When I was 8 years old, an audiologist declared that I have hyperacusis, a rare hearing condition that makes noise unbearable with no available cure. Eight years later, loudness is still completely intolerable for me, and I am committed to improving the lives of everyone in my situation through online education and advocacy.
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.
A Clue Toward Understanding Difficulties With Speech Perception in Noise
While it is well known that hearing loss degrades speech perception, especially in noisy environments, less is understood as to why some individuals with typical hearing may also struggle with speech perception in noise (SPiN). Several factors appear to contribute to SPiN abilities in adults with typical hearing, including the top-down cognitive functions of attention, working memory, and inhibition.
A Request for Supplemental Funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Beyond funding groundbreaking hearing loss research, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) also promotes hearing health through a variety of channels, including outreach to legislators. In June 2020, HHF and eight other member organizations of the Friends of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus authored a letter to Congress to urge supplemental funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Our Noisy World's Toll on Our Ears
About 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous noises annually, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and it estimates about one in four workers has been exposed to a hazardous noise. Tuten says that although hearing protection can protect the ears of workers, it’s not always used correctly.
The Day It Happened
My hearing had been gradually declining. I knew that because I would hear ringing in my ears, and I knew what that meant. (Scary organ chord here.) It meant hearing loss. But how bad could it be, I figured. I’m still hearing. I’m still on the phone. I’m still talking to people. I can manage, right? This had been going on for several years and it was my new normal. Sure, I have to say “What?” a few times, but so what.
USC Stem Cell Study Shows When to Quit “Yapping”
It turns out that to hear a person yapping, you need a protein called Yap. Working as part of what is known as the Yap/Tead complex, this important protein sends signals to the hearing organ to attain the correct size during embryonic development, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences (PNAS) from the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Neil Segil.
New Connections
I am remaining social and engaged in the world from the safety and comfort of my home. This is so important to do when you have a hearing loss. For almost three decades—since I was in my early 50s working as a secretary in a bank—I’ve so appreciated the value of hearing aids to stay connected and to be able to function. Now, I’m feeling immensely grateful for electronic communication, too.
Study Charts Developmental Map of Inner Ear Sound Sensor in Mice
Scientists at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health, and their collaborators analyzed data from 30,000 cells from mouse cochlea, the snail-shaped structure of the inner ear. The results provide insights into the genetic programs that drive the formation of cells important for detecting sounds. The study also sheds light specifically on the underlying cause of hearing loss linked to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
Les Paul in His Own Words
Les Paul, whose birthday was June 9, 1915, was famous for the solid body electric guitar and many innovations related to recording music. He also had compromised hearing, and wore hearing aids in both ears. Although his hearing loss was not caused by loud noise, almost all of his rock musician friends had some level of hearing loss from performing and being around loud music. Les and most of his musician friends also had tinnitus.