by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Did you know that loud music can blow out your lungs? It’s true. I recently came across a scary news item entitled “Loud music lung collapse warning” (1). It explains the cases of 4 young men that literally blew their lungs apart from being too close to big loudspeakers when they […]
Easy Way to Keep Stereo and Mono Jacks Straight
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote: I know a stereo plug has two rings, and a mono plug only one. That is easy to see, but, how do you know whether the device you are plugging into has a stereo or mono jack? One manufacturer of assistive devices says in their instructions, “do not […]
Classroom Coping Strategies for Hard of Hearing Teachers
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A new teacher with a profound hearing loss wrote: I am a hearing impaired student teacher. I have a profound hearing loss with a speech recognition of 12 percent. I was wondering if you could assist me with some strategies for teaching normal hearing students in a Middle School environment. I […]
Here’s Why Chronic Anxiety Can Result in Tinnitus and Hyperacusis
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: I find that my tinnitus is worse if I am stressed about something. Sometimes the pitch changes and sometimes I can hear more than one sound at a time. My tinnitus is always worse when I’m trying to get to sleep and that’s when I get anxious. I […]
Is the New “Statin” Drug “Crestor” Ototoxic?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. © Sep, 2009 A lady explained: Because of high blood pressure, some previous mini-strokes and a family history of high cholesterol, I have been taking Lipitor [Atorvastatin]. My doctor feels my cholesterol needs to be under better control and has switched me to Crestor. I cannot find Crestor in your Ototoxic […]
Flashing Lights for Cell Phones Revisited
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Last month a man wrote: I am somewhat hard of hearing. I can never hear my cell phone when it rings, even when it is in my pocket. Do you have a remote little light that would blink when my phone rings? I had written in part: Sorry, I’m not aware […]