Happy Anniversary to Us
This week marks the 12th anniversary of Decibel Hearing Services. I started my own business later in life so it seemed like a big undertaking at the time. Looking back I see that it was the right choice at the right time. I have been an audiologist for over 30 years, but always worked for…
Why Do Hearing Aids Have Such a Bad Rep?
Everyone remembers our parent’s and our grandparent’s hearing aids. They were big old beige things that filled the ear and seemed to whistle (feedback) all the time. Hearing aid users would constantly complain that all they heard was background noise and not the people they wanted to hear. People waited until they couldn’t put it…
Which Manufacturer is the Best?
There are six major hearing aid manufacturers at the present time: Oticon, Phonak, ReSound, Siemens, Starkey and Widex. Some of them have parent companies that incorporate some of the smaller brands as well. For instance, Oticon is under the auspices of William Demant Holding which also includes Bernafon and Sonic Innovations. Sonova is the umbrella…
Vanderbilt Study Reveals Senses of Sight and Sound Separated in Children with Autism
Like watching a foreign movie that was badly dubbed, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their eyes and their ears, according to a Vanderbilt study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience. The study, led by Mark Wallace, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, is the first to illustrate…
Health Department Launches Ad Campaign Warning of the Dangers of Listening To Loud Headphones
Prolonged exposure to loud sound can cause irreversible hearing damage. The Health Department launched a new ad campaign warning people that listening to headphones at high volume can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and irreversible hearing loss. The ads encourage people to protect their hearing by turning down the volume when using headphones. The…
Lab on a Chip Features Drug Delivery Device that Could Restore Hearing
CAMBRIDGE, MA- Draper Laboratory has demonstrated new advances miniaturizing in a drug delivery device that could help patients recover from the most common forms of hearing loss. The lab’s progress on the intracochlear drug delivery device, including in the incorporation of a planar micropump that brings the system towards the miniaturization needed for clinical trials, is…
Mastering School Life Despite Hearing Loss
The Hear the World Foundation gives parents tips on helping their children deal with hearing loss at school. Staefa, 20.02.2014 – Being able to hear the teacher clearly is vital to learning and academic success. This is no small feat for children with hearing loss. If a hearing impairment remains undiscovered in a child of school…
International Coalition Launches Unprecedented Effort to Raise Awareness of Communication Disorders
Speech, Language and Hearing Organizations in Various Parts of the World Join Forces. (Rockville, Maryland, USA – January 27, 2014) For the first time in history, organizations in six countries that focus on speech, language, hearing, and swallowing issues have formed a coalition to raise international awareness of communication disorders and their treatment. The International Communication…
When it Comes to the Big Screen, Your Ears Play a Role
Sonic launches new infographic focusing on memorable movie sounds, just in time for the Oscars. March 28, 2014. Somerset, NJ. The shower scene from Psycho. The approaching shark fin in Jaws. Julie Andrews atop the Austrian Alps. From film scores to the remarkable voices of leading actors to the unforgettable sound effects of big-screen action…
HLAA Joins FCC Panel Discussion on Improved IP-Based Relay Services
HLAA is invited to contribute to a panel discussing the future of IP-based Relay Services, by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is developing and funding interagency research on IP-based technologies. The workshop was convened to gather information on the kinds of research that is needed to improve TRS. The FCC is partnering with…