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
Most hearing aid users know that their hearing health, treatment, and their hearing aids are crucial. In fact, they probably see their doctor of Audiology more often than any other health care provider. They understand that their hearing capacity and their ability to understand and process speech is critical for effective communication and enjoyment.
First time hearing aid wearers do not realize that hearing aids can require multiple adjustments to obtain the best settings and the right sound for them. Custom hearing aids, especially the tiny, invisible ones, are often re-made several times for fit and comfort. Hearing aids require maintenance, regular cleaning and sometimes repairs. Hearing aids reside in a wax- filled, sweaty, oily and moist environment all day and expected to perform optimally all the time.
Hearing levels, processing ability, and prescriptions change. Yearly monitoring, reprogramming, and fine- tuning of your hearing aids are critical to your ability to communicate.
You are not “done” after you get your hearing aids. Just like with your internist, dentist, and ophthalmologist, your hearing care is ongoing and forever.
BENEFITS vs. DISCOUNTS
- Benefit (definition) – An advantage or profit gained. A payment or gift.
- Discount (definition) – A deduction from the usual cost of something.
“Benefits are far more reliable than perks or discounts and cover more basic needs. Perks are like bonuses that companies offer to make their offer seem better than the competition.”
Many insurance Companies and Medicare supplement policies lure new members by offering “hearing aid benefits.”
Are they really offering you a “benefit?” NO! The insurance Company is actually offering a perk that doesn’t cost them a penny. You, the member, get a discount on hearing aids if you call the 800-number to a 3rd party broker. The 3rd party broker rakes in a fortune from the referrals.
PROS AND CONS OF BUYING YOUR HEARING AIDS FROM A BROKER
PROS
- You get a discount on the purchase of your hearing aids.
- You can sometimes get them from your provider of choice.
- You can save money upfront on the purchase of your hearing aids.
CONS
- You are not purchasing your hearing aids or hearing treatment from your provider.
- The broker pays your provider a set fee for your initial consultation, delivery and fitting your hearing aids, and one or two follow up visits, even one year.
- Restrictions and limitations – Number of visits or specified time are included in your purchase. Thereafter, you pay the provider every time you walk in the door for an office visit. Every 6-month cleaning, annual monitoring, in-office repair, fed-ex shipping and handling to the manufacturer, adjustment, reprogramming, and fine-tuning.
- All of the restrictions and limitations are included with your hearing aid purchase from your provider. One or two re-programming charges alone may exceed your initial savings.
PROS AND CONS OF BUYING YOUR HEARING AIDS FROM A BROKER
Your insurance policy or supplement may have an agreement with any one of the numbers of 3rd party brokers of hearing aids. They all have different prices and limitations in the fine print.
We know them all. Before calling the 800 number and saying “yes,” call us and let us help you on your journey to better hearing.
Click here to schedule an appointment.
Falls and Balance
Dizziness and balance problems increase significantly with age. Over 70% of those over age 65 seek treatment and one third of everyone over 65 will fall. (Center for Disease Control). Falls are the leading cause of death over age 65.
THE LINK
A recent study done by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging found that hearing loss significantly increase the risk of falling. The news could have far-reaching implications when it comes to preventing falls and maintaining independent lives.
There are several reasons why a decrease in hearing increases balance problems and the risk of falling. Hearing loss decreases awareness of of people, pets or other sounds in the environment. Spatial awareness, i.e. where the body is positioned in relation to other people and objects around it, and is crucial for maintaining gait and balance. In addition, many researchers point to cognitive overload as a hindrance to balance
Research as to whether hearing aids helped maintain balance were resoundingly conclusive – the results were overwhelmingly YES. Sound information alone, coming through the hearing aids, plays a large role in maintaining balance.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Get a baseline hearing test now. Make a list of your current medications. Report any balance, dizziness or vertigo issues and symptoms to your audiologist. Physical therapy, balance training and exercises are effective in treating 85% of all balance and dizziness problems. If you have any balance, hearing or clarity problems, seek treatment immediately.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.
Hearing loss is the most common chronic condition associated with depression in people 60 years or older (JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. 2017), particularly in women. The National Council on Aging found that wearing hearing aids helps prevent social isolation and depression. Most impressive is the study published in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics showing a marked improvement in emotional, social and cognitive conditions after wearing hearing aids for just three months.
Individuals with hearing loss show a 40% accelerated rate of cognitive decline (Frank Lin, MD., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins). With significant to profound the hearing loss, there is a greater the likelihood of developing a cognitive disorder and the steeper decline in mental function. Even those with a very mild hearing loss (even before the hearing loss becomes noticeable), these individuals show accelerated rates of gray matter shrinkage in the brain.
THE LINK
“Belongingness” is a basic and innate human emotional need. According to Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary, all human beings need a certain minimnum quantiy of regular, satisfying interactions. Inability to meet this need results in loneliness and mental distress. The desire to form and maintain social bonds is among the most powerful human motives. Without social bonds, the ability to self-regulate suffers. (Baumesiter, R. F., DeWall, C. N., Ciarocco, N. J., & Twenge, J.M. (2005), Social exclusion impairs self-regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, (88)4, 589.)
Humans have a profound need to connect with others and gain acceptance into social groups. When relationships deteriorate or when social bonds are broken, depression may set in. The world over, in every country, culture and religion, people are most happy when they are with those they care about and love. It is a frustrating and isolating feeling to be with those who you hold dear only to feel left out because you do not understand the conversations and cannot participate in sharing. According to Steger, M. F., & Kashdan, (T. B. 2009) people who are depressed often feel unable to satisfy their need for belonging, leading to having fewer intimate relationships. They also induce negative feelings and reactions in others, which consequently elicits rejections. The effects of rejection are more potent than the effects of acceptance because rejection causes emotional hurt and pain (Buckley, Winkel and Leary).
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Get a baseline hearing test and brain processing evaluation now. If you have any hearing or processing difficulties, seek immediate treatment.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.
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.
The hearing loss of one family member affects the whole family. I not only see how it affects my patients and their families, but I also lived it when my grandfather moved in with us. Here is my story.
The day my grandfather moved in with us was the day my grandmother unexpectedly died. We were all grieving and going through some terrible days. One thing we as a family did not realize when taking in our grandfather was his hearing loss. Our grandmother was his hearing aid. She would repeat, spell, write, and go right up to him to converse. We had watched this for years but none of us really understood the enormous impact it would make on us. She lived like this for years, with us drifting from conversing with him to just conversing with her and never even saw it happening.
Talking to him was difficult and frustrating. Repeating ourselves was a constant and sometimes we would just stop talking all together. We could not have a normal dinner. We would talk around him then have to yell at him to catch him up with what he missed. He would interject with off the topic remarks or just ignore us completely. Our family had two televisions in the family room; one for him with headphones that he would crank all the way up and the other one for us at a normal volume. My grandfather would wake up before us in the morning and not realize how loud he was in the kitchen, banging pans and cupboards, which would frustrate the whole family. He could not answer the phone at a comfortable volume, which would then blow our ears out if we picked up the phone after him because he adjusted the volume all the way up. These are just some of the little things that affected not only him, but the whole family.
After he got hearing instruments, our daily life changed completely. He heard little sounds and knew when people were coming up behind him. He wasn’t as loud in the morning. He could answer the phone and make phone calls, which he rarely did before! At dinner, he actually participated and we all enjoyed conversation and dinner. Our relationship went from frustrating and annoying to comfortable and enjoyable! Life became what it should have been all along…happy!
This is just one story. There are many other stories just like this out there that have gotten the help they need to change their whole family dynamic around. Don’t waste precious time being frustrated not being able to talk comfortably to your loved one. Stop repeating to each other. We only had a little less than two years with my grandpa living with us before he passed away. But it was two beautiful years finally getting to know him without the frustration of his hearing loss. It was well worth it!
– story shared by Dr. Kara Houston
February is American Heart Month. The American Heart Association reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, with nearly 787,000 deaths in the United States linked to heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in 2011 or 1 in 3 people. For women, cardiovascular disease ranks as the number 1 killer, resulting in more deaths than all forms of cancer. These statistics alone push cardiovascular disease to the top of the list for America’s most serious health issue.
Cardiovascular disease presents a variety of different complications including high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke and heart attack. Recently a growing body of research is also linking hearing loss and heart disease. A study conducted by Harvard University cited a staggering relation between heart disease and hearing loss finding “hearing loss occurred 54% more often in people with heart disease then in the general population.” Hearing loss is one of the most common physical ailments for the general public, third only to heart disease and arthritis respectively.
So what is the heart-hearing link? Cardiovascular disease is a disease of the heart and blood vessels. Many of the problems surrounding heart disease are a direct result of a condition called atherosclerosis in which plaque builds up on the arteries, narrowing the arterial path, making it harder for blood to flow through the veins, arteries and ultimately bodily organs. The inner ear is extremely sensitive to blood flow. If blood flow is inadequate, interrupted or the vessels suffer a trauma, the result can be damage to the inner ear nerves, negatively impacting a person’s ability to hear. In fact, the nerves in the inner ear as so fragile that Harvard researches believe they may be the first organ affected by cardiovascular disease. In essence, hearing loss may be one of the earliest indicators of heart disease.
A leading researcher in the area of the heart-hearing link is David R. Friedland, MD, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He has been studying the relationship for years and says “The inner ear is so sensitive to blood flow that it is possible that abnormalities in the cardiovascular system could be noted here earlier than in other less sensitive parts of the body.”
Subsequently, a healthy cardiovascular system can have a positive impact on hearing. It’s important to adopt a lifestyle that supports both a healthy heart and healthy hearing. The American Heart Association suggest the following to a healthier life: get active, reduce stress, eat healthy, lose weight, quit smoking, get adequate sleep, watch your cholesterol, manage blood pressure, and reduce your blood sugar and risk for diabetes. Also, incorporate hearing checks into your routine medical exams.
Cardiovascular disease is the cause of more deaths than cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and accidents combined. It is not only the leading cause of death in America, but globally accounts for 17.3 million per year with the American Heart Association estimating that number to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. A healthy heart and hearing are not only beneficial to one’s physical well-being but are also beneficial to a positive outcome and an optimum quality of life.
University of Wisconsin conducted a study and found that men aged 48 to 92 who hunted regularly were more likely to experience high-frequency hearing loss, a risk that increased seven percent for every five years a man had been hunting. People who regularly participate in target shooting or have done so in the past year are more at risk for hearing loss.
Did you know the kind of gun you use changes your risk of hearing loss?
THE ONLY SHOOTING THAT DOES NOT HURT YOUR HEARING IS FROM A BB OR PELLET GUN!
Even bystanders are at risk! If you shoot a bow but are around others using guns, you need to have hearing protection on as well!
Tips for Shooters to Reduce Hearing Loss Risks
- Keep disposable hearing protective devices on hand.
- Double-protect when using large-caliber guns or when many shots will be fired.
- Consider smaller calibers (for example, a 7mm-08 rifle instead of a .30-.06, or a 20-gauge shotgun rather than 12-gauge).
- Choose a single-shot or bolt-action over a semi-automatic weapon.
- Avoid shooting in groups, especially at indoor or enclosed firing ranges.
- Choose firearms with longer barrels (farther from the ear).
- Consider using low-recoil (low-noise) ammo.
- When hunting in a blind, make sure the muzzle is outside the blind before pulling the trigger.
- Use nonlinear or appropriate electronic ear protection for hunting.
If you plan to be in any sort of loud environment, contact Hearing Health Center to discuss your hearing protection options!
Written by: Ali Marquess, Audiology Technician
Citations
Flamme, G. A., Wong, A., Liebe, K., & Lynd, J. (2009). Estimates of the auditory risk from outdoor impulse noise II: Civilian firearms. Noise Health, 11, 231–242.
Nondahl, D. M. “Recreational Firearm Use and Hearing Loss.” Archives of Family Medicine, vol. 9, no. 4, Jan. 2000, pp. 352–357., doi:10.1001/archfami.9.4.352.
Stewart, PhD Michael. “Bigger Caliber, Bigger Boom.” The ASHA Leader, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1 Feb. 2013, leader.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1784775.
Feb 2013, ASHA Leader, Vol 18, 48-53.
Author: Dr. Jaclyn Riel
Walking into a busy restaurant, a work meeting, or even a family gathering, you may feel overwhelmed and frustrated with all the sounds your hearing instruments are picking up. This is normal! Even people with normal hearing have difficulty in these situations. Here are some tips to help you hear your best:
1. Always sit facing the person that you are trying to hear, and put your back to the crowd/noise! Do not sit with your back to a wall and face the crowd.
2. Make sure there is adequate lighting. A dark restaurant makes it difficult to read facial expressions and lips.
3. If you are in a large meeting, ask if the room is looped or if they have assistance for the hearing impaired.
4. Use a remote microphone to hear the speaker (if your hearing aids are compatible).
5. Turn down the noise if possible (turn off the television, turn down the radio).
6. Do not be afraid to tell people when you didn’t hear them! If you do not understand something, ask that the speaker repeat or rephrase. You would be surprised by how many other people also missed what was said!
7. Find a quiet place to talk. Stay away from speaker systems and music while talking with others.