It’s not just people with hearing loss that have a tough time enjoying conversation in noisy restaurants.

Certainly, folks who don’t hear well have an especially difficult time hearing conversation when the sound level is high, but even those with perfect hearing find it a strain to hear and be heard when the acoustic environment is noisy and reverberant.

The tide may be turning.  In the past, it seemed to be a badge of “cool” for a restaurant to have a sonic pandemonium that spilled out into the street.  But, as reported this week in the New York Times, restaurant architects are listening to customers’ requests, and with their greater understanding of acoustics, are creating listening environments that allow conversation to take place more comfortably.

They are creating the soundscape that they want.  They have found that if the sounds are too muffled, then every spoon clink may be a distraction.  But, as is more often the case, if the sounds are amplified by lots of hard reflective surfaces, then comfortable conversation is impossible.

Restaurant designers have become more precise and scientific, working to create areas of talk at each table without losing the sound sensation of activity that makes to room feel alive.  There needs to be a balance of soft and hard components, and the right mix of bass and treble.

One New York architect describes it like this:  “You want to amplify the good noise and reduce the bad noise.”  He describes bad noise as the tinny high-pitched squall that moves through the restaurant.  Good noise is not just the audible conversation at each table, but the pulse of excitement from the front and back of the room.  Conversation should be easily audible but there can still be a “buzz.”  The idea is to make it a really comfortable acoustic environment.

How is this goal attained?  In a variety of very high-tech and very low-tech ways – ranging from combining specific sound absorbing materials in strategic places with visually pleasing but more reflective materials, to sound systems that place tiny microphones and speakers throughout the restaurant with software that then controls the noise levels, to instructing the staff not to clink the forks when placing them on the table.

So – if you have a hearing loss, live with someone who does, or, just are tired of yelling during your dinner date, choose a restaurant that has been thoughtfully designed.

Balance in Older Adults May Improve with Hearing Aid Use

A small study published in the well-respected journal Laryngoscope suggests that older people with hearing loss may have better balance when they use their hearing aids.  This supports the idea that treating hearing loss may help decrease the risk of falls.

In this study 14 adults (aged 65 and up) were given standard balance tests both with and without their hearing aids on. Patients performed better on the balance tests with their hearing aids on.  This is the first study to demonstrate that sound information contributes to maintaining the body’s stability, and suggests that use of amplification may reduce the risks of falls in older people.

Lead researcher Dr. Timothy Hullar believes that not only do the hearing aids increase alertness, but the participants were using the sounds coming through their hearing aids as auditory landmarks to help maintain balance.
 

Judy Rasin

We know that people sway more when they try to balance in a darkened room. Our eyes help to orient us in space. The more information we take in through our hearing and vision senses, the better able we are to keep balanced.

Dr. Hullar notes that the results are statistically significant even though there were not many people in the study.  He plans to replicate the study with a larger group of people. Meanwhile, we think these results are exciting. Reducing the risk of falls while at the same time enhancing communication ability is a win-win benefit. 

Judy Rasin is a licensed New York State Audiologist and hearing aid dispenser at The Hearing Center at Pelham. You can contact Judy at (718) 822-4100 or visit their website

How Does the Brain Respond to Hearing Loss?

Did you know that our brains are continually reorganizing themselves?  Our brains grow and prune their connections as a result of our experiences.  This is called neuroplasticity.

Sometimes this is helpful – about 15 years ago researchers in England found that taxi drivers, who are required to memorize the entire street map of London, actually expanded their hippocampus – a part of the brain involved with memory.

Recently, researchers at the University of Colorado have found that the brain areas devoted to hearing can become reorganized – reassigned to other functions - with even mild hearing loss.  They discovered that areas in the brain that process visual information can take over brain areas which normally process sound.

So, if there is a decrease of stimulation coming in through the ears, the corresponding brain areas that process sound may be “reassigned” to handle stimulation coming in through the eyes.  This is called “cross-modal” cortical reorganization and reflects how the brain actively responds to changes in the environment.

Judy Rasin

The group's work suggests that the portion of the brain used for hearing can become reorganized, even in earliest stages of age-related hearing loss.  These compensatory changes increase the overall workload on the brains of aging adults.

"One in three adults over the age of 60 has age-related hearing loss," researcher Anu Sharma noted. "Given that even small degrees of hearing loss can cause secondary changes in the brain, hearing screenings for adults and intervention in the form of hearing aids should be considered much earlier to protect against reorganization of the brain."

Further studies will be needed to determine if use of hearing aids will prevent cortical reorganization.  Stay tuned!  But it is logical to think that if the auditory parts of the brain continue to receive lots of sound stimulation, the corresponding brain areas will keep active as well.  Use it, so you don’t lose it!

Judy Rasin is a licensed New York State Audiologist and hearing aid dispenser at The Hearing Center at Pelham. You can contact Judy at (718) 822-4100 or visit their website .

Overall health and hearing health go hand-in-hand in many ways.

Your hearing health is closely tied to your overall health in the following ways:

• Several studies point to a significant correlation between hearing loss and loss of cognitive function.
• Adults with hearing loss have a higher rate of moderate to severe depression.
• Smokers have a 70% higher risk of having hearing loss than non-smokers.
• Higher body mass index and larger waist circumferences are associated with increased risk of hearing loss in women.
• Maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active may reduce the risk of hearing loss.
• Hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes compared to non-diabetics.

We don’t know whether these are “cause and effect” relationships, but we are realizing more and more that hearing loss does not happen in isolation.   Your ears are part of your total wellness program!

Let’s look at diet:

Hearing may be affected by many things.  
Researchers at the University of Florida have found a link between healthy eating and hearing.   According to Dr. Christopher Spankowich “Our hearing health is linked to our general health.  Our auditory system is dependent on our cardiovascular, neural and metabolic health, and if we are not healthy in general, it makes sense that we could increase our susceptibility to hearing loss.”

In this study, a healthy diet meant that the person who scored well on the Healthy Eating Index ate close to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendations – plenty of vegetables, fruit, and fiber, but not too much salt, cholesterol, and fat.

Some are out of our control: sex, genetics, ethnicity and age.  But we can be mindful of the controllable factors such as cardiovascular health, diet, noise exposure and ototoxic medications.

This study indicates a connection, but we do not yet know if there is a causal link.  Meanwhile, it’s a good idea to view healthy hearing as a part of a total wellness program.

The role of exercise...keep moving!

68,000 women were followed in the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study.  They were questioned about health and daily habits.  1 in 6 women had some hearing loss.  They found that women with higher body mass indexes and larger waist circumferences were at greater risk for hearing loss.  But – the good news is that more physical activity was associated with lower risk of hearing loss.  Marathons not required!  For women who walked more than 4 hours a week, their risk of hearing loss dropped by about 15%.

Why this connection?

We don’t know for sure.  The ear is metabolically active.  It needs good blood supply to function at its best. Obesity narrows blood vessels, which can lead to high blood pressure, hampering blood flow and perhaps depriving the cochlea (the part of the inner ear where the sensory cells meet the nerve endings that send information to the brain) of optimal nourishment.

If you have concerns about weight-related health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, or arthritis, it is a good idea to schedule a full professional hearing evaluation.  Healthy habits can improve your overall quality of life, and your hearing health as well.

Your hearing and brain power… new connections are coming to light.

Hearing loss is so common that some people think of it as an expected part of aging, and “no big deal.”

But studies from John Hopkins University are finding links between hearing loss and cognition, including memory, attention, and concentration.  Some brilliant research has been conducted by Dr. Frank Lin, an otologist and epidemiologist at Hopkins.  Dr. Lin says that hearing loss should not be considered a normal part of aging.

In one study Dr. Lin found that adults with hearing loss at the beginning of the study were more to have cognitive decline than adults with normal hearing.  Another study indicated that there were brain changes in people with hearing loss not seen in people with normal hearing.  Hearing loss was also associated with increased risk of falls, stress, and depression.

Dr. Lin’s findings are supported by other neuroscientists, who are also finding that people with hearing loss develop cognitive decline at a higher rate.  “His research has been fantastic,” said another researcher. “It’s energized our field and brought this issue to the forefront.  He’s a real pioneer in this area.”

Next step for the researchers is to figure out the chicken-and-egg questions of what causes what.  And perhaps the biggest question is whether treating hearing loss with appropriate amplification helps to keep the brain functioning well.

Meanwhile, stay on top of your hearing health.  Get a baseline test so you know where you stand.  We will do our best to inform you, answer your questions, and keep you proactive in your wellness program. For more information on testing visit our website.

Talking with a Loved One About Hearing Loss

by Judy Rasin

Hearing loss is a family affair.  

When someone has difficulty hearing it is not their problem alone - the entire family is affected.  The need for repetition interrupts the flow of communication and may be a source of frustration for all.  Watching a loved one withdraw from conversations and enjoyable activities is heartbreaking.  You can make a difference for your loved one.

Convincing your loved one to seek professional help may take a bit of courage!  It is the right thing to do, yet it may not be easy.  Hearing loss often comes on so gradually that the person with the loss is the last to be aware there is a problem.

A spouse with the best of intentions may become the “ears” for the person who is not hearing well.  While this is surely helpful in the moment it may prevent the person from realizing how much communication they are missing or mis-hearing.

Here are some things you can do to get the conversation going:
Talk to your loved one about their hearing concerns.

• Raise their awareness by pointing out when you “translate” for them.

• Suggest a visit to an audiologist to get a professional evaluation and gather information.  Offer to schedule an appointment and join them at the consultation.  There is nothing to lose and may be a great deal to gain.

Your suggestions may be met with some push-back.  Don’t be surprised – we often hold on to our preconceived ideas.  Unlike vision, when hearing loss develops people are not as quick to address it.  Many wait years before seeking treatment.

Your loved one may think that if he had a real hearing loss his family doctor would have diagnosed it.  But, fewer than 20% of doctors routinely screen for hearing loss.  A one-to-one talk in the doctor’s office may not point up the difficulties that a slightly more challenging conversation in a little background noise would, so the physician may not notice real-world hearing difficulties.

Some people are concerned about how hearing aids look.  Today’s hearing aids are sleek and “tech-y.”  They are the tools to get the job done.  And, remember hearing aids are less noticeable than mis-hearing conversation and responding inappropriately.

Some folks say that a little hearing loss is not so bad – “I’ll wait till it gets worse.”  But we have learned that even mild hearing loss leads to effortful listening, stress, social isolation, and even reduced earning power.  Acclimatization to hearing aids is easy – especially with family support, motivation, and a little patience.

Share in your loved one’s hearing care.  Hearing wellness involves the whole family.  There are so many ways in which we can help you on this journey.

Judy Rasin is a licensed New York State Audiologist and hearing aid dispenser at The Hearing Center at Pelham. You can contact Judy at (718) 822-4100 or visit their website. 

Daily Care of Your Hearing Aids is Very Important

Summer is here! Maintaining your hearing aids by daily care is important, especially in the summer months.  Warm weather brings increased heat and humidity. It’s not surprising that moisture can create problems for hearing aids.  With some extra TLC you can keep your hearing aids working well throughout the summer.

Here are a few tips to keep your hearing aids working well:

• Exposure to water, humidity and perspiration can harm your hearing aids.  Remember to take them out for the shower, pool or beach.

• At night open the battery compartment. This will increase the battery life and also allow the hearing aids to dry if they have picked up some moisture during the day.

• Store the batteries in a cool dry place. Batteries are affected by temperature extremes, so avoid the glove compartment in hot weather.

• Consider using a Dri-Aid kit or electric hearing aid drying box. 

• When applying sunscreen avoid clogging the openings on the hearing aids.

• If your hearing aids have “filters” change them on a regular basis.

• Be diligent about routine maintenance. When you remove the hearing aids at night, wipe them with a dry soft cloth.  

A little extra mindful care will assure you enjoy your hearing aids and the wonderful sounds of summer all season long.

Hearing aids require special care so that they function properly. Your audiologist can show you how to care for and check them regularly.

For Children with Hearing Loss, Listening can be Exhausting!

Listening takes lots of energy. Children with hearing loss may be extra tired at the end of a busy school day. Why is that? The job of understanding and processing the speech of parents, teachers and friends that’s been “filtered” through a hearing loss, especially in a noisy environments, requires a lot of work all through the day.

Hearing loss happens in the ears, but the real action is in the brain. The brain makes sense of the words picked up by the ears.

• Children are learning 24/7. Children with hearing loss should be fit as early as possible so they have access to all those sounds around them.

• A clear sound signal helps children learn.

• Having a hearing loss can be taxing – it takes hard work to listen.  The brain needs the best, clearest signal to understand what is being said.

• Hearing aids must be worn all the while the child is awake – at school and at home.  Having a clean comfortable signal provides relief – the child can relax and not work so hard to listen.

Remember, when a child has a hearing loss only part of the speech accurately reach the brain.  Noise is even more disruptive for children who have a hearing loss.  It takes extra work to follow speech when the brain has to guess and fill in the blanks. But new hearing aid technology, properly fit and used on a full-time basis, brings in a clean full speech signal for easier hearing and relaxed learning.

Click Here to learn more about pediatric hearing services.