Better Hearing Blog
Making Friends with Anemones
“Hair cells” are sensory cells located in the inner ear that get their name from their hair-like projections, called “stereocilia.” Hair cells play a critical role in enabling us to hear because they sense sound waves and convert them to electrical signals that are sent to the brain. Unfortunately, once hair cells in the human ear die (due to noise exposure), they do not regenerate, and hearing is lost. However, recent research involving sea anemones (water-dwelling predatory animals named after the flowers) have the ability to regenerate hair cells with a specific protein. When scientists extracted this protein, they found it could regenerate hair cells in mammals, which is a finding that may someday benefit those with acute hearing loss.
For more information, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Our expertise is measured by our commitment to patient satisfaction, continuing education, and the application of current technologies. After the age of 50, a regular hearing test should be considered as important as one’s yearly physical checkup. We are the only hearing center that has served the Concord, New Hampshire, area for more than 55 years. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Sea anemones have the miraculous ability to repair themselves after they have been torn in half.
Hyperacusis: Those Hypersensitive to Sounds
The term “hyperacusis” is used to describe people who find the sounds of everyday life to be intrusively loud, uncomfortable, and even painful. It is conservatively estimated that about two percent of the population suffers from this problem. A minority of this percentage is severely affected, while the rest report that hyperacusis makes it difficult for them to concentrate or promotes tension or even anger. This hypersensitivity to everyday sounds has been linked with tinnitus (ringing in the ears), migraines, head injury, Lyme disease, William’s syndrome, and Bell’s palsy. It is important that symptoms of hyperacusis be reported and any potentially related medical diagnosis be ascertained. Contrary to common belief, treatment of hyperacusis rests with sound therapy, not earplugs.
Sound therapy can retrain the auditory processing center of the brain to accept everyday sounds. This involves the use of a noise-generating device worn on the affected ear or ears. Those suffering from hyperacusis may be uncomfortable with placing sound directly in their ear, but the device produces “white noise” that is barely audible. To schedule a hearing assessment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Sound training for treating hyperacusis consists of slowly and gently reintroducing sounds to those who have shut themselves off from the everyday sounds that they find so irritating.
Custom Molded to Your Ear
Just as eyeglass frames with prescription lenses must be properly fitted to the wearer’s face, a hearing instrument’s earmold must fit perfectly in the listener’s ear. To get the fit that will literally place the sound of the hearing instrument in the ear, a hearing specialist will make a cast (known as an “impression”) of the ear. After the working earmold is made from this impression, it will be adjusted to prevent any “feedback” problems that might arise from a loose fit that allows unwanted sounds to leak past the earmold and into the ear. Additional modifications may also be made to address any “occlusion effect” (muffled sounds) or any perception that the user’s own voice is too loud.
The future of the hearing industry is bright. There is amazing technology already available in modern hearing instruments, and there are no limits to the technological advances that will be available in a few short years. To schedule an appointment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Our expertise is measured by our commitment to patient satisfaction, continuing education, and the application of current technologies. Don’t delay the enjoyment of the sounds in your life any longer. Come in and let us help you get back to the world of hearing. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. An earmold can be canal size (tiny), half-shell size (medium), or even “full shell” size (large), depending on the wearer’s type and degree of hearing loss and anatomy.
Doing a Disservice
About one-third of people between the ages of 65 and 74 and nearly half of individuals age 75 and older have hearing loss; however, only about 20 percent of those who could benefit from a hearing instrument actually use one. Instead, many people either ignore their hearing loss or decide to “live with it.” In the process of neglecting treatment, these individuals may be doing themselves more of a disservice than they might realize. By the time they do decide to get a hearing test, they often have a significant hearing loss that has led to the loss of cognitive function and diminished quality of life. Using a hearing instrument makes the mind sharper and averts feelings of isolation and depression.
The reason hearing loss seems to sneak up on someone is because the changes in their hearing are so gradual. For most people, hearing loss develops over a period of 25 to 30 years, so that by the time they reach the age of 50 or 60, they notice their hearing has deteriorated enough to interfere with conversations. For more information, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are the only hearing center that has served the Concord, New Hampshire, area for more than 55 years. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Hearing loss not only affects the person with the loss, but it also has an impact on friends, family, and business associates who feel that their relationships are restricted.
Use It or Lose It!
We are all familiar with the “use it or lose it” dictum that says if you do not exercise, you will lose muscle mass. As it turns out, this warning applies to areas of the body other than musculature. A study involving mostly seniors found that those living with hearing loss actually experienced brain shrinkage. That is, when deprived of auditory stimulation, gray matter volume in the auditory cortex was seen to decline. This conclusion was reached by comparing MRIs of individuals with hearing loss to others without hearing loss. Overall, the scientists reported that those with impaired hearing lost more than an additional cubic centimeter of brain tissue each year compared to those with normal hearing.
Hearing loss is an invisible condition; we cannot see hearing loss, only its effects. Because the presence of a hearing loss is not visible, these effects may be attributed to aloofness, confusion, or personality changes. To schedule a hearing exam, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We offer a variety of affordable hearing aid options to meet every budget and hearing loss need. Let us help you get back to the world of hearing at New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. The study mentioned above gives another very good reason to address hearing loss sooner rather than later.
Airport Noise and Health Problems
With airports multiplying and expanding, the International Civil Aviation Organization estimates that the number of take-offs and landings will double over the next 20 years. While previous research has demonstrated that exposure to aircraft noise on a regular basis is linked with sleep disturbances, breathing problems during the night, and nervousness, a new study has uncovered an association between long-term aircraft noise and hypertension. Researchers found that those living closest to airports, where they regularly experienced aircraft sounds of 60 decibels or more, had almost twice the incidence of hypertension as those living in quieter areas (40% versus 24%). Airport noise was also linked to heart changes (aortic stiffness and higher ventricular mass) that can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Studies have also linked exposure to aircraft noise with learning deficits. They have found that young school-age children who are chronically exposed to aircraft noise had poorer reading skills than children attending school in quieter neighborhoods. To schedule a hearing assessment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Our goal is to provide you with everything you need to know to make the right decisions for your hearing health. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Airport noise may lead to higher blood pressure due to the release of stress hormones that naturally raise blood pressure