by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked: What is the best cell phone for a person with a hearing problem? That question is impossible to answer because there are so many variables. Many of these variables are subjective—so only you can answer them. It is like asking people, “What is the best tasting food?” You […]
Sudden Hearing Loss—What Happens Next?
Sudden Hearing Loss—What Happens Next? by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained: I am a 37 year old male who has experienced sudden hearing loss in my right ear. Unfortunately, the problem was not treated right away. Prednisone therapy, which didn’t help, was initiated 13 days after the loss. In hearing tests I could not […]
Prescription Drugs and Your Health
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Americans take a lot of prescription drugs. Doctors in the USA in 2008 prescribed a total of 1,505,200,000 prescriptions for just the 50 top prescription drugs. (And they prescribed untold millions more prescriptions for the hundreds of other drugs.) The retail value of these 1.5 billion prescriptions was a whopping $53,186,000,000.00 […]
Are Flu Shots Ototoxic?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote: One thing I am concerned about is the new swine flu and flu vaccines in general. I’ve heard that they contain a lot of mercury. Do these vaccines have a negative effect on hearing? I have not ever had any kind of flu shot and will not if […]
Long-Life Smoke Detector Batteries
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: In my townhouse, I have an interconnected smoke alarm system that is powered, and which also uses 9-volt batteries. In the master bedroom on the third floor, the vaulted ceiling on which the smoke alarm is placed is very high, so it would require a tall ladder to […]
New Survey on Musical Ear Syndrome
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Musical Ear Syndrome (MES) is a condition where a person hears phantom, non-tinnitus sounds—typically music, singing, voices or other sounds. Although it is quite common, especially among people with hearing loss, few people openly talk about it for fear of being thought crazy. The good news is that Musical […]