8 Reasons to Put a Hearing Test at the Top of Your To-Do List

By Better Hearing Institute

Of all the life hacks for better living, taking care of your hearing is among the smartest and most economical.

From pilfering away at your relationships and quality of life, to putting you at risk for other health conditions, untreated hearing loss is a silent thief. Here are eight reasons why you should get a hearing test today.

1. It may help your pocketbook. A study by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) shows that using hearing aids reduces the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent for those with milder hearing loss, and from 65 to 77 percent for those with severe to moderate hearing loss, and lost as much as $30,000 annually.
    

2. Your mind may benefit. Research shows a link between hearing loss and dementia. Leading experts to believe that addressing hearing loss may at least help protect cognitive function.
    

3. It could boost your job performance. Most hearing aid users say it has helped their performance on the job. That's right. Getting a hearing test could benefit all those employees (a whopping 30 percent) who suspect they have hearing loss but haven't sought treatment.
    

4. Life’s challenges may not seem so intimidating. Research shows people with hearing loss who use hearing aids are more likely to tackle problems actively. Apparently, hearing your best brings greater confidence.
    

5. Your zest for life might get zestier. Most people who use hearing aids say it has a positive effect on their relationships. They’re more likely to have a strong social network, be optimistic, feel engaged in life, and even get more pleasure in doing things.
    

6. It could protect you against the blues. Hearing loss is linked to a greater risk of depression in adults, especially 18 to 69-year-olds.
    

7. You’ll probably be more likely to get the drift. The majority who bought their hearing aids within the past five years say they’re pleased with their ability to hear in the workplace, at home with family members, in conversations in small and large groups, when watching TV with others, in lecture halls, theaters or concert halls, when riding in a car, and even when trying to follow conversations in the presence of noise.
    

8. Your heart and health may benefit. Some experts say the inner ear is so sensitive to blood flow that it’s possible that abnormalities in the cardiovascular system could be noted here earlier than in other less sensitive parts of the body.

So do it for your health. Do it for your happiness. Get a hearing test.

To take a free, quick, and confidential online hearing check to help determine if you need a comprehensive hearing test by a hearing health care professional, visit www.BetterHearing.org

The content for this blog post originated in a press release issued by The Better Hearing Institute.

Conference Calls-Now With Captions

By Kathi Mestayer

That’s right, it’s not a typo! Where I live, Virginia Relay has just announced availability of captions for conference calls. No more worrying about that caller who is always multitasking and talking into their speakerphone from two feet away. Virginia Relay’s new Remote Conference Captioning service provides the captioning free of charge to Virginia residents, who can view the internet-based captions on their laptop during the conference call.

I learned about this new service from Clayton Bowen, the director of Virginia Relay, a program of the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (VDDHH). Virginia Relay provides communications access to people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind, through a number of traditional and high-tech programs.

If you live in Virginia, visit the Virginia Relay website, where there’s also more information on the conference-call captions.

Which other states offer conference-call captioning? So far, it’s just a handful, but these states do:

• Arizona

• Colorado

• Florida

• Hawaii

• Maine (starting July 1)

• Montana

• New Jersey

• North Carolina

…and the federal government, for their employees.

To learn more about captioning, read my story on real-time captioning, which benefits from a blend of human input and voice recognition, in the Spring 2016 issue of Hearing Health.

Do You Qualify?

By Deanna Power

Hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities in the U.S., affecting 48 million Americans. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with hearing loss, there could be help available. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers financial benefits for people who are unable to work due to hearing loss.

There are two types of disability benefits someone experiencing hearing loss could qualify for: Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. Medical qualifications will be exactly the same for both programs, but each have their own eligibility criteria.

The first type of disability benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is awarded when an adult (ages 18-66) is no longer able to work due to hearing loss.

Only people who were previously employed and have been working throughout most of their lives will qualify for SSDI benefits. To find out if you have worked enough, you can determine whether you have earned enough work credits based on your age on the SSA’s website.

The second form of disability benefits is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). While there are no work requirements with SSI benefits, there are strict financial limitations. An adult SSI applicant cannot earn more than $733 per month.

For children applying for SSI benefits, parents’ income will be evaluated. The SSA is not as strict with household income limits evaluating children, but childhood SSI financial limitations are still difficult to meet. If you are married or have other children, your household income limit will be higher.

Medically Qualifying with Hearing Loss

When you apply for disability benefits with hearing loss, the SSA will compare the severity of your condition to its own medical guide known as the Blue Book. The Blue Book will list exactly how severe your hearing loss must be to be eligible for disability benefits. Hearing loss can be found in both the children’s and adult versions of the Blue Book.

The Blue Book listing for hearing loss is found in Section 2.10. For hearing loss not treated by cochlear implantation, you will need to have medical tests showing one of the following criteria:

• You have an average air conduction hearing threshold of 90 decibels or greater in your better ear. You also must have an average bone conduction hearing threshold of 60 decibels or greater.

• OR you have a word recognition score of 40 percent or less in your better ear.

If you’ve received a cochlear implant, you will be considered medically disabled by the SSA for one year after the surgery. After 12 months, the SSA will review your case. If you have a word recognition score of 60 percent or less determined using a specific test, you will still qualify. If your hearing has improved, you will no longer qualify for disability benefits.

A cochlear implant is only “automatically” disabling after surgery. Before surgery, you will need to meet one of the SSA’s other criterion.

The childhood listing is found in Blue Book Section 102.10. Children under age 5 will need to have an average air conduction hearing threshold of 50 decibels or greater in their better ear. Between the ages of 5 and 18, your child will need to have medical records showing one of the following:

• An average air conduction hearing threshold of 70 decibels or greater in the better ear, plus an average bone conduction hearing threshold of 40 decibels or greater.

• OR a word recognition score of 40 percent or less in the better ear, determined by using a standard list of phonetically balanced single-syllable words.

• OR an average air conduction hearing threshold of 50 decibels or greater in the better ear, plus a marked difficulty in speech and language.

If your child has a cochlear implant, he or she will be considered medically disabled until age 5 or one year after implantation, whichever is later. After your child turns 5, or 12 months pass since surgery, your child will need a word recognition score of 60 percent or less on the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT or HINT-C) to stay on SSI.

Applying for Benefits

If you are interested in applying for disability benefits due to your hearing loss, your first stop should be the SSA’s website. The SSA has guides outlining exactly what paperwork and personal information you’ll need to apply.

If you are applying for SSDI, you can complete the entire application online. This is the easiest way to apply for disability benefits, as you can save your application and return to finish it at a later time. Be sure to list your spouse and any minor children, as they could receive benefits as well if your SSDI application is approved. SSI applicants can only file for benefits at their local SSA office. Fortunately, there are multiple SSA offices in every state.

If you have not had one of the SSA-recommend examinations performed to evaluate your hearing loss, it is wise to speak with your audiologist and have one or all of the tests performed. The more medical records you have show how severe your hearing loss is, the better your chances of approval.

Deanna Power is the Director of Community Outreach at Social Security Disability Help. She first started working with people with disabilities by volunteering with Best Buddies in college, and now specializes in helping people of all ages determine whether or not they medically qualify for disability benefits. If you have any questions, she can be reached at drp@ssd-help.org.

Hearing Loss and Music: A Curse and/or a Blessing

By Kathi Mestayer

I’ve always paid a lot of attention to music. When I was a kid, we (mother plus four daughters) would sing on car trips. Occasionally, my father would stealthily sneak his hand behind his ears, switching off his hearing aids. I never told.

As my hearing got worse, though, things got… odd. One day, in the car, singing along with a tune I’d known forever, I noticed a little dissonance. I stopped singing, and listened more closely, finally realizing that I was not singing in tune. I eventually got back in the groove, but it took some effort. The same problem comes up when I strum on the guitar, counting on the chords to give me the starting note. It’s not as easy as it used to be, but if I stick with it, the sweet spot will reveal itself.

Kathi's Flute Pitch

It kept happening, once in awhile. When I finally thought to mention it to my audiologist, she said, “That’s pitch distortion. It’s pretty common in hard-of-hearing people.” Oh, great.

Making Things Up

If only that was the end of it. My imagination has had a field day, too. Once, while the vacuum cleaner was running, I heard it “playing” baroque music. At least it wasn’t hip-hop. And there was the time my husband and I were in a noisy restaurant, with a popular rock song blasting away. “Oh, I love this song!” he said. “Yeah, me, too,” I chimed in. Then we realized that we were each hearing a different song. Guess who was right.

Sforzando!

That’s the musical term for a sudden, forceful attack on a note or chord. Because hearing loss is often accompanied by recruitment (when an unexpected, sudden, noise triggers your startle response and cranks up the perceived volume), sforzando can definitely make it happen.

An example would be when a pianist ends a piece by suddenly hammering down on a chord. It can cause me to utter a startled “ack!” which is audible to both the musician and the audience. As happened a few weeks ago. After the concert ended, I went up to the pianist and confessed. “That was you?” he said.

“Yes,” I explained, “it’s called recruitment, and it’s a symptom of hearing loss. I hope it wasn’t too annoying.”

“Oh, no problem. I’ll take that over somebody in the audience falling asleep any day,” he graciously explained.

So, a happy(ish) ending. That time. It will happen again, undoubtedly. Hearing loss is an adventure, when you like it and when you don’t.

Watch for a related story on how hearing loss affects how music is heard in our Summer issue of Hearing Health magazine.

Subscribe now for your FREE print copy!

Educating Children with Hearing Loss and Autism Spectrum Disorder

By Eric Sherman

Older Brother, Zach, Cole, and Eric (dad)

Gallaudet Research Institute’s 2009-2010 Annual Survey estimates that about 40 percent of children with hearing loss exhibit another disability and notes the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to be 1 in 59. Early intervention is critical for the development of speech, language, communication skills, and learning. Some families are fortunate to discover their child’s hearing loss at a young age so an early intervention program can be implemented to help their child stay on track with their hearing peers.

What happens when your child is diagnosed with profound to severe hearing loss at 6 months of age, receives his first cochlear implant at age 1½ (second at before his 5th birthday) and spends a couple of years in auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) or speech therapy, but is showing little to no progress?

This was the case with my youngest son. After receiving a second cochlear implant at 1½ and then two years of AVT, my son was nowhere near his hearing peers in communication and language skills. My wife and I knew language development could be a long process, but our gut was telling us that something else was wrong. Our auditory-verbal therapist advised us to seek additional medical evaluations to see if there was something else prohibiting our son’s language development. After having evaluations done, our son at almost 3 years of age was diagnosed on the autism spectrum.

Having a child with hearing loss takes lot of work. Add autism to the mix and it is like trying to solve a puzzle without knowing which pieces are in play.

With intensive behavioral and speech therapy over the years, our son, age 11, has done well. He has become more verbal and can certainly communicate his needs and wants. What is difficult is unlocking the doors into his learning style. There is this blurred line between his autism and hearing disability. When our son has difficulty doing schoolwork, we always question whether he is hearing the information, whether he has a problem processing the information, or whether he is just not interested in the material because it has no real meaning to his everyday life.

Our son has been lucky over the past three years having a teacher who is very creative and skillful in engaging her students. But this has not always been the case. My family’s experiences have taught us that the school district needs more information and training on how to educate a child with both hearing loss and ASD. Service providers need to know how to address each disability individually and collectively understand how they impact a child’s overall education. We have a school audiologist who wanted to create a goal for our son where he tells his aide or teacher when his CI processors are not working. This is a reasonable expectation for a child with hearing loss, but when ASD is added to the mix this may be difficult to achieve.

A child with ASD may have to be taught what it means for their processor not to be working, as well as what to do after they determine they are not working. Furthermore, generalization of whether the processor is “working or not working,” “broken,” or “on or off” may be confusing and difficult to understand. Our son believes his processor is “on” if his headpiece was attached to his head. Also, a child with autism may prefer the silence and not notify anyone their processors are off.

The dual diagnosis of hearing loss and ASD has been documented for the past 20 years; however, research and clinical guidelines on how to find and teach young children with this dual diagnosis are sparse. School professionals and educators need more tools and training to better equip the growing number of children afflicted with ASD and hearing loss. Both Advanced Bionics, which makes cochlear implants, and Illinois State University have done work on this issue, calling attention to the need for better diagnostic tools, early intervention, and training of education professionals. Still, significantly more needs to be done.

Eric Sherman is a father of two boys. In addition to advocating for his son and others, he serves as a parent representative on advisory boards on how special education and family support services are implemented in his local school district. To learn more about Eric Sherman visit ciwear.com/Ourstory/index.html

Take the National Hearing Test This Month - for Free!

By Charles S. Watson, Ph.D.

All this month, Duracell is sponsoring the National Hearing Test (NHT), in honor of May as Better Hearing and Speech Month. John Slattery of “Mad Men” is a spokesperson for the campaign and stars in a new Duracell commercial to raise awareness about hearing loss and the benefits of hearing aids.

The test can be taken without charge for the rest of the month, by dialing 1-844-9-DURACELL (1-844-938-7223).

The NHT is a U.S. version of the telephone-administered tests first introduced in the Netherlands in 2004 and now in use in most European countries and Australia. It measures the signal-to-noise-ratio required to identify spoken three-digit sequences in noise. Its validity was established by comparisons with pure-tone average thresholds used in traditional audiograms.

The not-for-profit screening requires about four minutes for each ear and the results are given at the end of the test as “within normal limits,” “slightly below normal limits,” or “substantially below normal limits.” Callers that fall below "normal limits" are advised to see an audiologist or a physician specializing in hearing for a complete evaluation. All callers with concerns about their hearing are similarly advised.

The test, usually $5, was offered for free during Better Hearing and Speech Month in May 2014, when it was publicized in health/science articles in several newspapers, including the Washington Post, St. Louis Post Dispatch, and the Indianapolis Star, estimated to reach 2 to 5 percent of the American population.

The 2014 data shows how we may expect the test to work this year: Over 40,000 calls were made to the test, the majority of which (32,000) were complete tests of both ears. Among the completed tests, 81 percent failed the test in at least one ear; their average age was 62.4 years, suggesting that the target audience was reached.  
Follow-up studies revealed that about 38 percent of those failing the test subsequently sought a full hearing evaluation, or planned to do so in the future.  Of those advised to purchase hearing aids after the full-hearing evaluation, 28 percent said they had done so or intended to. 

Recent studies of decision-making in relation to other health problems as well as hearing loss suggest that decision-making is a multistage process that may require many months or even years to lead to action.

So, while failing a screening test may not always lead to immediate self-referral and the purchase of hearing aids, it may significantly reduce the delay in so doing from the typical 8 to 10 years from hearing loss diagnosis to purchase of hearing aids to perhaps as few as 1 to 3 years.

The remarkable response to the NHT when it was offered as a simple, private transaction shows there to be a great many persons with hearing loss who would take a valid, convenient, and private screening test if one were available. We are hopeful that the current month’s well-publicized availability of such screening tests will effect a major change in the public’s understanding of hearing loss and actions to treat it.

Charles S. Watson, Ph.D., is a professor of speech and hearing sciences at Indiana University and co-founder of Communication Disorders Technology Inc., which developed the National Hearing Test in collaboration with Indiana University, and the VU University Medical Center of Amsterdam, with the support of grants from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

References

• Donahue, A., Dubno, J. R., and Beck, L. (2010) Accessible and affordable hearing health care for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. Ear and Hear, 31, 2–6.

• Laplante-Lévesque, A., Brännström, J., Ingo, E., Andersson, G., and Lunner, T. (2015) Stages of Change in Adults Who Have Failed an Online Hearing Screening, Ear and Hear 36, 92-101.

• Smits C., Kapteyn T.S., Houtgast T. (2004) Development and validation of an automatic speech-in-noise screening test by telephone. Int J Audiol 43(1), 15–28.

• Watson, C. S., Kidd, G. R., Miller, J. D., et al. (2012). Telephone screening tests for functionally impaired hearing: Current use in seven countries and development of a US version. J Am Acad Audiol, 23, 757–767.

• Williams-Sanchez, V., McArdle, R.A., Wilson, R.H., Kidd, G.R., Watson, C.S., Bourne, A.L. (2014) Validation of a Screening Test of Auditory Function Using the Telephone. J Am Acad Audiol, 18, 151-183.

How To Clean Your Ears Without Damaging Them So Your Hearing Stays Intact

By Lindsey Rose Black

Unlike washing your face or hair everyday, ears can be easy to forget about until they’re pretty waxy. If you’re officially at a point where your ears require a serious deep clean, read on for how to clean your ears without damaging them because it can be tricky! There’s no reason to worry, but you do want to be careful.

First and foremost, if you are still using cotton swabs to clean your ears, back away right now. The American Academy of Otolaryngology (ears, nose, and throat), released a statement that said, "Wax blockage is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. This is often caused by attempts to clean the ear with cotton swabs. Most cleaning attempts merely push the wax deeper into the ear canal, causing a blockage." Yeah that's right, cotton swabs could actually cause hearing loss. No freaking thank you!

As for how often to clean, Douglas Backous, M.D. told Huffington Post, "Ears really only need to be cleaned ... if they feel full or you notice changes to your hearing that could be related to waxy buildup." If these symptoms sound familiar, below are two of the safest and easiest ways to clean your ears at home. Of course, if things become painful, definitely go ahead and seek out a professional doctor.

1. Wash Cloth Rub

   As shared in PopSugar, you can safely clean your outer ear by simply wetting a wash cloth with water (no soap!) and then gently rubbing around your ear. Don't try to reach in too far, though.

2. Hydrogen PeroxideAnd Water Rinse

   Another safe and effective method is mixing together equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide, and using a rubber bulb syringe (yes, like a turkey baster) to pour a bit of the mixture into your ear. Wait a few seconds, then flip your head over for the excess liquid to drain out.

3. Rubbing Alcohol And White Vinegar
   
   If you don't have hydrogen peroxide on hand, you can also safely mix rubbing alcohol and white vinegar together and follow the above instructions.

 Originally published on Bustle and republished here with their permission. Images: Abigail Keenan/Unsplash; Courtesy of Brands

Wayne Lewis Lesser, Wayne's World, Wayne's Words

By Wayne Lesser

In 1944, I was born to loving parents. I came into a world of what I call “lesser” sound—I was born hearing-impaired. As a kid, I did not know or did not pay attention to my lesser sound. While I did have regular hearing exams, my parents never indicated to me that I might have hearing loss. In truth, my parents were unaware of my hearing loss throughout my childhood.

My kid sister followed in 1945 and was profoundly hearing-impaired. For years, my family was not aware of her hearing loss, or its severity. At that point, my family still did not know about my hearing loss, either. My mom took my sister from doctor to doctor until one said that she was hearing-impaired and needed hearing aids. She was fitted with aids at age 11.

Wayne Lesser

My sister’s hearing aid was ugly and scary. I remember when she put it on for the first time: a one-piece unit, the size of a deck of cards, with two wires connecting the large earbuds into her little ears. My mom turned it on. At that moment, I was fooling around with the bathroom faucet, turning the water on and off. My sister turned in my direction as, for the first time, she heard the sound of running water—and smiled. It was an unbelievable and memorable experience. I still get chills remembering the event as if it were yesterday. We were the only members of our entire family to be similarly afflicted. 

 In sports and life, I tried to listen and hear the best I could, positioning myself to look at people's faces—even learning to lip-read by myself, so that I could understand and try to get by. Growing up, I was proud to be an all-star Little League kid, a county all-star in high school basketball, and a basketball athlete at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. I graduated with a B.A. in history in 1966, and then was accepted into George Washington University Law School. 

Law school was tougher for me as I struggled to hear. I remember many times saying I was not prepared when called on by the professors, as I could not follow the questions and discussions in large lecture classes. I was embarrassed to tell them of my hearing loss. But I made it despite all the roadblocks. I graduated in 1969, took and passed the Commonwealth of Virginia Bar Exam, and was admitted to the bars of both Virginia and the District of Columbia.    

The summer of that same year I visited San Francisco, saw the changing world, and wanted to be a part of it, including the chance to now listen to the music of the times. One of the trends in men’s fashion was wearing the hair long, so long that it covered the ears.   

In March 1970, I moved to Berkeley. I got a job selling women's clothes and met my future wife at the store. We got married in 1971 (we’re still together), and I got my first set of hearing aids. Egads, I thought. Sound—nice! Why did I wait so long to get help? Because before that I did not have the convenience of concealing them with longer hair. Yes, I suppose that as a young man I was sensitive about hearings aids, even if I did need them. But I continued to wear them and still do today. I am sure that over time there has been a gradual decline in my hearing health, but I am as “fine” as I can be with the hearing aids.

I opened my first law office in 1971, practicing law in all types of cases and causes, but primarily in civil litigation and consumer rights. I have mainly been a solo practitioner for nearly five decades. 

About five years ago, I began to ask questions about hearing aids, hearing impairment, and hearing risks, which led me to create the Sound Awareness Movement: a movement to provide information, advocacy, and product protection to slow the onset of hearing loss, protect hearing, and educate hearing-at-risk people.

The “Color of Sound™” at lessersoundapp.com grew out my desire to increase awareness of the harmfulness of noise. Too many times I’ve heard the complaint, “I hate to go to a place that is too loud.” 

I have many thoughts and ideas for potential solutions for various problems that exist for hearing-impaired people (H-I-P) and hearing-at-risk people (H-A-R-P). This is an area that has not been adequately addressed from a marketing and preventive standpoint in identifying so many otherwise harmful sound environments at work and play.

Simply stated, I am a real person who is hearing impaired. I understand the shame, silence, and fear that people with hearing loss share with our families; the ignorance of the hearing world; and the weight that is imposed upon us because of these problems. I have a strong desire and ability to address issues, advocate for solution-solving products, and provide a real face for the emerging Sound Awareness Movement™.

* This blog post is sponsored by lessersound, llc. To learn more, please visit http://www.lessersoundapp.com/

Psychology Effects of Hearing Loss in Teens

By Ann Steele, Psy.D., LMFT

Hearing loss is frequently associated with older folks. When we think of younger people and teens as being deaf or hard of hearing, we tend to assume they have been that way since birth. But that’s not always the case; children and teens can lose their hearing just as older people can, sometimes quite suddenly.

It is important to understand not only the causes of hearing loss, but also the serious issues that result. Hearing loss affects social interaction and emotional well-being, and only by appreciating these effects can friends, teachers, parents and other support figures help teens navigate the troubled times ahead. The below blog post discusses more root causes and the importance hearing has on our society. 

What causes hearing loss in teens?

Hearing loss in teens can result from many factors, including congenital defects, ear infections, autoimmune diseases, blows to the head or exposure to loud noises. This is not a complete list, unfortunately; hearing loss can result from many other issues besides.1

Understanding levels of hearing loss

While we tend to think of people as either hearing or deaf, hearing is not an absolute sense. Rather, it exists on a scale.2 So while some teens may have no hearing ability whatsoever, others may have some. When hearing begins to fade, people first have trouble picking up softer noises, then louder ones. Teens may first lose their ability to hear low hums and birds chirping and then lose spoken words in a vacuum. Eventually, in full hearing loss, they cannot hear even loud noises such as helicopters or gunshots.

The cultural importance of hearing

Sadly, hearing is not only a valuable means of communication; it is also fraught with cultural importance. Not being able to hear causes teens to miss many social cues that other, hearing, teens rely on.

For instance, they may miss the physical characteristics of voice, different dialects, varying speech registers (the ways we speak in informal versus formal situations, or at work versus at home), and the internal or emotional states of the people around them.3 These are all crucial pieces of cultural information to which the deaf and hard of hearing do not have access.

Learning impacts of deafness from birth

Deafness from birth, especially when it comes to deaf teens born to hearing parents, comes with a price tag not attached to deaf teens born to deaf parents or hearing teens who later become deaf.4 This is because when children are able to interact with parents on a daily basis during their formative years – hearing children with hearing parents or deaf children with deaf parents – they benefit from crucial language interaction.

However, teens who were born deaf to hearing parents often suffer from a disconnect that results from being unable to communicate easily. Reading levels, memory, emotional adjustment and other aspects of life may suffer.

Emotional, social and educational results of hearing loss

Even if children are able to skip the often negative effects of early deafness, hearing loss of any type has huge impacts socially, emotionally and educationally.

Teens who experience hearing loss and can’t compensate for its effects often respond in typical ways: becoming confused, checking out, losing self-reliance, feeling isolated and losing their identity.5 This impacts their ability to engage in school, to form peer relationships, to be close to their families and to pursue their interests. Such issues can be hard to overcome, but with good communication, it’s possible.

Tips for communicating with the deaf and hard of hearing

It can be quite difficult to learn to communicate with deaf or hard of hearing teens if you have never learned sign language, especially if the onset of hearing loss is sudden. However, there are a number of steps that you can take to make communication easier.

Remember, hard-of-hearing teens will rely heavily on your facial and mouth movements, so give them a full view of your face, avoiding moving or fidgeting. Don’t exaggerate your words, because this distorts how you form them, and supplement the conversation with bodily and facial gestures as you normally would.6

Mitigating the psychological effects of teen hearing loss

Helping teens foster a sense of self that moves past the disability is important, as is helping them to establish an understanding community. Supporting their efforts to communicate is crucial, but offering space where needed is very important as well. Overall, it will take time and effort – on the teen’s part and on the part of his or her support team – to overcome the disability and learn to lead a full and natural life once more. But with understanding, love and help, teens can get there.

Ann Steele, Psy.D., LMFT is the author and publisher of the "Psychology Effects of Hearing Loss in Teens." 

1. Hearing Loss Association of America (2016). Types, Causes and Treatment. Retrieved from http://www.hearingloss.org/content/types-causes-and-treatment.

2. World Health Organization (2016). Grades of Hearing Impairment. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/hearing_impairment_grades/en/.

3. Krauss, Robert M., & Pardo, Jennifer S. (2006). Speaker Perception and Social Behavior: Bridging Social Psychology and Speech Science. Retrieved from http://www.columbia.edu/~rmk7/PDF/Bridges.pdf.

4. Henderson, Valerie, Grinter, Rebecca E., & Starner, Thad (2005). Electronic Communication by Deaf Teenagers. Retrieved from https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/8451/05-34.pdf.

5. Better Hearing Institute (2016). Consequences of Hearing Loss. Retrieved from http://www.betterhearing.org/hearingpedia/consequences-hearing-loss.

6. South Carolina Hospital Association. Tips for Communicating with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People. Retrieved from http://www.scha.org/files/documents/tips_for_communicating_with_deaf_and_hard.pdf.

10 Signs and Symptoms of Ménière's Disease

By Catherine Roberts

According to the Mayo Clinic, Ménière's Disease affects the inner ear and causes bouts of vertigo due to fluid that fills the tubes of your inner ear. On top of the dizziness and nausea, flare ups can also cause some loss of hearing in one or both ears and a constant ringing sound. You might not be able to drive, work, or do regular daily activities at times, though this chronic condition varies greatly from person to person. Unfortunately, the disease is not curable, but there are many treatment options that successfully help manage the disease.

Keep an eye out for these ten signs and symptoms of Ménière's Disease, and see your doctor if you experience any of them…

1. Dizziness
   Dizziness can be caused by a lot of different diseases and infections, but it’s one of the main symptoms associated with Ménière's disease. Your inner ear is responsible for your balance and since the disease attacks the tubes in your inner ear, dizziness is bound to occur when experiencing a flare up of the disease. If you experience dizziness as a result of an attack of Ménière's disease, it may cause you to unsteady on your feet and feel like the world is moving unsteadily around you. In severe cases, dizziness can make you fall over or trip while walking, making it dangerous to be driving, working, or even simply walking.
   
   

2. Nausea
   Nausea is another common symptom. Feeling sick to your stomach and actually vomiting can easily occur when you’re experiencing severe dizziness as well. When attacks of the disease come on, symptoms of vertigo are felt for as little as half an hour to as long as a full 24 hours. Though these attacks are seemingly short-lived, nausea and other symptoms can be felt strongly during the whole flare up. Although a symptom like nausea is extremely inconvenient and unpleasant to deal with, there are over-the-counter medications for motion sickness and prescription anti-nausea medications that your doctor can provide that could greatly help manage the attack. There are also some antibiotics that can be injected into the ear to help relieve symptoms if necessary.
   
   

3. Hearing Loss
   Though usually temporary and in one ear, permanent hearing loss happen to some over time. Many patients describe the hearing loss as if their ear is plugged—sound can seem distorted, fuzzy, far away, or even tinny. Sensitivity to sound is also common, and finding a way to successfully remove the fluid helps improve any hearing problems the patient suffers from.
   
   

4. Ringing In the Ear (Tinnitus)
   According to the Mayo Clinic, Ménière's disease can cause tinnitus, unfortunate sounds in the ear described as ringing, hissing, roaring, buzzing or whistling. Since the disease affects people in different ways and with varying symptoms, some patients may experience tinnitus without vertigo and hearing loss, or a combination of several symptoms. While not painful, any sort of foreign sound like ringing in the ear can be really difficult to cope with.
   
   

5. Uncontrolled Eye Movements
   Some people who have the disease experience a sort of jerky eye movement in one or both eyes, side to side, up and down, or in a circular motion. It varies depending on the patient and each attack. The inner ear directly affects balance, and in turn, the movement of your eyes. Tests are done to check the response of your eyes when your inner ear balance is changed.
   
   

6. Diarrhea
   Those who experience diarrhea might be more likely to also be experiencing vertigo during the same attack. To make matters worse, diarrhea can continue to occur after flare ups, not just during them. This makes it very important for you to stay hydrated when you’re struggling to cope with these symptoms of Ménière's disease. Since vertigo can cause you to throw up, the combination of vomiting and diarrhea will make you extremely dehydrated, and cause other health problems if not corrected. Along with diarrhea, abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal discomfort is possible.
   
   

7. Cold Sweats
   When in the middle of an attack, people who experience vertigo symptoms—nausea, dizziness, and even vomiting—could also develop cold sweats, adding another uncomfortable symptom to deal with. Since cold sweats are typically a result of vertigo in the case of Ménière's disease, vertigo medication could eliminate or greatly reduce this and other vertigo symptoms. Depending on how severe your episodes are, your doctor may prescribe an anti-nausea medication to reduce the harmful symptoms of the attacks.
   
   

8. Feelings of Fatigue
   It’s thought that those with Ménière's disease are more sensitive or susceptible to fatigue, increasing the risk of falling prey to an attack. Some patients have also shown that fatigue could be what causes flare ups, so people with the disease should adjust their lifestyle as needed to reduce the risk of becoming too tired. Work on sleeping well and not over-working or over-extending your capabilities.
   
   

9. Extreme Mood Changes
   People with Ménière's disease have claimed feeling a variety of changes in their mood both during episodes and in-between them, from anger and irritability to anxiety and fear. These mood swings and feelings of instability can be caused by many things, so they aren’t necessarily from Ménière's disease. It’s also worth it to note that mood changes and roller coaster-type feelings aren’t necessarily a physical reaction from the disease—the Mayo Clinic explains that it’s currently unknown if anxiety contributes to and causes episodes or if anxiety is a by-product of the disease, occurring after attacks.
   
   

10. Migraines
    A sign of Ménière's disease that’s easy to overlook are severe headaches, specifically migraines. There are so many dietary and lifestyle causes of migraines that it’s no wonder this sign can be overlooked. That said, once you really think about the disease and what it attacks, it’s not so hard to see the connection. It’s thought that migraines can cause damage to the inner ear, and those with Ménière's disease are more likely to get migraines during flare ups.

Excerpts of this article was repurposed with permission of the author and originally appeared on activebeat.com January 23, 2016.