Tinnitus and Hearing aids

Just about everyday, I see patients who have tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, whistling in the ear) and one of their questions is whether or not the hearing aid will help. The good news is that for most patients, they are able to get some kind of relief from the tinnitus with consistent hearing aid use. Below you will find an article about the benefits of using a hearing aid to relieve tinnitus. ---Dr. McDonald



Constant Ringing in Your Ears? Hearing Aids Offer Hope

(ARA) – If it seems like your ears ring constantly, it’s probably not your imagination or the economy . . . and you’re not alone. You may have tinnitus, an inner ear ailment that affects between 25 million to 50 million Americans -- with about 12 million people experiencing such severe symptoms it affects their
daily lives.

The good news is treatment, including hearing aids, can offer relief to some suffering the persistent ringing, buzzing or humming associated with tinnitus,
says the Better Hearing Institute.

Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant. Causes range from ear infections and overexposure to extremely loud noises, to underlying health problems like allergies or heart and blood pressure problems. Often, sufferers are unable to pinpoint the cause of their tinnitus.

“Tinnitus can have a direct impact on a person’s emotional well being,” says Dr. Sergei Kochkin, BHI’s executive director. “Not only can their hearing be affected but also their ability to sleep and to concentrate.” Kochkin and Dr. Richard Tyler, a professor in the University of Iowa’s otolaryngology and communication sciences and disorders departments and editor of The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus (Auricle Ink, 2008), published an article in the December 2008 Hearing Review on their survey of 230 hearing health professionals in the United States and Canada. Their survey found that six out of 10 patients reported some tinnitus relief when using hearing aids and two out of 10 reported major relief.

The symptoms of tinnitus “influence basic life functions such as socialization and
relaxation,” the duo wrote. “In severe cases it can interfere with the individual’s ability to perform adequately on the job, or contribute to psychological disorders such as depression, suicide ideation, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and anger.”

Although tinnitus is actually common and can cause major life disruptions, the number
of sufferers who seek treatment for the problem is relatively small. One reason may be that they mistakenly believe their condition is untreatable. Unfortunately, many doctors are also unaware of the latest treatment option, BHI says. Patients may think they simply have to learn to live with the noise.

“No one should ever ignore persistent tinnitus,” Kochkin says. “Not only is every
individual entitled to a chance to regain his or her quality of life, but in rare cases tinnitus also can be a symptom of a more serious health issue that could demand medical intervention. What’s more, nearly everyone with tinnitus has hearing loss as well.”

In a recent large-scale survey by the Better Hearing Institute of the American hearing impaired population, 39 percent (more than 9 million adult Americans) indicated they had not sought help for their hearing loss specifically because they also had tinnitus. “Research shows that untreated hearing loss has its own negative social, psychological, cognitive and health effects on the individual suffering from it,” Kochkin adds. “So the individual with both untreated tinnitus and untreated hearing loss suffers an even more diminished quality of life than individuals with just tinnitus or just hearing loss.”

While hearing aids are not a cure for tinnitus, they may be able to help tinnitus patients by:

• Improving communication and reducing stress, which makes it easier to cope
with the condition.

• Amplifying background sounds, which can make tinnitus seem less loud and
prominent.

A new type of hearing aid, called the open fit hearing aid, may be particularly useful in alleviating tinnitus. The open fit hearing aid can reduce the effects of the tinnitus ringing sensation while still allowing sounds from the outside to pass into the ear.

If you think you have tinnitus have your hearing evaluated by a hearing health
professional and to explore the use of hearing aids to alleviate tinnitus. The American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO-HNS) and the American Tinnitus Association
recommends these additional tips for minimizing the effects of tinnitus on your health:

• Avoid exposure to loud sounds and noises.

• Get your blood pressure checked. If it is high, get your doctor’s help to control it.

• Decrease your intake of salt. Salt impairs blood circulation.

• Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, cola, and tobacco.

• Exercise daily to improve your circulation.

• Get adequate rest and avoid fatigue.

• Eliminate or reduce some stress in different parts of your life; stress often makes
tinnitus worse.

• Experiment by eliminating other possible sources of tinnitus aggravation, e.g.
artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, prescription or over-the-counter medications.
(Do not stop taking medications without consulting with your health care
professional about the possible ototoxic impact of your medications.)

Furthermore the Better Hearing Institute recommends that in addition to the practical
tips above (which apply to a healthy lifestyle for all people) that people with tinnitus may receive benefit by simply understanding the causes, myths and facts about tinnitus through either counseling or self-help books. “We believe that if hearing health professionals can provide effective treatment for tinnitus, they also can be instrumental in motivating people to concurrently treat their hearing loss,” Kochkin says. “This would have a double impact in improving the quality of life for millions of Americans.”

To learn more, visit www.betterhearing.org or call the Better Hearing Institute hotline at (800) EAR-WELL (800-327-9355).

###

Editor’s Note:
Founded in 1973, The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) conducts research and engages in
hearing health education with the goal of helping people with hearing loss to benefit
from proper treatment.

Facts about Noise and your Hearing

In my practice, I see alot of patients who have been exposed to noise and now have a hearing loss which makes it difficult for them to communicate.

I present the following information in hope that it provides you with the facts you need to protect yourself from noise. --Dr. McDonald

Approximately 36 million Americans have hearing loss. One in three developed their hearing loss as a result of exposure to noise.

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells that are found in our inner ear. Hair cells are small sensory cells that convert the sounds we hear (sound energy) into electrical signals that travel to the brain. Once damaged our hair cells cannot grow back, causing permanent hearing loss.

Hearing protection decreases the intensity, or loudness, of noise and helps preserve your hearing.

• Harmful sounds are (1) too loud and last too long or (2) are very loud and sudden.

o For example, exposure to a one-time intense “impulse” sound such as an explosion, or by continuous exposure to loud sounds over an extended period of time, such as sitting to close during a concert (rock, country, symphony, or any genre of music).

o You may encounter harmful sounds at work, at home, and during recreational activities. (If you work in a hazardous noise environment, speak with your supervisor or compliance officer about OSHA recommendations on your amount of noise exposure.)

• The loudness of sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by prolonged exposure to any loud noise over 85 (dB).
60 dB Normal conversations or dishwashers
80 dB Alarm clocks
90 dB Hair dryers, blenders, lawnmowers
100 dB MP3 players at full volume
110 dB Concerts (any music genre), car racing and sporting events
120dB Jet planes at take off
130 dB Ambulances
140 dB Gun shots, fireworks, and custom car stereos at full volume

• Noise is dangerous if…
o You have to shout over background noise to be heard
o The noise is painful to your ears
o The noise makes your ears ring
o You have decreased or “muffled” hearing for several hours after exposure

• Protect your hearing, by…
o Wearing hearing protection when around sounds louder than 85dB for a long period of time. There are different types of hearing protection such as foam earplugs, earmuffs and custom hearing protection devices.

Contact our office for custom hearing protection devices.

o Turning down the volume when listening to the radio, the TV, MP3 player, or anything through ear buds and headphones. (Visit www.TurnItToTheLeft.com)
o Walking away from the noise.
o And, other than hearing protection, do not put anything in your ear!

Tips for looking and hearing your best at your next job interview

When it comes to job interviews, how you hear affects how you look:

5 tips for hearing and looking your best

You walk into the job interview. Your hair is groomed. Your skin is smooth. You’re wearing your best interview suit. Dahhling, you look fabulous, right?

Not necessarily. What happens when you sit down and the interviewer starts asking you a question and you suddenly realize you can’t really hear what she’s saying? Now you lean in, furrow your brows, and hunch your shoulders. You scrunch up your eyes and strain with all your might to hear your best.

How do you look now?

Unfortunately, the interviewer may see you in a different light. Now she’s wondering why you look so uncomfortable. She’s noticing the confidence slip from your face. And she’s thinking maybe she needs to keep interviewing others.

In the United States, approximately 31.5 million Americans have hearing loss, and that includes 3 out of 10 people ages 60 plus, according to the Better Hearing Institute.

With today’s down economy, many of these seniors either need to postpone retirement or return to work. Sixty percent of workers over the age of 60 are postponing retirement due to the impact of the financial crisis on their long-term savings, according to a recent CareerBuilder/USA Today national survey of employers.

And those re-entering the workforce are competing against younger workers eager to scoop up the jobs.

Excellent listening skills are ranked high by employers as desirable job attributes. Fully 73 percent of employers surveyed by ACT, a leading college and workforce planning organization, ranked listening as “extremely important” job skills.

So, while people may feel that to look young they can’t be seen wearing a hearing device, they are much more likely to be perceived as old and less capable if they ignore their hearing needs and are unable to be effective listeners.

Before going in for an interview, follow these tips:

· Take the free, easy, online hearing check offered by the Better Hearing Institute at http://www.hometown-hearing.com/quickhearingtest.asp

· If you think you may have hearing loss, call Hometown Hearing and Audiology to get your hearing tested.

· If you have a hearing loss that can be treated with hearing devices – and 95% of hearing losses can be improved with hearing devices – get fitted for them.

· Start wearing your hearing devices immediately, and see what a difference they make.

· Then, go into the interview confident in your hearing and listen-up! The job is yours.

May is Better Hearing Month!

In celebration of Better Hearing Month, below you will find some facts about hearing loss:


Approximately 36 million Americans suffer from hearing loss.

More than half of the people with hearing loss are younger than age 65.

Untreated hearing loss can affect your ability to understand speech and can negatively impact your social and emotional well-being—hearing impairment can decrease your quality of life!

Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the United States.



Signs you may have a hearing loss:

• Difficulty hearing people talk in noisy environments such as a restaurant, shopping mall, in a car, or at the movie theater.

• People seem to “mumble” all the time.

• Family, friends, or colleagues often have to repeat themselves when speaking with you.

• You have trouble hearing people when they are not facing you or are in another room.

• You have trouble following conversations.

• You have ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds in your ears.



What causes hearing loss?

• Exposure to excessive loud noise.

• Ear infections, trauma, or ear disease.

• Harm of the inner ear and ear drum from contact with a foreign object (cotton swabs, fingers, bugs).

• Illness or certain medications.

• Deteriorating hearing due to the normal aging process.
How to protect your hearing.

• Wear hearing protection when around sounds louder than 85dB for a long period of time. There are different types of hearing protection such as foam earplugs, earmuffs and custom hearing protection devices. Contact your local audiologist for custom hearing protection devices.

• Turn down the volume when listening to the radio, the TV, MP3 player, or anything through ear buds and headphones. (Visit www.TurnItToTheLeft.com)

• Walk away from the noise.

• And, other than hearing protection, do not put anything in your ear!