by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote, I developed a severe, sudden, low-frequency hearing loss in my left ear. Do you have any ideas why I am now having severe difficulty hearing/understanding in situations where there is a lot of noise or a lot of people talking? For example, at the gym yesterday I was […]
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How Successful Are Cochlear Implants?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained, I have very severe hearing loss in both ears. My doctor says I need to have cochlear implants. He then requested, Could you shed some light on how successful they are, and what I should expect as a result of the surgery. Cochlear implants (CIs) are typically very […]
Making Friends with Your Tinnitus
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. You’ve all heard the old saying, “If you can’t lick them, join them.” Bet you never thought that this could be true in dealing with your tinnitus sounds. Carol came up with a cool way to deal with her tinnitus—one that lets her sleep in spite of her incessant tinnitus. Here’s […]
Coping with No Vestibular (Balance) Function
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained, My younger brother is in his 30s. He developed bilateral vestibular problems of unknown cause. Now he doesn’t have any vestibular (balance) function left in either ear. He does OK during the day while walking on a hard surface as long as he has a cane or walking […]
Open-fit Hearing Aid Rubber Domes Getting Stuck in Your Ears
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained, I am wearing open-fit hearing aids and the rubber dome sometimes comes off and gets lodged in my ear. I have gone to the emergency room at our nearest hospital but they are not equipped with the proper tools to help me. I’ve had to wait for days […]
Drug Dosage Levels and Resulting Ototoxicity
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote, I have some questions regarding the drug listings in your book Ototoxic Drugs Exposed. First, there is no reference to the standard dosage used. Is the dosage related to the severity of the ototoxic side effect? Also, is dosage a key player in assessing the potential ototoxic side […]
Does a Room Loop Work Better On/Under the Floor or Above the Ceiling?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained, I am remodeling my house and want to add one or more rooms loops. Both the floor and ceiling are being redone so I could put the loop above the drywall or below the new oak floor. Will a loop work in either of these positions, and if […]
Sophono’s Abutment-Free Bone Anchored Hearing Device
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Cochlear’s BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) is a cool idea. It uses bone conduction to help people with single-sided deafness and conductive losses hear better. However, in my opinion, traditional bone-anchored hearing aids have one serious drawback—a titanium abutment (post) is screwed into your skull with the post sticking up though […]
Botulinum (Botox) Treatments Can Result in Hearing Loss
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained, I have recently been a victim of a vicious assault which has injured, among other parts, the skin of my face. Dermatologists have recommended that I undergo Botulinum toxin treatment to aid healing. There are anecdotal reports on the Internet that the use of Botox on the face […]
The Latest in Vestibular Implants
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. On September 14, 2012, two people in Holland were implanted with a new kind of vestibular (balance) implant—one that generates orientation and acceleration signals to replace the balance signals that dead or non-functioning hair cells in the semicircular canals of the inner ear used to produce. Although it is too soon […]