by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. If you have ever looked at the numerous side effects that can result from taking a given prescription drug, perhaps, like me, you have wondered how one drug, such as the antidepressant Sertraline (Zoloft), for example, can, in addition to causing a number of psychiatric side effects, also cause diverse side […]
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One in Five Hearing Aids Sold Are Returned for Refunds and Five Reasons Why This Is So
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. When you look at the statistics on how many hearing aids that are sold are returned for a refund, you quickly realize that something is wrong. Here’s the statistics. In the first three quarters of 2011 13.5% of all traditional BTE (behind-the-ear) hearing aids that used No. 10 batteries […]
Hearing Loss & Hearing Loss Simulators
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked, How do you explain to people that you can only hear certain frequencies of sounds—that your hearing is very selective? My friend, Michele, replied, “My favorite analogy is to use a music box—the kind that has the metal drum with the raised dots and tines that strike […]
Try the CaptionCall Sleek Captioned Phone
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. If you have trouble hearing on the phone, there are two basic technologies that can help you. One is to amplify speech so it is loud enough for you to hear it. The other is to convert the speech to text so you can read it. And if you want […]
Phantom Speakers in the Walls—Rationalizing Musical Ear Syndrome Sounds
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A concerned daughter wrote, My mother is 78. She has been very reclusive since her retirement about 15 years ago and has no contact with anyone other than me on the phone and one of my brothers. Along with her isolation, she has a bit of paranoia about sounds she says […]
Pacemakers Can Coexist with Assistive Listening Devices
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: I have hearing aids and a heart pacemaker. I use a cell phone on my opposite ear but I’m having trouble hearing and would like to be able to use a bluetooth neckloop. Since I would be wearing this around my neck, would this affect my […]
Words Used to Describe Sounds During Cochlear Implant Mapping Sessions
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. When you get “turned on” at your first cochlear implant (CI) mapping session, it’s a given that the sounds you’ll first hear will not sound normal at all. Don’t be surprised at the strange, robotic nature of the voices you first hear. In time, your brain will learn to understand them […]
Why Does Tinnitus Run in My Family?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote, I have had tinnitus for several years. It seems to be a genetic disorder as my mother and brother both suffered from it as well. I worked in the music business for years and always attributed it to the exposure to loud music and extended use of Aspirin. […]
Are Digital Hearing Aids Really Superior to Analog Aids?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. For the last number of years, we have been bombarded with hype from the hearing aid manufacturers extolling the virtues of digital hearing aids and how much better they are than analog hearing aids. Thus, I was surprised to see some very interesting information showing that analog technology is actually superior […]
Tinnitus and Stress
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Numbers of people find their tinnitus, or the loudness of their tinnitus, is related to stress. I hear from people all the time who tell me that when their stress increases, so does their tinnitus. Researchers have found the same thing. Writing about people with tinnitus, one researcher recently noted, “On […]