(ARA) – Sure, you sometimes have to ask people to repeat themselves, and the volume knob on the car stereo is set much farther to the right than it used to be. But you can’t be experiencing hearing loss – you’re not a senior citizen. Hearing loss only affects the old, right?

Not necessarily. “Only 40 percent of people with hearing loss are older than 64,” says Dr. Sergei Kochkin, executive director of the Better Hearing Institute in Washington, D.C. “The largest age group with hearing loss is people between 18 and 64 – about 19 million people compared to 14 million at retirement age. More than 1 million school-age children have hearing problems, as well.”

The idea that hearing loss only happens to the aged – and is an unavoidable circumstance of aging – is just one of many commonly believed myths about the issue. The truth is that hearing loss affects all age groups. If you want to avoid hearing loss, it pays to know the truth behind the myths and the basics of hearing loss prevention.

Here are some common myths about hearing loss, and the truth behind the myths:

Myth: If I had hearing loss, my family doctor would have told me.

Truth: Only 15 percent of doctors routinely screen for hearing loss during a physical exam. Even when a doctor does screen for hearing problems, the results may be suspect since most people with hearing problems hear pretty well in quiet environments – like a doctor’s office. Without special training on hearing loss, it may be difficult for your family doctor to even realize you have a hearing problem.

Myth: Nothing can be done about my hearing loss.

Truth: People with hearing loss in one ear, with a high-frequency hearing loss, or with nerve damage may have been told by their family doctor that nothing can be done to help. Modern technology has changed that. Now, nearly 95 percent of people with hearing loss can be helped, most with hearing aids.

Myth: Only people with serious hearing loss need hearing aids.

Truth: Your lifestyle, your need for refined hearing and the degree of your hearing loss will determine whether you need a hearing aid. If you’re in a profession that relies on your ability to discern the nuances of human conversation – such as a lawyer, teacher or group psychotherapist – even mild hearing loss can interfere with your life.

Myth: Hearing aids are big and ugly. Wearing one will make me look old or disabled.

Truth: Untreated hearing loss is far more noticeable than today’s hearing aids. If you miss the punch line of a joke, or respond inappropriately to a comment or question, people may wonder about your mental capacity. Hearing aid makers realize people are concerned about how they will look wearing a hearing aid. Today, you can find miniature hearing aids that fit totally within the ear canal or behind your ear, making them virtually invisible.

Myth: Hearing loss is an inevitable part of growing older and there’s nothing I can do to prevent it from happening to me.

Truth: You can take steps to prevent hearing loss. Noise is one of the most common causes of hearing loss; 10 million Americans have already suffered irreversible damage to their hearing from noise. Yet a third of all hearing loss could be prevented with proper ear protection.

Myth: I cannot afford hearing aids

Truth: There is a wide price range in hearing aids on the market just like there is for other consumer products. In addition the BHI has identified close to a 100 sources for financial help in their eGuide “Your Guide to Financial Assistance with Hearing Aids.”

If you work in a high-risk profession, make sure your hearing is protected according to OSHA regulations, and wear hearing protection such as foam or silicone plugs or earmuffs. At home, lower the volume on the TV, radio, stereo and any device that uses earbuds or headphones. Wear ear protection while mowing the lawn or blowing leaves or snow. Buy quieter products (compare decibel ratings) and reduce the number of noisy appliances running at the same time in your home. Before taking a new medicine, be sure to ask the doctor about any possible side effects on your hearing.

To learn more about hearing loss, treatment for hearing loss and hearing loss prevention, visit the Better Hearing Institute online at www.BetterHearing.org. Or take the BHI’s online hearing test at www.hearingcheck.org.

Dr Nina Byrnes with Peter Carr.

HEALTH BRIEFING: Hearing difficulties affect one in three people over 60, but Irish people will put up with poor hearing for up to 15 years before seeking help, according to Dr Nina Byrnes (pictured with Peter Carr).

To mark Positive Ageing Week, Hidden Hearing has launched a national hearing screening programme offering 30,000 free hearing tests at any of its 60 centres around the country. The European average of hearing device usage among the population is 15 per cent, but Ireland ranks well below this at 11 per cent.

source ~ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2010/0921/1224279354491.html

Dr. Nina Byrnes launches the national hearing screening programme today.

Hear CountryMix Radio interview with Dr. Byrnes below.

Irish people put up with poor hearing for an average of 15 years before seeking help for the problem, a leading GP has said.

According to Dr Nina Byrnes, medical liaison officer with Hidden Hearing and presenter of RTÉ’s Health of the Nation, hearing difficulties affect one in three people over the age of 60, yet less than one in five people who could benefit from hearing loss treatment actually seek any treatment.

Hidden Hearing, which is made up of a network of hearing clinics throughout the country, has just launched a national hearing screening programme to mark Positive Ageing Week, which runs from September 24 to October 2. The programme will provide 30,000 free hearing tests at its 60 hearing centres nationwide.

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Irish people put up with poor hearing for an average of 15 years before seeking help for the problem, a leading GP has said.

According to Dr Nina Byrnes, medical liaison officer with Hidden Hearing and presenter of RTÉ’s Health of the Nation, hearing difficulties affect one in three people over the age of 60, yet less than one in five people who could benefit from hearing loss treatment actually seek any treatment.

Hidden Hearing, which is made up of a network of hearing clinics throughout the country, has just launched a national hearing screening programme to mark Positive Ageing Week, which runs from September 24 to October 2. The programme will provide 30,000 free hearing tests at its 60 hearing centres nationwide.

According to Hidden Hearing, it is hoped that this programme will help address the problem of untreated hearing loss, particularly among people over the age of 60.

“With our population growing older we are facing a hearing loss time bomb if people continue to ignore their hearing health. We need to ensure that those who aren’t hearing as well as they used to continue to lead a fulfilling and active life. People need to be encouraged to value their hearing. It is staggering that it still takes people up to 15 years before they address their hearing loss, compared to around three years for sight problems,” Dr Byrnes noted.

She said that there is a stigma ‘unnecessarily associated with hearing loss’ and this is evident by the fact that less than 20% of people who could benefit from treatment actually seek it.

As part of the screening programme, the Hidden Hearing mobile hearing clinic will also begin a national tour this week, visiting Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Dundalk, Drogheda, Trim, Killarney and the National Ploughing Championships. People are encouraged to visit the mobile clinic to have a free hearing test.

Dr Byrnes pointed out that the impact of not seeking treatment extends well beyond continued hearing loss. Ignoring the problem can have profound negative effects on people’s quality of life and overall wellbeing and can lead to less social interaction, difficulties understanding friends and family, lack of confidence, irritability and depression.

“The screening programme and mobile tour is vital to encourage people to identify their hearing loss problem early and seek appropriate treatment. It will help reduce the problem of isolation and improve the health of older people,” Dr Byrnes added.

According to Hidden Hearing, a hearing test takes around one hour and includes questions on your medical history. A full hearing test report is then sent to participants’ GPs. Hidden Hearing recommends that a friend or family member accompanies you to the hearing test and consultation.

For more information, visit http://www.hiddenhearing.ie

Source ~ http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=17900

Maisie is an unusual Boxer – she is completely white, apart from a few black blotches around her muzzle. Her right eye is a clear blue colour, also caused by an absence of pigment. Maisie’s all-white coat is appealing, giving her an unusual, ghost-like appearance

Unfortunately, the white coat colour gives an indication of a problem that Maisie has suffered since birth – she is completely deaf in both ears.

Deafness is linked to white coat colour in both dogs and cats. Coat colour and the colour of the back of the eye are both caused by pigment-producing cells, known as “melanocytes”. If the genes to produce these cells are absent, a white coat and blue eyes are the consequence.

Hearing is made possible through a layer of specialised cells in the inner ear. These “hearing” cells originate from the same stem cells as pigment-producing cells. Therefore if an animal has no pigment in its body, it’s likely that it will also be deficient in the specialised “hearing” cells, resulting in deafness.

The definitive test for hearing in pets is the so-called Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test, which involves connecting electrodes up to the skull, and measuring the electrical activity in the brain. With normal hearing, electrical spikes are seen when a sound is made beside the ear. This test provides a good, objective way of checking the hearing in one or both ears.

Deafness has a profound impact on the life of an animal. Deaf dogs and cats cannot hear the sounds of hazards approaching, and they are very vulnerable to injury, especially from cars. Deaf animals have to be sheltered to some extent throughout their whole lives. It is safest to keep deaf cats as indoor pets, since there are too many risks if they are allowed to live free-ranging outdoor lives.

Maisie the Boxer loves going for walks, but she is never allowed off the lead. She may be deaf, but her other senses seem to compensate by being more sensitive than normal. She has excellent vision, and has been trained to obey hand signals instead of verbal commands, for actions such as “Sit”, “Stay”, and “Lie down”. Her owner has discovered a website dedicated to deaf dogs, complete with video instructions on sign language for dogs.

A deaf pet certainly brings complications into your life: before you fall for that pretty white dog or cat, don’t forget to check its hearing

Source ~ http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peterwedderburn/100026399/deafness-a-common-problem-in-white-pets/

A survey conducted in Ireland found that the nation’s 

MP3 generation is facing premature hearing damage. 

Listening to personal music players at high volumes 

over a sustained period of time can lead to permanent 

hearing damage. That is a fact which many people will 

sooner or later have to accept.

Dr. Mark Hamilton, known from Irish television, points out that noise-induced hearing loss is generally preventable. It is therefore hugely important that people are aware of the damage they can do to their hearing and take steps to protect it, whether it is turning the volume down on their MP3-players or protecting their eardrums at gigs. For people who have a hearing loss, ignoring it can be detrimental as they can do further damage by pumping up the volume.
The survey concluded that:
51% of MP3-users listen to their MP3-players at dangerously high volume levels (above 89 decibels (db)) for up to two hours a day.
1 in 5 people are blasting their ears with sound levels of 100db or more – the equivalent of hearing a pneumatic drill 10 feet away.
11% of people listening to MP3-players and 35% of people attending gigs and concerts say they have experienced ringing in their ears or dulled hearing, signaling that damage to their hearing may have begun.
40% of market-leading MP3-players tested reach sound levels of over 100db – listening at this volume can cause damage to your hearing after just 30 minutes. Some MP3-players reached a maximum volume of 115db which is the equivalent sound level of a jet plane taking off and should not be listened to for more than 30 seconds.
24% of people surveyed listen to their MP3-player between 1 and 2 hours a day. 1% said that they listen to their MP3-player for over eight hours a day.
Protect your hearing
The research shows a very worrying trend amongst MP3-users. The best advice is to take care of your hearing.

One way of doing that is to remember the 60/60 Rule to protect your hearing – that is to listen to your MP3/ personal music device through headphones for a maximum of 60 minutes at 60% of the volume.

The European Commission says that it could be common place in 2020 to see one in ten 30-year-olds wearing a hearing device as a result of listening to personal music players too loudly.

The research shows a very worrying trend amongst MP3-users. The best advice is to take care of your hearing.

One way of doing that is to remember the 60/60 Rule to protect your hearing – that is to listen to your MP3/ personal music device through headphones for a maximum of 60 minutes at 60% of the volume.

The European Commission says that it could be common place in 2020 to see one in ten 30-year-olds wearing a hearing device as a result of listening to personal music players too loudly.

Source: www.hearingawarenessweek.ie <http://www.hearingawarenessweek.ie>

Hearing aids have a huge importance when it comes to one-on-one conversations. On the whole, hearing aids are very important when it comes to day to day life in the home, something which is shown by a new study conducted amongst hearing aid users.

More than three out of four hearing aid users say that their hearing aids are important when it comes to one-on-one conversations in their homes. More than 60 % experience, that their hearing aids are extremely important when it comes to talking to other people.

More than every second person also says that their hearing aids are extremely important for their general well-being at home.

Two out of three hearing aid users believe that their hearing aids are useful when it comes to listening to the radio or watching TV. Two out of three report having problems hearing the telephone and the doorbell ringing if they are not using their hearing aids.

“Our survey clearly shows, that hearing aids make a big difference for the daily life at home for a hearing impaired, especially when you talk with another person or when you watch TV or listen to the radio,” said secretary general Kim Ruberg, Hear-it AISBL.

The study also shows that the hearing impaired use their hearing aids when at home a great deal. 61% say that they use their hearing aids almost all of the time.

“I can only encourage everyone with a noticeable hearing loss to use hearing aids. The results of our survey demonstrate, that hearing aids are very important for your general well-being at home if you have a hearing loss,” Kim Ruberg said.

More than three hundred hearing aid users from around the world took part in the survey during June and July 2010 and answered questions about their hearing aid usage and experiences. They responded to a questionnaire posted on www.hear-it.org.

A hearing aid, like most appliances, works most of the time. However, sometimes a hearing aid can fail and the problem is often a simple one which can easily be fixed.
Here is some advice for if your hearing aid does not seem to be working:
Try putting a new battery in
Check that the battery is the right way round
If your hearing aid has a volume control, check that it is not turned right down.
Check that you have not switched it to the “T” setting (for loop listening) by accident.
If your hearing aid has a programme button/switch, it may be on the wrong programme, or be muted.
Take your hearing aid out and check that the ear mould or ear tip is not blocked with wax
Check that the tubing is not twisted, squashed or spilt
Check whether there are droplets of condensation in the tubing. If there are, gently pull the soft tubing off the hooked part of the aid and blow down the tubing to remove the droplets.
If you have checked everything but your hearing aid is still not working, take it to the nearest Hidden Hearing audiology clinic to see if it needs repairing. If you are a Hidden Hearing customer this is complimentary no matter how long you have had the aid for other customers our specialist repair department can handle  all makes of hearing aids.