Can COVID-19 cause tinnitus or hearing loss?

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, brings with it a host of health concerns. Most of these symptoms are respiratory in nature as reported by the CDC; shortness of breath, coughing, sore throat [1]. However, there is some concern that the coronavirus may cause some neurological symptoms as well.

In a study of 214 patients with varying degrees of respiratory involvement from novel coronavirus, 36.4% of patients had symptoms of neurologic manifestations that involved central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and skeletal muscles [2]. Further, there is some initial evidence that the virus may cause damage to the hearing organs of the inner ear.

Currently, there is little evidence published connecting novel coronavirus and tinnitus directly. But according to the American Tinnitus Association, pre-existing behavioral conditions may make it more likely patients will experience tinnitus due to the stress and depression associated with social isolation and infection avoidance.

For example, one large population study posits that people with generalized anxiety disorder are nearly seven times more likely to experience chronic, burdensome tinnitus [3]. In an age of vigilance with risk of infection and the social isolation to avoid spread, stress and depression are common emotions we all may experience.

Ototoxicity is a potential risk

While it is too early to know whether a potential vaccine will have any risk of ototoxicity (a well-known cause of hearing loss), some currently discussed treatments do pose a potential risk to the auditory system.

The quinine family of drugs, historically used for prophylactic prevention and treatment of malaria, have some history of ototoxicity. However, the most recent trial of this family in treatment of COVID-19 has focused around hydroxychloroquine, which has a lower risk of ototoxicity [4].

A promising therapeutic antiviral being developed and in clinical trials for COVID-19, Remdesivir, does not currently list ototoxicity as a potential side effect, per its maker, Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Hearing professionals are enacting new safety protocols

Today, the greatest concern regarding COVID-19 is in transmission. Hearing loss treatment — like most essential health services — include procedures that make social distancing a challenge but are not impossible to execute safely. Telehealth, curbside service, and appropriate in-office protocols are being put in place at Innovative Hearing that will significantly limit exposure potential.

During a time when hearing feels more critical than ever, hearing healthcare becomes an essential health service in which clinicians can and are able to mitigate risk while delivering best hearing practices.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Innovative Hearing today! Click here for a list of locations.

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Stress relief tips and tactics

During these uncertain times of COVID-19, many of us are feeling increased levels of stress — whether it’s stress about our health or the health of a loved one, stress about our finances or job, the future of the economy, or…(fill in your own stress here). Just know that these feelings are all completely valid.

You’ve likely seen more media coverage on these topics in recent weeks. Maybe you’ve even confided in a mental health practitioner, a friend, or a family member about these feelings. These are all great steps, but you still may be wondering things like, “why do I feel so alone?” or “how do I cope with feelings of loneliness and isolation?”

While it may feel like you can’t control the environment we’re living in right now because of COVID-19, what you can control is your reaction to it. A positive reaction to stressful environments can help improve physical health and well-being, reduce depression, and improve the immune system.

You can help manage your stress by taking care of both your physical and mental health on a daily basis. Here are two tactics I use:

Engage in physical activity

You don’t have to be a marathon runner to maintain or improve your physical health and enjoy the proven benefits of physical activity. 10,000 steps a day, every day, will result in improved cardiovascular function. Additionally, physical activity can help reduce anxiety, frustration, anger, and overall mood distress when compared to individuals who are more sedentary and don’t exercise daily.

Ready for the good news? If you wear smart hearing aids, your steps are being tracked, whether you have a smartphone with you or not. This tracking can help motivate you to reach your goal!

Find and utilize tools that help you relax

During COVID-19, it is crucial to find a variety of tools that help you push the pause button and reduce stress in the middle of a hectic day. Perhaps your relaxation tool is to practice mediation. First, find your happy place. Maybe it’s on a beach while you listen to waves crash in, sitting by a lake on calm night, or enjoying the snowy, quiet mountains.

To fully envelope yourself in this happy place, try streaming a YouTube video with audio from these nature scenes through your smart hearing aids. Focus solely on your breathing during this time.

It’s important to keep in mind that we’re all approaching this global pandemic from different perspectives and different circumstances. The challenges can be even greater for adults and children with hearing loss. So, please remember, we’re all in this together.

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Hearing loss increases the risk of accidental injuries

An analysis of data from the National Health Interview Survey found that, over an eight year period (2007 – 2015), people who reported that they had “a lot of trouble” hearing ended up being twice as likely to have an accidental injury — both at work and leisure — as people who reported no trouble hearing.

While the study didn’t dig into what it was about hearing loss that led to these higher numbers, experts suspect the effects of sensory impairment played a role. Falls, too, which happen more frequently to people with hearing loss, certainly contribute to the increase.

Why does this matter? Because according to the National Health Report by the CDC, accidental injuries are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S.

But maybe a bigger “why it matters” is that if you have hearing loss and are wondering if you should treat it or not, this is one more fact to add to the “treat it!” side of your list.

Don’t wait any longer, call Innovative Hearing today to prevent any accidental injuries.

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Even subtle hearing loss can alter the brain function of young adults

In 2018, assistant professor Yune Lee and his research team at Ohio State University monitored the brain activity of study participants 18 through 41 years of age as they listened to increasingly complex sentences. The team was hoping to measure if human brains work harder to comprehend more complex messages.

What they unexpectedly discovered, instead, was that the young adults with subtle hearing loss (everyone’s hearing was tested before the monitoring took place) were altering their brain function in ways typically only seen in older adults. As a result, they could be paving the way for dementia.

With increasing evidence linking hearing loss to dementia, Lee voiced the quote in today’s Hearing Fact Friday — recommending young people test their hearing regularly, to stay out front of any hearing loss and treat it early, if hearing loss is discovered.

As the calendar flips to a new year, Mr. Lee’s advice is a good reminder to adults of every age to add hearing screenings to their annual health and wellness “to-do list” and be proactive about their hearing health.

Call Innovative Hearing today!

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Video conferencing tips for people with hearing loss

An unintended consequence of work-from-home or shelter-in-place orders has been the impact these requirements have on people with hearing loss. In many communities, we all — including those with hearing impairments — are now working, going to school, and spending the majority of free time confined at home, with limited access to people and tools that are essential for communication.

For those who have adapted to reading lips, who use contextual cues usually reserved for in-person contact, or are reliant on the support network of their peers, this new “normal” can be a challenge.

When using video conferencing tools especially, frozen screens and crashes can be navigated in audio-only mode for the hearing capable, but not for those who are hearing challenged. Add in people talking over each other, and it can become a garbled mess for the listener.

So what can be done to help build an inclusive environment for business, school and home communication?

• Hearing impaired individuals should be proactive in letting others know of the challenges they are experiencing with video conferencing. Inform others that you are hearing impaired and offer helpful hints when possible to help them communicate more effectively with you.

• Experiment with a variety of communication tools. With more conversations moving to phone and video calls, and in-person chats taking place with medical masks being worn, you may need additional tools for communication. Even old- fashioned pen and paper or whiteboards may be an option to aid in communication!

• Closed-captioning apps are also an option. There are a number on the market available for either Apple or Android platforms. Here are just a few of the options: Live Transcribe, Otter Voice Meeting Notes, Speech Notes, Voice Notebook and e-Dictate.

• Use a video conferencing platform that offers instant or live closed captioning. This feature can be enabled for several of the most commonly used systems.

• Call on anyone who hasn’t participated in a while to ensure they have a chance to participate and are engaged. This is helpful in work, classroom or home environments!

• Consider amplified telephones and analog captioned phones. Depending on the state you live in, you may be eligible for a free or reduced-cost telecommunications equipment.

• Provide written follow up when appropriate.

• For hearing impaired students, there are a number of resources available at: successforkidswithhearingloss.com

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Coronavirus is a reminder that time and life are precious and can change in a split second. Communication for social, business and educational purposes is paramount now, more than ever.

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Prioritize your hearing health by staying in touch with us at Innovative Hearing. With flexibility and creativity, we can embrace technology to remain connected, while protecting ourselves and others. Make a promise to yourself and others to keep your wellbeing and that of others flourishing in these challenging times.

Contact us here for any questions, comments or concerns.

Social distancing doesn’t have to equal isolation for people with hearing loss

Having worked with patients with hearing loss for many years, I am always incredibly excited when they make the decision to move forward with hearing healthcare through one of our member clinics. The years of social isolation that they’ve felt in experiencing hearing loss is magically lifted with appropriate amplification. This may sound like an overdramatization and, honestly, it might be. But I could spend days telling you story after story that our patients have told us about how hearing aids have restored their connection to the loved ones around them.

We are in a unique time

The social engagement that hearing aid wearers are able to pursue and enjoy is now being limited by instructions to stay socially distant. Further, these social distancing efforts create a compounding issue for people with untreated hearing loss. Studies have shown a correlation and association between hearing loss, social isolation, and lower quality-of-life measures in normal social arrangements [1] [2]. In times such as these, when we are encouraged to be further apart from each other to avoid community-based virus spread, our friends and community members with hearing loss are likely feeling more isolation than ever before.

Modern hearing aids help you stay connected and engaged

With this unique time comes an opportunity for people with hearing loss and the communities around them. First, technology offered today in hearing instruments from companies like Starkey, make remote programming and fitting possible. As many hearing devices today are smartphone capable and compatible, Innovative Hearing’s professionals can reach out to remotely fit, fine tune, and adjust hearing devices better than ever before.

If you have a hearing loss and you find this time particularly difficult to cope with because of your hearing impairment, reach out to your local hearing healthcare provider for help! Innovative Hearing has developed protocols and procedures to keep their patients safe and keep people with hearing impairments from having to go without care.

Secondly, if you know people in your community struggling with hearing loss, know that they are likely having a difficult time — especially right now as we try to “flatten the curve” and comply with social distancing measures. Reach out to them proactively to check in on them to see how they are doing, if they need any assistance, or quite simply just to chat.

Right now, more than ever, they’re likely feeling isolated from the world around them. A kind gesture of just a simple phone call or a conversation at six feet apart can mean a world of difference to someone with hearing loss during this already challenging time.

Contact Innovative Hearing today to set up your first telehealth appointment!

1. The Association between Hearing Loss and Social Isolation in Older Adults Paul Mick, MD, MPH, FRCSC, Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD, Frank R. Lin, MD, PhDFirst Published January 2, 2014 Research Article Find in PubMed https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599813518021

2. The impact of hearing loss on the quality of life of elderly adults Andrea Ciorba, Chiara Bianchini, Stefano Pelucchi, and Antonio Pastore Clin Interv Aging. 2012; 7: 159–163.

By Kyle Acker, Au.D.

Telehealth Visits are Now Available

During these unprecedented times, when experts are recommending or governing that we keep our distance from each other — we’d like to shine a spotlight on our new Telehealth feature.

Telehealth Appointments lets you request certain hearing aid adjustments from Innovative Hearing, even when you’re quarantined at home or can’t go to their office.

With Telehealth Hearing Appointments, you can schedule your visit through our dedicated phone appointment line at 847.563.4988 or by requesting an appointment online. You can do this from the comfort of your own home or wherever you happen to be. Appointments can be conducted over the phone, or by video conference. For a video conference, you will need to have access to an internet browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox) and should have a good internet connection, with functioning audio and video capabilities (computer preferred, but smart-phone will work as well).

One less thing to worry about

The need to hear your best is vitally important every day, but even more so during challenging times like now. With Telehealth Hearing Appointments, you can enjoy some added peace of mind knowing you can still get the hearing help you need, even when our Innovative Hearing Professionals can’t be by your side.

For other technical questions about your hearing aids, please call Innovative Hearing.

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The inability to distinguish sounds is a form of hearing loss

The National Safety Council’s Safety + Health magazine recently published an article about ototoxicants, chemicals that can cause hearing loss and balance issues.

In the article, warnings were shared from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about which industries have higher exposure risks to these chemicals — and how the adverse effects of ototoxicants increases when “workers are exposed to elevated noise levels.”

One type of hearing loss OSHA notes as “especially hazardous” is speech discrimination dysfunction. What’s that?

Speech discrimination dysfunction is when a person cannot distinguish a voice or warning signal from ambient noise. In other words, they can hear, but everything sounds the same to them. This can put the worker at an elevated risk for accidents or mistakes if, for instance, an alarm or alert goes off and they don’t register it for what it is.

It’s not dissimilar to a complaint that many people who have hearing loss — but don’t initially recognize it — say, that “I can hear, but I can’t understand.”

If this describes you, a consultation with a hearing healthcare professional is advised. Please call Innovative Hearing today!

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Five reasons why you should not ignore hearing loss

Does this sound familiar? Either you or someone you know is just starting to deal with hearing loss. But instead of taking it seriously, you brush it aside. 

You can cope, you’ve decided. You’ll just turn the TV up a little louder. Ask people to speak up or repeat what they said. And really, the quiet can be kind of nice, right?

“Why should I treat it,” you wonder?

Should you treat or ignore your hearing loss?

The decision to treat or ignore hearing loss should not be taken lightly. Why? Because hearing loss plays a significant role in many issues that impact our quality of life, including five important ones:

1. Mental health

2. Physical health

3. Income and career

4. Personal safety

5. Relationships and social interactions

Before you decide whether to ignore or treat your hearing loss, read what studies, health care experts, and hearing aid wearers themselves have to say about each choice.

1. Mental Health

Ignoring hearing loss

Numerous studies link hearing loss to issues of mental decline, including increased anxiety and depression, accelerated brain shrinkage, and even dementia. One such study, by Johns Hopkins Medicine, tested volunteers with hearing loss over six years and found their cognitive abilities declined 30-40% faster than peers with normal hearing.

Treating hearing loss

Johns Hopkins’ researcher, Dr. Frank Lin, thinks that “if you want to address hearing loss well, do it sooner rather than later.” He recommends treating hearing loss before “brain structural changes take place.”

A separate study released in 2015 backs him up. In the study, scientists concluded that treating hearing loss by wearing hearing aids reduces the risk of cognitive decline associated with hearing loss.

Untreated hearing loss may result in serious long-term consequences to healthy brain functioning.

2. Physical Health

Ignoring hearing loss

The National Council on Aging notes that “falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans.” While no one knows how many falls are linked to hearing loss each year, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found that people with hearing loss are three times more likely to fall than those without hearing loss.

It’s thought that hearing loss may detract from environmental awareness, which increases the likelihood of tripping and falling.

Treating hearing loss

Recently, a study by the Washington University School of Medicine found that improving hearing through hearing aids appears to “improve balance in older adults with hearing loss” and helps reduce the risk of falls. Researchers credited the results to both increased alertness and improved balance.

3. Income and Career 

Ignoring hearing loss

A study by the Better Hearing Institute quantified the impact of untreated hearing loss on the job. The study found that people with untreated hearing loss can see an income hit of up to $30,000 annually and were nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as peers who wore hearing aids.

“Hearing loss was affecting my presentations and ability to service clients.” Chris T., Pennsylvania  

Treating hearing loss

That same study found that people who use hearing aids reduced the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent. It also reported that most hearing aid users in the workforce said wearing hearing aids has helped their performance on the job. 

“Listening is SO important in my work, and I can now work better, more efficiently and more effectively because of my hearing aids.” Marty C., New York  

4. Personal Safety

Ignoring hearing loss

Studies aren’t needed to know that missed or misheard signals like car horns, alarms and other warning alerts can jeopardize a person’s safety. And it doesn’t always have to be one’s own. Adults caring for infants and young children need to know when their charge is crying or in distress.

Treating hearing loss

Treating hearing loss with hearing aids enhances your awareness of your surroundings and can help ensure you hear every smoke detector, bike bell, emergency alert or distress call.

5. Relationships and Social Interactions

Ignoring hearing loss

More than anything, untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation, as the challenges of listening and feelings of “missing out” often cause people to withdraw from the friends, family and activities that bring them joy.

This, alone, is significant, as social isolation is closely linked to numerous quality-of-life issues, including depression, illness, exhaustion and even shorter life spans.9  

Treating hearing loss

Treating hearing loss with hearing aids enables you to hear, participate, and ensure you don’t miss out on the people and activities that make you happy. It’s as simple as that. 

“I’m so glad I got hearing aids. It has truly been life changing!” Lesley P., California

Contact Innovative Hearing today!

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“I can hear but I can’t understand”

One of the first things people with hearing loss observe is “I hear people fine, but I don’t understand what they are saying.”

This is a consistent complaint of individuals who are experiencing the effects of a “sloping high frequency hearing loss.“

What’s happening and why do so many have this complaint?

Hearing loss involves not only our ears, but also our brain: where sound waves are coded by the ears and then translated into meaningful words. While hearing loss can present itself in varying degrees of severity in different frequencies, a very common progression of inner ear hearing loss is sloping high frequency hearing loss.

We commonly measure hearing from 250 to 8000 Hz. Individuals with “high frequency” hearing loss have no loss at frequencies below 1000 Hz (lower pitched frequencies), but have abnormal results in the range of 1000 to 8000 Hz (higher pitched frequencies). High frequency hearing loss is one of the most common variances of hearing loss there is.

Different speech signals produce different frequencies

When examining human speech signals, we see that there are lower pitched sounds or vowels (A, E, I, O and U) and higher pitched sounds or consonants (S,F , Th, Sh, Ch, K, P and H). Being able to hear vowels in the lower pitched frequencies gives us a sensation of hearing speech, but not being able to hear higher pitched sound or “consonants” is what compromises our ability to understand full words. (So we hear, but we don’t understand.)

The high-pitched frequencies where consonants occur is where the discrimination of different words happen. When we have high-frequency hearing loss, we lose the ability to hear the “consonant” sounds efficiently and, thus, our ability to tell the difference between words such as ‘Cat” or “Hat”.

Key sounds and letters aren’t heard clearly

Imagine having a book with every S, F, Th, Sh, Ch, K, P and H erased. You could read part of the book and understand some of it, but you would not be able to understand many key words and phrases and, as a result, be challenged to understand it. This is what is happening with a high frequency hearing loss. You can hear part of the message, however your high frequency loss has “erased” the key sounds or letters needed for discrimination and understanding.

Luckily, high frequency hearing loss can usually be helped with proper diagnosis and appropriate amplification. Plus, now with the transcribe feature on Audibel’s Via AI hearing aids, you can transcribe a conversation into text, to help ensure you never miss a word or phrase again.

Contact Innovative Hearing today!

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