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Warding Off Hearing Loss with Music?

From NPR News – Morning Edition

Many people have problems understanding conversation around noise. This kind of deterioration of hearing comes from damage to the nerve endings that transmits sounds from our ears to our brains. And as we age it gets worse. How can you stave off that kind of hearing loss? Current research suggests embracing music early in life.

“If you spend a lot of your life interacting with sound in an active manner, then your nervous system has made lots of sound-to-meaning connections” that can strengthen your auditory system, says Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University.

Protect your hearing and practice healthy hygiene with this Dr. Oz-approved alternative method to clean your ears.

It turns out, good things do come in small packages, and this latest addition to the Miracle-Ear hearing aid product line is the most exciting yet! You’ll be amazed at how discreet and comfortable hearing aids can be with the 100% invisible Miracle-Ear Mirage, our smallest hearing aid ever. The Miracle-Ear Mirage uses amazing micro-technology to deliver best-in-performance features in a hearing-aid that is completely undetectable to the human eye!

For decades, Miracle-Ear has been an industry leader in creating nearly invisible hearing aids that excel in performance and comfort. The Miracle-Ear Mirage is an amazingly discreet hearing aid that gives you one more option to explore when it comes to better quality of life and better hearing.

Passive smoking affects both former smokers and people who have never smoked.

People who are exposed to the second-hand smoke from others’ cigarettes are at increased risk of hearing loss. This is shown in a study involving more than 3,000 US adults published in the journal Tobacco Control.

Experts believe tobacco smoke may disrupt blood flow in the small vessels of the ear. This could starve the organ of oxygen and lead to a build-up of toxic waste, causing damage.

Former smokers

Study in Denmark finds that the combination of therapy and hearing aids is extremely effective.

The study performed by the Center for Assistive Devices and Communication, or the CHC, in Denmark, found many benefits for it’s participants in the study. Included were; better sleep, improved concentration, and increased happiness. By combining a treatment of tinnitus therapy and properly fit hearing aids, patients had marked improvements. One hundred tinnitus suffers took part in this study over a two year period. They reported emotional improvements, such as a decreased frustration levels, and more enjoyment of life in general; along with improvements of cognitive functions, such as better concentration. They also noted less problems and work and home, along with better sleep.

After playing Heavy Metal music for 35 years, it is no surprise that Metallica drummer, Lars Ulrich, is a tinnitus sufferer and has hearing loss. He cautions young and old alike to watch the volume of the noise around you. As a musician myself, playing drums since I was eight years old, I know first hand that damage can come from even leisurely involvement in these activities. Wearing ear plugs, especially ones made for musicians, can be a huge advantage in preserving your natural hearing!

Read the original article at CNN.com

From Healthy Hearing

There are many different causes of hearing loss and even different types of hearing loss. The most common cause of hearing loss is presbycusis, hearing loss due to the aging process which most often occurs in the higher frequencies. Typically hearing loss due to age is also influenced by genetics, exposure to loud sounds through your lifetime and general overall health. So although hearing loss due to age occurs at different rates and affects each person differently throughout their life, one thing is common for all – it occurs gradually. In fact it occurs so gradual many persons don’t even notice they have hearing loss.