by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. If you have a severe hearing loss, hearing your name being called in a busy doctor’s office is stressful to say the least, and can be an exercise in futility when you keep being “missed” because you never heard your name called. The good news is that it doesn’t have to […]
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I Can’t Hear My Cell Phone Ringing—What Can I Do?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote: I am somewhat hard of hearing. I can never hear my cell phone when it rings , even when it is my pocket. Do you have a remote little light that would blink when my phone rings? Sorry, I’m not aware of a portable blinking light device for […]
Which Is the Least Ototoxic Antidepressant?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked: Do you have an opinion on which antidepressants are the safest for our ears—e.g. Pamelor, Desipramine, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, etc. Is there one that is significantly less ototoxic than the others? For my money, I wouldn’t use any of the above. Why? Because there is a much safer […]
Diabetes and Hearing Loss—Much More Common Than Previously Thought
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Most people know that if you have diabetes, you run the risk of microvascular complications that can affect the retina of your eyes and your peripheral nerves, especially in your feet. Diabetes can also damage your hearing. That is not new. What is new is just how many people with diabetes […]
Which Is Better—Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man asked: Which is better, hearing aids or cochlear implants? The true answer is “It depends.” You see, it’s not hearing aids or cochlear implants, rather its typically hearing aids first and then, when your hearing aids no longer significantly help you hear, its time to see about getting cochlear […]
Hearing People When Riding in a Car
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: When my husband and I are in the car and my daughter is in the back seat, I cannot make out what she is saying. I have lost most of my hearing in the conversational range and also in the high frequencies. Do you have any suggestions how […]
Can Restasis (Cyclosporine) Eye Drops Cause Tinnitus and Hearing Loss?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote: I have a question regarding Restasis (for dry eyes). I have dry eyes and used to use Restasis, which was very successful. When my tinnitus increased a year and a half ago, I stopped everything that I was using including Restasis because I was not sure what was […]
Voice Amplified Phones for People with Weak Voices
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A concerned daughter wrote: My mother is going deaf and also has a weak voice due to a laryngectomy. Is there a phone available that would amplify her voice so the person at the other end can hear her? Also, a devoted husband wrote: My wife has had breast cancer for […]
Phantom Music with Normal Hearing—What’s Going On?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: I read your article on Musical Ear Syndrome with interest because although my hearing is normal, I suffer from insomnia because I hear music and singing through the night. What particularly caught my attention is that a couple of the people you quote have heard exactly the same […]
Can a Single Dose of Paroxetine (Paxil) Cause Sudden Hearing Loss?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained: A year ago, I took a single dose of Paxil, obtained from a friend; I (foolishly) wanted to see what effect it would have on me. Two days later, while sitting at my desk at work, I suddenly went deaf in one ear, and my hearing never recovered. […]