North County Audiology

Need Something? Talk To My Right Ear

Dr. Podlenski — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:24:25 +0000

–ScienceDaily (June 23, 2009) — We humans prefer to be addressed in our right ear and are more likely to perform a task when we receive the request in our right ear rather than our left. In a series of three studies, looking at ear preference in communication between humans, Dr. Luca Tommasi and Daniele Marzoli from the University “Gabriele d’Annunzio” in Chieti, Italy, show that a natural side bias, depending on hemispheric asymmetry in the brain, manifests itself in everyday human behavior.
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Hearing health contributes to relationship health, overall well-being

Dr. Podlenski — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:37:05 +0000

WARRENVILLE, Ill., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/

-MarketWatch.com

Investing in your hearing health is worth every penny and has self-esteem benefits. As many as 72 percent of U.S.-based respondents agree that getting a hearing aid was definitely worth it, and that their hearing aids are worth every cent. An overwhelming majority – 83 percent – of all hearing aid users surveyed agreed that their quality of life changed for the better once their hearing improved. Among all U.S.-based respondents, 76 percent with hearing aids said their devices have a positive influence on their general mood, and 68 percent report an improvement in their mental fitness, evidenced by heightened receptiveness and improved concentration.
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More Headphone Use Leads To Hearing Loss

Dr. Podlenski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:39:16 +0000

The growing popularity of portable music players including iPods and other items that attach directly to the ears are becoming very addicting, especially to younger people. They are listening to them while they study and workout. At the same time though, they are increasing the risk of damage to their ears. It’s becoming more of a full-day listening experience, as opposed to just when you’re jogging.

Many audiologists are starting to see many young people with “older ears on younger bodies” — a trend that’s been building since the portable Walkman made its debut in the late 1970s.

These devices are directly causing noise-induced hearing loss which usually means losing the ability to hear higher frequencies, evidenced at times by mild ear-ringing or trouble following conversations in noisy situations.

Many people are wearing headphones not just to enjoy listening to music. They also use them to block out ambient noise on buses, trains or just the street. All of which can contribute to hearing loss.

One telltale sign that you’ve done damage to your ears is when you leave a loud venue with ringing ears. If you rest your ears, they might recover but with repeated exposure comes more damage to the hair cells in the inner ear, which is key to good hearing.

Many hearing doctors have determined that listening to a portable music player with headphones at 60 percent of its potential volume for one hour a day is relatively safe. To learn more about keeping your ears safe when using headphones call 1-858-674-1910 or visit http://www.northcountyaudiology.com.

Oticon Partners with American Heart Association to ‘Put People First’

Dr. Podlenski — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:27:06 +0000

Oticon “At the Heart of It” Campaign Supports Heart and Hearing Health Awareness and the Important Role of Hearing Care Professionals

Oticon, Inc. today announced that the company will again partner with the American Heart Association for the “At the Heart of It … We Put People First” campaign, a heart and hearing health awareness initiative that will be executed in communities nationwide. During February and March, the company will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Intiga hearing devices to the American Heart Association to fund life-saving research. This is the second year that Oticon will sponsor the national campaign designed to motivate people to take the first steps toward better health and better hearing with professional consultations and evaluations that can provide life-changing benefits.

TruHearing to Provide Discount Hearing Services to 56 Million VSP Vision Care Members

Dr. Podlenski — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:07 +0000

BUSINESS WIRE–TruHearing, the nation’s first discount medical health organization to provide significant savings on hearing aids, will now offer its discount hearing services to VSP(R) Vision Care members. VSP Vision Care is the largest not-for-profit vision benefits and services company in the United States.

VSP Vision Care members and their covered dependents have access to TruHearing’s ValueAdd(R) program, which provides discounts up to 35 percent off retail prices on digital hearing aids. Members can also upgrade to TruHearing’s new MemberPlus(R) program to receive discounts of up to 68 percent.

Personal Health: Lifelines for People With Hearing Loss

Dr. Podlenski — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:03:58 +0000

New York Times-
Hearing loss, a disability currently untreated in about 85 percent of those affected, may be the nation’s most damaging and costly sensory handicap. It is a hidden disability, often not obvious to others or even to those who have it.

Raising Awareness of the Link between Heart Disease and Hearing Loss during American Heart Month

Dr. Podlenski — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:52:12 +0000

Better Hearing Institute – Once again, the Better Hearing Institute is promoting American Heart Month in February and recognizing National Wear Red Day® on February 3. National Wear Red Day® is observed each year on the first Friday in February. Americans nationwide wear red to show their support for women’s heart health and to raise awareness that heart disease—the #1 killer of women—is largely preventable.

Studies show that a healthy cardiovascular system—a person’s heart, arteries, and veins—have a positive effect on hearing. Conversely, trauma to the blood vessels of the cochlea can cause damage, negatively affecting a person’s capacity to hear.

Even Unconsciously, Sound Helps Us See

Dr. Podlenski — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:33:55 +0000

ScienceDaily – Imagine you are playing ping-pong with a friend. Your friend makes a serve. Information about where and when the ball hit the table is provided by both vision and hearing. Scientists have believed that each of the senses produces an estimate relevant for the task (in this example, about the location or time of the ball’s impact) and then these votes get combined subconsciously according to rules that take into account which sense is more reliable. And this is how the senses interact in how we perceive the world.

Keep Your Ears Open When it Comes to Buying Toys

Dr. Podlenski — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:29:49 +0000

PRWEB – The holidays are just around the corner, and with that comes the annual hunt for the perfect children’s gift. Audible toys which reproduce speech, noises, sounds and tunes are particularly popular amongst children. What people may not know is that some of these toys reach volumes that could potentially cause permanent damage to children’s hearing. This is the purpose behind a collaboration with Hear the World and Aalen University in Germany to conduct a thorough examination on a selection of 28 popular children’s toys available in five different countries. The result: many of the toys tested are harmless – but there are still a few rogue items among them which produce record volumes of around 130 decibels. This is the same noise level produced by a jet taking off at low distance and, which can cause irreparable hearing damage in a very short time.

Dear Abby: Wife’s Mumbling Causes Failure To Communicate

Dr. Podlenski — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:28:49 +0000

Dear Abby – My wife of 25 years has an annoying habit that drives me crazy. When she starts a conversation with me, she’ll speak in a very low voice and mumble without looking at me. I truly cannot hear or understand what she’s saying and have to respond with, “Excuse me?” “Pardon me?” or “What?”