HHF is pleased to share the most significant activities and accomplishments of the Fiscal Year 2020 — the year that the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to halt our groundbreaking hearing and balance research. Thanks to our supporters’ unwavering commitment, our Annual report tells a markedly different story.
Finding a “New Normal” After Sudden Single-Sided Deafness
Michael Goldsmith realized he had lost his hearing in his left ear when he woke up from his medically induced coma in March 2020. His account demonstrates the learning process and journey to a cochlear implant when sudden deafness occurs as just one part of a more complex medical situation.
Doing My Part to Break Sound Barriers
In September 2020, I conducted my own fundraiser for Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) online. I don’t live with a hearing and balance condition and do not have any family members affected. Rather, I became inspired to help after a very memorable elementary school experience.
I’m An Audiologist and I Don’t Like Fitting Hearing Aids
I’m an audiologist and part of being an audiologist is understanding how to protect your hearing. While I do protect my ears, I most certainly know what it means to abuse my hearing. High decibel levels from music and other loud sound sources can cause permanent hearing loss.
Register for Hearing Health Hour Webinar: Measuring Tinnitus and Reactions to Tinnitus
Join us for the next installment in our complimentary webinar series, Hearing Health Hour, on Monday, April 19, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST. The webinar is entitled “Measuring Tinnitus and Reactions to Tinnitus,” and will be led by past Emerging Research Grants (ERG) scientist Richard Tyler, Ph.D.
Evaluation of a New Method for Measuring Pediatric Hearing
In our method, a child is trained to perform a play-based task when a signal is heard. An experimenter—called an observer—watches the child’s behavior to determine when the signal was played. In contrast to clinical testing methods, the signal is randomly placed in one of two intervals for each trial by the computer program.
Keep It With You
Like many of you, this past 12 months have been an almost overwhelming avalanche of change, stress, and “new normals.” While COVID-19 has been a universal experience for all, it has also changed our individual needs and behaviors patterns in both large and small ways.
Aging Actively
Aging actively is more than a phrase. It’s about extending healthy life expectancy and quality of life for all people as they age. We all know that connecting to one another and our physical world is absolutely vital in preserving our wellbeing, so as we think of our five senses, many would agree that hearing plays an important role in maintaining our quality of life.
Hearing Aid History: Ear Trumpets, European Royalty, & Earbuds
Hearing aid history is filled with inventions, from the ear trumpet in the 17th century to the high-tech hearing aids and amplifiers (Personal Sound Amplification Products, or PSAPs) we have today. As the author Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.” Although this isn’t quite true, some people benefit so much from their hearing aid or amplifier that it can feel like magic.
A Medical Mystery
I am an 87-year-old retired otolaryngologist–head & neck surgeon. I am writing this to present a medical mystery. In 2016 I began to experience several health issues at the same time. I developed double vision, which was corrected using glasses, and after an extensive trip across the country to visit family and friends, an old knee problem flared up. Since my knee failed to respond to a routine cortisone injection, it was recommended that my hip be replaced.