To learn what is happening in the brain and nervous system when hyperacusis is present, we used sound-evoked, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to locate regions of abnormal activity in the central nervous system of rats with behavioral evidence of hyperacusis induced with an ototoxic drug (sodium salicylate). We observed enhanced central auditory gain and were able to confirm this electrophysiologically.
We Have Moved!
Please update your records. Effective April 1, 2020, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) has moved to a new office location. You will see our new address updated in our emails, on our website, in our magazine, and in other communications. Should you wish to send us information or donations by mail, please use our new address.
Presenting Our FY19 Annual Report
Thank you for your support of Hearing Health Foundation (HHF)’s groundbreaking research to improve the lives of people living with hearing and balance conditions. I am pleased to share the outcomes of our donors’ generosity in the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2019 (Oct. 1, 2018 - Sept. 30, 2019).
Valleys and Peaks on My Hearing Loss Journey
My hearing loss journey has been gradual—like driving slowly up into high mountains on a twisty road, adjusting to changes in altitude at each major peak. I have been hard of hearing since my 20s, with hearing loss accelerating in my 30s to 50s, and now stable with small age-related changes each year.
During COVID-19, HHF Remains Committed to You
Rest assured that HHF remains committed to funding innovative science to prevent, treat, and cure hearing and balance disorders. The staff, Board of Directors, advisory bodies, researchers, and volunteers are working tirelessly to ensure operations continue as fully as possible under these unprecedented circumstances.
Action on Captions
I’m a longtime radio broadcaster and after 25 years on the air, I owned an advertising agency where all the work was creating radio and TV ads and video scripts all day, every day. I’ve spent nearly my entire adult life in a studio, wearing headphones.
HHF and Friends Urge Full Funding of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
As a leading authority on hearing loss research, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) promotes hearing health through a variety of channels, including outreach to legislators. In early March 2020, HHF and 12 other member organizations of the Friends of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus authored a letter to urge the U.S. Federal Government’s preservation of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) initiative.
Cary Kopczynski and Jay Grushkin Join HHF Board of Directors
“It is a great pleasure to welcome both Cary and Jay to the Board of Directors,” said HHF CEO Timothy Higdon of the new appointments. “Each have demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities in their careers and are enthusiastic and well-informed advocates of HHF. The Board, scientific advisory bodies, staff, and I are very grateful for their commitment and look forward to working with them.”
An Unexpected Side Effect
At age 30 in the spring of 1960, I was diagnosed with otosclerosis and underwent stapedectomy surgery for my left ear. Due to a “sneeze” a few days after, the pin flew off the mount and ruptured the inner ear. I was left with no hearing in the left ear. The right ear with a simple hearing aid was fine. I was told a hearing aid will always benefit me due to the very slow progression of otosclerosis.
Can I Get My Hearing Tested Online?
Online hearing tests, or tests you take yourself using a computer or smartphone, are becoming more prevalent and popular, especially alongside the market for “hearables” (smart wireless earbuds). With over-the-counter hearing aids set to become available soon, these tests that can be convenient to take at home are likely to proliferate even more.