One group of people that have been hard done by during the pandemic and its repercussions is the hearing loss community. With masks and social distancing becoming recommended or even mandatory in many public places, it can be tricky to communicate with a community that relies on context given by lip-reading.
A Design Fix for Face Masks
My wife Nathalie and I are both artisans, originally from Normandy, France, now living in New Jersey. I design and make furniture and Nathalie works with textiles. When the pandemic started affecting our New York-New Jersey area, we watched as local hospitals were in dire need of PPE (personal protective equipment). We wanted to use our talents to help, so we started making fabric face masks with ties/elastic around the head.
Celebrating Your Future and Your Loved Ones
You may not know this, but August is National Make-a-Will Month. Every year thousands of Americans take advantage of the month of August to protect their loved ones and plan for their futures, all through an important task: writing your will. A will is an essential legal document that everyone should have, no matter your age or the size of your estate.
Earbuds vs. Over-the-Ear Headphones: Which Should You Use?
Avoiding noise-induced trauma is arguably one of the best ways to reduce your chances of hearing loss. However, while everybody knows that explosive noise like construction equipment and jet engines can damage your ears, fewer people are aware of another, more common culprit. I'm speaking about music.
Dealing With a Sudden Loss of Hearing and Five Ways Loved Ones Can Help
I was a high school senior when I got the news that my moderate to severe, bilateral, congenital hearing loss had just got worse (genetic, 60-85 dB loss in both ears). “Discrimination dropped from 82% to 15% in her left ear and 72% to 12% in the right ear...” the audiologist reported, confirming my sudden, significant drop in hearing. Though I could hear the difference, I couldn’t believe it. The words stung more than I could have ever imagined.
The Challenge of Hearing Well in Background Noise
What is important to know is that hearing—and understanding— speech in the presence of background noise is a complex physiological process. Wearing a hearing aid can usually improve the way sounds are presented to the ear, but it cannot change the way your brain processes the signal your ear receives.
Accessing 911 in a Crisis: An Emerging Tool for the Deaf
The ability to communicate with the authorities by text in an emergency is limited to less than 10 percent of the U.S., says Scott Carlton, the creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness in New York City. Carlton is one of the masterminds behind Deaf 911, an emergency mobile app that gives people who are deaf or hard of hearing a voice when they need it most. Carlton doesn’t have a hearing loss, but his grandmother, with whom he was close, was profoundly deaf.
Managing Hearing Loss in the Time of COVID-19
Frequent, proper handwashing, hand sanitizer use, and not touching your face were the early health and safety directives as the COVID-19 pandemic spread from country to country and then state to state. In the past few weeks, social distancing and face masks became the next tools in helping to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Both are particular challenges for those with and without hearing challenges.
The Challenges of Masks With Hearing Loss
During the COVID-19 pandemic, audiologists and other hearing healthcare professionals are concerned about our patients. With social distancing, we are communicating at a distance of six feet which is difficult if not impossible with a loss of hearing.
My Hearing Aids Got Wet: Now What?
Whether you are new to hearing aids or have worn them for years, one thing nearly all hearing aid wearers know is that these highly advanced technological devices can be damaged by moisture. Here is what to do if your hearing aids get wet.