This Is Your Workplace on Noise

By Kathi Mestayer

Imagine that this is the view from your office window. Not bad—residential neighborhood, skyscrapers in the distance, and the train nearby means you can get to work without driving.

This view is from the Post Office Distribution Center in Oakland, Calif. It’s only 100 feet from the tracks where Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains line up to cross San Francisco Bay.  

The office has windows, too, which is nice. When the trains go by (every three to four minutes), accelerating and decelerating (think screeching brakes), those single-paned windows with metal frames not only let the view in, they let the sound in. And if you open them for a little fresh air, well… you can almost feel your teeth rattling.

Ethan Salter is an acoustician at the San Francisco-based Charles M. Salter Associates and was called to help reduce the noise pollution. “It was definitely difficult to communicate by phone, or even face to face, and the noise interfered with the work people were trying to do,” Salter says.   

This presents an entirely different noise problem than an office setting where the printer or a conversation in the next cubicle is the culprit. But the principles acousticians use are the same.

The rule of thumb they use is that a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 10 decibels (dBA) is required in order to be able to hear speech over noise. That means the “signal,” or what you’re trying to hear, has to be 10 dBA louder than the background noise, in order for the speech to be intelligible. (The unit dBA measures how humans perceive sound.)

With frequent BART trains and single-paned glass or open windows, that’s a tall order.

Salter worked with the Post Office staff to evaluate the alternatives in terms of cost, aesthetics, and constructability. “One type of window was too expensive, and the owner and contractor wanted to use another, more common window system that would get them a good price,” he says. “So we retrofitted one room at the facility with a double-paned window that had a layer of plastic in between the two panes of glass.” The improvement was about 10 to 15 dBA compared with the existing windows.

Now when postal employees look out their office windows, they can at least have a conversation while getting the job done. And still enjoy that expansive view.

For more:

• If you have a hearing loss, learn how you can hear better in the workplace in Hearing Health magazine's “Office Space.”

• Learn what rights you have as an employee working in a noisy space in Hearing Health magazine's “Caution: Noise at Work” and the dangers of loud gyms in “No Pain, No Gain?”

• See what steps one busy Northern California restaurant is taking so its patrons can hear one another while dining.

Hearing Health magazine staff writer Kathi Mestayer serves on advisory boards for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Greater Richmond, Va., chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

Innovative Science Meets Innovative Technology

By Yishane Lee

This month our own Tara Guastella was interviewed for a piece on the blog for Exponent Partners. Exponent Partners is HHF’s technology partner who implemented our new online grants management system called Foundation Connect in mid- to late 2012. Foundation Connect has greatly increased HHF’s efficiency, transparency, and accountability, allowing us to match our innovative hearing research with innovative grants management.

In the interview, Tara speaks about HHF’s mission and research efforts, highlighting why hearing research affects everyone and how the new system has benefitted HHF:

HHF’s mission is to prevent and cure hearing loss and tinnitus through groundbreaking research. Our HRP researchers are specifically studying regrowth of the tiny sensory cells inside everyone’s ears, called hair cells, which allow us to hear. Every time we damage them with exposure to loud noise, or the cells are otherwise destroyed—such as by certain drugs or simply aging—we are at risk for hearing loss.

Normally, in humans, these cells do not grow back. However, researchers funded by HHF have found promising leads in the hair cells of chickens, which naturally regrow. The research suggests that regeneration of these cells could be induced in mammals. This would combat one of the most widespread forms of acquired hearing loss. It is estimated that 10 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 may have suffered hearing loss from noise exposure.

This type of loss is also highly associated with tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, found in 90 percent of tinnitus cases. Researchers are hopeful that once hearing is restored, tinnitus will similarly be alleviated. This would bring great benefit to the nearly 50 million Americans who experience hearing loss or tinnitus, including one in five teens and 60 percent of recently returning veterans.

HHF funds not only this research toward a cure but also many other hearing topic areas, including auditory processing disorders, genetic hearing loss, and the vestibular (balance) system, to name a few.

“Fifty years ago, restoring hearing to a person with hearing loss seemed like a dream,” Guastella said. “Since then, HHF has contributed to many of today’s current treatment options such as cochlear implants, new therapies for ear infections, and therapy for otosclerosis [an abnormal bone growth in the ear].”

Guastella noted, “When we first launched the HRP, one of our goals was to make the application and review process as easy and efficient as we could. We wanted our consortium scientists to dedicate as much time as possible to advancing the research in their labs rather than spending time applying for grants.”

The system has increased the capacity of the foundation. “We were able to process double the amount of letters of inquiry the year after we implemented the solution. We can quickly respond to inquiries about our past grantees as well,” Guastella said. “And everything is more user-friendly.” Now HHF’s internal grants administration matches the cutting-edge research they support.

Read the rest of the Exponent Partners blog post here.

All About Assistive Listening DevicesAll About Assistive Listening Devices

By Yishane Lee

Assistive listening devices, or ALDs, are an especially handy type of device for people with hearing loss. While you don’t need hearing test results or a doctor’s visit to use them, the category is so broad and diverse—alarms, amplifiers, FM systems, loops, and phones, among others—that it helps to have someone who knows them well to help you figure out which ones can help you the most.

To this end we are introducing a new column in Hearing Health magazine. In the Winter 2014 issue, writer George Khal presents the first “Assistive Advice” column. Khal is the founder and former president of Sound Clarity, an international retail company specializing in ALDs. He has had a severe bilateral hearing loss since early adulthood. We spoke with him about the inspiration for the column and company, as well as his go-to ALDs.

What is your inspiration for “Assistive Advice”?

There is a need to provide unbiased information to consumers by helping them understand how ALDs can help them in their personal and professional lives, and I hope to help other consumers through sharing my knowledge from personal and professional experiences.

I had noticed consumers were aware of hearing aids but often unaware of ALDs, and that hearing healthcare professionals often did not promote ALDs. I feel that many consumers want to learn more about these devices but that it is not readily available in a format they could understand. I hope to be able to remedy that situation.

In addition, I feel that many consumers are unaware of the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and of State Telecommunications Access programs.

How did Sound Clarity come to be created?

In 1999 I was contemplating a career change from information technology. I was also advising the University of Iowa on how to make its facilities hearing accessible, in order to comply with the ADA. My ALD experience at that time was leading the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) support groups throughout Iowa and working with audiologists from the Speech and Hearing Center in Iowa City to connect people with hearing loss to our local group.  

Over years of leading our local HLAA chapter, I came into contact with people who were hungry for information that can help their daily lives, since hearing aids were not enough for many of them. Using parts from local electronics stores I also had built some of my own ALDs—an FM system, personal amplifiers, and neck loops—and was aware of how many of the devices worked.

After attending HLAA conventions as a consumer, it made me realize that my knowledge of the technology combined with my IT background gave me skills to start Sound Clarity. After founding the company, I was the president for a decade, till 2010.

What are the ALDs you are never without or that you use daily?

The T-coil (telecoil) is the ALD I use the most. I use it when I talk on the telephone or watch television. I also use an audio loop mostly when I watch television. When driving I use a wireless Bluetooth neck loop with my cell phone. I rely on a vibrating alarm clock to wake up in the morning—it’s especially necessary when I am home alone. Just as important is the visual smoke alarm, with a strobe light, that gives me peace of mind. And although not an ALD, a hearing aid dryer is a device I use daily to keep my hearing aids clean and free of moisture.

We hope you enjoy the debut “Assistive Advice” column!

What Do a Leather Pouch and a Fruit Fly Have in Common?

By Yishane Lee

What is the utricle? Merriam-Webster defines it as “a small anatomical pouch; the part of the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear into which the semicircular canals open.” But to you and me, it may help provide the solution to hair cell regeneration in the inner ear.

Like the cochlea, the utricle is located in the inner ear and it contains hair cells that are used to detect gravity (versus the sound waves that the cochlear hair cells detect). In a major step forward, Hearing Restoration Project scientist Dr. Jennifer Stone and her colleagues at the University of Washington pioneered the technique of isolating the utricle from the adult mouse and growing it in a dish in the lab.

Why is this important? It is providing for the first time the ability to directly access and experimentally manipulate hair cells and support cells in a lab setting. In other words, we can grow and do experiments on the utricle (a word derived from the Latin for leather bag). The cochlea has proven to be too delicate to isolate and grow in a dish.

As Dr. Andy Groves, Baylor College of Medicine, and an HRP colleague writes in the Winter 2014 issue of Hearing Health:

“Dr. Stone’s lab found that within a few days after hair cells are killed in the utricle, the surrounding supporting cells take the very first genetic steps to activate the program to make hair cells—but then they stop before the hair cells actually form. It is as though the supporting cells have received a signal to regenerate new hair cells, but they cannot ‘seal the deal’ and complete the regeneration program. This situation is very different from the cochlea, where absolutely no hair cell regeneration steps occur in adults.”

Drs. Grove and Stone, along with Dr. Neil Segil of the University of Southern California, are working together to figure out why regeneration takes the first steps and then stops. One area they are focusing on is the Notch signaling pathway, an evolutionarily determined method of cell communication. Notch signaling, among other things, determines the mosaic patterns of various cell types, including the mosaic that organizes the inner ear’s hair cells and supporting cells. The dysfunction of Notch signaling (a name that comes from a notch found in the wings of a fruit fly) has been linked to various cancers and diseases, and as a result it has become a focus of drug intervention.

Read about all of our HRP projects here, and stay tuned for more HRP updates throughout the year.

Royal Arch Masons Renew Investment in HHF and CAPD Research

By Tara Guastella

I am thrilled to report that for the third year HHF has received a generous gift of $100,000 from the Royal Arch Masons in support of of our 2013 Emerging Researchers studying central auditory processing disorder (CAPD).

CAPD is an umbrella term for a variety of disorders that affect the way the brain processes auditory information. The outer, middle, and inner ear of individuals who have CAPD are usually normal in structure and function (peripheral hearing). But they aren’t able to fully process the information they hear, which leads to difficulties in recognizing and interpreting sounds, especially those that compose speech. It is thought that these difficulties arise from a dysfunction in the central nervous system—the brain.

Individuals who have CAPD have difficulty concentrating when in an environment that is not perfectly quiet or has some "controlled" noise in the background. Understanding a verbal message will also be a problem when trying to listen to a speaker if someone else is talking or if ambient noise is present in the background.

People with CAPD often have to work harder than others just trying to receive auditory information in a meaningful way. It is a very frustrating situation for individuals when they can hear "perfectly" but cannot process auditory speech information in a meaningful way.

One of our Royal Arch Masons–funded researchers, Ross Maddox, Ph.D., is beginning a line of research investigating the specific behavioral effects of audio-visual binding and its processing in the brain. Behavioral tests with brain imaging will be used to investigate the importance of combining information across the visual and auditory senses, and establish relationships in brain activity and behavior, an effort that could inspire new audio-logical therapies.

For over 30 years, the Royal Arch Masons have supported CAPD research efforts, making it a priority to increase funds to this much needed area of research. We are honored that the Royal Arch Masons have chosen HHF as a recipient of this support, and we are inspired by the progress of our Royal Arch Masons–funded Emerging Researchers.

We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of the Royal Arch Masons and thank them for their annual contribution.

The Stealth Purpose of Earwax (in Humans and Whales)

By Yishane Lee

Consider the humble earwax. Much maligned, earwax is generally something that people want to get rid of—hence the cotton swab industry.

But in fact, earwax in humans has a purpose, and it may surprise you. Earwax, also known as cerumen, protects the ear by keeping water, dust, and other harmful particles such as bacteria out of your ear canal. Its waxy texture serves to keep your ear sufficiently lubricated to function properly. It also contains antibacterial and antifungal properties.

So the number one thing to remember about earwax is to leave it alone so it can do its job. “The ears are one of God’s great self-cleaning devices,” says William H. Slattery, M.D., an otolaryngologist at House Research Institute in Los Angeles, in a Hearing Health magazine story “Stop That Swab!”

Earwax is supposed to move out of the ear canal, taking debris with it. Blocking this natural (albeit slow) motion of the earwax out of the spiral of the canal—and not the earwax itself—is usually what causes problems.

Injuries from people inserting cotton swabs too far into the ear canal are a common reason people go see a doctor. If it’s bigger than your elbow, it doesn’t belong in your ear. Earwax removal was even a squirm-inducing plot point in an episode of the hit HBO series “Girls.”

Over 14 years of practice, Phoenix otolaryngologist Jerald Altman, M.D., never ceased to be amazed by the range of items that ended up in kids’ ears, so much so that he wrote a board book for kids explaining why sticking things in your ears (or up your nose) is a bad idea.

And finally, earwax also has significant scientific merit—at least among whale researchers. Scientists successfully retrieved and studied the earwax of the endangered blue whale when one was hit by a ship and its body washed up onto a Santa Barbara, Calif., beach.

Baleen whales like the blue whale start accumulating earwax as soon as they are born. As a result, this whale “earplug” (since it doesn’t seem to get expelled over time, like ours does) records how old the whale is. Scientists can count its rings, much like counting rings to determine the age of a felled tree.

Scientists at Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, analyzed the 10-inch earplug that was retrieved in California to figure out the level of toxins the male blue whale accumulated. What they found was far from good news in terms of exposure to pesticides, mercury, and other contaminants—some transferred directly from the mother. The whale’s stress levels as measured by cortisol were also double the average.

But in a bit of good news, the novel analysis (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in August) of this blue whale from birth to death holds huge promise for understanding various whale species and our effects on them over time. Whale earplugs have been saved as part museum displays for decades, offering a timeline of environmental and other stressors the whales may have undergone.

Undercover Noise Cop

By Kathi Mestayer

New Year, New You? If you’re planning to hit the gym as part of a New Year’s resolution, don’t forget that being healthy includes protecting your hearing. Look for “No Pain, No Gain?” this January in Hearing Health magazine.

To write my story, I had to do some sleuthing. I’ve been doing undercover noise data collection for a few months. My instruments range from two virtually invisible smartphone apps (SoundMeter+ and AudioTools) to a very visible, unwieldy, professional sound meter. Everyone can see it, but nobody knows what it is.

Picture me in my bathing suit (be kind), walking around a huge, cavernous, swimming pool area at a community recreation center. I’m cradling the professional sound meter like a baby in my arms, its 3-inch-diameter sponge microphone cover sticking out like a huge Tootsie Roll. In my other hand is my smartphone, its decibel app meter flying back and forth at a rate so fast I can barely see it.  

The folks in the aquatics class at my end of the pool are working out, following the instructor’s movements. The boom box is barely audible due to the extremely resonant sound bouncing off of the glass and steel.

The teacher, who knows me from classes I’ve taken, gives me a “what on earth are you doing?” look, and then quickly goes back to her teaching. The lifeguard, on the other hand, is taking the liberty of really staring at me. I’m feeling pretty conspicuous.  

I take a few readings with both meters, and get a range of 74 to 78 dBA (the unit dBA measures sound levels as perceived by humans). Then, I skulk along the side of the pool to the aquatics boom box, to see how much it is adding to the din. It adds about 4 dBA, which is a significant jump in decibel terms.

As I note in my story on noisy gyms (coming up in the Winter 2014 issue of Hearing Health, out in January):

“Remember that decibel increases are magnified: 80 dBA is twice as loud as 77 dBA—the sound energy doubles with each 3 dBA increase. So while 4 dBA doesn’t seem like much on a linear scale, it’s a big difference in dBA terms.”

On my way out, I slink over to the lifeguard and tell her what I’m doing. She doesn’t ask what readings I’m getting but luckily for her, it’s within Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) limits for her as a worker. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to worry about hearing damage, at least at this sound level.

LEARN MORE:

• Be sure to read our guide to hearing aids for an active lifestyle in “Get Active” by staff writer and audiologist Barbara Jenkins, Au.D.

• If you have a hearing loss, here’s how you can hear better in the workplace in “Office Space.”

• See what steps one busy Northern California restaurant is taking so its patrons can hear one another while dining.

Hearing Health magazine staff writer Kathi Mestayer serves on advisory boards for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Greater Richmond, Va., chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

Cue the Music

By Yishane Lee

Along with wrapping up holiday gifts, we are also busy wrapping up the Winter 2014 issue of Hearing Health, available in January.

Our cover story is about legendary guitar great Les Paul, and the launch of the Les Paul Ambassadors. The Les Paul Ambassadors are an exciting partnership between HHF and the Les Paul Foundation to support our search for a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus as well as educate consumers about this topic. We’re thrilled that Lou Pallo, a longtime friend of Les Paul and a talented musician in his own right, is our first Ambassador helping to spread the word.

Les Paul, who had a hearing loss and tinnitus, is the inspiration for our special music issue. Enjoying music can be a challenge for people who have a hearing loss, partly because hearing aids favor the voice of one speaker above background noise, and what is music if not many speakers and a lot of so-called noise?

As staff writer and audiologist Barbara Jenkins more eloquently explains:

“Hearing aids have been developed to maximize clarity of speech understanding, but to do this they must reduce non-speech sounds—which are the very elements that enhance musical or environmental sounds. Even though you may hear music better with your hearing aids than without them, most speech enhancement programs by necessity end up distorting music.”

Jenkins has plenty of helpful tips for optimizing your hearing aids to enjoy listening to music, and beyond merely engaging the music program in your hearing aid. Look for “The Sounds of Music” in our Winter issue.

You have probably heard of the cochlear implant (CI), but what about the hybrid CI? It can also help users enjoy music. The hybrid makes use of—and aims to preserve—residual hearing. Particularly in age-related hearing loss, residual hearing is usually in the low frequencies. So by combining this residual, low frequency hearing with high frequency hearing that has been amplified by the implant, the hybrid CI user has a fuller, rounder hearing experience.

Look for our story about hybrid CIs, written by Lina Reiss, Ph.D., a 2013 Second-Year HHF Emerging Research Grant (ERG) recipient, along with an ERG alumnus, Christopher Turner, Ph.D., who has published more than 20 papers on the topic. In addition, researchers at the University of Washington recently announced a new harmonic algorithm that allows CI users to better hear music, which we will detail in “Hearing Headlines.”

Finally, we have contributions from musicians who have hearing loss. Wendy Cheng started an association of amateur musicians with hearing loss, now 10 years old, and Nancy Williams is a member of HHF’s board and a pianist who has performed at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Underscoring all these stories is the work our Hearing Restoration Project, which is working toward a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus—and the ability to once again enjoy music to its fullest.

Don’t miss out on all this and more - subscribe  to Hearing Health magazine for free today!

Support a Cure for Hearing Loss and Get Your Tax Deduction Before 2013 Ends!

By Tara Guastella

What’s a better way to take part in the season of giving than by making a tax deductible donation and showing your support for a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus? I can’t think of any!

This time of year, charities always see an influx in gifts with many donors waiting until the last minute to write their check or go online to donate. Last year, we broke records in the amount of charitable gifts that came in during the fourth quarter and this year we hope to do so yet again!  Will you help us break records by making a year end, tax deductible gift?

Why should you donate to HHF this year? Kille, a mother of three sons (two have hearing loss), recently shared: "When I stumbled upon HHF's free magazine, Hearing Health, I said to myself 'Thank goodness there is an organization out there working on offering a cure for hearing loss for those who want it. And I want to be part of making that a reality.'"

We hope you will join Kille. There are many ways you can support HHF and a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus this giving season:

• Make an online donation (before December 31).

• Mail in a donation (remember it must be postmarked and the check date must be no later than Dec. 31); see our mailing address in the footer below.

• Contribute to an item on our Wish List and give our researchers the tools they need to conduct their studies.

• Create a giving page or fundraising event where you can raise funds from family and friends.

• Make a donation in honor of or in memory of someone special to you.

• Give a gift of appreciated stock from an IRA or a gift of life insurance.

Which way will you show your support? Share in the comments!

The Perfect (Powerful) Stocking Stuffer

By Yishane Lee

Hearing aid batteries are the perfect little stocking stuffer for the hearing aid wearers on your list—or if you’re a hearing aid wearer yourself, you should request from Santa!

Hearing aids use miniature zinc air button cells, which represent a huge improvement over their mercury predecessors—not least because the mercury ones were toxic! They also last twice as long, are environmentally friendly, and are less expensive.

The battery is activated when the sticker tab is removed, and exposing the cell to air oxidizes the zinc and powers the battery. Wait 30 to 60 seconds for the cell to become fully activated before placing the new battery into the hearing aid. This helps maximize the battery’s life.

The size of these button cells are universally standardized and the sizes are color coded for convenience, whether they are disposable or rechargeable. Common sizes are size 10 (yellow) and size 312 (brown). How long they last depends on use, but generally size 10s last three to five days, and size 312 about 10 to 15 days.

The key is making sure the seal that activates the battery remains intact. If it becomes damaged and air reaches the cell, activating the zinc, the battery will eventually drain. (And then you may find yourself in a foreign country looking for a pharmacy that sells hearing aid batteries—always bring spares when traveling!) Besides pharmacies, your hearing healthcare provider, warehouse stores, and online retailers all sell batteries.

Battery shelf life is several years, provided you store them at room temperature and keep them away from heat and humidity, which can affect the seal. Always store and transport in their original packaging. Carrying batteries around in your pocket or handbag can also damage the seal, and your keys or other metal objects can inadvertently short-circuit them.

Open up the battery compartment when you remove them and shut them off (newer models do this automatically for you), so they are aired out overnight. Exposure to moisture is another risk for zinc air batteries.

Remember: All batteries pose a serious health risk for children and pets if swallowed. Keep them out of reach and contact poison control immediately at (202) 625-3333 if they are ingested. Get more safety tips from the National Capital Poison Center.

And a note about recycling: Zinc is hazardous to the environment. So while many states do not require that hearing aid batteries be recycled, if you throw the batteries out with the trash, over time the harmful chemicals will be released. Look for battery recycling bins at large grocery stores and drugstores. Hearing aid retailers and hearing providers also may accept used batteries as well. The Big Green Box and Battery Solutions will recycle your batteries (and other electronics) for a fee. See Earth911 and Call2Recycle for battery dropoff locations and other resources.

Read more about batteries, including rechargeable and proprietary options, as well as choices for cochlear implants.