Author: Katherine Bouton

Hearing Loss Won’t Kill You, or Will It?

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing, Hearing Loss and Depression ,

I published this post on my Psychology Today blog, which is aimed at psychotherapists. But I thought the readers of this blog might also find it interesting. If you are a therapist and have a patient with hearing loss, please read this to get a sense of what your patient may be experiencing. I lost … Continue reading Hearing Loss Won’t Kill You, or Will It?

Consumer Reports Rates PSAP’s

Katherine Bouton #HLAA., Hearing Aids, PSAP , ,

The February issue of Consumer Reports  magazine took an in-depth look at hearing loss and the hearing aid industry, as well as at the newest "hearing helpers" — less expensive, over-the-counter devices that may help some people with mild to moderate hearing problems. Titled "No More Suffering in Silence?," the report included the results of … Continue reading Consumer Reports Rates PSAP’s

Considering a Cochlear Implant? You’re Never Too Old.

Katherine Bouton Cochlear Implants, Healthy Hearing, Hearing Loss and dementia, hearing loss and isolation, Hearing Loss Association of America

Is there  an age limit for cochlear implant recipients? I asked this question of several cochlear implant surgeons around the country. Their answer? Never. All have implanted patients in their 90s and, as Anil Lalwani, of New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center said, he "routinely" operates on patients over 80. His oldest patient is 93. … Continue reading Considering a Cochlear Implant? You’re Never Too Old.

Cocktail Party Syndrome

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing

In a previous post I wrote about a new study that shows that older brains have a harder time processing speech than do younger ones. In the study, even people with normal hearing had a hard time hearing in noise, what I call Cocktail Party Syndrome. Several readers wrote to say that this same problem applies … Continue reading Cocktail Party Syndrome

Trouble Hearing? It May Be Your Brain

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing

. Older people may struggle to hear in a noisy environment, even with normal hearing, a recent study by University of Maryland researchers found. Writing in the Journal of Neurophysiology, researchers Samira Anderson, Jonathan Z. Simon, and Alessandro Presacco, all associated with the UMD's Brain and Behavior Initiative, found significant differences in the way older and younger … Continue reading Trouble Hearing? It May Be Your Brain

Try this Trick to Hear People at Parties.

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing

Reprinting this from the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. It seems worth a try. February 12, 2017   People in noisy situations should face slightly away from the person they’re listening to and turn one ear towards the speech. A new study concludes that this listening tactic is especially beneficial for cochlear implant users … Continue reading Try this Trick to Hear People at Parties.

Venus, Mars, and Hearing Loss

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing

We have long known that men and women talk differently. This includes the way they talk about hearing loss. A 2015 study found considerable differences. Women were more than twice as likely as men to disclose the loss and offer helpful suggestions about how to talk to them. A woman might say, “I don’t hear … Continue reading Venus, Mars, and Hearing Loss

Two New Smart Hearing Aids Win Awards

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing

The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas January 5-8 honored two new hearing aids with awards for innovation. Both communicate with other smart devices, a technology that already exists in other hearing aids. But, unusually, these are for those with severe to profound hearing loss, a niche market not often addressed. Both of these … Continue reading Two New Smart Hearing Aids Win Awards

Did You Grow Up with Hearing Loss? Lipreading Mom Needs Your Help with “Project Language & Literacy”

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing

This is from Shanna Groves, Lip-Reading Mom. My first experience with hearing loss occurred in kindergarten. When the teacher asked the class to listen to and respond to questions through headphones, all I heard through them was garbled spe… Source: Did You Grow Up with Hearing Loss? Lipreading Mom Needs Your Help with "Project Language … Continue reading Did You Grow Up with Hearing Loss? Lipreading Mom Needs Your Help with “Project Language & Literacy”

A Look Back at 2016

Katherine Bouton Healthy Hearing

For hearing health, 2016 had many bright spots, including for me, personally. Gratefully, I raise a toast to these successes: Wouldn't it be great if basic hearing aids were as easy to buy as reading glasses? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in early December took a big step toward making this happen, announcing that, … Continue reading A Look Back at 2016