Hearing Tips

Earplugs can be practical if you’re exposed to loud noises, like, something as simple as a snoring spouse, or a lawnmower in your backyard, or going to an arena to see a concert. Turning down the volume is the way earplugs help in the first two situations. They assist in saving your sanity and possibly even your relationships, in the last case, by enabling you to get a good night’s sleep. But are your ears being harmed by these protectors?

Why Use Earplugs in The First Place?

It’s a pretty simple case for using earplugs: When used properly, earplugs can help to safeguard your ears by reducing your exposure to extreme decibel levels. Maybe you’ve noticed that your hearing sounds different when you leave a loud venue, for instance, a football game with a noisy crowd, and you might also experience symptoms of tinnitus. Those little hairs are bent by this type of noise exposure and that’s why this happens. In a day or two, when the hairs have recovered, it generally goes back to normal.

But in many instances, there is a constant assault on those little hairs, especially if you work in a high volume industry like the music business or around jet planes. As opposed to recovering after bending, the cells are permanently injured. There are just about 16,000 of those little cells inside each cochlea, but up to 50% of them can be damaged or destroyed before your hearing has changed enough for the problem to show up in a hearing test.

Is it Possible That Your Hearing Could be Harmed by Earplugs?

With all that, you’d think that using earplugs would be a no-brainer in terms of protecting your ears. But particularly if you’re in scenarios where you’re exposed to loud noises all the time (like on the job or when your spouse snores as mentioned), over-the-head earmuffs or noise-reducing (but not completely stopping) headphones are a smarter option. Earplugs aren’t the best choice for day to day use but are better suited to one time events such as a concert or sporting events.

Why? The first problem is, earwax. In order to protect themselves, your ears produce earwax, and if you’re constantly wearing earplugs, more earwax will be generated, and you probably will push it in with the plugs. This can cause issues such as impacted earwax, which can trigger tinnitus and other hearing concerns.

Ear infections can be another problem for those who use earplugs. If you frequently use the same pair, and you don’t clean them properly between uses, they can become bacteria traps. Ear infections are, at the very least, a painful annoyance. But at the negative end of the spectrum, they can also cause a loss of hearing if left untreated.

How Can You Use Earplugs Safely?

Whether it’s a good night sleep or protecting your hearing, there’s still a strong upside to using earplugs. You just have to be sure you’re using the proper kind and using them the correct way. The porous material of foam earplugs is a germ paradise so it’s a good thing that they are the least costly. Wax or silicone earplugs are reusable, but you need to keep them sanitized, wash them with warm water and mild soap to cleanse them, and you shouldn’t put them back in your ears until they’re thoroughly dry. It’s also a good idea to store earplugs in a well ventilated place to prevent moisture, or worse, bacteria or mold, from building up.

You might want to talk to us about custom fit earplugs if you need or want them frequently. These are constructed from unique molds of your ears, they’re reusable and since they’re fitted to your ears, comfortable. But it’s essential not to forget, smart earplug hygiene can stop hearing damage.

About half of those over 70 and one in three U.S. adults are affected by age related loss of hearing. But despite its prevalence, only around 30% of older Americans who suffer from hearing loss have ever used hearing aids (and for those under the age of 60, the number falls to 16%!). Dependant upon whose data you look at, there are at least 20 million Americans who suffer from untreated loss of hearing; though some reports put this closer to 30 million.

As people get older, they neglect getting treatment for loss of hearing for a number of considerations. (One study found that only 28% of people even had their hearing examined, even though they reported suffering from loss of hearing, much less sought additional treatment. For some folks, it’s just like wrinkles or gray hair, a normal part of growing old. Loss of hearing has long been easy to diagnose, but due to the significant advancements that have been accomplished in the technology of hearing aids, it’s also a very treatable condition. n\Notably, more than only your hearing can be improved by managing hearing loss, according to a growing body of data.

A recent study from a research group based at Columbia University, adds to the body of knowledge linking hearing loss and depression.
They give each subject an audiometric hearing test and also examine them for signs of depression. After correcting for a number of factors, the analysts discovered that the odds of showing clinically substantial signs of depression climbed by around 45% for every 20-decibel increase in loss of hearing. And to be clear, 20 dB is very little noise. It’s quieter than a whisper, approximately on par with the sound of rustling leaves.

It’s amazing that such a tiny difference in hearing produces such a big boost in the odds of suffering from depression, but the basic link isn’t shocking. This new study adds to the sizable established literature connecting hearing loss and depression, like this multi-year analysis from 2000 which found that hearing loss got worse in relation to a declining of mental health, or this study from 2014 that revealed that both people who reported having problems hearing and who were discovered to have hearing loss based on hearing examinations had a substantially higher chance of depression.

Here’s the good news: the link that researchers think exists between loss of hearing and depression isn’t biological or chemical, it’s social. Regular conversations and social scenarios are generally avoided due to anxiety due to problems hearing. Social alienation can be the result, which further feeds into feelings of depression and anxiety. It’s a cycle that is easily broken despite the fact that it’s a horrible one.

The symptoms of depression can be relieved by treating loss of hearing with hearing aids according to several studies. More than 1,000 people in their 70s were examined in a 2014 study that revealing that individuals who used hearing aids were significantly less more likely to have symptoms of depression, though the writers did not define a cause-and-effect relationship since they were not looking at data over time.

But other research that’s followed subjects before and after getting hearing aids re-affirms the theory that treating hearing loss can help alleviate symptoms of depression. Even though this 2011 study only checked a small cluster of people, 34 people total, the researchers discovered that after three months using hearing aids, all of them displayed considerable progress in both depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning. Another minor study from 2012 found the exact same outcomes even further out, with every single person six months out from starting to use hearing aids, were continuing to experience less depression. And in a study from 1992 that looked at a larger cluster of U.S. military veterans suffering from loss of hearing discovered that a full 12 months after starting to use hearing aids, fewer symptoms of depression were experienced by the vets.

Loss of hearing is tough, but you don’t have to experience it by yourself. Get in touch with us for a hearing examination today.

The word psoriasis usually recalls images of people with skin trouble like the people on all those commercials. Psoriasis impacts your overall health and not just your skin. Psoriasis is frequently misunderstood and minimized, due to a lack of knowledge of how psoriasis impacts sufferers as well as the serious conditions that can be related to this disorder. Even though plaques on the skin are its most obvious indicator, they’re indicative of what psoriasis can cause throughout the body: Chronic Irritation that can increase the danger of metabolic problems and cardiovascular disease.

New research reinforces the body of research linking another serious problem to psoriasis: Hearing loss. Published in The Journal of Rheumatology, this research looked at links between psoriatic arthritis, mental health, and hearing impairment. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of psoriasis where inflammation is centered near the joints, causing inflammation, difficulty with movement, and discomfort. Afflicted individuals could also suffer from psoriasis, but with psoriatic arthritis, it’s possible to have inflammation without also having the common plaques.

When someone has psoriatic arthritis, the body is essentially attacking its own healthy tissue in the same way that it does with rheumatoid arthritis because they are all autoimmune diseases. But as opposed to rheumatoid arthritis, you might have psoriatic arthritis on only one knee due to the fact that it’s asymmetrical, and that besides joints, it often impacts sufferer’s nails (bringing about painfully swollen fingers and toes) and eyes.

Based on the findings of this recent study, swelling caused by psoriatic arthritis could also affect hearing. The researchers contrasted the self-reported hearing loss of people who have psoriatic arthritis, people who suffer from psoriasis but not psoriatic arthritis, and a big control group of people with neither condition. They found that the group with psoriatic arthritis was more likely to report hearing impairment, and audiometric testing backed up the self-reports. Even when other risk considerations are taken into consideration, people diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis were significantly more likely to suffer from loss of hearing than either {the control group or psoriasis sufferers}.

But there is an evident connection between psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and hearing loss. A 2015 study found that people who have been diagnosed with psoriasis are at a substantially higher danger of getting sudden sensorineural hearing loss, also called sudden deafness. With sudden sensorineural hearing loss, sufferer’s ability to hear decreases considerably in three days or less. There are several potential causes for this, but scientists theorize that people with psoriasis are in greater danger because of the kind of rapid inflammation that takes place during a flare-up of psoriasis symptoms. If this occurs in or around the cochlea, it could impede hearing. In many cases, treatments that alleviate psoriasis symptoms may be used to deal with this form of hearing loss, but hearing aids are often recommended when sudden deafness does not react to other treatments.

It’s important to monitor your hearing if you suffer from psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. Schedule your yearly healthcare appointment along with normal hearing exams. Disease caused by inflammation can lead to inner ear injury, which can lead to loss of balance and psoriatic arthritis. There are also connections between psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, depression and anxiety, both of which can be additionally aggravated by hearing loss. Other health issues, such as dementia, can be the result if you don’t catch loss of hearing sooner than later.

Recognition is key, and working with your doctors and periodically getting your hearing evaluated can help you keep ahead of symptoms with early intervention. You shouldn’t need to sacrifice your quality of life for psoriasis or for loss of hearing, and having the correct team by your side can make a huge difference.

We’ve all had the experience, the uncomfortable feeling when your ear is clogged and no amount of swallowing and yawning can help it. You’ve attempted chewing gum, popping your ears, and opening your ear canal with your finger. At some point, you might think about giving up and just hope your ear clears up on its own. And truthfully, you wouldn’t be wrong to attempt to wait a while to see if the problem clears up on its own unless, of course, you have pain, discharge, or other symptoms of an infection.

Your Eustachian tube, a small passageway that attaches your middle ear to the space behind your nose and controls the air pressure in your ears, can become blocked if it stays closed or open for too long. You may hear a crackling or popping noise in your ears as this tube opens and closes when you yawn or swallow. Normal hormonal changes cause the ear to stay open and viruses or ear infections will cause the ear to remain closed. Both problems will clear up over time, but it might take quite a while for your ears to get back to normal.

Another cause of blocked ears is buildup of earwax. Ear treatment can clear this kind of blockage, depending on the severity, this can be at home or at the hearing specialist. Here are some recommendations when dealing with blocked ears:

Try Drops of Hydrogen Peroxide in Your Ear

Hydrogen peroxide can be utilized to dissolve earwax clogs, but it must be applied in your ear properly. Mixing the peroxide with luke warm water and using a pipette to slowly put it in your ear is the professional’s suggestion. After you tilt your ear upward and put the drops in, a few seconds should be sufficient to dissolve the wax clog. You could need to do this several times a day for a couple of days, but ultimately, the blockage should clear.

putting Something in Your Ear is Not The Right Way to Clean it

Seriously, this is worth repeating: it will only make the situation worse if you attempt to use a cotton swab to clean your ears. Cotton swabs can cause complete blockage by pushing the earwax into the eardrum. Even earplugs and hearing aids can, in fact, cause an earwax blockage. In order to avoid earwax accumulation, you should use cotton swabs only on your outer ear.

Pay Attention to Your Allergies

Plugged ears are commonly made worse by allergies. Always take your allergy medicines and follow your doctor’s advice on how to manage it. Unnecessary allergens should be limited during allergy season specifically but also the rest of the year.

If a Remedy Sounds Odd, Avoid it

We probably shouldn’t have to tell you this, but you certainly should never put a lit candle into your ear to get rid of an earwax clog. Ear candling is an old and very unscientific way of clearing earwax by inserting a hollow candle into your ear and lighting it. The idea is that the heat from the flame causes a vacuum which forces the earwax into the hollow tube in the candle. This does not work and you will likely cause a lot more harm to your ears. Keep in mind, if it sounds wrong you should consult an expert. Randomly trying anything is a huge risk to your hearing.

You should give us a call if your ears don’t clear up. Lasting hearing loss or a burst eardrum are the kinds of repercussions you could experience from improper earwax removal.

Once you adjust to wearing a hearing aid, it’s difficult to be separated from it. Let’s face it, if you want to stay connected to the world, your hearing aids are crucial. But just like any technology you use on a daily basis, it will periodically need to be replaced or upgraded.

The Average Lifespan of a Hearing Aid

So the normal hearing aid will last how long?3 to 5 years will be the normal lifespan of a typical hearing aid. In order to be sure hearing aids are still your best option, you need to have your hearing tested regularly because there’s no definitive rule. Technology is continuously advancing and some hearing aids wear out more rapidly than others, assuming your hearing doesn’t change.

Your Hearing Aid Longevity May be Influenced by These Factors

But that’s just the average life of a hearing aid. Which means that there are a lot of people who may have their hearing aids last far longer. How long your hearing aids will last is influenced by a number of considerations:

• Functionality: Technology is continuously changing, and hearing aids have been changing too. If you want your hearing aids to have the best sound, you might want to upgrade. This will also allow you to sync your device to your smartphone, television and other devices.
• Quality of Build: It’s costly to buy hearing aids. But, as with most things in life, you commonly get what you pay for. The better the construction quality, the longer your hearing aid should last.
• Maintenance and regular care: A hearing aid is like all other technology in a lot of ways: it will last longer if you take better care of it. As per the manufacturer’s recommendations, you should always perform regular upkeep and also clean your hearing aids.
• How frequently you use your hearing aids: To a certain extent, the more often you use your hearing aid, the sooner you’ll need a new one. But that’s not always true, modern hearing aids are intended to be used for long durations. It’s actually more valid to say that if you turn the power on and off a lot, you will need to replace your hearing aid sooner.
• Complexity of the hearing aid: A lot more can go wrong with your hearing aid if it’s more complex because there are more variables to contend with. Don’t get me wrong you might need that additional sophistication, and usually, it ends up being worth it. But additional complex technology does introduce a breakability factor. Advanced hearing aids have become quite clever about presenting more functionality via software rather than hardware, which does help.
• Changes to your hearing: Those tiny, easy to hide devices are will usually the choice of adults who wear hearing aids. Those devices have the exact amount of power you need and are very precisely calibrated. So if your hearing becomes worse (not ideal, obviously, but it does happen), you might need to change to a more powerful set of hearing aids.

Making Your Hearing Aids Last Longer

We need to recognize that hearing aids are pretty personal things. They may have custom molds and in many cases are programmed especially for your ears. They are also a significant investment. So it’s a common objective to get the most out of your hearing aid.

And it’s an achievable one. Caring for your hearing aids is the best thing you can do to make certain that your hearing aids last as long as possible. Try not to get them wet or drop them. And be sure to do all the necessary maintenance and cleaning.

You’ll usually be able to get a good five years out of a hearing aid. It’s generally up to chance whether you can get more than this. But at some point when you have to make a choice. Inevitably, modern hearing aids offer features you will probably want. So, in order to determine which hearing aid is best for you, schedule a hearing exam right away.

The United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis as you’re likely aware. Overdoses are killing over 130 people every day. There is a link, which you may not be aware of, between drug and alcohol abuse and loss of hearing.

According to new research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and conducted by a team from the University of Michigan, there’s a connection between alcohol and drug abuse and those under fifty who have loss of hearing.

After evaluating roughly 86,000 respondents, they found this connection is stronger the younger the person is. Regrettably, it’s still unclear what causes that link in the first place.

Here’s what was discovered by this research:

• In terms of hearing loss, people over the age of fifty who developed hearing loss were not different from their peers in terms of substance abuse.
• People were at least two times as likely to misuse opioids than their peers if they developed hearing loss when they were under the age of fifty. They were also usually more likely to abuse other substances, like alcohol.
• People were two times as likely to develop a general substance abuse problem than their peers if they got hearing loss between the ages of 35 and 49.

Solutions and Hope

Those figures are staggering, particularly because researchers have already taken into account issues such as economics and class. We have to do something about it, though, now that we have recognized a relationship. Keep in mind, correlation is not causation so without understanding the exact cause, it will be hard to directly address the issue. Researchers had a couple of theories:

• Lack of communication: Processing as quickly and efficiently as possible is what emergency departments are designed to do. And if there is a life threatening emergency they can be in even more of a hurry than usual. In situations like this, a patient may not get proper treatment because they can’t hear questions and directions properly. They may not hear dosage information or other medication guidelines.
• Medications that are ototoxic: Hearing loss is known to be caused by these medications.
• Social isolation: Cognitive decline and social isolation are well known to be associated with hearing loss. In these situations, it’s common for people to self medicate, and if the person doesn’t understand that hearing loss is an issue or what the cause is, this is especially true.
• Higher blood pressure: It’s also true, of course, that alcohol raises your blood pressure, sometimes to levels that are unhealthy. And both high blood pressure and some pain killers have been shown to harm your hearing.

Whether loss of hearing is made worse by these situations, or that they are more likely to happen to those with loss of hearing, the negative repercussions are the same to your health.

Preventing Hearing Loss and Substance Abuse

The authors of the research suggest that doctors and emergency responders work extra hard to ensure that their communication protocols are current and being followed. It would help if doctors were on the lookout for individuals with loss of hearing, in other words. We individuals don’t seek help when we should and that would also be extremely helpful.

The following question need to be asked of your doctor:

• Will I get addicted to this drug? Is there an alternative medication that is safer for my hearing, or do I truly need this one.
• Is this medication ototoxic? What are the alternatives?

Never go home from a doctors appointment with medicines unless you are crystal clear on their risks, what the dosage schedule is and how they affect your overall health.

Additionally, don’t wait to get tested if think that you are already suffering from hearing loss. If you ignore your hearing loss for only two years you will increase your health care expenses by 26%. So schedule an appointment now to have a hearing test.

Your Body’s Ability to Recover

The human body commonly can heal scratches, cuts, and broken bones, although some wounds take longer than others. But when it comes to repairing the tiny little hairs in your ear, you’re out of luck. At least, so far. Although scientists are working on it, humans can’t heal the cilia in their ears like animals can. That means you could have permanent hearing loss if you damage the hearing nerve or those little hairs.

When Is Loss of Hearing Permanent?

The first thing you think of when you find out you have hearing loss is, will it come back? And the response is, it depends. Basically, there are two types of hearing loss:

• Blockage based hearing loss: When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you can exhibit all the symptoms of hearing loss. This blockage can be caused by a wide variety of things, from earwax to debris to tumors. The good news is that after the blockage is cleared your hearing often goes back to normal.
• Loss of hearing caused by damage: But nearly 90 percent of hearing loss is accounted for by another, more prevalent cause. Known medically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is often permanent. Here’s what occurs: there are tiny hairs in your ear that move when hit by moving air (sound waves). These vibrations are then turned, by your brain, into impulses that you hear as sound. But your hearing can, as time passes, be permanently damaged by loud noises. Sensorineural hearing loss can also be from damage to the nerve or to the inner ear. A cochlear implant could help improve hearing in some cases of hearing loss, especially extreme cases.

A hearing examination will help you determine whether hearing aids will help restore your hearing.

Hearing Loss Treatment

So currently there’s no cure for sensorineural hearing loss. But that’s doesn’t mean you can’t get treatment for your hearing loss. actually, getting the right treatment for your hearing loss can help you:

• Keep isolation at bay by staying socially engaged.
• Prevent cognitive decline.
• Make sure your overall quality of life is unaffected or remains high.
• Successfully deal with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you may be experiencing.
• Preserve and protect the hearing you still have.

Depending on how extreme your hearing loss is, this treatment can take on many forms. One of the most common treatment options is fairly simple: hearing aids.

How is Hearing Loss Treated by Hearing Aids

Hearing aids assist the ear with hearing loss to hear sounds and function to the best of their ability. When your hearing is hampered, the brain struggles to hear, which can fatigue you. Over time the lack of sensory input has been connected with a greater danger of cognitive decay. Your cognitive function can start to be restored by using hearing aids because they let your ears hear again. As a matter of fact, wearing hearing aids has been shown to slow cognitive decline by as much as 75%. Modern day hearing aids can also allow you to concentrate on what you want to hear, and tune out background noises.

The Best Defense Is Prevention

Hopefully, if you get one thing from this information, it this: you can’t depend on recovering from loss of hearing, so instead you should concentrate on protecting the hearing you have. Certainly, if you have something stuck in your ear canal, you can probably have it extracted. But many loud noises are dangerous even though you may not think they are that loud. That’s why it’s not a bad strategy to take the time to protect your ears. The better you safeguard your hearing today, the more treatment options you’ll have if and when you are eventually diagnosed with loss of hearing. Recovery won’t likely be a possibility but treatment can help you continue living a great, full life. Schedule an appointment with a hearing care professional to find out what your best choice is.

For many people, admitting and dealing with the truth of hearing loss is a tough pill to swallow. Because you realized that it was best for your health, you made the decision to go and get fitted for a hearing aid by a hearing specialist. Most likely, you quickly realized the benefits one receives by wearing a hearing aid, including the ability to hear speech (even among the buzz of background noise), the potential to recover from mental decline and the ability to treat tinnitus.

But on occasion you get a loud, piercing, shrieking negative among all the life changing positives. You get a loud squealing noise from your hearing aids. The squealing you’re hearing is more typically known as feedback. It’s just like what happens to a sound system when you bring a microphone too close, but it’s directly in your ears. Fortunately, this is a problem you can correct relatively easily. Stopping your hearing aid from whistling can be accomplished using the following suggestions:

1. The Way Your Hearing Aid Fits Can be Adjusted

Perhaps the most prevalent reason for feedback or whistling in the ear involves the placement of your hearing aid in your ear or the earmold it’s connected to. The sound can escape and reverberate through the microphone of the hearing aid if it doesn’t fit properly. The consequences of that leakage can be a whistling that’s either intermittent or constant, depending on how much sound has escaped and how poorly the fit actually is. With some hearing aid models, a plastic tube will connect the actual device with the earmold. Over time, the earmold can become unseated from its proper position due to hardening, cracking and shrinking. This movement can cause whistling, but you can improve the issue by switching the plastic piece.

2. Excessive Earwax Should be Removed

Earwax is really beneficial for our bodies, even though, ironically, we tend to think of it as unwanted or even nasty. Dirt and other substances are prevented from entering the ears by this gooey substance which acts as a defense. While your ears will self-regulate the quantity of earwax you hold, through actions such as Talking and chewing, there are times when an accumulation of too much earwax can have negative repercussions. When you put a hearing aid on top of an extreme amount of earwax, you’re bound to get feedback. Because of the blockage from earwax, the amplified sound has nowhere to go and this is the reason for the feedback. With no clear place to go, the sound comes around and goes through the microphone once more. There are a few ways to eliminate an overabundance of wax from your ears such as letting a warm shower run into your ears. However, the best idea may be to speak to a hearing specialist about correctly cleaning your ears to prevent undue accumulation and subsequent whistling.

3. Make Sure The Microphone is Uncovered

Often the most apparent solution is the most effective. Have you ever noticed someone trying to take a picture which didn’t come out, only to discover that the lens cap was still on? The same idea is applicable here. Anything covering the hearing aid can cause them to whistle. If you cover the microphone with your hand or another object, you get the same result, like if you bury your ear in someone’s shoulder while hugging them. This problem should be easy to fix simply by uncovering the hearing aid.

Here’s a bonus tip: A new hearing aid might be the best choice. Some causes for concern are being alleviated by modern hearing aid models and manufacturers are integrating new technology all of the time. Give us a call if you are interested in learning about new hearing aid technology or if you are having a problem with your current hearing aids whistling.

For many people, admitting and dealing with the truth of hearing loss is a tough pill to swallow. Because you realized that it was best for your health, you made the decision to go and get fitted for a hearing aid by a hearing specialist. Most likely, you quickly realized the benefits one receives by wearing a hearing aid, including the ability to hear speech (even among the buzz of background noise), the potential to recover from mental decline and the ability to treat tinnitus.

But on occasion you get a loud, piercing, shrieking negative among all the life changing positives. You get a loud squealing noise from your hearing aids. The squealing you’re hearing is more typically known as feedback. It’s just like what happens to a sound system when you bring a microphone too close, but it’s directly in your ears. Fortunately, this is a problem you can correct relatively easily. Stopping your hearing aid from whistling can be accomplished using the following suggestions:

1. The Way Your Hearing Aid Fits Can be Adjusted

Perhaps the most prevalent reason for feedback or whistling in the ear involves the placement of your hearing aid in your ear or the earmold it’s connected to. The sound can escape and reverberate through the microphone of the hearing aid if it doesn’t fit properly. The consequences of that leakage can be a whistling that’s either intermittent or constant, depending on how much sound has escaped and how poorly the fit actually is. With some hearing aid models, a plastic tube will connect the actual device with the earmold. Over time, the earmold can become unseated from its proper position due to hardening, cracking and shrinking. This movement can cause whistling, but you can improve the issue by switching the plastic piece.

2. Excessive Earwax Should be Removed

Earwax is really beneficial for our bodies, even though, ironically, we tend to think of it as unwanted or even nasty. Dirt and other substances are prevented from entering the ears by this gooey substance which acts as a defense. While your ears will self-regulate the quantity of earwax you hold, through actions such as Talking and chewing, there are times when an accumulation of too much earwax can have negative repercussions. When you put a hearing aid on top of an extreme amount of earwax, you’re bound to get feedback. Because of the blockage from earwax, the amplified sound has nowhere to go and this is the reason for the feedback. With no clear place to go, the sound comes around and goes through the microphone once more. There are a few ways to eliminate an overabundance of wax from your ears such as letting a warm shower run into your ears. However, the best idea may be to speak to a hearing specialist about correctly cleaning your ears to prevent undue accumulation and subsequent whistling.

3. Make Sure The Microphone is Uncovered

Often the most apparent solution is the most effective. Have you ever noticed someone trying to take a picture which didn’t come out, only to discover that the lens cap was still on? The same idea is applicable here. Anything covering the hearing aid can cause them to whistle. If you cover the microphone with your hand or another object, you get the same result, like if you bury your ear in someone’s shoulder while hugging them. This problem should be easy to fix simply by uncovering the hearing aid.

Here’s a bonus tip: A new hearing aid might be the best choice. Some causes for concern are being alleviated by modern hearing aid models and manufacturers are integrating new technology all of the time. Give us a call if you are interested in learning about new hearing aid technology or if you are having a problem with your current hearing aids whistling.

If you haven’t had your hearing tested since your grade school days, you’re not by yourself. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to treat hearing loss reactively instead of proactively, and a routine adult physical generally doesn’t include a hearing test. As a matter of fact, even when they recognize they have loss of hearing, the majority of people disregard it for as many as seven years which can severely impact your health. As a matter of fact, untreated loss of hearing has been shown to increase your healthcare costs over time.

The good news, hearing exams are simple, pain-free, and provide a wealth of information for our professionals to assist you, both for diagnosing hearing concerns and evaluating whether interventions like hearing aids are working. When you were younger, you might remember the audiometry test from school, but a full hearing exam will give you a clearer understanding of your hearing without a sticker or a lollipop.

While you may not give the state of hearing as much thought as you would the health of your eyes or your teeth, it is important that you routinely have your hearing tested. It can be a considerable time before you recognize that there is a problem with your hearing. Loss of hearing usually occurs gradually, and the earlier you detect a problem with your hearing, the sooner you may be able to fix it.

When Should You Get Examined?

Normally the hospital will test newborns for hearing loss before they send them home. Teenagers should be screened during regular exams with their physicians and children should have formal hearing assessments at the ages of 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 years old according to The American Academy of Pediatrics.

If you are between the ages of 18 to 45, it is suggested that you have your hearing examined every five years and then more often as you get older. After you turn 60 you need to get checked every two years and if you are between 46 and 60 every three. But you might need to get tested more often. Your individual circumstances will determine when you should get a test. You should get your hearing checked immediately if you find that it isn’t as good as it once was. Untreated loss of hearing has been connected to cognitive decline, depression and a greater risk of falling and other health issues. Your ability to work effectively and your relationships can also be influenced.

And you need to have a hearing exam, in some circumstances, as soon as you can if you have hearing loss that is getting worse quickly. An immediate hearing test is advisable if:

• There is earwax buildup or you had an ear infection
• Conversations are difficult to hear when you are in a crowded area especially
• It is difficult to pinpoint where sounds are coming from
• You are experiencing vertigo
• Your ears have constant ringing in them
• Asking people to repeat themselves is something you have to do constantly

Another factor is whether you are at a greater risk for hearing loss. As an example, if loss of hearing runs in your family or you are exposed to loud noises on a regular basis you should get your hearing tested more often.

Also, over 200 ototoxic medications exist. From Aspirin to some antibiotics, these medications can be very bad for your hearing. Consult your doctor to make certain any medicines you are taking aren’t impacting your hearing. If you need to take a medication that you know is ototoxic, think about getting more regular hearing testing so you can manage any hearing loss immediately.

Also, take into consideration how your habits might be impacting your hearing loss. Frequently using your earbuds? Hearing loss has substantially increased in younger people, and many experts think that this is caused by the use of headphones and earbuds. Loud concerts, shows, or machinery can also do considerable damage to your hearing. If you think that it’s time for you to have your hearing checked, schedule an appointment today.