by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. October 29, 2016 A person asked, How do you calculate the difference in sound intensity in decibels between any two sound intensities. For example, how do you calculate the increase in sound intensity between 0 dB and 15 dB or between 52 and 94 dB? There is a mathematical […]
Hearing Loss
When We Concentrate on Seeing, We Can’t Hear Well
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. March 1, 2016 A recent article (1) noted that people can’t use their eyes and ears well at the same time when they are intently concentrating watching one thing while listening to something else. This article began, Do you ever get accused of “not listening” because you’re glancing down at your phone? It […]
The Bizarre World of Extreme Reverse-Slope Hearing Loss (or Low Frequency) Hearing Loss
This article explains reverse-slope hearing loss, what it is like to have an extreme reverse-slope hearing loss, and tips for fitting hearing aids and ALDs to people with reverse-slope losses. It also contrasts reverse-slope losses to the common ski-slope hearing losses that most are familiar with.
Are Microwave Hearing Devices Slowly “Cooking” Our Kids?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. © August 2014 (updated January 2015) A concerned mother explained, “My daughter has mild to moderate bilateral hearing loss and wears hearing aids. In her Montessori classroom, they also use an FM system when appropriate. I have visited schools where they now use wireless soundfield systems. They seem great, especially for […]
Bats in Costa Rica Use Leafy Ear Trumpets in Order to Hear Better
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Humans are not the only creatures that use “hearing aids” in order to hear better. You may be surprised to learn that some animals do too. In Costa Rica, the Spix’s disk-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor), named for suction-cuplike discs on their wings and feet, use leaves to funnel sound in a […]
Sleep Apnea and Hearing Loss
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Who would have thought that hearing loss would be tied to sleep apnea? Yet that is exactly what researchers recently discovered. Sleep apnea (AP-nee-ah) is a disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds […]