Tag Archives: american sign language

Toddler Hearing Test

Jessie has been working with Early Childhood Intervention for more than a year. As much as I wanted her to get speech therapy, no one would agree to it until well after she turned two. Previously it was agreed that she was communicating just fine, although not the way I wanted. I wanted to make sure that there weren’t any problems with her hearing. If she’s not hearing the sounds right, it’s no wonder she’s not repeating them. I found an ENT and scheduled her appointment. The hearing test was a lot different than when I had my hearing tested … Continue reading →

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 →

Make Life With Hearing Loss Easier

Living with hearing loss can be challenging. Some situations are easier than others — it will be far easier to talk to one friend or family member in the quiet of your home than to try to have a conversation in a busy restaurant! It takes a lot of effort to hear, sometimes, and that can be very stressful. You may be tempted to avoid certain social situations and/or worry about your safety — if you can’t hear a fire alarm or police car’s siren, for example. Hearing aids may be an obvious choice for improving your hearing. However, they … 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 →

Hearing Aids

Basically, a hearing aid is a device that makes sound louder. They do not restore normal human hearing but can help people with hearing loss communicate more easily. All hearing aids have certain basic parts in common. There is a microphone, to pick up sounds. There is an amplifier, to make that sound louder. There is a speaker, to send the sound to the ear. Finally, there are batteries to power the hearing aid. Size, look, and placement can differ; size does not indicate sound quality. Analog adjustable hearing aids are made based on your hearing tests. These are the … Continue reading →

Hearing Loss Terminology

If you work in a noisy environment or know someone who suffers from hearing loss, you may need to know these terms common in hearing loss prevention. Basic terminology: Acoustic trauma is a single incident that causes a sudden hearing loss. Examples of acoustic trauma are blows to the head and loud explosions. Decibel ( dB ) is the unit that expresses the intensity of a sound. The threshold for discomfort is between 85 and 95 dB and the threshold for pain is between 120 and 140 dB. A dosimeter measures sound levels over a specified interval. Hertz ( Hz … Continue reading →

Do you hear what I hear? The Sense of Sound

Like their sense of sight, your toddler has been listening to the world for a long time. In fact, of all their senses – they’ve been listening to the world around them since they were inside the womb. Your baby recognizes your scent and the sound of your voice before anything else. Their hearing is constantly bombarded by the sounds of the world around them. It takes time for your toddler to learn how to shut out the other sounds and filter them. You can help your toddler expand their auditory skills by teaching them to ‘listen’ to specific sounds. … Continue reading →

New York City’s Subway—Hidden Danger

I’ve spent many, many hours riding the subways in New York, The El in Chicago, and MARTA in Atlanta and took a number of precautions in doing so. Mainly, watching my purse and my back, but now I’ve learned there’s another body part that we mass transit users should be guarding—our ears. According to a new study, as little as 30 minutes a day exposed to the high decibel levels of New York’s subway system could result in hearing loss — and wearing an iPod can increase the risk. Researchers from Columbia University found that exposure to the noise levels … Continue reading →

Choosing Ear Protection

If you work in a loud environment, you have many options for protecting your ears. Why protect your ears? Prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage hair cells in your ears, leading to permanent hearing loss. You may have to try several different types of ear protection until you find one that is comfortable enough to wear for the length of your work shift. Expandable foam plugs are made from a formable material. You can roll the plugs into a small cylinder, then insert them into your ear canals. The foam will expand into the shape of your ear. People … Continue reading →