Current News

If you don't wear your hearing aids when you're playing your favorite sport or working out at the gym, maybe you should reconsider ... [ more ]

COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has now been linked to many long-term complications, including heart damage, lung damage and neurological disorders. One emerging area of research is whether hearing loss can result from coronavirus infection -- either as a symptom or as a complication days or weeks later ... [ more ]

Even though hearing loss is common among Americans, hearing aids still remain somewhat of a mystery to many of us. You may know someone who uses hearing aids, but you probably couldn't explain what type they have—let alone the brand they wear! So, if you find yourself with new hearing aids and feel a bit lost, that's normal. Here at Healthy Hearing, we've written hundreds of articles on hearing loss and hearing aids, and while we'd love if you read every single one of them ... [ more ]

Very often, people aren't aware of hearing loss, because it occurs slowly over a matter of years. The signs may be subtle—you keep having to turn the TV up, or you struggle to hear your grandkids. Even after diagnosis, people wait an average of 10 years to actually get the hearing aids that'll help them hear better ... [ more ]

Hearing loss affects millions of Americans. Its impact is often downplayed in our society, but living with hearing loss can be frustrating and affect your quality of life in unexpected ways. Everyday activities -- listening to the TV, making phone calls, chatting with friends -- uddenly become exhausting as you spend more and more time trying to figure out what people are saying ... [ more ]

Doorbells, washing machines, refrigerators, and sound systems have smartphone apps these days. So it should come as no surprise that many hearing aids also have apps associated with them. "Apps are how we live our lives now," says Shannon Basham, AuD, senior director of audiology and education at Phonak, which makes hearing aid solutions, including a hearing aid app ... [ more ]

Have you finally decided it's time to stop missing out on the important sounds of your life and take action to correct your hearing loss? That's great! According to the Hearing Review, people with hearing loss wait an average of seven years to get help. That's a lot of missed punch lines, important details in business meetings, sweet sentiments from a loved one, cheerful bird songs and laughter from grandkids ... [ more ]

Face masks are now required in many public places to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. For people with hearing loss, though, this may be easier said than done. That's because face masks add extra challenges for people with hearing impairments: It's harder to understand people when they're speaking to you with a mask on their face, since masks lower the volume of speech and also slightly "garble" it. If you wear hearing aids, the ear loops may tug on your hearing aids and cause other problems ... [ more ]

COVID-19 has not been kind to tinnitus patients. As the global pandemic stretches on, patients everywhere are really struggling with the ringing in their ears.  Between the overwhelming anxiety many of us feel at the state of the world, financial insecurity, forced social isolation, and the massive disruption of normal routines, the coronavirus has created a perfect storm of suffering for people living with tinnitus ... [ more ]

Telecommute, remote work, work-from-home: Whatever you call it, setting up a home office presents unique challenges when you've got hearing loss. Especially if it's something you're having to do unexpectedly, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. You may not only be learning to adapt to new ways of working, you may find that ... [ more ]

Tinnitus is a difficult health condition in the best of times, let alone during a pandemic. We are staring down the barrel of one of the most difficult adversities many of us have ever faced. And while tinnitus patients are no stranger to anxiety, many sufferers are really struggling right now. When tinnitus is severe, your nervous system is essentially stuck in a constant state of over-activation and agitation ... [ more ]

Looking for another reason to break all those bad health habits you've been accumulating? These five bad habits in particular are linked to hearing loss ... [ more ]

Every day, millions of people around the world are tortured by noises that no one else can hear. Some people, like me, hear a high-pitched ringing sound. Others hear something else entirely, from whooshing to static, chirps, beeps, roaring, or one of many other noises. Despite a lack of awareness in the general public, tinnitus (the medical term for ringing in the ears) is a major health problem affecting close to 10-15% of the population by most estimates ... [ more ]

Since this time of year is traditionally spent with friends and loved ones, why miss a minute of the sounds you love most? When you take full advantage of your hearing aid capabilities, you can enjoy the festivities to their fullest. [ more ]

While many noises generated by daily living are absorbed by the soft interiors of our homes — think curtains, furniture and carpeting — our hearing health depends on our ability to keep inside noises at acceptable levels this time of year. [ more ]

Alzheimer's disease and untreated hearing loss can be intricately connected — one of the hallmarks of the disease is the decreased ability to communicate. One recent study has even linked hearing loss to an increase in dementia, naming it as a key risk factor. [ more ]

Does hearing loss cause cognitive impairment and dementia? And can you prevent or delay cognitive loss with hearing aids? These are tough questions to answer. [ more ]

Chrome fixtures, hardwood floors, industrial lighting, high ceilings, mood music -- some restaurant interiors are as artistic as the plates of food they serve their customers. Yet the trend away from softscape materials such as carpeting, drapery and fabric-tufted cushions has some unintended consequences. [ more ]

Having a medical condition that prevents you from doing your job, meeting financial obligations and caring for your family is a stressful situation to say the least. If your hearing loss is affecting your ability to work, you may be eligible for assistance through the Social Security trust fund. [ more ]

One day you're proudly depositing your first paycheck and seemingly the next you're ready to begin drawing Social Security. No worries. You're planning for retirement -- saving enough to pay for living expenses, medical expenses and a little fun, right? Is hearing health on your radar? Here are a few simple things you can do right now that will keep you hearing your best well into your retirement. [ more ]

There are times when you purposely plug your ears -- think fingers or earplugs -- and then there are, well, other times when your ears feel clogged for no good reason. Why is sound muffled when there doesn't appear to be anything inside your ear canal? Here are four of the most common reasons why your ears might feel clogged. [ more ]