Hearing Loss
Often, people with a mild to moderate hearing loss don’t feel that they need help. Family and friends are much more likely to notice the impact hearing loss has on the quality of the impaired person’s life. A number of common misconceptions emerge as people attempt to ignore their loss:
“A hearing instrument won’t help me or I’m too old for a hearing instrument.”
Some people choose to ignore their loss because they believe a hearing instrument can’t help their specific type of loss, although statistics show us that 9 out of 10 hearing instrument wearers report an improvement in their quality of life. Or they incorrectly believe they are too old to benefit from amplification. In fact, 95 percent of all losses can be successfully treated. And no person is ever too old to benefit from the improved communication that hearing instruments can provide.
“My hearing loss isn’t that bad or A hearing instrument will make me look old.”
Some people feel their hearing loss isn’t severe enough to warrant treatment. Another common belief is that they believe that seeking treatment would carry the stigma of advancing age even though 49.5% of people with hearing loss are below the retirement age. Others are simply embarrassed at the idea of wearing a hearing instrument.
An important thought to keep in mind: a hearing loss is more noticeable than today’s discreet, digital hearing instruments. The sooner a hearing concern is addressed, the easier the transition to eventually wearing hearing instruments will become. Seeking advice from your local ihear professional as early as possible is the first step to getting back to enjoying your life to the fullest.
Improve your hearing
BACKTreatment makes a difference
Research has concluded that hearing loss treatment is shown to improve:
- Physical health
- Communication in relationships
- Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
- Ease in communication
- Emotional stability
- Sense of control over life events
- Earning power
Hearing loss signs
BACKAre you one of them?
Do you:
- Feel like other people mumble or slur their words?
- Ask others to repeat themselves?
- Turn up the television or radio volume to levels others find too loud?
- Have trouble understanding conversation in noisy places?
- Have trouble hearing women’s and children’s voices?
- Feel more irritable or depressed?
- Avoid social situations that were once enjoyable?
- Have difficulty following a fast-moving conversation
- Miss important information in meetings?
- Have others telling you that you have a hearing loss?
Prevent Damage
BACKWhat can you do?
Hearing loss is a gradual and normal part of the aging process. However, excessive noise is still the primary cause. Permanent hearing loss can occur almost instantly with unprotected exposure to certain sounds.
To protect yourself from noise:
- If the sound level at work exceeds 85dB, reduce the noise level or wear hearing protection.
- Lower the volume of your television, stereo and iPod. Take special care if you use headphones or earbuds.
- Be careful not to turn up your car stereo volume too loudly to compensate for noise from the engine or the wind.
- Wear custom noise filters or solid earplugs if you go to rock concerts or nightclubs, and don’t stand near loud speakers.
- Wear noise-cancelling headphones or solid earplugs if you use noisy equipment such as drills, lawnmowers, etc.
To avoid damage from foreign objects:
- Don’t use cotton swabs to clean your ears. Doing so may push wax down onto your eardrum and can increase the production of wax and/or damage the eardrum.
- Avoid washing with unclean water to prevent ear infections.
What are decibels?
Decibels (dB) measure the intensity of sound: from 0dB, which is the faintest sound the human ear can detect, to the noise of a rocket during launch, which can exceed 180dB.
Experts typically consider exposure to more than 85dB to be dangerous, which means things like motorcycles, headphones and lawnmowers have potential to lead to permanent hearing loss.
Are you at risk?
If you’re exposed to sounds above 85dB, you may be putting your hearing at risk.
Take action
BACKFinding the right hearing care professional
If you think you or someone you know has hearing loss, the next step is an easy one — confirm it by seeing a hearing healthcare professional.
Whether you consult with an audiologist, an ENT doctor or a hearing aid specialist, it’s important to see someone who specializes in hearing problems. Seeing a hearing specialist will ensure you will receive a comprehensive evaluation and precise measurement of your hearing loss.
Five steps to better hearing
BACKStep 1 – It’s time to obtain the assistance I need with my hearing loss.
On average people wait seven years between first noticing their hearing loss and finally taking action. Unlike eyesight, which people address by getting glasses as soon as it fades – hearing loss tends to be ignored or put off for as long as possible. Remember that trying to hide or compensate for your hearing loss can draw more attention to yourself than wearing any discreet hearing aids.
Step 2 – OK, I’m ready to learn how to hear better.
The ability to hear again has to be relearned, not purchased. The fundamental requirement to overcome your hearing loss is your desire and determination to learn
Desired characteristics of the hearing aid wearer are:
- Positive attitude
- Willingness to learn
- Relentless commitment
- Time spent practicing the use of hearing aids
- Patience while your brain acclimates to ambient sounds and noises.
Step 3 – Getting involved is my responsibility – this will help me improve.
The most effective remedy for hearing loss is personal education. You need to learn all you can about your particular loss. You will need to know?
- What type of hearing loss I have?
- What is the degree of loss in my left and right ears?
- How has my brain been affected?
- How do hearing aids bridge the gap?
- What can I do to help improve my hearing?
Step 4 – My hearing technology will improve my hearing and improve my life but I understand that I will not hear like I once did.
It is important to focus on your improvement and not on when your hearing aids don’t help you hear what you want to hear. The role of your hearing aids is to help you hear better, but not perfectly. Here are some important considerations:
- Remember that some custom style hearing aids will need some adjustments to help them fit comfortably,
- Be kind to yourself – your brain can take time to get reacquainted with many sounds (including your own voice) that you haven’t heard that way in a long time.
- Learning to adjust to hearing aids can usually takes from 6 weeks to 6 months. Having commitment and practicing wearing them will bring much success.
Step 5 – The rewards for sticking with the plan are truly worth the effort
It is important to approach your hearing journey slowly however your ultimate goal should be to wear your hearing aids all day, every day including times when it is quiet, times that are noisy and even times when you don’t think you should be wearing them.
Your hearing aids will then become part of your daily routine and your brain will be stimulated long enough to interpret the true sounds of your world.
Be patient and don’t give up. If you become tired it is important to retreat temporarily knowing that it will become easier the more you practice.
Always remember to stay in contact with your hearing care professional. On average new hearing aid users should visit their hearing care professional 3 to 4 times in the first month. They will guide you through your progress and are dedicated to wanting you to succeed in hearing better.
Tinnitus
BACKIt’s possible to find relief from tinnitus – you’ve come to the right place. Tinnitus is the medical term for the hearing of sound in your ears or head when no external sound is present. Tinnitus itself is not a condition or a disease. Instead, it’s a symptom — typically of something bigger going on with your hearing or body, like ear infections, high blood pressure or hearing loss.
Everyone’s tinnitus is different, which has in the past made finding relief so elusive. Below, we answer all your questions about tinnitus. The more you know about it, the easier it is to take back control.
What’s that ringing in my ears?
Typically, sufferers of tinnitus describe the sound as “ringing in the ears”, though others may describe it as a hissing, buzzing, squealing, whistling, roaring and even chirping. The sounds of tinnitus are unique to the individual. Because of this, the treatment plans our hearing specialists create for each tinnitus patient will be just as individual.
The important thing to know is that, you’re in good company. Nearly one in five Australians will experience tinnitus, from mild and temporary, through to severe. Each person will also have a different experience on how bothersome they find their tinnitus and how much it impacts their quality of life.
Have a listen to some of the noises of tinnitus on the Australian Tinnitus Association website. The best thing to do if you, or a loved one, is experiencing any sounds originating from inside the ears or head, is to come visit us at your local clinic, or see your GP. We can explore further if this is tinnitus, and what could be causing it.
What causes tinnitus?
The most common causes of tinnitus are:
- Exposure to excessive noise exposure (without the right hearing protection) e.g. gunshots, machinery or live music
- The natural aging process
- Head or neck injury
- Side effects from medication
- Ear infections
Our clinicians will need to see you in person to determine what might be causing your tinnitus, and so that any serious underlying medical conditions can be ruled out.
Is there a cure for tinnitus?
While research continues, there is currently no ‘cure’ for tinnitus. But there are plenty of ways to get relief and manage the impact it has on your life. Please be wary of the many promises to cure tinnitus, and “miracle products” out there on the internet — these have no scientific basis.
Instead, working with health professionals such as a GP, ENT or audiologist will ensure that you’ll be able to access the right treatment plan for you.
What tinnitus treatments are available?
It depends on what’s causing the tinnitus. Sometimes the problem can be treated easily, and that alleviates the symptom of tinnitus. Like an ear infection for example. If the cause of your tinnitus means that it is persistent or permanent, we’ll then help you with steps to relief the discomfort.
Counselling and sound therapy (tinnitus retraining therapy or habituation) can lessen your emotional response to the sounds. You can train your brain to attach no negative emotional meaning to the tinnitus, so you can get back to living life the way you want to.
If you have a hearing loss as well as tinnitus, our ihear clinicians can recommend hearing aid products with special Multiflex Tinnitus Technology. These deliver a customisable and comforting ‘sound therapy’ stimulus that will balance, soothe, or even completely mask the unwanted tinnitus noises.
Can I have tinnitus in one ear?
It’s definitely possible to experience the ringing, buzzing, hissing or other noises of tinnitus in one ear only. How your tinnitus manifests will depend on the underlying cause.
Can I have tinnitus without hearing loss?
Most of the tinnitus cases we see are accompanied by some degree of hearing loss. This is because most cases of tinnitus, certainly when excessive noise exposure is involved, are linked to damage in the cochlear. The cochlear is a structure in the inner ear which is lined with tiny sensory hair cells. These are damaged by both prolonged loud noise and the aging process, and they cannot regenerate. Damage to these hairs interferes with the efficiency of sound transfer to the brain, resulting in a hearing loss.
Your tinnitus itself can be loud enough that it’s difficult to listen and hear sometimes. The Better Hearing Institute estimate that around 39% of people with tinnitus are affected this way.
If you are experiencing tinnitus, come in for a free hearing health check with one of our hearing health professionals. The earlier we treat your hearing loss, the better the results we can achieve together.
What medications can cause tinnitus or make it worse?
Did you know more than 200 types of medications can cause you to experience tinnitus? That’s according to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Some of these include over-the-counter drugs you might have in your own bathroom cabinet, like aspirin and ibuprofen. Certain antibiotics, antidepressant, diuretics and strong cancer medications can also induce tinnitus as a side-effect.
When taking medications, be sure to stick to the recommended dosages, and see your doctor if you are bothered by tinnitus as a side-effect. Much of the time, when your dosage is stopped or reduced, the tinnitus will ease.
Is it normal to get tinnitus with an ear infection?
Built-up earwax or a middle-ear infection (otitis media) can be the cause of temporary tinnitus. The good news is that when the infection or blockage is treated and cleared, your tinnitus symptoms should also clear. See your doctor if you suspect you have an ear infection, as early treatment will limit any potential damage to the delicate hearing system.
What is tinnitus retraining therapy?
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is also known as habituation therapy. It involves the retraining of the auditory system to recognise the annoying sounds of tinnitus as natural, rather than as a threat. The goal is to remove negative emotions associated with the noises, alleviating the stress and anxiety of tinnitus. TRT consists of both educational counselling sessions and sound therapy.
Studies have shown that around 80 percent of patients treated through TRT have achieved relief. They may be aware of their tinnitus, but they’ll be less bothered by it. When TRT is successful, patients will also perceive their tinnitus is present for less time than they previously noticed it.
How does a tinnitus masker work?
Tinnitus masking is based on the premise that sufferers are most bothered in quiet or silent settings, like going to bed at night. Tinnitus maskers are available as wearable, or non-wearable. Wearable devices sit inside the ear canal and emit a comforting sound (often a “shhh” or similar white noise) to take your focus off the unpleasant tinnitus noises. Different devices offer the ability to either completely mask the sound, or just blend the unwanted sound to a level that’s more pleasant.
Tinnitus maskers are also available in a ‘table top’ format, and can be beneficial when placed near the bed to aid in getting to sleep. Starkey Hearing Technologies, which manufactures our Multiflex Tinnitus Technology products, has released a tinnitus relief app, which operates as tinnitus masker. Relax is available on iPhone and Android devices and includes 12 customisable relief sounds including crackling fire, rainfall and ocean waves.