Blog

Question: People do not die from hearing loss, so why should it be added to the list of public health concerns like tobacco use and obesity? Answer: Because hearing loss is highly prevalent, with numerous associated health risks that burden affected individuals, their family, and their community....

Often a celebrity will unintentionally bring a medical condition to the public eye. Singer Cher introduced many fans to Epstein-Barr Syndrome. Serena Williams has Sjogren’s Syndrome. Selena Gomez had people talking about Lupus and auto-immune disease, and Magic Johnson made HIV more real to millions...

People can suddenly lose hearing. This is more likely to occur in only one ear. It may be both ears, however, and there may be additional symptoms. There are many possible causes. Healthcare providers need to be able to find the most likely cause and begin treatment fast. Symptoms that may go...

You wake up one morning and something is different. Your ear feels plugged. Perhaps you switched ears on your phone and cannot hear out of one side. You need more volume to hear the news report. Your ear buds only work on one side. Is this normal? What could it be? What can be done? Sudden lo...

Hearing is a highly complex task that can take vibrations in the air and turn them into an idea. Great speeches, alarm sounds, dog barks or beautiful music begin as mere vibrations reaching the ears. Hearing begins with detection (“a sound is present”). Next comes discrimination (“that is a word”...

It is well known that loud sounds damage hearing. Many adults are at risk. Ear infections resulting in tubes are common in young children through adulthood. What do these facts have in common? Both result in ears that need protection, from loud noises or from water in the ears. There are now several...

A recent “hot topic” in hearing research is the link between hearing ability and cognition. “Cognition” refers to the brain’s ability to gather information, store it, make sense of it and solve problems. The National Institute of Aging sponsored research that found adults with hearing loss were more...

When we meet a new patient, we look for risk factors. One of our questions involves past exposure to loud sounds. Most people are aware loudness damages hearing. Naturally, it is good for people to be cautious about what they expose their ears to. What causes the damage? How does the damage happen?...

Recently a patient told us a story that was intended as humor but carried a sad undertone. He has been dealing with hearing loss since leaving the military. Over the years his hearing has decreased slowly. His wife and family have been with him over 40 years. The patient said, “You know, hearing los...

A recent hot topic in our field is ear wax. What is this mysterious substance? Is it normal? How do we manage it? Our ear canals provide a path for sound to reach our eardrums. This is how we receive sounds. Anything that could block this pathway can make it harder to hear. It can also cause our...

You wake up one day, and something has changed. You sense you can’t hear out of one ear. It feels plugged, and you’re only really hearing from one side. Perhaps it bothers you a whole day. You reassure yourself it will pass. But will it? Is this normal? Should you take action? How long should you wa...

We often associate the word “plastic” with cheap material used to make children’s toys and car parts. It was once the wave of the future. Petroleum produced an inexpensive textile substitute. It became synonymous with 1970s furniture and inexpensive mass-produced products. But can the term have a po...

Tinnitus is phantom noise perception. It is a sound that is heard without coming from the outside world. It can be a ring, buzz, hiss, hum, chirp, music or other sounds. It is experienced by at least 50 million Americans. Patients’ reactions to tinnitus range from a minor nuisance to a major disrupt...

Any time a new medical treatment arrives, researchers look for side effects. We are all familiar with the term. We may research side effects when we begin something new or feel ill. Many people substitute medications if they are feeling bad effects of their current regimen. The drug commercials remi...

Many people appear interested in the topic of ear wax. This is the mysterious substance that often lines or fills the ear canals leading to the ear drum. There are many misconceptions about wax in the canals and several safe methods for removing it. Questions naturally arise. What is this substance?...

It is no secret loud sounds damage hearing. We warn kids of the dangers of ear bud use. We see the effects in people who have spent years working in factories, serving in the military, playing in bands or using power tools. Noise exposed people are more likely than others to become hard of hearing....

The ear canal is a dark, warm, damp tunnel in the side of your head. Aside from channeling sound to your eardrum, it should be an ideal place to harvest tiny agents of infection. Bacteria, viruses, fungus, insects, etc. should thrive in such a place. However, we typically don’t have an ear infection...

It is not uncommon for a hearing center to see a patient complaining of difficulty hearing despite having normal test results. The man who cannot hear in a crowd may hear perfectly well in quiet. A couple complains of poor communication if one walks to an adjacent room. An older woman with a modest...

We are no doubt living in stressful times. The psychological stress due to a pandemic is undeniable. Our lives changed in many ways within several short weeks due to a novel virus. Meanwhile, we should not forget other conditions and diseases persist in the population. It is important not to neglect...

You may be aware that middle ear infections and middle ear fluid are common in young children. Many pediatrician visits result in treatment for otitis media. In children this presents as “glue ear” and may be accompanied by pain, fever and reduced hearing. The middle ear is the air space behind the...

Much has been made about the recent viral audio/video debate about a single word. Some people hear only “Laurel”, and some only “Yanni.” Some hear either, depending on what they are told they will hear, and some hear both on successive trials. What has caused this discrepancy between two seemingly u...

A tinnitus app People whose work and play put them at risk for ear damage often complain about difficulty hearing and ringing in the ears. Construction workers, machinists, contractors, musicians and others find themselves immersed in loud sounds as a matter of common practice. Add hobbies, such...

People whose work and play put them at risk for ear damage commonly complain about difficulty hearing and ringing/buzzing in the ears. Construction workers, machinists, contractors and musicians find themselves immersed in loud sounds as a matter of common practice. Add off-the-job hobbies, such as...

There are several risk factors for hearing loss when an audiologist reviews a patient’s history. Well known factors include exposure to loud noises, family history of hearing loss, ear surgery, infections and diseases. A lesser known aspect of a patient’s history is medications. There are ove...

We wanted to share a glimpse into the diversity of patients we might see on a typical day. We will follow one of our providers as the morning unfolds. First patient is a 65 year-old male with a known hearing loss. He has been referred to us by a friend who is our patient. We test his hearing,...

Professionals in every field are limited by their training, experience, education or professional license. The scope of practice for lawyers, for example, is vast. However, it is unlikely the same attorney will aid in estate planning and also prosecute criminal cases. A radiologist with a medical de...

You hear with more than your ears. We tend to think of the ears as the hearing organ of the body. This is reasonable. Our ears take in sound. The visible part of the ear acts as a funnel to direct sound waves inward. These waves cause vibrations in the middle ear and cause a fluid wave to travel thr...

A great challenge of audiology has always been to examine organs and structures we cannot see. When we look through an otoscope or camera into the ear canal, we can see as far as the eardrum. The most important parts of the ear for most disorders, however, are in the inner ear and even the nerve n...

Audiologist Ron D’Angelo wrote an article that was published in the January, 2017 edition of the Journal of the International Trumpet Guild. The article concerns the intelligent use of hearing conservation strategies and products for musicians and music teachers. A professional trumpet player when h...

Clear Choice Hearing and Balance is excited to announce our Brighton office has moved to a new location. A stone’s throw from our current space, the new suite allows us to better serve you in an opulent, spacious environment. The office provides us with two concurrent audio test booths, improved fac...