hearing aid, or pull the ear bud in and out, to apply some pressure inside the ear and scratch that itch.
- “Referred” itching: This one is a bit weird…Often used by people with missing limbs, “referred” itching is when you scratch itch by not scratching it at all! Instead of trying to reach deep inside your ear canal, gently scratching another part of the body (like the back of your hand) while thinking about your itchy ear (“referring” the itch to the ear), can provide a surprising amount of relief. I’ve used this myself when I get an itch on the bottom of my foot in the car. Sometimes it works!
- What NOT to do: Don’t place foreign objects like Q-tips, bobby pins, long fingernails, pens or pencils, paperclips, or golf tees (yes, we’ve been told someone used a golf tee!) in your ears for itching or wax removal. These objects can push ear wax toward the ear drum, or cut the skin inside the ear and cause bleeding. When that cut begins to scab over and heal…it will itch even worse!
No one likes to be uncomfortable, but itching is part of daily life. Try some of the solutions listed above, and don’t hesitate to contact your hearing care provider if you’d like more guidance or advice on how your unique ear needs to be treated.
Untreated hearing problems are the number one modifiable risk factor for dementia. Even mild levels of hearing loss can double your risk. Dr. Katrina Lapham, an audiologist from Chicago’s Hearing Health Center discusses how to join the fight to battle dementia by getting your hearing tested free of charge. Plus, Hearing Health Center will donate $20 to the Alzheimer’s Association in your name. It’s our way of helping to protect your hearing and preserve your brain. Visit our website to make your appointment today at https://hearinghealthcenter.com/hearing-and-alzheimers/
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
*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.
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.