A relative of one of our staff has recently been experiencing a very disruptive set of symptoms related to the ears. This 45 year-old female experiences extreme episodes of dizziness (usually spinning) following exposure to loud noises or coughing/sneezing/straining experiences. Loud noises also sound distorted, and her own voice sounds louder in her head. Her life has changed drastically, to …
Simple strategies to preserve your hearing Many activities we enjoy or perform while working are known to be dangerous to the organs of hearing. These organs are located in the inner ear (cochlea) and are easily damaged by exposure to noise of sufficient loudness and duration. Countless patients have been diagnosed with hearing loss that is most likely caused by …
Many causes of dizziness Because we specialize in disorders of hearing, balance and dizziness, we see many patients with a variety of symptoms. Many have difficulty hearing, some are bothered by noises in their ears (tinnitus), some suffer disruptive dizziness, and some report poor balance. Earlier blog articles have explored the ways in which hearing, tinnitus, vertigo and imbalance can …
Born deaf vs acquired hearing loss Those of us who deal with the ears and hearing impairment often make distinctions based on the onset of a patient’s hearing loss. There are many patients who gradually lose their hearing, due to heredity, noise exposure, aging or other factors. Some lose function more rapidly, as through disease, head trauma or sudden noise …
Receiving a diagnosis of cancer is a life-changing experience. Fear and uncertainty are natural reactions, with complex plans for treatment following extensive diagnostic work. Treatments can be highly aggressive, ranging from surgery to radiation to chemotherapy. A patient’s options may produce life-saving results, although many have side effects and risks of their own. A link exists between cancer treatments and …
A hearing loss/diabetes link Hearing loss has long been associated with many health problems or diseases. These conditions may directly cause ear damage, such as in labyrinthitis, rubella, middle ear infection and others. In some cases the treatment itself may affect ear function, such as chemotherapy or the use of certain classes of antibiotics. Research is now providing statistical data …
Sudden hearing loss It is well known among hearing healthcare practitioners that the average person waits seven years between the first suspicion of a hearing problem and a first trip to an audiologist. This is partly due to the insidious nature of typical hearing loss. It “sneaks up on you” and tends to progress slowly. There may be no additional …
The hearing-tinnitus connection and positive implications for patients. Several times in a typical week patients will say during the course of an office visit, “I don’t really hear my tinnitus when I have my hearing aids on”. These patients are among the majority of tinnitus patients who have significant hearing loss. These comments often elicit a response from us such …
The recently televised 2015 US Open golf tournament brought with it the usual drama of great players, a difficult course, golfers who played well but faded, and others who persevered and won and spectacular shots. This year’s tournament, however, featured another kind of drama that was televised internationally. Australian golfer Jason Day suffered a severe bout of vertigo on the …
On Wednesday, June 3, we visited The Village at Unity, an excellent senior living facility in Greece. Over thirty residents joined us for our presentation “Balance, your ears and hearing”. Balance problems and dizziness are very common complaints to physicians among seniors. Our focus was educating the residents about the ears as our primary organ of balance, as well as …