Search Results for: blog hearing loss terminology

A Hearing Loss Epidemic?

A recent study from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland took a look at the possibility of an epidemic of hearing loss in the United States. Right now, one out of every three adults in the United States suffers from some degree of hearing loss. I have some hearing loss on the left side from my days in radio — for a long time, I used a broken pair of headphones that only worked on the left. I’d turn the sound up to compensate for only having one working speaker… and I’ve paid for it. The study team from Johns … Continue reading →

Hearing Tricks

Did you know that just thirty seconds of listening to a 120 decibel concert can put you at risk for permanent hearing damage? It doesn’t take much exposure to loud noise to leave your ears ringing and in danger of permanent hearing loss. Here are some tips to help you protect your hearing and hear better! Wear earplugs if you’re going to a concert. San Francisco recently passed an ordinance requiring music venues to make earplugs available — hopefully other cities will follow suit. A soft pair of earplugs are portable and easy to use. Wear ear protection if you’ll … Continue reading →

Adjusting To A Hearing Aid

I can remember when I was in third grade, getting my first pair of glasses. Oh how I hated them at first! They made my nose itch. They made my ears feel funny. My hair was always getting tangled in them. It took me several weeks to get used to them. Expect the same thing if you’re adjusting to a new hearing aid. It may take weeks; it may take months! What you can expect: You may hear noises you haven’t heard in a long time — background noises you’d forgotten about will suddenly be back. Your own voice may … Continue reading →

Experts Think MP3 Players Could Damage Your Child’s Hearing

If your kids listen to MP3 players, you should be aware that some experts are worrying that in doing so your kids are at risk of damaging their hearing. University of California, Irvine, professor Fan-Gang Zeng, a specialist in hearing loss, says that he’s starting to see a lot of his students with hearing loss that you would normally see in a person 50- or 60-years-old. A colleague, Dr. Hamid Djlilian agrees. He reported that more parents were bringing their teenagers to him with complaints of ringing in their ears. The cause of the problem, expert believe, centers around the … Continue reading →

What Kinds of Special Needs Do Kids Awaiting Adoption Have?

What comes to mind when you think of “special needs”? In the adoption world, a child with “special needs” is one with any condition or situation which makes them harder to place in a family. They could be a large sibling group, older, or simply boys. But most often, a “special need” refers to a medical or developmental condition. It might be an actual disability, it might be a condition that needs surgery but is correctable, such as cleft palate, it might be a risk factor such as extreme prematurity, prenatal drug or alcohol exposure, or it might be a … Continue reading →

The minefield of schizophrenia (2)

In this blog, we continue with simple, concise explanations of much of the language and terminology used by mental health professionals in the treatment of schizophrenia. • Hearing voices A type of hallucination in which the sufferer hears voices, or hears his or her own thoughts actually spoken aloud, or other sounds that no-one else can hear. Often several voices may occur at once, causing acute stress for the sufferer. The voices are invariable negative in tone. • Maintenance therapy Treatment which is aimed at the reduction of relapse and may include regular hospital in-patient admissions in an attempt to … Continue reading →