Millions of Americans suffering from hearing loss are hesitant to correct it. One of the primary reasons is the prohibitive cost — even inexpensive custom hearing aids can run in the thousands of dollars, and are rarely if ever covered by insurance. While people of all ages suffer from hearing loss, older people — who are often on fixed incomes — are affected in much higher percentages. Because of this, mass-produced sound amplifiers from retailers like Radio Shack are gaining in popularity.

These inexpensive hearing aid-like devices retail for less than $50. However, while pricier hearing aids come equipped with nifty features and can be programmed to fit your level and type of hearing loss, these inexpensive sound amplifiers do that and just that: make sounds louder. They won’t mask tinnitus or help you hear high frequency sounds. Despite this, they still have some usefulness: if you are watching television at home, and don’t wish to wake anyone else up, this devices can help augment the sound.

In the end, however, using the most inexpensive hearing aids as an everyday device can be dangerous. While sound amplification is better than nothing at all for those suffering from hearing loss, there are still safety and lifestyle issues they are unequipped to properly combat. Reviews suggest that they fare poorly in crowded or noisy environments, where being able to focus on certain sounds is of more importance than just the level of the volume. If you live in a big city, relying strictly on one of these devices while walking around could be dangerous.
Custom hearing aids are pricey, but the technology can help improve or even save your life. But, if you need a quick stopgap for personal home use, inexpensive mass-produced hearing aids could be of help.

One attempt to standardize the diagnosis and treatment is the implementation of degrees of hearing loss. Audiologists break hearing loss into five degrees: mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe and profound. Patients are categorized into a degree by the softest sound they are able to hear.

If the softest sound a patient can hear is above 71 decibels but below 90 decibels, he is categorized as having severe hearing loss. While this diagnosis might be helpful in fitting a hearing aid and combating the affects of hearing loss, the boundaries are clearly somewhat arbitrary. Rather than iron-clad prescriptions, these designations should be looked at more as guidelines. A sufferer of severe hearing loss might have hearing closer to a sufferer of “moderately severe hearing loss” than another person with severe hearing loss.

Other than in legal contexts, where severe hearing loss is converted into a percentage to ensure equal treatment in the eyes of the law, the degree to which hearing loss occurs is more of a suggestion than a fact. If you feel like you might be suffering from hearing loss, visit a hearing center to determine the best course of treatment.

Such is the case with this new information from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

An international team of researchers has found a gene linked with a rare form of progressive deafness in males. The particular form of deafness is known as DFN2, which manifests itself in boys from ages 5-15. Throughout their lives, they will experience hearing loss that can range all the way to profound. Mothers, who carry the defective gene, may experience mild hearing loss much later in life.

The ability to analyze this gene yields exciting benefits, and not only for boys with hearing loss, it is also a step forward in the fight against all hearing loss–audiologists hope to learn more about the exact mechanisms of acquired hearing loss and how to treat it.

Acquired hearing loss is an unfortunate side effect to many powerful drugs: chemotherapy, HIV and AIDS medication all carry this as a potential collateral malady. With this research, an important step was taken in not only diagnosing and treating hearing loss, but also preventing it.

But how do you know if you need a hearing aid?

The best way is to get a hearing test.

Hearing tests measure your sensitivity to a variety of sounds. These results are plotted on a graph called an audiogram. From left to right, the frequencies increase. From bottom to top, the volume of the sound decreases:

Your ability to hear is then plotted using a series of “x’s” and “o’s” which demarcate the left and right ears respectively. Hearing is measured on a logarithmic system known as “decibels.” For every 10 decibel increase, the volume you perceive doubles.

If the plotted “x’s and o’s” begin to dip below the 20 Db level as you move to the right on the graph (towards higher frequencies), you may have conditional hearing loss. Normal hearing for these frequencies is sensitive to sounds 20Db and below. If after taking the hearing aid test, you realize you have hearing loss, consult and audiologist as soon as possible.

But could the car you drive be at fault?

Yes, research presented at American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Diego, CA. The research indicated that people who enjoy driving in “convertible” cars, with the top lowered, risk noise-induced hearing loss.

The study measured noise levels at 10 mph intervals from 50-70mph. Drivers at these speeds were exposed to noise levels ranging from 88-99 decibels. Heavy exposure to noise levels of >85db have been linked to noise-induced hearing loss. Rolling up the windows (even with the top down) lowered the noise volume to a safer 82db.

The authors praised motorcycle drivers, who also experience a high amount of driving noise, for their willingness to take precautions.

No poems about how clogged and greasy thine lover’s ear is. No movies about how fascinating and dynamic it is. There is not a single-hour long television drama where the primary plot is driven by anything having remotely to do with earwax.

So what’s good about it?

Plenty good, it turns out. Earwax, the common name for the yellowish liquid secreted by the cerumen glands, assists in cleaning and lubrication, protects the ear canal, and can also serve as a flypaper like buffer system to keep out insects, dirt and debris. Like most secretions it serves a useful, if not sexy function in maintaining proper body function.

But what if you have too much?

Hearing loss problems can be the result. Not only can an excess of hearing loss block the aural cavity and cause conductive hearing loss, it is the culprit in an estimated 70% of hearing aid malfunctions.  Luckily for sufferers of conductive hearing loss for whom this is the primary issue, there are treatments available. Jaw movement can loosen wax, so chewing gum or talking can help. Wax can be softened with olive oil or syringed with warm water. One common practice which is actually counterproductive is use of a cotton  swab: while they remove a small portion of wax that happens to adhere to the swab, they actually push 95% of wax further into the ear canal.

Because of this, and earwax’s function in ear health, in 2008 the American Academy of Otolaryngology issued new guidelines advising against removing earwax unless it is causing health issues. If you are suffering hearing loss from too much earwax, you may want to consult a doctor to determine the best course of action.

What is it like to have deafness in only one ear?

When one ear has deafness, it can be very difficult to balance hearing – resulting in difficulty measuring localized sound. The unaffected ear sometimes needs to work harder, which can be extremely dangerous in urban environments–background noises like when crossing the street could be disastrous.

To understand how one feels with unilateral deafness, you can perform a simple test. Take a cup and cover one ear with the open end, and as the ear is covered to try to have a conversation with someone or try to listen to a conversation. It will be much harder to understand just about everything that people are saying and it will only help slightly to turn your head towards the person.

Unilateral hearing loss can occur as a result of either conductive or sensorineural hearing loss. If the former, then it may be medically curable and most of the hearing loss may be restored. If it is sensorineural hearing loss, then it will not be so simple to solve the hearing problem. The best option would be to see the audiologist to diagnose the hearing loss and determine the best options to help combat it.

This October, we celebrate the anniversary of the creation of that awareness month. Many people are reluctant to see a doctor at the onset of hearing loss and get fitted for proper devices. The AAA seeks to educate and dispel the stigma that comes with using hearing aids and devices to mask tinnitus (ringing in the ears.)

While hearing loss is often associated with the elderly, there are many adults, adolescents and children with hearing loss. Throughout October, the AAA seeks to provide information on hearing loss that affects not only those over 65, but all ages. They provide literature on all types of deafness and hearing aids, from those that go directly into the ear to those hearing aids that go around the ear.

This is a great time to analyze your own hearing. Visit an audiologist to determine if your hearing is impaired, and, subsequently, whether you need a hearing aid.

Many people suffer from the hearing problem Tinnitus, the common description is ringing in the ears. Clearly it affects hearing, but is it a type of hearing loss?

No.

Tinnitus affects your ability to hear but does not damage your capacity for hearing itself. While Tinnitus is not a type of hearing loss, many people suffer from both afflictions, as they can have the same root causes.

Tinnitus itself has a variety of causes and levels:

One of the most common causes for ringing in the ears is exposure to loud bursts of sound–if you are near a loud burst (such as a gunshot) or a continued loud sound (such as  at a construction site) and do not wear protection, not only can you suffer from sensorineural hearing loss, but you can also begin to suffer from Tinnitus. This happens if there is trauma to the ear which it is unable to recover from. It has been described alternately as hearing a constant ringing, waves crashing against the shore or a continual buzzing noise.

Tinnitus has other less common causes:

It can be a side-effect of oral medication, such as aspirin, or of psychedelic drugs, like Harmaline or Psilocybin. It can also be the result of a variety of physical disorders, such as Lyme Disease or Thyroid disorder. Furthermore, it can be the result of psychological imbalances, such as low-levels of serotonin or anxiety.

Tinnitus are diagnosed in five different levels of with five being the strongest. At level one, the ringing can be so slight it can be covered by everyday noise and go unnoticed by the person who has it. Level five on the other hand, can be so powerful that nothing can cover the ringing, which makes it hard for the individual to focus or get a good night’s rest.

Unfortunately, there is no way to permanently get rid of or cure Tinnitus, however there are many ways to easing it or covering it up. You can have Tinnitus without suffering from hearing loss but is a rare occurrence. If you have a hearing problem and tinnitus, ask your audiologists what may be done to help combat both simultaneously.

More and more people are suffering from sensorineural hearing loss, and Tinnitus remains a common problem. Unfortunately, this means that a growing number of people are suffering from both.

Many people’s first step would be to consult an audiologist and ask for a hearing aid. The second being to ask whether it’s possible to mask the tinnitus as well.

Fortunately, thanks to technological improvements in the world of hearing loss, new hearing aids can also be used as Tinnitus maskers–a development which has great benefits for those forced to combat tinnitus and hearing loss simultaneously. They:

Are less expensive than buying both a hearing aid and a Tinnitus-masker

Allows the wearer to mask the Tinnitus and alleviate the hearing loss in the same ear; separate devices can only be worn one at a time

Come in the many varieties–from in-the-ear to behind-the-ear, like many other hearing aids.

The combination of a hearing aid that is also a tinnitus masker marks a big leap forward in hearing aid technology, and is recommended for those who have level 3 Tinnitus or higher. If the Tinnitus is at a lower level and/or there is no accompanying sensorineural hearing loss,  the device may not be necessary. The best option is to see an audiologist as well as an ENT to do what is best to improve your hearing.