Each year, the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) dedicates an entire month to talking about communication disorders and encouraging people to seek treatment. Every May is Better Speech and Hearing Month, and the theme for 2018 is Communication for All. The ASHA uses this month to advocate for reducing the stigma around disorders like hearing loss and promoting awareness …
Living with hearing loss at any age is a challenge, but for children, hearing loss isn’t just a hassle, it’s a game changer. As your child grows, they pass a lot of critical milestones when it comes to development. Even before they can speak, babies are learning language, and listening to others talk is important for developing speech as well …
Hearing loss affects your ability to communicate easily, and without being able to understand others or express yourself clearly, relationships suffer. Adults who suffer from hearing loss are more likely to become socially isolated than their hearing peers. Have you ever chosen to stay home rather than face your friends at the noisy restaurant? It’s embarrassing to ask people to …
The Hearing Loss Association of America estimates that people wait seven years from the time they first notice changes in their hearing before they decide to seek treatment. Does your loved one have a hearing device? If not, it’s time to talk about the benefits of hearing aids and encourage them to get a hearing test. At Neighborhood Hearing Aid …
When it comes to conversations, hearing loss becomes a lot more obvious. Consonant sounds are hard to hear, so even though you may hear most of the speech sounds, understanding the meaning of what’s been said can be a real nightmare, especially if there’s any background noise. You ask people to repeat themselves often or feel like everyone is mumbling. …
Has your hearing aid started whistling, or producing a lot of feedback? This is usually caused by a problem in fit. Take your devices out and put them in again, making sure they’re fitting snuggly in place. Feedback can also be caused by having the volume turned up too high, so turn it down a notch or two. If the …
Children and teens risk NIHL as well. One of the biggest risk factors for teens is unsafe listening practices. Young people seem to spend a lot of their time with earbuds stuck firmly in their ears, listening to music, playing games, watching videos, and chatting with their friends. They often don’t realize the risks to their hearing, and they may …
Hearing is a sense that is always on, even if we don’t notice it. The only times we really notice our hearing is when something uncomfortable happens – an ambulance going by, our alarm clock in the morning, a neighbor’s music turned on way too loud. Only then do we plug our ears or pull the pillow over our head …
Dry skin, chapped lips, runny noses and coughs–extreme cold can be tough on the body. Recent research suggests that cold weather actually makes it harder for our immune systems to fight off infections, which could explain why common colds and viruses are more common in the winter. Very cold temperatures can cause problems with the hearing as well, so it …
FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, got a lot of traction a while back. It was often viewed through the lens of social media, in which people reported greater feelings of isolation scrolling through pictures of their friends and loved ones out having fun together while they sat alone. But there is a larger biological component at work in regards …