Feb
24
2009
0

Hearing Difficulties-Hearing Impairment

Learn about hearing impairment, and how commonly it occurs in those aged 65 and above.

Maintaining our balance and allowing us to hear are the two primary functions of our ears. Although our balance seldom fails us as we grow older our hearing, for almost all of us, does become impaired.

  difficulty hearing on telephone

During our lives we all experience loud noises at times by accident, and we may even seek such damagingly intense sounds by attending loud music events or using headphones at sound levels which are unsafe. Whatever is the cause, most us us will experience a loss of hearing ability as we age. In fact, one of three adults over the age of 65 has a hearing loss and half of seniors over the age of 75 have a hearing loss. Such loss is commonly due to over-exposure to noise, heredity or both.

You are most likely to have hearing loss if you experience one or more of the following:-

1) If you notice everyone sounds muffled.

2) The words you think you have heard make no or little sense

3) Despite paying attention to a speaker you find you must repeatedly request that things be repeated more clearly

4) Often need to turn up the volume on your TV or radio.

Should you have answered yes to one or more of the above, we suspect that you will also be tending not to seek to engage in discussions when a number of people are involved, in the way you did once. If so, and both some of 1 to 4 above and this are true, then there is a very high possibility that you are suffering hearing loss. Damage within the cochlea is the most common cause of hearing difficulties. The cochlea is the coiled structure within the inner ear within which hearing takes place. Exposure to loud sounds, that is noise at above 85 decibels is damaging to the cochlea after a period of time. A common way to show decibels when written is to refer in text to ‘dBs’.

Other frequent causes of loss of hearing can be:-

1) Infections of the ear

2) Abnormal bone growths

3) Tumours of the outer or middle ear

4) Ear drum damage (usually by rupturing).

Auditory Neuropathy, Meniere’s Disease, Noise Ostosclerosis and Usher’s Syndrome, are other causes of full or partial deafness which can strike at any age.

In all just three basic three hearing impairments result, as follows:-

A) Conductive Loss of Hearing

In this type of hearing failure such problems as excess fluid build-up, earwax, disease, foreign particles or lack of proper formation of the middle or outer-ear parts all may take place, and the result is an inability of the outer ear to pass the sound vibrations into the sensing pint in the cochlea.

B) Sensor and or Neural Hearing Impairment

This type of hearing damage sounds complicated but is easily described as any defect in the inner-ear. Lumped ito this category are also all difficulties experienced within the brain in interpreting the sound signals when these are relayed neurally.

C) Combination of Hearing Problems

Combine A) and B) and as above, we now have our three possible types, now that we have included this possibility.

Of the three possible forms of hearing loss, this is the final type.

Whether hearing loss occurs in one or both ears, the extent of the deterioration in audible ability may be different in each ear, and may vary with time. Inner ear infections can cause a rapid onset of partial, or complete, deafness.

This article is not written by a qualified medic. On no account must this article be interpreted as advice, for which your medical expert or doctor must be approached for a resolution of your problem.

By Steve Last
Published: 10/11/2007

Aging Brain May Contribute to Some Hearing Loss

Learn about senior health and aging medical information about senior health and aging. Medical information written and reviewed by medical doctors specializing in aging. 

Effects of a Hearing Loss on Children

A child with hearing loss may also have problems with their speech because sounds will not be heard accurately. The child may not even be able to hear their own voice; therefore they may…   

Latest Stories on Hearing and …

Teens not only tend to play their music louder than adults but, often, are unaware of how loud they’re playing it, or the risks of permanent hearing loss.   

Promoting hearing health.

The new evidence has prompted the proposal of new guidelines and standards on hearing loss prevention. In this paper, the implications of the studies on the effect of environmental and occupati…  

Top 3 Problems Your Doctor May Miss

Sometimes the gooey stuff gets impacted, which can lead to pain or hearing loss. When your doc routinely checks your ears, ask about earwax. And remember: Sticking a swab in your ear often cau…   

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Jan
26
2009
0

Hyperacusis Treatment

Hyperacusis

 is a medical condition wherein the person’s tolerance for normal sound in his environment is lowered. This lowered tolerance is manifested by the person’s sensitivity to otherwise normal sounds in his surroundings. As a result, he feels as if the whole world is screaming at him. The dripping of water in the faucet, a child crooning to himself, a radio playing from a distance, car horns from the road outside – all these sounds are perceived by the person with hyperacusis as loud and blaring.
sensitive to sound
The bad thing about having hyperacusis is that the person has no way of ‘turning the sounds off.’ Hyperacusis is a chronic disorder and tends to come and go. People who suffer from hyperacusis may also tend to suffer from tinnitus. Tinnitus is the ringing that you hear in your ears. However, hyperacusis may occur in people who have no other hearing problems.

So what can you do to if you have hyperacusis? Sad to say, but the progression of this disease is quite unpredictable. As of now, the only sure thing that researchers know is that exposure to loud noises contributes to the progression of the disease.

Pink noise and white noise are commonly used to treat patients. They are quite similar to each other although for pink noise, the sounds with lower frequencies are louder than those with higher frequencies. On the other hand white noise has the same amplitude for all frequencies. The importance of these two types of noise is that they increase the tolerance for the normal range of noise that we hear everyday.

There are some therapy regimens that patients with hyperacusis can go through. One such therapy is the use of special hearing aids for several hours a day. These special gadgets work by desensitizing the ears to sound. This treatment is called Tinnitus (Hyperacusis)Retraining Therapy or TRT. Another way to treat hyperacusis is to listen to a pink noise CD. This also serves to desensitize the ears to sound.

Though these procedures have proven to be successful in helping many people suffering from hyperacusis, they are not considered as cures. The best course to take when you suddenly find yourself suffering from ‘loud’ noises is to visit your healthcare professional as they can better determine your specific needs.

 

Hyperacusis and Social Issues

Hyperacusis is a condition where one develops an abnormal sensitivity to everyday sounds and noises. They may also be sensitivity to high pitched sounds. It is.  

Hyperacusis

1. Sleeping can be very difficult. Many times the mere act of turning our head on the pillow makes a loud noise in our ear. If we have severe  we learn to roll our head on the pillow… 

Hyperacusis: Hearing Protection

Parallel with the treatments performed to reduce my hyperacusis and tinnitus, it was taken several measures to protect my ears and to attenuate the noise at home. Following I explain them in de… 

Constant Fullness And Hyperacusis | Tinnitus

Hearing noises in ears is common nowadays. In some cases, the noise in ears disappears naturally while some becomes a permanent disability. This is a condition.  

TINNITUS & HYPERACUSIS

TINNITUS Who said this was nothing, Huh? Imagine being at a movie where the sound track is turned to the highest volume. Actors’ voices are screaming at you. After five minutes, you leave holding y…

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Jan
20
2009
0

Cause Of Ringing Sound In Ears

 Ringing in the ear

A ringing ear is a common ailment in old age. Today, many youngsters are also affected by ringing ears. This article briefs on the causes of ringing ears. Read on…

What are the Causes of Ringing Ears?

Understanding the hearing mechanism would be necessary before dwelling into the causes of ringing ears. Cochlea helps in the auditory mechanism of the ear and it is located in the inner ear. Thousands of tiny auditory hairs line the sides of the cochlea. These auditory hairs help in maintaining the electrical charge of the auditory cells. These cells are stimulated by the sound waves and send signals to the brain. In people with hearing impaired, the auditory hairs are either damaged or bent. This would lead to partial or total hearing loss. This is considered as one of the causes of ringing ears in aging population. The auditor hairs could also be damaged due to sound pollution or due to trauma. Thus one of most common causes of ringing ears is mainly related to auditory hair cell damage.

What are the Causes of Ringing Ears?

Ringing ears or tinnitus is a medical condition when an individual experiences a ringing sound in either both or one of his ears. There is a possibility of ringing ears to occur in middle ear, inner ear and outer ear. An individual with tinnitus hears the ringing sound because cochlea is unable to send normal sound signals to the brain. This could cause confusion in the brain. Hence the brain reciprocates by developing its own sounds when it is not able to process the natural sound signals. Here are a few possible causes of ringing ears.

One of the possible causes of ringing ears is the ear infection. When an ear is infected, there is an inflammation in middle ear, eardrum and the bones. The infection could have been caused by cold. In such cases the virus or bacteria reaches the middle ear and Eustachian tube.

Sound pollution is another cause of ringing ears. Today, ringing ear is common among youngsters also. The reason is exposure to loud music and noises. Remove excess wax from your ears because it can block the sounds from reaching the brain.

Ringing ears are also caused by continuous stress. Studies reveal, ringing ears could be aggravated if an individual is under constant stress. This is found to be one of the major causes of ringing ears in a healthy person.

A person who is suffering from sinus and allergies are prone to ringing ears. The reason is the medication he takes could cause the mucous lining of the inner ear to become thicker. This builds up over a period of time and blocks the Eustachian tubes leading to ringing ears.

Head or brain injury is another cause of ringing ears. Tumor growths such as acoustic neuroma, glomous and ostosclerosis could cause ringing ears.

Another medical condition that leads to ringing ear is vascular abnormalities and the strain on the temporomandibular joint during a dental procedure.

Consumption of certain foods such as red wine, cheese, chocolate regularly could lead to ringing ears. Avoid spirits made from grain and also foods rich in salicylates.

The other causes of ringing ears are the Meniere’s disease, blood pressure, fibromyalgia and many more. However, ringing ears can be cured in the initial stages. A person suffering from ringing ears should cut down on coffee and totally avoid products that contains aspirin. Cutting down on cigarretes and tobbaco also helps in the cure of ringing years. However, in older people, it is advisable to use digital hearing aid.


By Maya Pillai
Published: 8/7/2008

 

Health information for the aging

Finding Out What Causes Your Tinnitus – Ear Plugs Will Only Make Sure it Does Not Get Worse. January 19, 2009 at 4:01 pm

Researchers Discover The Insidious Causes Of Tinnitus

Dr. Paul Yanick, the medical research director of the American Academy of Quantum Medicine, originally discovered the nutrition-ear connection in the early 1970’s, has launched a new e-book .

What is Tinnitus

Now that you know what is tinnitus and what its causes are, there is no reason for you not to know what to do with it or take steps to avoid it. Tinnitus can be avoided and it ca…  

Tinnitus causes: Could my antidepressant be the culprit?

Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) can be caused by many medications, including antidepressants such as Zoloft. If your antidepressant causes tinnitus, switching to another medication may a…

The Causes of Tinnitus – Get The Lowdown

Often, the main conditions that cause tinnitus are inner ear problems, head trauma, whiplash, auditory nerve damage, otosclerosis, Meniere’s disease, blocked eustachian tubes, and the overuse…   Read more…

Tinnitus means you are too switched on”

Many people are told tinnitus comes from damage to the hair-cells in the cochlea – the part of the hearing apparatus that detects sound. This is not true. Damage to the hair cells causes

Tinnitus Research

People suffering from tinnitus are also known to have insomnia and other sleeping difficulties. Playing white noise such as the sound of rushing water, birdsong even radio static just below the… 

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jan
20
2009
0

Tinnitus Information

Tinnitus is a ringing, swishing, or other type of noise that seems to originate in the ear or head. In many cases it is not a serious problem, but rather a nuisance that may in time go away. It is not a single disease, but a symptom of an underlying condition. Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this disorder.
sudden ringing in ears
First of all it is important for you to understand that Tinnitus is itself not a disease, it is a resulting symptom of a variety of causes. However, no particular cause is more pertinent than the other and the exact cause may never be determined.

Causes

Exposure to Loud Noise : If you are continually exposed to loud and high intensity noise, its harmful effects can be one of the prime causes of Tinnitus.

Ear Infections : Damage to the endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear, middle ear bones or ear drum fluid, infection etc. or even if you have presence of any foreign body or wax in the ear, this can also lead to Tinnitus.

Side effect of Medications : High dosage of oral medications can also lead to temporary or even permanent Tinnitus. Therefore, it is always advisable that you consult your doctor as to whether the side effect of any his prescribed medicine’s could lead to the condition.

Age : Tinnitus is generally rare at a young age. With advancing age people develop hearing nerve impairment, which in turn can also lead to Tinnitus.

Widely speaking, there are two different kinds of Tinnitus namely, Subjective Tinnitus and Objective Tinnitus. Subjective Tinnitus is more commonly found and may be caused by neurological, metabolic, or psychogenic disorders. In this case, only you will hear the noise, and no other person can hear it..

Symptoms

* Dizziness
* Pain in the ear
* A sense of fullness in the ears
* Headache

Tinnitus Treatment

In most cases, there is no specific treatment for ear and head noise. If your otolaryngologist finds a specific cause of your tinnitus, he or she may be able to eliminate the noise. But, this determination may require extensive testing including X-rays, balance tests, and laboratory work. However, most causes cannot be identified. Occasionally, medicine may help the noise. The medications used are varied, and several may be tried to see if they help.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) – Effective in alleviating distress and producing adaptation to tinnitus. CBT is threefold: changing the way a person perceives tinnitus; teaching ways to focus attention away from tinnitus and achieving control over stress. Offered by clinical psychologists.

Read out for Anxiety and stress

By Mike Hussey
Published: 11/21/2007

Learning From Tinnitus

Those who suffer from tinnitus would be able to get much-needed assistance and information by learning from tinnitus review articles online, as well as in books and magazines sol…  


3 Ways to Treat Tinnitus

There are some proven techniques to treat tinnitus. There are also a lot of mythical treatments for tinnitus. Here are three common ways to threat tinnitus, if you haven’t tried… 

Tinnitus Information

Tinnitus causes can be quite difficult for doctors to diagnose. Discover some common causes of Tinnitus and get help combating this nasty affliction. Tinnitus Information.  

Tinnitus – Let’s Educate The Kids

Although tinnitus is a condition that has been known for decades, the loud society we live in seems to be making it more prevalent and severe. A lot of tinnitus patients say that a main… 

‘You can’t just switch off the noises’

Tinnitus is common in all age groups, especially following exposure to loud noise. Mild tinnitus is common – about 10% of the population have it all the time. For further advice, suppo…  


 A Personal Tinnitus Story

the disadvantages of reverse osmosis, quite extensively. Heart Attack: The Leading Cause of Death? by Glyconutrients Info “Prevention is better than cure. Post from: Glyconutrients Inf…  

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jan
20
2009
0

Cure For Ringing In The Ears-Does It Exist

Is there a cure for ringing in the ears

Constant ringing ears have a medical term – tinnitus. It is a disorder when the brain perceives the sound when there is no actual outer sound present. The sound can be as a ringing, buzzing or similar sound that others around the person can not hear.

  what causes ears to ring

As with any disorder or disease it is very important to understand what causes the tinnitus before start the treatment. Since tinnitus is often a symptom to other disorders in organism understanding and finding the root cause of it will help you to make the first step to recovery.

Causes of tinnitus
There are different causes of ringing in ears. The following are the disorders that can lead to tinnitus.

Otologic problems and hearing loss:
conductive hearing loss
external ear infection
earwax impaction
middle ear effusion

Neurological disorders:
multiple sclerosis
head injury
skull fracture
closed head injury

Metabolic disorders:
thyroid disorder
hyperlipidemia
vitamin B12 deficiency

Treatment options
Many people who suffer from tinnitus become depressed because lack of sleep and isolation. They feel there is no cure to help their condition. However there is number of ways to actually get rid of this disorder for good. The first thing that needs to be done is to eliminate the root cause of the disorder. If you have any disorder listed above or you have a very stressful life or constantly exposed to loud noises they need to be eliminated. The next step is actually to treat tinnitus itself. The options are

Tinnitus Retraining
This method was created by a neuroscientist Pawel Jastreboff in the 1980s. He studied the real mechanisms behind tinnitus and what caused it.

Hypnotherapy
One of the major reasons of tinnitus is stress. That’s why hypnotherapy can be very effective since it has anti-anxiety, relaxing abilities. If your tinnitus is stress related you are very likely to experience results from hypnotherapy.
Herbal Treatments
They can improve your overall health and immune condition. Especially if herbal treatment is used with other therapies, it can be very helpful indeed. Tinnitus relief using this method is usually due to of the improving health and immune system of the tinnitus sufferers who follow this option.

By: Aurelio Schwald

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

No matter what way of treatment is chosen it is very important to eliminate the root cause of tinnitus. Actual treatment is the next step. Learn more abut tinnitus treatment and its cause.

Troublesome Noises In The Ears

Aspirin — taken in excessive amounts — can cause temporary ringing in the ears, too. The treatment depends on the root cause. But so far, there is no cure. A medication change or remov.

Managing Ringing in the Ears

Ringing Ears, Tinnitus and Meniere’s Disease. Signs, Symptoms and Cure … There are natural treatments for ear ringing, and you can start making use of them before tryin…  

Failure To Supply Earplugs Cost Thousands of GIs …

The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine conducted a study 141000 GIs between April, 2003, and March, 2004, that showed tinnitus — ringing in the ears—accounted for…  

Cure Ringing Ears

by Lauren Chloe Taylor So, what exactly is this ringing in the ears? Few are aware that this ringing in ears …  

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Powered by WordPress | Aeros Theme | TheBuckmaker.com WordPress Themes