Audifon Hearing Systems

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http://m.indiatoday.in/story/hearingandampspeech-imparied-man-goes-16000-km-to-create-awareness/1/1063778.html

Hearing&speech imparied man goes 16,000 km to create awareness Hearing&speech imparied man goes 16,000 km to create awareness

Audifon Hearing Systems updated their information in their About section.

audifon Germany trip 2013

Dear Friends,

We are going to participate in 45th ISHACON, from 1st - 3rd Feb 2013 in Channai.

Pls visit us at Stall No. - 12 & 13.

Thanks for your support in advance.....

Pls Check.. its interesting....


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/251489.php

The Ten Noises We Hate The Most A knife scraping against a glass bottle is the most unpleasant sound for most human beings, researchers from the Newcastle University and Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL, both

http://www.audiologyonline.com/channels/audifon.asp

Audiology Online Web Channel: audifon View hundreds of news stories on hearing aids, cochlear implants, tinnitus and all other hearing healthcare topics

Women With Diabetes Experience More Hearing Problems:

A new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, presented at the annual Triological Society's Combined Sections Meeting, on January 26 in Miami Beach, shows that diabetes is likely to cause a greater degree of hearing loss in women as they get older, particularly if the diabetes is not well controlled with medication.

The study showed that women aged between 60 and 75 years, whose diabetes was controlled appropriately, were able to hear better with similar hearing levels to non-diabetic women of the same age, compared with those who had poorly controlled diabetes. The findings also demonstrated substantially worse hearing levels in all diabetic women below the age of 60 years, even when their diabetes is controlled appropriately.

In contrast, the study showed that all men, irrespective of age, and whether or not they were diabetic, displayed worse hearing loss compared with women.

Derek J. Handzo, D.O., of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford explained:

"A certain degree of hearing loss is a normal part of the aging process for all of us, but it is often accelerated in patients with diabetes, especially if blood-glucose levels are not being controlled with medication and diet. Our study really points to importance of patients controlling their diabetes, especially as they age, based on the impact it may have on hearing loss."

Why Are Two Hearing Aid Better Than One :

In comparing the difference between stereo sound and mono sound, it’s easy to see why two hearing devices are better than one. Like mono sound, listening though one device will sound flat and unnatural; as with stereo sound, two devices provide depth perception and a more natural sound quality. The overall clarity, the richness and fullness of sound and the sense of location is simply better with two devices.

Why is this the case? The act of hearing is comprised of complex interactions between the ears and the brain. It is the brain that ultimately interprets the incoming acoustic energy into what we think of as sound. The brain is heavily dependent on input from both ears to correctly determine the location of sound, whether it is speech or noise, and the distance of the sound source.

Given the information shared in this series, the reader should be more knowledgeable about hearing loss and better able to get help for it, in addition to helping remove the negative stereotype regarding hearing loss and hearing solutions.

Tinnitus Key Cellular Mechanisms Identified:

About 10% of the population is affected by hearing loss and tinnitus, a perception of sounds, such as ringing or buzzing in the ear in the absence of corresponding external sound, which typically develops after acoustic over-exposure to loud noises. Scientists have speculated that tinnitus is caused by damaged nerve cells within the ear, but so far, there are no drugs available for the treatment or prevention of the condition.

The journal Hearing Research now reveals that researchers from the University of Leicester's Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology have discovered a cellular mechanism, which could be responsible for the development of tinnitus after exposure to loud noises. The finding could pave the way for the development of new drugs to treat tinnitus, and researchers are currently investigating potential drugs that could prevent the condition.

Research leader, Dr. Martine Hamann from Leicester University explained:

"We need to know the implications of acoustic over exposure, not only in terms of hearing loss but also what's happening in the brain and central nervous system. It's believed that tinnitus results from changes in excitability in cells in the brain - cells become more reactive, in this case more reactive to an unknown sound."

The researchers examined cells in the brain's dorsal cochlear nucleus area, which carries acoustic signals from the ear's nerve cells into the parts of the brain that decode and 'interpret' sounds. Exposure to loud noises affects some of the neurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus to behave in an uncontrolled manner by starting to fire erratically, which ultimately leads to tinnitus.

Dr Hamann declared:

"We showed that exposure to loud sound triggers hearing loss a few days after the exposure to the sound. It also triggers this uncontrolled activity in the neurons of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. This is all happening very quickly, in a matter of days."

A major breakthrough was the team's discovery of the particular cellular mechanism that leads to the neurons' over-activity. They discovered that if potassium channels that help to control the nerve cell's electrical activity malfunction, the neurons are unable to return to a balanced resting state. These cells normally fire regularly and also regularly return to a resting state, yet if the potassium channels are malfunctioning, the cells are unable to return to a resting state and therefore continuously fire in random bursts, which creates the sensation of a constant noise even though there is no noise.

Dr Hamann explained:

"In normal conditions the channel helps to drag down the cellular electrical activity to its resting state and this allows the cell to function with a regular pattern. After exposure to loud sound, the channel is functioning less and therefore the cell is constantly active, being unable to reach its resting state and displaying those irregular bursts."

Even though numerous scientists have explored the dynamics of why tinnitus occurs, this is the first time that researchers have managed to characterize the cellular bursting activity in association with specific potassium channels. The ability to identify the potassium channels in the early stages of tinnitus paves the way for the development of new potential drug treatments to prevent the condition.

At present, Dr Hamann's team is exploring potential drugs that can control the damaged cells so that their erratic firing is blocked and they can revert to a resting state. The discovery of suitable drug components would mean that patients would be protected against the onset of tinnitus after experiencing acoustic overload. However, the development of a suitable drug to prevent tinnitus will take some years, given that investigations are still in their preliminary stage.

Leicester University, in collaboration with Autifony Therapeutics Ltd, will continue to conduct further pharmaceutical research via a Medical Research Council Case studentship, which is set to commence in October 2012.

Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, concluded:

"We're pleased to hear about this progress in such a debilitating hearing impairment. The charity continues to fund research into better treatments for tinnitus, with the ultimate aim of a cure. Our free information leaflets offer immediate help to sufferers and our national helpline provides additional support. Regularly tinnitus generates the most requests for help."

High-Frequency Hearing Loss:-

The genetics responsible for frequency-specific hearing loss have remained elusive until recently, when genetic loci were found that affected high-frequency hearing. Now, a study published in the open access journal BMC Genetics reports, for the first time, genetic loci with effects that are limited to specific portions of the hearing frequency map, particularly those that are most affected in ageing-related hearing loss.

Presbycusis is the loss of hearing for high-pitched sounds that gradually occurs in most individuals as they grow older. Although many genetic loci have been linked to hearing deficits in humans, many loci that contribute to tonotopy, i.e. the organization of the auditory system that permits detection and discrimination of sounds of different frequency, remain undiscovered.

A group from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), used genome-wide linkage analysis in NIH Swiss mice to successfully identify two quantitative trait loci that affect hearing at high frequencies - Hfhl1 and Hfhl3. Specifically the effect of the locus Hfhl1 is thought to be confined to hearing frequencies from 25-44kHz of the tonotopic map, whilst Hfhl3 is restricted to the 35-44kHz region.

Lead author James M Keller commented, "Our results support the hypothesis that frequency-specific hearing loss results from variation in gene activity along the cochlear partition and suggest a strategy for creating a map of genes that influence differences in hearing sensitivity and or vulnerability in restricted portions of the cochlea."

He continued, "The high-frequency hearing loss loci, Hfhl1 and Hfhl3, explain only a portion of the variation in high-frequency hearing loss observed in these mice. Other loci, and cross talk between genes at different loci, probably account for much of the remainder - in fact we detected a number of additional loci that could account for some of the residual variation. Additional genotyping and analysis could greatly increase our understanding of the genetic architecture of the HFHL phenotype."

Insomnia Takes Toll On Tinnitus Patients:-

For the more than 36 million people plagued by tinnitus, insomnia can have a negative effect on the condition, worsening the functional and emotional toll of chronic ringing, buzzing, hissing or clicking in the head and ears, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

The study shows a significant association between insomnia and the severity of perceived tinnitus symptoms, with patients with insomnia reporting greater emotional distress from tinnitus.

"Tinnitus involves cognitive, emotional, and psycho-physiological processes, which can result in an increase in a patient's distress," says study co-author Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, M.D., Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford. "Sleep complaints, including insomnia, in these patients may result in a decrease in their tolerance to tinnitus."

The study was presented at the Combined Otolaryngological Spring Meetings in San Diego.

Do I Need A Hearing Instrument?

Many like to think a hearing instrument is unnecessary because they hear perfectly well. Hearing loss, however, is deceiving. While many sounds may be audible, others – especially those that enhance speech clarity – may have faded.

Confirmed Hearing Loss – Now What?

Having a hearing instrument tailored to your needs and preferences takes more than one appointment. Typically, at least three appointments are necessary to identify the scope of your hearing difficulties. Once that is settled, further appointments are usually scheduled to fit and fine tune the hearing instruments to your needs.

What is Meniere's Disease?

Meniere's Disease, also known as Endolymphatic Hydrops, is an inner ear disorder that is caused by an overproduction or underproduction of endolymphatic fluid found within the cochlea or inner ear. As the endolymphatic ducts change, there is a change of pressure in the inner ear. The increased pressure can break through the membranes to the inner ear and cause an abnormality in the chemical make-up of the fluid.

Myth #3: "Persons with normal hearing have no trouble hearing in noisy settings."

Wrong. I cannot hear a bird out my living room window if I am playing a stereo in my living room. Therefore, in fact, I become hearing impaired to softer sounds when louder sounds are present. This same phenomena occurs every time I am in a noisy room. The confusing part is that when a person with normal hearing walks into a room full of noise, they continue to understand much of the conversation in front of them. They are not hearing the entire conversation; rather, they are seamlessly using coping strategies which allow them to understand what is being said.
In Conclusion:
It is critical to understand that the human body does its best to maintain equilibrium in all ways. If we lose hearing, we increase focus (and use better compensation strategies) when listening to speech.
If you wait ten years before fixing the lack of sound to the brain, then add a hearing aid which brings in all sorts of sounds literally with the click of a switch, the brain screams "OVERLOAD". Like all things it to needs time to re-adjust to change.
This process makes it very hard to focus even in quiet places initially and especially in noisy places. The good news is that the vast majority of people, even after waiting years to do something about the hearing loss, will regain focus and conclude that the hearing aids really do help, but they often recognize the improvements only in quiet. Regaining focus in noise remains a challenge for many.
Having said this, virtually all my patients do better in noise while wearing hearing aids.

http://www.audiologyonline.com/ceus/livecoursedetails.asp?wc=1&class_id=19901

Audiology Online Continuing Education (CEU) Course: Deep Canal Fittings: No Perks Without the Work..

Myth # 2: "I don't need my hearing aids when it's quiet. I hear fine without them."

Wrong again. In a quiet setting, most will recognize that they understand better than they do in noise, with or without hearing aids. This does not mean that they hear fine in quiet, it simply means that they can cope effectively in quiet. In truth, it is because these coping strategies are unconscious that the person believes they can hear without a hearing aid.

Hearing Aids Working In Quiet and In Noise ?

Myth # 1: "Hearing aids do not work in noise :-

Wrong. The simple answer is they work extremely well in noise; they pick up soft sounds at far away distances very well. However, restoring the ability to identify sounds at distances is not the sole answer; a hearing impaired person wants and needs to understand conversations better.
Wearing hearing aids in noise can make understanding very difficult, because after all, it makes it harder to focus with all the extra sound that is brought in by the hearing aid. Hearing aids allow for more hearing, not better focus. Focus is essential in order to understand what you want to hear in a noisy environment.
Example: Glasses improve vision, but they do not tell you what to look at.
Focus takes rehabilitation, which takes time. Persons with a hearing impairment have no idea how to react or cope with the abundance of sounds they are now receiving. After all, they likely have spent the last ten years unconsciously learning coping skills for having poor hearing, not good hearing.

What if the sounds (Tinnitus) in my ear do not go away? :-

Some people find their tinnitus doesn’t go away or it gets worse. In some cases it may become so severe that you find it difficult to hear, concentrate, or even sleep. Your doctor will work with you to help find ways to reduce the severity of the noise and its impact on your life.

What should I do if I have tinnitus? :-

The first thing is to see your primary care doctor, who will check if anything, such as ear wax, is blocking the ear canal. Your doctor will ask you about your current health, medical conditions, and medications to find out if an underlying condition is causing your tinnitus.
If your doctor cannot find any medical condition responsible for your tinnitus, you may be referred to an otolaryngologist (commonly called an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or an ENT). The ENT will physically examine your head, neck, and ears and test your hearing to determine whether you have any hearing loss along with the tinnitus. You might also be referred to an audiologist who can also measure your hearing and evaluate your tinnitus.

Why do I have this noise in my ears? :-

Although we hear tinnitus in our ears, its source is really in the networks of brain cells (what scientists call neural circuits) that make sense of the sounds our ears hear. A way to think about tinnitus is that it often begins in the ear, but it continues in the brain.
Scientists still haven’t agreed upon what happens in the brain to create the illusion of sound when there is none. Some think that tinnitus is similar to chronic pain syndrome, in which the pain persists even after a wound or broken bone has healed.
Tinnitus could be the result of the brain’s neural circuits trying to adapt to the loss of sensory hair cells by turning up the sensitivity to sound. This would explain why some people with tinnitus are oversensitive to loud noise.
Tinnitus also could be the result of neural circuits thrown out of balance when damage in the inner ear changes signaling activity in the auditory cortex, the part of the brain that processes sound. Or it could be the result of abnormal interactions between neural circuits. The neural circuits involved in hearing aren’t solely dedicated to processing sound. They also communicate with other parts of the brain, such as the limbic region, which regulates mood and emotion.

What causes tinnitus? :-

Tinnitus (pronounced tin-NY-tus or TIN-u-tus) is not a disease. It is a symptom that something is wrong in the auditory system, which includes the ear, the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, and the parts of the brain that process sound. Something as simple as a piece of earwax blocking the ear canal can cause tinnitus. But it can also be the result of a number of health conditions, such as:
Noise-induced hearing loss
Ear and sinus infections
Diseases of the heart or blood vessels
Ménière’s disease
Brain tumors
Hormonal changes in women
Thyroid abnormalities
Tinnitus is sometimes the first sign of hearing loss in older people. It also can be a side effect of medications. More than 200 drugs are known to cause tinnitus when you start or stop taking them.
People who work in noisy environments—such as factory or construction workers, road crews, or even musicians—can develop tinnitus over time when ongoing exposure to noise damages tiny sensory hair cells in the inner ear that help transmit sound to the brain. This is called noise-induced hearing loss.
Soldiers exposed to bomb blasts can develop tinnitus if the shock wave of the explosion squeezes the skull and damages brain tissue in areas that help process sound. In fact, tinnitus is one of the most common service-related disabilities among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pulsatile tinnitus is a rare type of tinnitus that sounds like a rhythmic pulsing in the ear, usually in time with your heartbeat. A doctor may be able to hear it by pressing a stethoscope against your neck or by placing a tiny microphone inside the ear canal. This kind of tinnitus is most often caused by problems with blood flow in the head or neck. Pulsatile tinnitus also may be caused by brain tumors or abnormalities in brain structure.
Even with all of these associated conditions and causes, some people develop tinnitus for no obvious reason. Most of the time, tinnitus isn’t a sign of a serious health problem, although if it’s loud or doesn’t go away, it can cause fatigue, depression, anxiety, and problems with memory and concentration. For some, tinnitus can be a source of real mental and emotional anguish.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing in the ears, but it also can sound like roaring, clicking, hissing, or buzzing. It may be soft or loud, high pitched or low pitched. You might hear it in either one or both ears. In the past year, experts estimate that 22.7 million adult Americans experienced tinnitus for more than three months, which is roughly 10 percent of the adult population of the United States

Diabetes Affects Hearing Loss, Especially In Women:-

Having diabetes may cause women to experience a greater degree of hearing loss as they age, especially if the metabolic disorder is not well controlled with medication, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Women between the ages of 60 and 75 with well-controlled diabetes had better hearing than women with poorly controlled diabetes, with similar hearing levels to those of non-diabetic women of the same age.

The study also shows significantly worse hearing in all women younger than 60 with diabetes, even if it is well controlled.

Men, however, had worse hearing loss across the board compared to women in the study, regardless of their age or whether or not they had diabetes.

"A certain degree of hearing loss is a normal part of the aging process for all of us, but it is often accelerated in patients with diabetes, especially if blood-glucose levels are not being controlled with medication and diet," says Derek J. Handzo, D.O., with the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford.

"Our study really points to importance of patients controlling their diabetes, especially as they age, based on the impact it may have on hearing loss."

The study will be presented in Miami Beach at the annual Triological Society's Combined Sections Meeting.

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 26 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and another 34.5 million have some degree of hearing loss. Signs of hearing loss include difficulty hearing background noises or hearing conversations in large groups, as well as regularly needing to turn up the volume on a radio or TV.

While the association between diabetes and hearing loss has previously been studied, Henry Ford researchers sought to learn more about hearing differences among patients with well-controlled diabetes, poorly controlled diabetes, and those who do not have diabetes.

The Henry Ford research team reviewed records for 990 patients that had audiograms performed between 2000 and 2008 at the hospital. Patients were categorized by gender, age (younger than 60 years old, between 60-75 years old and older than 75 years old), and if they had diabetes. Those with diabetes were divided into two groups: well-controlled or poorly controlled, as determined by the American Diabetes Association guidelines that use HbA1C blood levels.

Dr. Handzo notes that previous studies about diabetes and hearing loss have not focused on blood-glucose levels, nor did they include such a diverse population based on age and gender.

The Henry Ford team looked at patients' pure tone average, a measurement that determines hearing level at certain frequency, and speech recognition at different ages. The team evaluated pure tone average ranges that focus on the frequency at which most people speak and the very high frequencies used in music and alarms.

Women between the ages of 60 and 75 with poorly controlled diabetes had significantly worse hearing than those whose diabetes was well-controlled and the control group. Among the women younger than 60, those with diabetes - regardless of whether or not it was being controlled - had worse hearing than non-diabetic women.

For the men in the study, there was no significant difference in hearing between those with diabetes that well-controlled or poorly controlled, as well as those who did not have diabetes.

"Younger males in general have worse hearing, enough so to possibly mask any impact diabetes may have on hearing. But our findings really call for future research to determine the possible role gender plays in hearing loss," says Dr. Handzo.

Anatomy of Ear

Prevention-

• Noise-induced hearing loss is usually permanent and progresses with each exposure. Use proper ear protection when working around loud noises.
• Never put foreign objects in the ear.
o Do not use cotton swabs to probe or clean the ear canals.
o Do not put cotton balls or liquids into the ear unless prescribed by a doctor.
• Treat middle ear infections as soon as possible. Hearing loss may be prevented by prompt treatment. Most doctors believe that fluid in the middle ear (called an effusion) lasting longer than 6 weeks should be drained and tympanostomy tubes (ear tubes) placed in the middle ear.
• If you are taking medications that can cause hearing loss, your doctor should carefully monitor their levels with blood tests.

Hearing Loss Symptoms

Hearing loss may be gradual or sudden. Hearing loss may be very mild, resulting in minor difficulties with conversation, or as severe as complete deafness. The speed with which hearing loss occurs may give clues as to the cause.
• If hearing loss is sudden, it may be from trauma or a problem with blood circulation. A gradual onset is suggestive of other causes such as aging or a tumor.
• If you also have other associated neurological problems, such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or vertigo (spinning sensation), it may indicate a problem with the nerves in the ear or brain.
• Hearing loss may be unilateral (only 1 ear) or bilateral (both ears). Unilateral hearing loss is most often associated with conductive causes, trauma, and acoustic neuroma.
• Pain in the ear is associated with ear infections, trauma, and obstruction in the canal. Ear infections may also cause a fever.