In recent reports a baby girl was born profoundly deaf, but has since benefitted from the NHS programme. To help identify the seriousness of baby Bride’s condition, medics ran a series of tests, launched by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHT Trust seven years ago. Baby Bride was then fitted with two cochlear implants, which has improved her hearing outstandingly.   However in January this year Miss Bride lost her hearing again due to unknown circumstance, but has yet been fitted with new implants.

Another way medics have been treating children with hearing impairment is the use of ear tubes, which recently have concerned doctors using them with children with cochlear implants due to increased complications.  However, after recent studies it is now considered safe for children to wear ear tubes with cochlear implants.

Hearing loss in babies has become more concerning for parents and now under the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme all parents are offered the chance to have their child’s hearing tested within the first few weeks.

Think about it this way, most factory workers exposed to noise on a regular basis protect their hearing through the use of work earplugs, but you might be exposed to similar noises in the course of a day and never protect your hearing. Turn up an iPod to full blast (as many teens do) and you have the equivalent of listening to heavy machinery. Many common noises are just as dangerous as industrial noises: mowing the lawn, listening to a concert, music in a club, children’s toys.

So, it’s fair to say that many of us could expect to have some amount of hearing loss by the time we reach middle adulthood. This in turn could affect the quality of our lives and those around you. You might not be able to enjoy music anymore or other beautiful sounds; however, hearing loss affects even more than simple pleasures.

Consider a research study by the National Counsel on the Aging (U.S.) in which 2000 people with hearing loss were treated with hearing aid devices. After the participants hearing was improved, they had an increase in the following areas:
• Earning power
• Communication in relationships
• Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
• Ease in communication
• Emotional stability
• Sense of control over life events
• Perception of mental functioning
• Physical health
• Group social participation
There was also a reduction in the following negative factors of hearing loss:
• Discrimination toward the person with the hearing loss
• Hearing loss compensation behaviors (i.e. pretending you hear)
• Anger and frustration in relationships
• Depression and depressive symptoms
• Feelings of paranoia
• Anxiety
• Social phobias
• Self-criticism
However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? So, while I feel it is extremely important for those with hearing loss to be evaluated and treated by an audiologist, I think it’s even more important for the rest of us to wake up and start protecting our hearing and our children’s hearing now rather than trying to fix it later.

Cheers!

Meghan

Not anymore! With children, you have to plan quite some time in advance, and my days of a relaxing Christmas Eve shopping and wrapping presents are long done. The one salvation of Christmas shopping these days when you have children is the internet! No more paying a sitter so you can shop or asking your spouse to “baby sit” and then hear all the grumbling when you arrive home. Don’t you just love hearing those disparaging remarks after you’ve just spent 5 hours searching every store for the most popular toy of the season? “Why did it take you so long? Did you make the toys yourself?” Ugh!

No, this gal does her shopping online as often as possible. If you want to save time and money, shopping on the internet is the very best solution. As well, think outside the box and find unique gifts for your family and friends that tell them how much you care about their wellbeing. For instance, do you have anyone on your list who has trouble falling asleep? Any music lovers? Though earplugs seem like an odd holiday gift, you may just be giving them the gift of health and peace.

My favourite gift to give is the Shut Eye Shade Sleep Aid Kit. I have the eyeshade and it’s probably the most comfortable shade I’ve ever worn. It has a padded nose bridge and super soft, satiny material. It’s great for blocking out light and the included earplugs will block out the sound of snoring or outside noises. As an added bonus, I’ve noticed less creasing under my eyes by morning, which means you might be giving one of those ladies on your list the gift of a more youthful appearance in the morning.

The eyeshade has other uses as well. Consider ordering the luxurious eyeshade and placing it in a basket of bath goodies such as fragrant bubble bath, loofa, bottle of wine and a candle. Imagine taking a bubble bath with the eye shade to block out light and completely relax with no distractions. Foam earplugs might be a good item to throw in the basket or high fidelity musician’s earplugs if they enjoy turning up the tunes while bathing. The musician’s earplugs filter the sound to block dangerous decibels while allowing quality music.

There are many creative gifts online. Give the gift of pampering and hearing protection this year!

Cheers!

Meghan

Protecting your hearing with noise-reducing earplugs or musician’s earplugs can ensure a lifetime of hearing sweet sounds. You can also use earplugs such as sleeping earplugs to block the types of sound that cause distress. But what about the sound you hear in your own head? Do you need to protect yourself from sounds that have nothing to do with your ears?

No, and in fact, you should embrace these sounds and it may just help you accomplish goals such as improving performance or quitting a nasty habit or behaviour. You see, there are outer sounds that we can hear because of the vibrations they create in the ear which are then passed along to the brain via a signal that the brain interprets. We actually begin to experience outer noises before it hits our ears. The vibrations can be felt by the body. The sounds in our mind or visual sounds can be “heard” because we can imagine the sound. We can picture a conversation in our minds or think about a particular instrument or song. This type of sound is also why we can “hear” during dream.

Nada yoga is a practice based on meditation and sound. The word nada is based on the Sanskrit word “nad,” which means flow. The word nada means sound. Nada yogi’s practice a form of meditation meant to help them reach the highest form of sound, which is transcendent sound. It’s a bit difficult to understand, but the point is to reach a state of meditation to where you are tapping into the subconscious.

Have you ever tried to change your thought process? Perhaps you decided you were too judgmental and decided to be more accepting. At first, you probably had to argue a bit with your subconscious. This is because your subconscious has experienced many years of a certain thought process, probably dating back to your childhood. For this reason, there’s usually a “correction” of thought. You might begin to judge someone as a natural instinct and then tell yourself “stop being judgmental.” Until you can change your thought process at the subconscious level, you’ll have difficulty fully embracing your new philosophy.

Transcendent sound is “still” sound with no vibrations. The belief is this sound originates from the universe and we can only “hear” it if we bring our consciousness to the same level. The meditative practices using outer sounds such as drums, bells or chanting is said to bring us to the state so the transcendent sound can be heard.

It’s a lot to understand, but the bottom line is it may just help you tap into your subconscious and achieve goals you never thought possible. The key is making your subconscious believe it is possible by using affirmations and suggestions.

Just some interesting stuff about sound and one more reason to protect your hearing. It may just change your life!

Cheers for now!

Meghan

Hearing damage can occur after exposure to decibel levels as low as 85 dB. Hearing damage is permanent and irreversible. Tiny hair cells in the inner ear convert sound energy into electrical signals. These signals travel to the brain where the sound is interpreted. Hearing damage occurs when the hair cells are damaged, and the worst part is, they don’t grow back. This is why hearing damage is permanent and irreversible. The only way to improve hearing after hearing damage occurs it to wear hearing aids.

Hearing loss, once thought to be merely another dreaded sign of aging, is now reaching greater heights in younger crowds. Part of the reason behind this is the widespread use of iPods and other personal music or gaming devices. The constant exposure to loud sound is increasing the amount of hearing loss cases being seen amongst younger people.

If your kids are music lovers, make sure you educate them on lowering the volume to 60% or less and limit exposure. If you have adolescents or adults on your Christmas list, consider purchasing custom earphones. The quality of the music is improved and the sleek design protects their ears and allows for listening at lower volume levels because ambient noise is blocked. They won’t feel the need to crank up the volume.

If your music lover attends concert venues or clubs, he might be exposed to decibel levels well over 120 dB. Some rock groups such as My Bloody Valentine have begun offering free earplugs to their audience. Sound engineer Howard Rappaport of Arlene’s Grocery in New York City, offers earplugs for $1.00 a pair for customers. It would be great if all concert and music venues offered this protection to their customers. Rappaport even has a sign posted saying “earplugs are sexy!”

Musician’s reusable earplugs are a great stocking stuffer! They allow the music in, but block damaging decibels. If you’re purchasing a musical instrument for your budding musician, you should also include a set of earplugs to protect their hearing while playing electric guitar or worse, drums!

Really, the entire family can benefit from earplugs for one use or another, so put them on the Christmas shopping list. Maybe you can throw some in your own stocking to block your music lover’s first attempts at playing their new instrument. Take them out when they’ve gotten a bit better!

Cheers!

Meghan

Many marital problems have everything to do with a lack of communication between spouses. Feelings of resentment might build when emotions are held back. Frustration may build when one spouse feels the other is ignoring requests. So, when communication is thwarted with an actual physical inability to hear the other person, you can imagine how much this augments the situation.

Often times, a person experiencing hearing loss is in denial about the issue. They blame the other person for “mumbling” or speaking too quietly. They might claim that the other person never told them something when in reality they actually did. “You never told me to go to the bank!”

In addition, hearing loss can be irritating and frustrating for the spouse who isn’t experiencing hearing loss. They might have to repeat themselves frequently or yell to be heard. This might bring feelings of embarrassment in public. The person who is experiencing hearing loss may feel badly, leading to a lowered sense of self-esteem.

If you or your spouse is experiencing hearing loss, you should see and audiologist and find out what you can do to prevent any further damage and to inquire about hearing aids. They are not as noticeable as they were in years past, and really, the minor annoyance or mild embarrassment of wearing hearing aids is nothing compared to the crumbling of a relationship for issues that need not be.

For those who aren’t experiencing any hearing loss problems a this time, why not keep it that way? Earplugs are inexpensive and easy to use. Many common situations can cause hearing damage if you do not protect your ears. At a mere 85 decibels, hearing damage can occur with repeated or daily exposure. With over 40% of adults over 50 in the U.K. affected by some degree of hearing loss, wearing earplugs now to protect your hearing is very important.

Here are some suggestions on how you can prevent hearing damage:

1. Wear foam earplugs while mowing the lawn, using a leaf blower or any sort of power equipment.
2. Use reusable musician’s earplugs when attending concerts or clubbing. If you work at a music venue, make sure you wear musician’s earplugs and consider custom musician’s earplugs if you are a professional D.J. or musician.
3. Wear shooter’s earplugs when hunting or shooting targets.
4. Turn the volume down on your children’s noisy toys. If there is no volume control on the toy, chances are it does not meet safety requirements and you should contact the manufacturer.
5. When listening to personal music devices, keep the volume at a level where you could still hear someone if they spoke to you. You can purchase custom earphones designed to “perfect” the quality of the music while blocking dangerous decibels.
6. If you work in a noisy atmosphere, make sure your employer supplies the correct level of hearing protection.

Protect your hearing now to prevent relationship troubles in the future!

Cheers!

Meghan

The noise the titanium clubs make when they whack the ball down the course (and hopefully not in the grove of trees to the right… slice!), has been said to create a sonic boom. While this may be an exaggeration, the fact remains that the noise could cause damage over repeated exposure. One 55-year-old claims his hearing has been partially damaged after using the titanium clubs 3 times a week over the last 18 months.

What type of earplugs should golfers use? Foam earplugs are inexpensive and offer great protection. Foam earplugs come in various levels of noise protection. You could purchase some that allow you to hear ambient noise, yet protect you from dangerous sound levels. Or, you could purchase earplugs that completely block noise (this way, you won’t be distracted by the rude spectators who aren’t aware of proper golf manners!).

Caddies should definitely consider wearing some reusable hearing protection. Though they are not striking the ball with the titanium club, repeated exposure may cause partial hearing damage. As well, cameramen and crew members should also consider wearing hearing protection when covering golf.

And though golf spectators are used to a fairly quiet atmosphere, other sports enthusiasts might consider wearing hearing protection when attending games. Especially when the sporting event is indoors, arenas and courts can become quite loud as the crowd cheers their favourite team or hollers at the officials! Have you ever noticed how your ears ring after you leave a stadium? That could end up being permanent ringing or tinnitus.

Children are even more susceptible to hearing damage. Earmuffs or children’s earplugs can be used to protect their ears during the next sporting event!

Well, we’d better because with all the noise in their world, many of our tweens could end up with irreversible noise-related hearing loss. They have iPods and other portable music devices, handheld video games and gaming consoles hooked up to surround sound. They will soon be attending more gymnasiums to watch sporting events that can reach very high decibel levels. Rock concerts may be a bit in the future, but with more and more musicians targeting this age group, you may be closer to a Miley Cyrus concert than you think!

How do you talk this incredibly self-conscious age-group into wearing earplugs? It’s a Noisy Planet is a campaign on hearing protection targeted at tweens, and it’s run by several United States medical associations including the NIDCD, NIH, DHHS and the government itself. Tweens are tweens whether they are here in the U.K. or across the pond, and I thought some of their advice was really pretty good.

For one, they encourage tweens to be trendsetters with their hearing protection and not buckle to peer pressure. One suggestion was to say, “Earplugs now or hearing aids later…” Educating kids on hearing loss prevention empowers them to make the right choices. Introducing your tween to the facts may be all it takes to get them to wear earplugs voluntarily. If all else fails, point out some of their favourite musicians and explain that these professional musicians protect their hearing.

At first, the earplugs may seem uncomfortable, but explain that they’ll get used to them just as they would a new pair of shoes. You absolutely should check out earplugs designed specifically for smaller ears. Your budding musician will certainly benefit from high fidelity earplugs. They fine tune music while blocking distortion and dangerous decibel levels.

Don’t forget to encourage your child to turn the volume down on personal music or gaming devices.

Cheers!

Meghan

If you take the hearing loss quiz and answer yes to more than three questions, you may have some amount of hearing loss. I was thinking, though, that many of the questions could have another reason or answer. Here’s my take.

Question 1: Do you have problems hearing over the telephone? What if it’s a bill collector, jilted lover or your mother-in-law? “Sorry, you’re breaking up… I’ll have to ring you later!”

Question 2: Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time? Have you been to one of my family reunions? Nobody can understand anything my aunts and Mum are trying to say at the same time!

Question 3: Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high? Then be more quiet in the other room when a Russell Crowe movie is playing!!

Question 4: Do you have to strain to understand conversations? Only during political conversations when politicians are speaking out of both sides of their mouths!

Question 5: Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background? No, my iPod sounds just fine with my custom earphones.

Question 6: Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves? Yes, but only my son. “So, tell me again, why did you flush your sister’s pet fish down the loo?”

Question 7: Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)? Only my pre-teen daughter and her friends who speak in text. OMGYG2BK! (translation: Oh my God, You’ve got to be kidding!)

Question 8: Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately? I always understand, whether or not my response is inappropriate is a subjective matter.

Question 9: Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children? Women, no. Children, refer to questions 6 & 7.

Question 10: Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say? Perhaps the person didn’t understand what he or she said and I understood perfectly.

Seriously, if you answered yes more than three of the questions, you should consider seeing your physician. If not, continue to protect your hearing!

Cheers!

Meghan

When you need earplugs for the workplace, the best way to buy them is in bulk. Earplugs, of course, last forever, so you don’t need to worry about over-buying. Whether you need a high level of hearing protection or a means to allow your employees hearing protection and still allow communication, Moldex offers a solution. You can even purchase colourful Moldex Spark Plug earplugs in a bulk dispenser, offering a fun and highly effective solution for hearing protection.

Simply purchase the earplug dispenser wall mount, attach it to the wall and place the dispenser on the mount. All of the Moldex bulk earplug dispensers are designed to fit on the wall mount, so if you change your earplug from Purafit earplugs to Spark Plug earplugs, you won’t have to purchase another wall mount.

The dispensers are designed to drop one pair at a time into the hands of your employees, so you won’t end up with bunches of unusable earplugs on a dirty floor. The dispenser has no tray that has to be dusted either! Any time I can avoid dusting, I do!

Not only that, but you can be sure that compliance will increase. Earplug Dispensers are highly visible, so your employees will see the earplugs and remember to grab a pair. They are also very convenient, which makes it easier for your employees to grab a pair rather than searching through the safety closet or safety supply box.

The bright green colour of Mack’s Purafit earplugs makes it easy to check compliance. The dispensers, whether Moldex Purafit earplugs or Moldex Mellows earplugs are very easy for safety inspectors to spot. This will save you from fines that may be incurred for non-compliance.

There are other useful bulk earplugs, but if you have a high volume of employees, the earplug dispensers might be your best solution!