How Treating Hearing Loss Improves Your Relationships

How Treating Hearing Loss Improves Your Relationships

The modern world we live in today is a world of constant communication. Now more than ever it is so easy to contact most of your friends, family and coworkers at the touch of a button. The presence of smartphones and Internet virtually everywhere is rapidly changing how we communicate through text, memes, group chats and more. Information is everywhere and a simple search can give us the answers to almost anything we can even think to ask. Even with this constant buzz of information, communication is still the foundation of a healthy relationship, out and about, at work or at home. When there is a breakdown of communication relationships become strained and this is certainly the case for those of us who are living with hearing loss and have not treated it.

Struggling with Speech Recognition

As hearing loss progresses the ability to hear and comprehend speech will begin to suffer. It is common to misconstrue what is being communicated in conversations that include many speakers but this can become even more exaggerated when living with hearing loss. Understanding what is being said becomes frustrating as hearing loss weakens our ability to interpret between multiple voices speaking simultaneously. This comes into play at parties, gatherings, busy restaurants and sporting events. It is common for people struggling with hearing loss to ask others to repeat themselves, but often after this becomes normalized in a person’s life, they grow tired or embarrassed and refrain from asking people to repeat themselves at all. This can lead to a person isolating and socially withdrawing. Because speech and communication are key to our relationships work and fun, it is imperative to restore your understanding of speech in cases of people living with untreated hearing loss.

The Benefits of Improved Communication

Any relationship will suffer when you cannot clearly communicate whether you are at work or at home with the closest people in your life.  Fortunately, treatment with hearing aids can improve relationships in so many ways after an extended to living with strained communication due to hearing loss.

  • Improved Intimacy – Hearing loss can create a divide when people cannot understand each other.
  • Improved Independence –Hearing aids can give you the independence to go out on your own again with out having to rely on others to interpret what is being said.
  • Reduced Arguments – When miscommunication becomes a regular staple of the day conflict is not far off.

Not only is do hearing aids help your relationships but untreated hearing loss also greatly affects a person’s social life, with increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Untreated hearing loss has also been linked to risk of dementia, falls, and hospitalizations. By treating hearing loss with hearing aids, people are able to re- engage socially as they once did before hearing loss was present.

What to Do if You Are Living with Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can develop slowly over time, making it not so easy to identify right away. It can creep up on you and before you know it you are having trouble hearing even in the best of listening situations. However, if you know the common signs of hearing loss then you have the tools necessary to admit you have a problem and get your hearing tested.

Hearing Aids and Your Relationships

Once you start using hearing aids the way you interact with the world often changes drastically. You can be more connected to the people you love, feel more engaged in social situations, navigate a crowded room of conversation and even stay more connected at work. Sadly, people living with hearing loss often wait an average of seven years before they decide to take the leap and take a hearing exam. Don’t be part of this statistic. If you are noticing that you are asking people to repeat themselves more than before if is most likely not that people are not speaking clearly but an issue with your hearing. Fortunately hearing tests are quick and painless and once you know the out come, you can have the information to seek the help you need to keep your self involved with the relationships in your life that make life worth living.

Treating Hearing Loss Helps You Stay Socially Connected

Treating Hearing Loss Helps You Stay Socially Connected

If you are finding yourself asking people to repeat themselves or having trouble following conversations in a noisy environment with many people speaking at once you might not want to admit it but you are probably living with untreated hearing loss.  While no one wants to deal with hearing loss, not treating the condition can have far worse complications. Living with hearing loss doesn’t only mean having to ask people to repeat themselves or having to turn the volume on the television or radio louder than before. The affects of hearing loss bleed into every aspect of your life, including your mental health, physical health, professional success and your most precious relationships.  All of this ultimately can have major negative consequences on your social life, causing higher occurrences of depression, anxiety and social isolation.

Hearing Loss and Social Isolation

When you can not follow the conversation in group settings or have to ask people to repeat themselves over and over again it can seem like a more alluring scenario to avoid social situations all together.  This however only makes your struggle more acute. Humans are social creatures and we rely on social life to keep us engaged and satisfied with life. When you social isolate due to hearing loss your mobility becomes limited. You become be reliant on others to navigate your everyday needs impacting your self-esteem, you self-confidence and independence in navigating the world.

Being social keeps us connected to the people we are closest to and ultimately it’s these relationships that make us feel excited about life and our projects. If you cannot hear what your loved ones are trying to tell you or you feel constantly misunderstood it can have a major impact on your priceless relationships.  Not only that but if you can not hear and participate in professional setting this will have major consequences on how much your bosses and co-workers rely on you. This creates less opportunity to succeed and earn and work.

Most hearing loss develops slowly through out your life so it can often become very acute before we or our loved ones begin to notice the severity of the condition. When it becomes a challenge to hear on the phone people my often choose to stop making phone calls and reaching out as they once did. Once these social patterns become established it can become a huge hurtle to reconnect with friends and loved ones, if a hearing loss stays unaddressed and untreated.

Hearing Loss and Anxiety

Anxiety sadly can become associated with untreated hearing loss as the stress of not being able to engage in social situations becomes more and more of an issue. Not only that but traveling out into the world can be nerve racking when you can’t hear what people are saying to you or cues in traffic are harder to hear.  In this case untreated hearing loss can become a major safety concern. It’s not wonder why untreated hearing loss can cause major anxiety.

Hearing Loss and Depression

When you become socially isolated due to hearing loss depression is not far behind. When you feel Hearing loss compromises our ability to connect with others. When we aren’t able to understand others, we tend to avoid conversation all together. It is just so important to not let untreated hearing loss progress to this point. Depression is no small matter and can be detrimental to an individual’s health, especially as we age. Fortunately treatment for hearing loss is painless and easier than you might believe.

Seeking Treatment

If the people closest to you are telling you that you might have a hearing loss or you are suspecting it yourself now is as good of a time as any to seek help, before the symptoms of hearing loss progress to a heightened stage. The first step is to schedule a hearing test.  Once the audiologist or hearing health care professional has helped you understand exactly the nature of your hearing loss then you can take the leap to using hearing aids. Why delay treating hearing loss when it can mean losing so much of what we enjoy in life?  Hearing aids can improve your connectivity and restore your ability to communicate again. It is too big of a deal to ignore any longer when the benefits of treatment are so easily attainable.

Treating Hearing Loss Helps You Stay Socially Connected

Treating Hearing Loss Helps You Stay Socially Connected

If you are finding yourself asking people to repeat themselves or having trouble following conversations in a noisy environment with many people speaking at once you might not want to admit it but you are probably living with untreated hearing loss.  While no one wants to deal with hearing loss, not treating the condition can have far worse complications. Living with hearing loss doesn’t only mean having to ask people to repeat themselves or having to turn the volume on the television or radio louder than before. The affects of hearing loss bleed into every aspect of your life, including your mental health, physical health, professional success and your most precious relationships.  All of this ultimately can have major negative consequences on your social life, causing higher occurrences of depression, anxiety and social isolation.

Hearing Loss and Social Isolation

When you can not follow the conversation in group settings or have to ask people to repeat themselves over and over again it can seem like a more alluring scenario to avoid social situations all together.  This however only makes your struggle more acute. Humans are social creatures and we rely on social life to keep us engaged and satisfied with life. When you social isolate due to hearing loss your mobility becomes limited. You become be reliant on others to navigate your everyday needs impacting your self-esteem, you self-confidence and independence in navigating the world.

Being social keeps us connected to the people we are closest to and ultimately it’s these relationships that make us feel excited about life and our projects. If you cannot hear what your loved ones are trying to tell you or you feel constantly misunderstood it can have a major impact on your priceless relationships.  Not only that but if you can not hear and participate in professional setting this will have major consequences on how much your bosses and co-workers rely on you. This creates less opportunity to succeed and earn and work.

Most hearing loss develops slowly through out your life so it can often become very acute before we or our loved ones begin to notice the severity of the condition. When it becomes a challenge to hear on the phone people my often choose to stop making phone calls and reaching out as they once did. Once these social patterns become established it can become a huge hurtle to reconnect with friends and loved ones, if a hearing loss stays unaddressed and untreated.

Hearing Loss and Anxiety

Anxiety sadly can become associated with untreated hearing loss as the stress of not being able to engage in social situations becomes more and more of an issue. Not only that but traveling out into the world can be nerve racking when you can’t hear what people are saying to you or cues in traffic are harder to hear.  In this case untreated hearing loss can become a major safety concern. It’s not wonder why untreated hearing loss can cause major anxiety.

Hearing Loss and Depression

When you become socially isolated due to hearing loss depression is not far behind. When you feel Hearing loss compromises our ability to connect with others. When we aren’t able to understand others, we tend to avoid conversation all together. It is just so important to not let untreated hearing loss progress to this point. Depression is no small matter and can be detrimental to an individual’s health, especially as we age. Fortunately treatment for hearing loss is painless and easier than you might believe.

Seeking Treatment

If the people closest to you are telling you that you might have a hearing loss or you are suspecting it yourself now is as good of a time as any to seek help, before the symptoms of hearing loss progress to a heightened stage. The first step is to schedule a hearing test.  Once the audiologist or hearing health care professional has helped you understand exactly the nature of your hearing loss then you can take the leap to using hearing aids. Why delay treating hearing loss when it can mean losing so much of what we enjoy in life?  Hearing aids can improve your connectivity and restore your ability to communicate again. It is too big of a deal to ignore any longer when the benefits of treatment are so easily attainable.

The Benefits of Being Social for Older Americans

The Benefits of Being Social for Older Americans

The thought of watching the television from the comfort of the sofa may be more attractive to many senior citizens than a stroll with a friend, or a movie night. For many reasons, keeping an active social life can also slip to the lowest of a senior citizen’s list of concerns. There may be mobility or health issues to consider, or you may live too far away from family and friends.

But if you thought that not having an active social life might not negatively impact your health and longevity, you might want to think again.

The dangers of isolation

Isolation is more than a simple lonely feeling. A lack of interaction with others can result in poor mental wellbeing, high blood pressure and an overall health decline. Studies show that older adults struggling with depression and loneliness have a higher death rate than those who are more content with their lives and relationships, making social participation just as crucial as other measures to preserve emotional and physical health.

There are three main benefits of being more social as an older adult.

1. A lowered risk of Dementia

Socializing is crucial to keeping the brain active as we age, according to a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center. Having an active social life inspires us to continue learning, observe and respond to the environment around us. Conversation is a great mental exercise and can theoretically reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Helps maintain independence

Seniors don’t want to feel inadequate, and they don’t have to be. You will feel more energized and in control of your own decisions with active socialization and participation in various activities, as opposed to sitting in front of the TV. You may decide to take part, for instance, in painting classes or gardening.

By being socially active and choosing different groups to meet up with, the act of making one’s own decisions can lead to a greater sense of independence. You will maintain your dignity, self-confidence, and independence when engaging with other seniors who are also healthy and active, making a happier and healthier life possible.

3. More physically healthy

A study released in The Journals of Gerontology, Behavioral Sciences and Social Sciences showed that older adults who talked to people outside their normal family circle and close friends were more likely to experience higher levels of physical activity, more positive moods and fewer negative feelings.

The rationale? The scientists indicated that while older adults may be more inactive when they’re with their close friends and family— for example, watching TV together or sitting at home — they need to physically leave the house to interact with other people and will get more exercise in that way.

A good social life takes conscious effort

Before retirement, our social lives tended to grow organically. We met friends through school or our jobs. But when we’re no longer working or studying, meeting people and staying socially active requires more of a conscious effort.

Some of these proactive measures could include volunteering with local organizations, participating in a religious group, going to a senior center for services, visiting friends or family, or joining a group that focuses on common interests. Research shows that the rewards of maintaining relationships are well worth the time and effort, no matter how we choose to socialise.

Treating hearing loss helps you be more socially active

For many seniors, there are roadblocks to staying socially active. Untreated hearing loss contributes greatly to social isolation. You may not want to be with people as much, and when you are you may not engage in conversation as much.

But that all changes when you seek treatment. Surveys show that about 8 in 10 wearers with hearing aids see improvements in their overall happiness. They record less physical and mental fatigue than non-wearers, better sleep, less stress, and stronger family relationships. The explanation is simple: hearing loss makes us feel lonely and cut off from the world by failing to hear those nearest to us in our daily lives.

New hearing aids incorporate cutting edge technology and special microphones, enabling wearers to clearly understand their speaking partner even in noisy conditions such as a crowded bar or restaurant. Some also deliver sleek styles and feature Bluetooth connectivity. That way, straight through your hearing aids, you can take cell phone calls, and stream music and TV audio.

Evergreen Audiology Clinic

Most people wait for too long before they evaluate their hearing, and live with several years of hearing loss until getting treatment. Do not make this mistake. For the sake of your social life, get your hearing tested and take control of your hearing. To schedule your hearing test, contact us at Evergreen Audiology Clinic today.

A Healthy Diet Can Lower the Risk of Hearing Loss

A Healthy Diet Can Lower the Risk of Hearing Loss

You can support your hearing in lots of ways, from reducing exposure to noise, to wearing the right kind of ear protection, but did you know that what you eat can also play a part? Two recent studies have confirmed that your diet may affect your hearing.

Study #1: A poor diet can lead to poor hearing health

A recent study that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that young adults with inadequate early childhood diets were twice as likely to experience hearing loss as their counterparts.

Experts at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have studied the connection between diet and hearing health by analyzing the hearing of 2200 young adults in Nepal. Such young adults had already taken part in a clinical experiment that took place between 1989 and 1991, when they were elementary-age children. Researchers compared their hearing from 2006 to 2008 and found that those who has lower-than-average weight and height (as a result of malnutrition) showed signs of hearing loss significantly more often than those of normal height and weight.

Study #2: A healthy diet can lead to good hearing health

A Brigham Women’s Hospital study has suggested that eating a healthy diet can minimize the risk of developing hearing loss.

Using survey data obtained from the Nurses ‘ Health Study II Conservation of Hearing Study (CHEARS), they looked at three-year alterations in hearing sensitivity to certain frequencies of sound and found that women whose nutrition habits were more closely aligned to commonly recommended healthy dietary patterns had a significantly lower likelihood of age-related hearing loss.

To measure hearing, audiologists employed by the researchers identified changes in the pure-tone hearing levels of the participants, in order to discover the absolute quietest sound that they were capable of hearing. Then, the research team cross referenced these test results with how tightly the women’s diets adhered to the ideal of a healthy diet using on over 20 years of dietary information that had been gathered on the women.

“The association between diet and hearing sensitivity decline encompassed frequencies that are critical for speech understanding,” Curhan says.

Which nutrients should I prioritize to promote healthy hearing?

Brigham and Women’s Hospital experts confirmed that women who stuck to a healthy diet closely, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet or the Alternative Mediterranean Diet (AMED) diet, were less likely than others to experience compromised hearing. Here are some of the common nutrients to be gained through these diets.

  • Folate: Folate is most commonly linked with prenatal vitamins because it is an essential nutrient to take during pregnancy. Yet folate’s advantages don’t end at birth. High intake of folate is correlated with a reduced risk of hearing loss from aging. Have your fill with spinach, kale, roman lettuce, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils.
  • Omega-3: By upping your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, you could be delaying the arrival of hearing loss through aging. Although we usually have our fill with fish oil soft gels, more delicious ways to get enough is to eat salmon, sardines or mackerel. If you’re not into fish, you could also try walnuts or chia seeds.
  • Potassium: This is an important nutrient for regulating the fluids in your body. You may not realize that the ear is also home to a number of important fluids too! Try including some sweet potatoes or bananas in your diet.
  • Magnesium: A study of 300 respondents found that although they lived in noisy environments, those who drank a magnesium-rich drink daily were able to sustain better hearing. Food high in magnesium contains bananas, peanut butter, onions, artichokes, almonds, black beans and brown rice.
  • Vitamins C and E: Both of these vitamins have antioxidants which prohibits damage to healthy hearing-linked cells. Eating citrus fruit, almonds, sunflower oil, or peanut butter can integrate Vitamins C and E into your diet.

Evergreen Audiology Clinic

You are taking a big step towards protecting your cognition in older age by simply booking an appointment with us at Evergreen Audiology Clinic. If there is hearing loss present, we will be able to recommend hearing aids to suit your specific hearing needs.  These devices can help immensely not only on your social interactions, mood, and quality of life, but also on your capacity to concentrate as you age.

Facts & Fiction About Hearing Loss

Facts & Fiction About Hearing Loss

There have been tremendous advancements by hearing aid manufacturers incorporating technology into smaller and more powerful models. There has also been cutting edge research done on hearing loss and why and how it occurs. At Evergreen Audiology, we pride ourselves on being a state-of-the-art practice with the patience and compassion to give individual the “personal touch.” Call today for a hearing evaluation and we will take as much time as needed to answer your questions and help dispel the myths and misconceptions around hearing loss.

For us, each one of our clients is unique, so we tailor treatment plans for hearing loss to your specific needs. Here are some common misconceptions and the truth about some of the issues surrounding hearing loss.

Fiction: Hearing Loss Doesn’t Affect Many People

Hearing loss, which does occur many times as we age, affects 48 million Americans or about 20% of the population.

Fiction: Only the Elderly Have Hearing Loss

This is a widely believed misconception. About 40% of Americans with hearing loss are under the age of 60. As you age you are likely to experience hearing loss. Almost 30% of those between ages 50 and 59 suffer from some degree of hearing impairment in one or both ears; 45% of people between 60 and 69 have impaired hearing and three-quarters of those older than 70 do.

Fiction:  Sign Language is the Best Way to Communicate with the Hearing Impaired


Not everyone with hearing loss uses or understands sign language. Many people who experience hearing loss gradually over time, don’t even recognize that they have a communication issue.
People with hearing loss use a variety of ways to help with communication including lip reading, hearing aids and paying attention to facial expression.

Fiction: Everyone with Hearing Loss Uses Hearing Aids

Some people with hearing loss choose not to, for a variety of reasons, from personal aesthetics to financial challenges.  Only about one in five individuals with hearing loss chose to get hearing aids and that’s a sad fact that we try to change every day at Evergreen Audiology Clinic. You miss so much when you lose one of your vital senses!

Fiction: Your Hearing Loss was Caused by Rock Concerts

Well, they certainly didn’t help your hearing – but there are likely other contributors. Hearing loss can be part of normal aging, genetics, medications, smoking, poor nutrition and diabetes. All of these things destroy tiny hair cells in the inner ear that are vital to sending auditory signals to your brain. Once the cells are damaged, they stay damaged. You may not notice the damage right away because the existing hair cells are enough to compensate. As the damage continues, you gradually lose more of your hearing.

Fiction: If You Can Hear Some Sounds – You Should Wait

Studies done on brain imaging show part of the brain actually starts to shrink because there is a lack of auditory stimulation. Your brain stops recognizing some sounds. So, people who wait to get hearing aids sometimes discover that the new hearing aids don’t help as much as they thought they would. It is fortunate, however, that our brain can “relearn” how to hear. Recent studies show the brain can reprogram itself even into very old age with the proper stimulation so you can teach your brain to hear again by wearing your hearing aids. The longer you wait to schedule an evaluation at Evergreen Audiology Clinic, the harder your hearing loss will be to treat.

Fiction: Hearing Loss is Frustrating, But It’s Not Damaging

Research from Johns Hopkins University shows that untreated hearing loss actually can be damaging to your overall health. Untreated hearing loss puts you at risk for developing dementia due to the strain it puts on your brain. Hearing aids have been shown to improve a wearer’s general quality of life. It improves memory and mood and even can lead to better sleeping patterns. Falling is a problem with seniors and hearing aids improve your balance. Studies show if you are concentrating on hearing instead of your surroundings, falling becomes an issue.

Fiction: I Can’t Handle All that Technology

It’s true there is a lot of new, sophisticated hearing technology out there. And, fortunately, many advancements in hearing aid technology have made them more user friendly! If you have dexterity issues, the new hearing aids are digital and just have to be put on a charger – no changing batteries. They can be programmed using a device that looks like a small remote control – easily managed. Our team here at Evergreen Audiology can help with whatever you need.

Evergreen Audiology

When it comes to hearing loss, there’s no good excuse to put off seeking treatment. Contact us today at Evergreen Audiology Clinic today for an appointment!

Talking about Hearing Loss: Why Your Disclosure Method Matters

Talking about Hearing Loss: Why Your Disclosure Method Matters

How you talk about your hearing loss can greatly improve your overall communication patterns and help you feel much more integrated into your rich social life. It is sometimes surprising to learn that talking about your hearing loss to friends, loved ones, and co-workers can be quite difficult. Talking about you hearing loss can be even more difficult to discuss with people who you don’t even know, or don’t know all that well, from strangers to people that you work with. There are many different ways to disclose your hearing abilities to other people, however, and finding one that suits your personality and needs is very important to your well-being.

The Importance of Disclosing Hearing Loss

Though it seems like common sense, it should go without saying that you should tell people that you cannot hear in ways that they might be expecting. Of course, it can be frustrating to feel like it’s your job to tell people about your hearing loss and to explain to them your needs.

Despite how frustrating it can be, it is important to talk about your hearing capabilities so that you can maintain the best, healthiest communication with the people around you. According to Konstantina Stankovic, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, who is an otologic surgeon and researcher at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School, knowing about the multiple kinds of disclosure methods that are available to you—and picking one that suits your needs—has ripple effects across other parts of your life.

Stankovic helped conduct a study about hearing loss and disclosure methods, and writes, “We think it can be empowering for patients to know that these strategies, and especially the multipurpose disclosure strategy, are available to them.” She continues, “Hearing loss is an invisible disability; however, asking people to slow down or face someone with hearing loss while speaking may improve communication.”

Levels of Disclosure

Stanvokic’s conclusions are derived from a 2015 study that she and her team published in the Ear and Hearing journal. In this study, they discuss the strategies 300 people in the study have for disclosing their hearing loss. They found that there are multiple tiers of disclosure that people often use when they want to talk about their hearing loss.

Non-disclosure

The first level of disclosure is called “non-disclosure,” and might be self-explanatory. People in part of this category are reluctant to disclose their hearing loss and often use phrases that people with normal hearing use—such as “Can you speak up? I can’t hear you”—which does not necessary signal to people that hearing loss is at play. A second method of talking about hearing loss is described as “basic disclosure,” where people disclose that they are experiencing hearing loss but also share background information about their hearing loss such as describing how their hearing loss occurred and what it feels like.

Multipurpose disclosure

The next level of disclosure is described as “multipurpose disclosure.” Under this method of disclosure, people talk about the fact that they have hearing loss, and they also often suggest ways that the person or people who they are talking to can accommodate their hearing loss. With a multipurpose disclosure, a person experiencing hearing loss might, for example, announce to someone that they hear out of one ear better than the other. They then would follow up this disclosure by asking the person they are communicating with to speak from side of their body in order to facilitate better hearing. Stankovic suggests that choosing a multipurpose disclosure strategy “may help [you] gain the confidence they need to disclose their hearing loss and improve communication with others.”

Staying Connected with Hearing Loss

There are many reasons to disclosure your hearing loss, and there are just as many reasons to pick the disclosure method that matters to you or works for you in a particular environment. Sometimes nondisclosure is perfectly suitable for where you are; you may be in a place for a short amount of time or may not be all that interested in communicating deeply with someone. At other times you may want to have a different kind of engagement with someone, and so want to give your listener more guidance—a multipurpose disclosure may feel like the perfect choice. No matter what, the more you know about the different kinds of disclosure methods that are available to you, the more equipped you will be to enter into diverse communication situations.

Evergreen Audiology

Have you experienced changes in your hearing? Have you noticed that you’re not communicating as well as you once did, or do you feel disconnected from your loved ones? It may be hearing loss. Contact us at Evergreen Audiology for your comprehensive hearing health services.

All About Tinnitus

All About Tinnitus

Most of us have heard that ringing in our ears at some point in our lives. Whether it’s after a rock concert, a baseball game or a double shift at work, it can come up at any point. Fortunately for most, the ringing subsides after a short while. But what if it sticks around? That’s when you know you have tinnitus. A very common condition, tinnitus affects about 10% of Americans on a regular basis, according to the Hearing Health Foundation.

What is tinnitus?

The mark of tinnitus is the experience of sound without any external cause of the sound. The important thing to remember is that it is a physical sound, not simply ‘noises in the head’ that you are imagining. It’s a symptom and not in itself a disease.

Tinnitus comes in diverse forms. The sound is usually ringing in the ears, but it could also be a whooshing or roaring sound, so it can take the form of any pitch on the spectrum. The sound can be quiet or loud, persistent or intermittent, in one ear or both, and it can sound like it’s in the middle or the top of the head!

Two main types of tinnitus exist:

  1. Subjective tinnitus: The most common type which only you can hear.
  2. Objective tinnitus: This can be heard by a doctor when they’re checking your ears. It’s a very rare type of tinnitus.

On rare occasions, individuals will even get a tinnitus sound that beats to the tempo of their heart. We call this pulsatile tinnitus.

Common causes of tinnitus

The most common causes of tinnitus are below:

  • Hearing loss from aging. The most common an individual to report tinnitus is between the ages of 60-69, according to the American Tinnitus Association. This is because hearing gets worse over time, and hearing loss has a strong link with tinnitus, with roughly 90% of all cases of tinnitus appearing alongside a hearing loss.
  • Loud noise. Those who are regularly subjected to loud noises are as severe risk of tinnitus. There are occupational hazards for those who work in high-risk industries like farming, construction and the military. There are also risks for certain leisure pursuits. Those who practice unsafe earphone usage and go to loud concerts and sports games are at risk. This tinnitus from one-time loud events usually goes away. But if continually exposed to these sounds, it can cause permanent damage.
  • Impacted earwax. Earwax is an important substance for your inner ear. It helps to prevent dirt from entering your ear canal, and slows the development of bacteria. But when there is too much of it, it could be difficult to remove by natural means. This could irritate the eardrum, which causes tinnitus.

Other causes of tinnitus aren’t as prevalent, such as:

  • Ear bone changes
  • Meniere’s disease.
  • TMJ disorders.
  • Head injuries or neck injuries.
  • Acoustic neuroma.
  • Eustachian tube dysfunction.
  • Inner ear muscle spasms.

There are also some medications which either cause or exacerbate your tinnitus. The noises usually stop after you stop taking the drugs.

What treatments are available for tinnitus?

Although there is no medical cure for tinnitus, many people have success managing their symptoms with one or more of the below treatments:

Hearing Aids:

A good set of hearing aids which are properly fitted can go a long way towards reducing the symptoms. As they improve the ability to hear, they reduce the ‘signal to noise ratio’ which reduces your perception of the tinnitus.

Therapeutic Noise Generator:

This device looks similar to a hearing aid, but is only recommended for those without hearing loss. Similar to a white noise machine, it generates sounds which stimulate most of the hair cells in the cochlea, reducing the perception of tinnitus sounds.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT):

This is a talking therapy which helps in three ways. It attempts to modify the attitude the individual has about tinnitus, it provides methods to detract attention from the symptoms, and finally, it offers stress-management strategies.

Evergreen Audiology

If you think you may have tinnitus, talk to us today at Evergreen Audiology. We have years of experience managing tinnitus of veterans, older adults and other high-risk groups. We provide a number of treatment options to help you forget the tinnitus and continue living your life as normal.

Veterans and Hearing Loss  

Veterans and Hearing Loss  

When we talk about the health of our returning servicemen and women, it is imperative that we talk about hearing problems. The number one and two health conditions for military veterans in the US are tinnitus and hearing loss, according to Medical Centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Hearing loss and Tinnitus

Let’s look at both conditions separately and how they affect our veterans.

The main type of hearing loss they have is called noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This is being a loss of hearing from to excessive exposure to high noise levels over a long period of time, but it can also be caused by a short burst of loud noise (something frontline soldiers obviously have much experience of). If you experience NIHL, your inner ear hair cells have been adversely affected by noise exposure. Subsequently, the ability of these cells to collect and distribute sound to the brain is decreased. NIHL is irreversible, unfortunately. When noise exposure has damaged the hair cells of the inner ear, it is not possible to restore them.

Hearing loss could lead to depressions, social isolation and eventual cognitive decline as it makes it harder for returning servicemen and women to maintain relationships with friends and family members.

Tinnitus is the term for the feeling of hearing a sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus symptoms include ringing, whooshing, humming, or shaking of the ear. Veterans with tinnitus could discover that it prevents them from focusing or sleeping.

Why hearing protection is important

Loud exposure–usually from firearms, aircraft, tanks, heavy equipment and roadside bombs–is the cause of most hearing losses in the military.  Military personnel generally face these hearing problems after exposure to loud noise such as working in a hangar or being in close proximity to an explosion.

This is why hearing protection is so important. It’s commonly though that hearing protection inhibits vital communication and situational awareness. But with the most advanced hearing protection, soldiers do not need to make the choice to either protect their ears or their lives.

Those on active military duty will need more specialized hearing plugs than the ones usually found at the drug store. Traditional ear plugs effectively stop dangerous noise from accessing the ear canal, but they can tamper with receiving mission-specific communications. However, earplugs which use a filter can convey soft noises with full force and still remove bursts of noise.

The good news is that hearing protection is now standard issue and mandatory for all active-duty service members. But you also have to be careful with where you get your hearing protection.

This year, a defense contractor recently agreed to settle claims in a deal worth $9.1million for providing U.S. services with earplugs which it knew to be faulty, even though they knew that the plugs were “too short to insert correctly into users ‘ ears and that earplugs could be loosened easily. The Minnesota-based 3M Company and their former company Aearo Technologies sold these faulty earplugs to The Department of Defense for years. That is not to say that the current earplugs currently used by the military are also defective, but for peace of mind, we recommend getting a custom-fitted pair.

Evergreen Audiology 

If you already have hearing loss due to your military service, there is help at hand.

Evergreen Audiology is proud to offer hearing health assistance through The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Treatment extends to hearing tests, examinations and hearing aids. Contact us to find out more information about whether you qualify.

For those about to set off on active military duty, we are also experts in military hearing protection. As an active duty audiologist based at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, MD, Dr. Lawson learned a great deal about protecting military servicepeople from the loud sounds they might encounter in the course of their duty.

We offer custom hearing protection devices that will help you protect your hearing on the battleground. Our filtered hearing protection can deaden loud noises while also improving ambient sounds that are necessary for your situational awareness. Before you fly out, make sure to contact us to get your pair fitted.

Occupational Hearing Hazards

Occupational Hearing Hazards

Around 30 million individuals are subjected to dangerous noise in the workplace, according to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Known as noise-induced hearing loss, it has for more than 25 years been one of the most commonly experienced occupational health issues in the US.

If you are subjected to sound at 85 decibels for eight hours on a regular basis, according to hearing specialists, this is enough to cause hearing loss. And worryingly, the louder the sound, the less you need to be exposed to it before damage occurs.

Which occupations are most at risk?

The obvious candidates for hearing loss are those who work in construction and the entertainment industry, and jobs which involve riding a motorcycle, such as a motorcycle courier.

Professional musicians must be particularly wary. An average rock concert can reach up to 120 dB in volume, hazardous for the musicians and audience members alike. Those who work in agriculture are also at risk.  Although farming may not seem like a prime job for hearing loss, working with large machinery on a daily basis makes it one of the noisiest jobs around. And any elementary school teacher will happily tell you that 30 screaming kids is not the most relaxing sound around.

Lastly, anyone who takes the train or subway to work could also be at risk. This is because people tend to raise the volume of their music on their smartphones in these situations to compensate for the din of the train carriage, and the people chatting around them.

How do I know I have been affected?

Too much loud noise kills the nerve endings in the inner ear over a period of time. It might seem that the other nerve endings make up for the initial loss of high-frequency hearing, but the damage is ultimately too severe and begins to affect the rest of the frequencies if left untreated.

Some of the clues that your workplace has affected your hearing health include ringing in your ears after work, and a feeling that your ears are plugged. You may be able to hear people when they are talking, but the exact words they’re saying might not be understood fully. As the early signs of hearing loss are often in the higher frequencies, children and women’s voices may also be harder to understand.

How do I protect my hearing at work?

Prevention is the best way to deal with hearing loss associated with noise. It is essential to identify the dangers, consume smartphone content at a safe volume and ensure that the ears are protected from noise, whether at work or at work or at play. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss:

  • Take action, if necessary, to stop the noise at source. Ensure that all equipment in the workplace is well maintained. You might need to move the noisiest offenders further away to prevent damaging noise reaching your ears.
  • Ask you employer for high-quality ear protection (at no cost to you) if you work in a profession that routinely reaches noise levels of 85db or over. Ear protection can be useful for preventing long-term hearing damage when used properly.
  • When wearing hearing protection, it is essential to be disciplined. OSHA inspectors often report that employees using hearing protection have been observed leaving one earplug out so they can keep talking to their colleagues. It goes without saying that having both earplugs in during times of high noise is the only effective way to protect yourself.
  • Be careful to keep track of the volume of your earbuds if you listen to music while working. Noise-cancelling headphones are a great way for you to reduce your hearing volume. You can also take advantage of settings present on most phones, which prevents you to listening above a certain volume. Make sure to take a break from your hearing and let your ears rest.

Evergreen Audiology

We are experts in hearing protection, having learned through protecting people in the military from the loud sounds they might encounter in the course of their duty. We offer custom hearing protection as well as fully comprehensive hearing evaluations. Contact us today for a consultation.