There are many ways to clean the ears at home and some are safer than others. Recently people have become interested in an alternative method of cleaning out the ears using “ear candling”. Ear candles claim to create a suction using heat, to pull earwax and debris out of your ear canal. While this method has been popular in alternative healing communities, many doctors are skeptical if this process actually works, or if it could …
All About Ototoxic Hearing Loss
Many medications are designed to help us with specific ailments and continue to become more advanced. However even the most helpful and essential medications can have unexpected side effects. It is important to be aware of these side effects before you begin any new medication so you can weigh the benefits of the medication with the risk. Certain medications are considered ototoxic, meaning that they have the potential to damage hearing permanently. Symptoms of Ototoxic …
Weather Preparedness Tips for People with Hearing Loss
Winter months can bring extreme blizzards, while the summer, spring and fall can present it’s own inclement weather. A general rule is that if a weather emergency can occur it most likely eventually will. For many of us, we have spent years dealing with extreme weather, however, for those of us who’s hearing isn’t as sharp as it used to be, these kinds of weather emergencies can bring on a whole new set of challenges. …
How to Properly Care for Your Hearing Aids
Hearing aid users know how important it is to have your devices in proper working order. Hearing aids are an investment in your health, and knowing how to properly care for them is part of getting both the best performance and the longest life out of your devices. Routine care for hearing aids ensures that they are clean and dry and it can catch small issues before they develop into larger ones. Let’s take a …
Understanding the Degrees of Hearing Loss
When you get a hearing test your results are formatted as a chart called an “audiogram”. Audiograms show the specific challenges your hearing has, as well as overall patterns in your hearing ability. When your hearing specialist reviews the results with you, they will often tell you the degree of hearing loss present-but what exactly do these different degrees mean- and what can you do about them? One important thing to keep in mind is …
Tips for a Successful Virtual Family Reunion
Holiday season is here and we want to wish you and yours a happy and healthy season! This year, family gatherings are going online and celebrating is going to look a little different. If you are planning your first online family gathering, here are a few things to keep in mind for an excellent event everyone can enjoy. Make a Plan, Set a Schedule While it may seem like less planning to stage an online …
A Link Between Hearing Loss and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hearing loss affects approximately 48 million people in the US and is more than just an ear issue. Hearing loss affects how you relate to others, your self confidence, self esteem and physical health. When we can hear and communicate confidently, you can be more likely to succeed in social situations, and in physical activity. The more active we are, the more our physical and mental health excell. Untreated hearing loss has been connected to …
Growing Evidence that Noise is Bad for Your Health
The world continues to get noisier and noisier! If you live in an urban area the sound of traffic, construction and neighbors can become cacophonous. If you work in a noisy setting like an airport, busy restaurant or even office setting, it can get so loud that your hearing can become damaged over time. There are so many sources of noise that can damage our hearing and some have become so commonplace in our daily …
Taking care of your hearing and vision slows cognitive decline by 50-75%
As we age many of us have to deal with declining vision and hearing. In fact, age related hearing loss affects one in three, over 65 and half of seniors 75 and older. Similarly, vision is a major issue for many of us as we age, with 12 % of Americans 65 to 74 years of age reporting vision loss having vision loss. These issues affect how we interact with the world, but did you know that your …
Hearing Loss Patients At Higher Risk Of Hospital Readmission
When people with untreated hearing loss enter the hospital, the stakes can be unusually high. A recent New York University study has found that patients with unaddressed hearing loss were far more likely to be readmitted into the hospital within a month of their initial discharge than patients with normal hearing. This gap in health outcomes is part of the toll hearing loss can extract on personal wellness and hospital readmissions increase costs for both …