| 
Click on the star in your area to reach your Local Hearing Centers web-site | Hearing Loss Solutions | Julie Breton, Au.D.
Advanced Hearing Care, Inc.
824 Oak Street, Suite 102
Brockton, MA 02301
508-559-9200
www.advancedhearingcare.com
Mary Cody, Au.D.
All Ears Hearing Center, Inc.
59 Industrial Park Road
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-747-4055
www.allearshearing.net
Loleata Wigall, M.S.
Atlantic Audiology, Inc.
Greenwood Plaza
979-983 Main Street
Wakefield, MA 01880
781-246-0305
www.atlanticaudiology.com
Loleata Wigall, M.S.
Atlantic Audiology, Inc.
Winchester Hospital Family Medical Center
500 Salem Street, Route 62
Wilmington, MA 01887
978-988-1999
www.atlanticaudiology.com
Lynda Martin, M.S.
Audiology Affiliates
5 Edgell Road
Framingham, MA 01701
508-872-6679
www.audiologyaffiliates.org
Lynda Martin, M.S.
Audiology Affiliates
Medical Building
159 Union St, Suite 102
Marlboro, MA 01752
508-481-0610
www.audiologyaffiliates.org
Lynda Martin, M.S.
Audiology Affiliates
295 Lincoln Street
Worcester, MA 01605
508-755-1391
www.audiologyaffiliates.org
Theresa Cullen, Au.D.
Cape Cod Hearing Center
269 Barnstable Road
Hyannis, MA 02601
508-775-0959
www.capecodhearing.com
Theresa Cullen, Au.D.
Cape Cod Hearing Center
Nantucket Cottage Hospital
57 Prospect, St
Nantucket, MA 02554
www.capecodhearing.com
Theresa Cullen, Au.D.
Cape Cod Hearing Center
Tisbury Senior Center
Pine Tree Lane
Martha's Vineyard
www.capecodhearing.com
Beth Levine, M.S.
Hearing Solutions, Inc.
6 Central Street
Norwood, MA 02062
781-769-8866
www.hearingsolutionsinc.org
Louise Citron, M.A.
South Shore Hearing Center
541 Main Street, Suite 418
South Weymouth, MA 02190
781-337-6860
www.sshc.com
|
 | Hearing Loss Facts | Childhood Hearing Loss
- The vast majority of hospitals now offer newborn hearing screening before discharge from the hospital.
- All children should be screened for hearing loss before 1 month of age.
- 85% of all children experience at least one ear infection.
- Second-hand smoke in the home increases the risk of middle ear infections and respiratory allergies in children.
- Infants may begin to use hearing aids as early as 2-4 months of age.
- Federal laws mandate that all school districts must provide specialized education to children with hearing loss.
- Even a mild hearing loss can seriously impact a childs ability to learn in a school environment.
Hearing Loss
- Excessive noise is the number one reason for hearing loss.
- Experts agree that continued exposure to noise of 85 dB or louder, over time, will eventually harm hearing.
- If you cannot carry on a conversation in the presence of noise, it is too loud for your ears and can potentially cause hearing loss.
- 1 in 4 workers exposed to high levels of noise will develop a hearing loss.
- The number one reason people seek a hearing solution is the recognition that their hearing has worsened. Usually this occurs from making a serious mistake, family pressure or safety concerns.
- Professions at risk of hearing loss include firefighters, police officers, factory workers, farmers, construction workers, military personnel, heavy industry workers, musicians, and entertainment industry professionals.
- The ear has over 25,000 tiny hair cells to help you hear the nuances of sound.
Hearing Loss Prevention
- Hearing loss can be prevented by using ear plugs or earmuffs when engaging in activities around excessive noise (i.e. construction, disco, shooting a gun).
- If you have pain in your ears after leaving a noisy area or you hear ringing or buzzing (tinnitus) in your ears immediately after exposure to noise consider this as a warning sign that the sounds are TOO LOUD.
- Examples of dangerously loud recreational activities which may cause hearing loss are: video arcades - (110 dB), firecrackers - (125-155 dB at a distance of 10 feet), live music concerts - (120 dB and above) , gunshots - (150-167 dB), movie theatres - (118 dB), health clubs and aerobic studios (120 dB), sporting events (127 dB), motorboats - (85-115 dB), motorcycles - (95-120 dB), snowmobiles - (99 dB) , "boom cars" - (140 dB and above).
Prevalence of Hearing Loss & Demographics
- 1 out of 10 Americans have a hearing loss --- that's more than 31,000,000 people.
- 3 out of 1000 children are born with hearing loss.
- 1.4 million children have hearing loss.
- 15% of "baby-boomers" (ages 45-64) have hearing loss.
- 29% of people over age 65 have hearing loss.
- The majority (65%) of people with hearing loss are below retirement age.
- The majority (60%) of people with hearing loss are males.
THE SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS CAN BE SUBTLE AND EMERGE SLOWLY, OR THEY CAN BE SIGNIFICANT AND COME ON SUDDENLY. EITHER WAY, THERE ARE COMMON INDICATIONS. YOU SHOULD SUSPECT HEARING LOSS IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THE SIGNS BELOW.
You might have hearing loss if you . . .
Socially:
- Require frequent repetition.
- Have difficulty following conversations involving more than 2 people.
- Think that other people sound muffled or like they're mumbling.
- Have difficulty hearing in noisy situations, like conferences, restaurants, malls, or crowded meeting rooms.
- Have trouble hearing children and women.
- Have your TV or radio turned up to a high volume.
- Answer or respond inappropriately in conversations.
- Have ringing in your ears.
- Read lips or more intently watch people's faces when they speak with you.
Emotionally:
- Feel stressed out from straining to hear what others are saying.
- Feel annoyed at other people because you can't hear or understand them.
- Feel embarrassed to meet new people or from misunderstanding what others are saying.
- Feel nervous about trying to hear and understand.
- Withdraw from social situations that you once enjoyed because of difficulty hearing.
Medically:
- Have a family history of hearing loss.
- Take medications that can harm the hearing system (ototoxic drugs).
- have diabetes, heart, circulation or thyroid problems.
- have been exposed to very loud sounds over a long period or single exposure to explosive noise.
Fun Facts
- Cicadas have their hearing organs in their stomachs.
- Crickets have their hearing organs in their knees.
- Male mosquitoes hear with thousands of tiny hairs growing on their antennae.
- Fish do not have ears but they can hear. They hear pressure changes through ridges on their bodies.
- Snakes do not have ears, but their tongues are sensitive to sound vibrations.
- In World War One (WWI) parrots were kept on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France because of their remarkable sense of hearing. When the Parrots heard the enemy aircraft coming they would warn everyone of the approaching danger long before any human ear would hear it.
| |
