Tag Archives: hearing
Children with Hearing Loss May Experience Higher Rate of Bullying
Children with Hearing Loss May Experience Higher Rate of Bullying
Chalfont hearing centre can help with all types of hearing loss.
New UT Dallas research indicates that children and adolescents with hearing loss experience higher rates of peer victimization, or bullying, than children with typical hearing, UT Dallas announced in a press release on its website.
In the study, approximately 50% of the adolescents with hearing loss said they were picked on in at least one way in the past year. Previous studies show about 28% of adolescents in the general population report being bullied.
“I thought more children and adolescents with hearing loss would report getting picked on, but I did not expect the rates to be twice as high as the general population,” said Dr Andrea Warner-Czyz, an assistant professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and a researcher at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders.
Dr Andrea Warner-Czyz
The study, which appears in the journal Exceptional Children, showed the type of bullying experienced by youth and adolescents with hearing loss mimics patterns in children with other special needs, with significantly higher rates of social exclusion.
More than one-fourth of adolescents with hearing loss indicated they felt left out of social activities, compared to only 5% of the general population reporting exclusion. These findings parallel published reports of fewer invitations to social events, lower quantity and quality of friendships, and higher loneliness in children and adolescents with hearing loss.
Researchers conducted an online survey of 87 children and adolescents ages 7 to 18 who wear cochlear implants or hearing aids for hearing loss. If they indicated they were picked on at all, the survey automatically generated follow-up questions on how often it occurred and why they thought they were targeted.
Approximately 45% said they did not know why, 20% said it was because of their hearing loss or cochlear implant, and 20% said it was because of how they looked or how they acted.
Based on information provided by parents and from other studies, Warner-Czyz said the problems with peers might reflect communication difficulties related to auditory skills.
“Sometimes they miss puns or a play on words, or other cues that have to do with humor. Or when something is said very quietly or in a noisy location, the student with hearing loss might miss it. And that can make them feel like an outcast, or it can make them look like an outcast,” she said.
“Friendships are important to most young people, but I believe are especially important for children with hearing loss.”
said Warner-Czyz. Alternatively, she said peer problems might indicate a broader issue of not recognizing social cues from conversation or distinguishing true friendship from acquaintances.
Researchers have previously said having at least one good friend is a protective factor against bullying. Most children in this study cited several or lots of friends, but anecdotal reports from parents and clinicians questioned the veracity of these friendships.
“Friendships are important to most young people, but I believe they are especially important for children with hearing loss,” said Warner-Czyz. “Anything parents can do to facilitate social interaction and friendship and letting them learn how to be a friend and who is a friend is critical.”
She said future research will delve more deeply into the reasons behind differences in friendship quality and peer victimization in children and adolescents with hearing loss to guide evidence-based, targeted therapeutic intervention and potentially contribute to effective anti-bullying programs geared toward children with special needs. She said these factors might go beyond individual youth characteristics to include a microsystem of school and home settings.
The research is part of a larger study exploring the quality of life in children and adolescents with cochlear implants.
Original Paper: Warner-Czyz AD, Loy B, Pourchot H, White T, Cokely E. Effect of hearing loss on peer victimization in school-age children. Exceptional Children. 2018;84(3):280-297.
Source: UT Dallas, Exceptional Children
Image: UT Dallas
Researchers Find Increased Risk of Hearing Loss Among Smokers
Researchers Find Increased Risk of Hearing Loss Among Smokers
New research published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, has shown evidence that smoking is associated with hearing loss, according to a news release from the journal’s publisher, Oxford Press.
The study—which included 50,000 participants over an 8-year period—looked at data from annual health checkups, which included factors such as smoking status, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and the duration of smoking cessation on hearing loss, according to the release. Researchers calculated a 1.2 to 1.6 increased risk of hearing loss among smokers as compared to those who had never smoked before.
The risk of hearing loss decreased five years after smoking cessation.
For additional information, please click here to view the release on Science Daily’s website.
Original Paper: Hu H, Sasaki N, Ogasawara T, et al. Smoking, smoking cessation, and the risk of hearing loss: Japan epidemiology collaboration on occupational health study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. March 14, 2018.
Source: Science Daily, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Oxford Press
Unitron Launches Moxi ALL Hearing Instrument
Unitron Launches Moxi ALL Hearing Instrument
Unitron announced the release of its latest hearing instrument, Moxi ALL.
Like all hearing instruments driven by the Tempus™ platform, Moxi ALL was designed around the company’s core philosophy of putting consumer needs at the forefront. The new hearing solution is designed to deliver “amazing sound quality,” according to Unitron, and advanced binaural performance features that help consumers hear their best in all of life’s conversations, including those on mobile phones.
After powering up overnight, a rechargeable battery is designed to help “keep them in the conversation” for up to 16 hours, including two hours of mobile phone use and five hours of TV streaming. Plus, consumers never have to worry if they forget to charge because they have the flexibility to swap in traditional batteries at any time.
A new way to deliver their most personalized solution
Consumers can take home Moxi ALL hearing instruments to try before they buy with FLEX:TRIAL™.
“Today’s consumers are not interested in one-size-fits-all. They want to know that the hearing instrument they select is personalized to their individual listening needs and preferences,” said Lilika Beck, vice president, Global Marketing, for Unitron. “This simple truth is driving our FLEX™ ecosystem—a collection of technologies, services, and programs designed to make the experience of buying and using a hearing instrument feel easy and empowering.”
As the latest addition to the FLEX ecosystem, Moxi ALL is proof of Unitron’s ongoing commitment to putting consumers at the center of its mission to provide the most personalized experience on the market when it comes to choosing hearing instruments.
The global roll-out of Moxi ALL begins February 23, 2018.
Source: Unitron
Oticon Opn™ Outperforms Traditional and Narrow Directionality
With the Oticon Opn, users can expend less effort and recall more of what they encounter in a variety of complex listening environments. This open sound environment, powered by Oticon’s Velox platform, allows for greater speech comprehension, even in a challenging audiological setting with multiple speakers. With its OpenSound Navigator scanning the background 100 times per second, the Opn provides a clear and accurate sound experience.
Hearing Aid & Tinnitus Exhibition 2014, Little Chalfont Buckinghamshire
Would you like more information on hearing loss, hearing aids, tinnitus and assistive devices? Then look no further!
Where would you turn to for quality and reliable information about hearing loss, (more…)
NHS Hearing Aid Ban
Amidst ever increasing government cuts, the NHS has taken a huge impact. This week, NHS leaders have proposed to save £1.2 million by no longer giving out hearing aids to patients with mild to moderate hearing loss. (more…)
Are you taking care of your hearing aid?
Hearing aids have a predicted life expectancy of 3-5 years, however if your cleaning and maintenance routine is not well managed you could significantly reduce the lifespan and performance of your hearing aids.
The lifespan of your hearing aids is typically dictated by the amount of warranty period that you receive when you purchase them. If something mechanical goes wrong in this period then you will often have it repaired free of charge or even replaced. Outside of this period the manufacturer will charge for any repair, on occasion if the damage is within the warranty period and deemed to be a result of the patient, then the responsibility of the charges may fall on the patient.
The most common cause of user damage is wax or moisture within the microphone and receiver. Wax and moisture damage will also majorly affect the performance of the hearing aid long before the aid malfunctions, patients may find that the aid is weak, distorted or intermittent.
In order to reduce the probability of the aid malfunctioning a good cleaning routine is vital. The Cedis Sandry is a drying and cleaning system that will help maintain the performance of your hearing aid. It uses UV to kill all bacteria, and dries the aid over night to ensure your hearing aid is always working to its maximum. Combined with a suitable wax removal procedure you will reduce and prevent repairs.
This product would be perfect for patients who suffer from condensation, excessive perspiration, middle / outer ear infections and frequent repair problems. If you would like more information on the Cedis Sandry Cleaning System or would like to book in for a free clean and check hearing aid service then call Chalfont Hearing on 01494 765144 today.
Tiny hearing hair cells in the ear have been regenerated to reverse deafness for the first time
A question I am regularly asked when patients are recommended hearing aids as treatment for hearing loss is, ‘Can there not be anything done medically? So I thought about those patients when I read this recent research study.
An injection of a drug led to the creation of new hair cells in tests on mice, they have been grown using a similar principle to stem cells. The hair cells are not ‘hairs’ as such but are the nerve terminals for the eight nerve pathway. Normal hearing however was not restored, rather the mice went from hearing nothing to detecting loud sounds such as a slamming door or traffic noise. Experts are “tremendously excited” however warned treating humans was still a distant prospect, at least a decade. To hear anything, sound pressure or sound waves have to be converted into electrical signals which the brain then interprets as sound. This happens in the inner ear where vibrations from the basilar membrane activate tiny hairs (nerve terminals), the movement creates an electrical signal which is transmitted along the auditory nerve to the brain. Most hearing problems are as a result of acquired damage to these hairs, via noise, infection or ototoxic drugs.
When I was studying at the Ear Institute there was similar work being done there. One of the questions I put forward at the time was ‘How will you correctly innervate the hair cells to the appropriate auditory nerves?’ As the main problem lies in the fact that the entire auditory system is frequency specific / frequency coded, therefore re-innervating them correctly to the appropriate auditory nerves maybe difficult. Incorrect wiring will lead to an unfamiliar or incorrect transmission of sound frequency and intensity. Therefore simply regrowing these cells may not restore hearing or at least not in a way that would be perceived as normal.
If you can not wait another decade for stem cell treatment, and would like to improve your hearing now contact us at chalfont hearing on 01494 765144 or visit the rest of the website for treatment options chalfonthearing.co.uk
