Untreated Hearing Loss Will Take A Huge Bite Out Of Your Income
Yesterday was Labor Day in the U.S., and that got me thinking about just how much harder it is to get through a working day now than before I lost much of my hearing. To quantify the problem, I went back to a study released earlier this year by the Better Hearing Institute, which found that Americans with untreated hearing loss earned less income than people with normal hearing to the tune of $23,000 a year, on average, or over $100 billion a year nationwide. Read more
Sleeping Through Smoke Detector Alarm Can Get Hard-Of-Hearing Killed
I’m a heavy sleeper. I’ve tried alarm clocks that wake up the neigbors, and I even tried my dad’s portable bed shaker that registers on the Richter scale. But the only way I can wake up to catch my bus in the morning is my mom emptying an ice cube tray on me. Read more
American Medical Association Studies Apple iPod Ear-Bud Volume Warning
The American Medical Association (AMA) will consider recommendations to make to manufacturers, regulators and consumers on dealing with the threat of hearing loss from Apple iPods and other portable music players with in-the-ear headphones. Read more
Apple Should Do More To Help Prevent Hearing Loss Among iPod Users
Ever since Apple was sued by a Louisiana man claiming his iPod caused irreparable hearing loss, I’ve been scratching my head about vendors’ responsibility to prevent hearing loss versus individuals’ responsibility to take care of their own health. Read more
I’m Still Waiting For CapTel Captioned Telephone Service In Massachusetts
Last night I finally got some answers to my questions about why CapTel service still isn’t available in my home state of Massachusetts, even after 35 other states have gotten the captioned telephone service up and running. Read more
CapTel Phone Captioning Now Available In 32 States
I’m still a CapTel wannabee. With Sprint Nextel’s recent announcement of the addition of CapTel Relay Service in New Hampshire, the real-time telephone captioning service is now available in 32 states. It’s also available to current and retired federal employees including military veterans, as well as to U.S. tribal members. But it’s not available in Massachusetts, where I live. Read more
London “Hearwear” Exhibit Shows Off High-Fashion Hearing-Aid Designs
A group of collaborators in the UK is bringing high fashion to hearing aids with an upcoming exhibit at one of the world’s leading museums for design, the Victoria & Albert (V&A) in London. Hearwear — The Future of Hearing, which opens tomorrow, is the brainchild of the UK’s largest organization for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, RNID (formerly the Royal National Institute for the Deaf). Read more
European Union To Employers: Quiet Down!!
With the World Health Organization declaring noise-induced hearing loss as one of the world’s most prevalent, irreversible industrial diseases, the EU has passed strict new regulations requiring employers to quiet down their workplaces or face stiff penalties. Read more
Newsweek Hearing-Loss Cover Story: I Guess Half A Loaf Is Better Than None At All
While the Newsweek cover story this week is notable for the attention it gives to hearing loss as a major societal issue, it’s also notable for what it doesn’t cover. But at least the cover picture is worth a million words. Read more
Carbon Monoxide Speeds Up Hearing Loss
I knew carbon monoxide was bad for your health and in large quantities can kill you. But I never knew it was bad for your hearing too. Two researchers from the University of Montreal have conducted a long-term study of workers in industries where high noise levels and high levels of carbon monoxide are common. Read more