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

. 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

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.

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

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

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”

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

Cheaper and More Accessible Hearing Aids Could Also Help Reduce Stigma This essay originally ran on Bloomberg View, December 12, 2016. HEALTH CARE In the uncertainty over the future of U.S. health care, there is one ray of hope for a group of people who need more options, not fewer. People with hearing loss usually pay … Continue reading Breaking a Logjam on Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids