November 9, 2006 Issue

             HEARING LOSS HELP E-zine
"The premier e-zine for people with hearing loss"


Volume 1, Number 10                November 9, 2006
Publisher: Neil Bauman      neil@hearinglosshelp.com
            http://www.hearinglosshelp.com
    Copyright Center for Hearing Loss Help 2006

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>

You are receiving Hearing Loss Help e-zine because you
valued your ears enough to specifically ask for this
subscription, or you are a customer of the Center for
Hearing Loss Help. If you no longer wish to receive
Hearing Loss Help e-zine, just scroll to the bottom where
you can delete yourself from this e-zine mailing list
quickly, easily and automatically.

If you are missing any previous issues, you can read them
in our archives.

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>

                      "Hearing loss may change your life,
                        but your life need not be any less
                                rewarding and fulfilling
                        because you have a hearing loss."

                                                               -- Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>


Please recommend and/or forward this issue of Hearing Loss Help
e-zine to at least one of your hard of hearing friends, or to
anyone you know that is interested in successfully living with
their hearing loss. We just ask that you keep this e-zine intact
and only forward it in its entirety.

==================================================
In this issue
==================================================

1. Understanding Hearing Loss

2. Beware of (Ototoxic) Drugs That Can Damage Your Ears

3. Answers to Your Questions

4. Tips for Successfully Coping with Tinnitus

5. Subscriber-only Special

6. Information on Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants and/or
    Assistive Devices



==================================================
1. Understanding Hearing Loss
==================================================

Good and Bad Hearing At the Same Time

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A young man wrote: "My girlfriend has a hearing issue. When
listening to music, she cannot hear the high, metallic sounds,
like cymbals tapping to a beat--sounds that are produced by the
tweeter. Sounds that sound like TSK TSK TSK TSK TSK, she cannot
hear. She doesn't have hearing loss, in terms of volume. What is
this? Is there anything to worry about?"

Although you say your girlfriend doesn't have a hearing loss,
what you describe shows that she does indeed have a significant
hearing loss.

The reason for your confusion is that you are partly right and
partly wrong in your conclusion. You see, your girlfriend seems
to have normal (or near normal) hearing in the lower frequencies
so you are right—she doesn't have a hearing loss in the lower
frequencies.

However, as you have observed, she doesn't hear high frequency
sounds—so she does indeed have a significant high-frequency
hearing loss.

You ask, "Is this anything to be worried about?"

The short answer is anything that destroys hearing is something
to "worry" about. She should address the cause so she won't lose
more hearing in the future.

I'd suggest she head to an audiologist and ask for a "complete
audiological evaluation." Then you both will know exactly what
her hearing is like. (It wouldn't hurt to have your hearing
checked at the same time!)

I suspect in her case, listening to loud music over the years has
caused this damage to her high-frequency hearing. In the future,
if she continues to listen to loud music, her hearing loss will
progress to the lower frequencies and you will notice she then
will have difficulty understanding you.

The best preventative is not to listen to music louder than 80
decibels. If the music is louder than a person talking loudly,
then it is most likely too loud. In situations where the volume
is louder than that, she (and you) should wear ear plugs, or
better yet, turn down the volume. Both of your ears will thank
you.

==================================================
2. Beware of (Ototoxic) Drugs That Can Damage Your Ears
==================================================

Maxalt (Rizatriptan) and Ataxia

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A lady asked: "I found on your web site a statement about Maxalt
causing ataxia. Do you have any idea how long it can last?"

This is one of the mysteries of ototoxic drugs—just how long an
side effect will last. Some side effects only appear while you
are taking the drug. Others disappear in the weeks or months
following stopping the drug. In some cases, the side effects are
permanent. Unfortunately, very little study is done on ototoxic
side effects for most drugs, so not much is known for certain.

In the case of Rizatriptan, I have no information on whether side
effects are permanent or not—only that it can cause ataxia
(staggering gait) in up to 1% of the people taking it.

Typically, (if there is such a thing as "typical"), balance
problems such as ataxia go away after you get used to the drug—
perhaps in a couple of weeks or so, but it may never go away.

I find it interesting that you have ataxia, but have not
mentioned having any of the other ototoxic side effects of
Rizatriptan such as hearing loss, hyperacusis (when normal sounds
are now too loud), tinnitus (ringing in the ears), dizziness,
vertigo (spinning sensation) and ear pain.

Either you did not link these side effects to the Maxalt you are
taking, or it just goes to show that a person may get zero, one,
or more side effects. You do not have to experience them all.

If you would like more information on the ototoxicity of
Rizatriptan and the 763 other drugs known to damage ears,
click on Ototoxic Drugs Exposed.

**************************************************

Having trouble hearing on your cell phone?

If you wear hearing aids that have t-coils in them, try the dual
T-Links and hear beautiful clear sounds in both ears!

**************************************************


==================================================
3. Answers to Your Questions
==================================================

If you have a question, or if something has been puzzling you
concerning your ears, email it to mailto:neil@hearinglosshelp.com
and put "e-zine question" as the subject. Suitable questions will
be answered here.
______________

High Body Temperature and Hearing Loss

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A lady wrote: "Since 2002 my hearing has gone down rapidly and
during that time I have been into bikram yoga 3 to 4 times a
week. This yoga is called "hot yoga," and is done in a room with
a temperature of 105 degrees. It is strenuous work and goes on
for one and a half hours.

I really like doing this yoga, it is very detoxifying. When we
are through the class, we are basically soaking wet with sweat.
It feels great.

I know technically this would not cause hearing to get worse,
however, my intuition is telling me that this is causing my
hearing to get worse and that I should not do it anymore. Please
let me know your thoughts on this. It has been running around in
my mind for some time."

The yoga exercises themselves don't cause hearing loss. However,
it is well known that high fevers can, and do, cause hearing
loss. in fact, high fevers account for about 1,200 to 1,800 cases
of hearing loss in the USA each year.

You are essentially simulating a high fever by doing a strenuous
workout in a 105 degree room. As you intuitively think, this
could well be the problem in your case. (I don't see anything
wrong with your intuition!)

Doing the same yoga exercises in say a 70 degree room likely
wouldn't cause you any problem. Therefore, in your case, if there
are no other factors causing the hearing loss (such as heredity,
autoimmune diseases, viruses, etc., etc.) the artificially-
induced high body temperature may well be the culprit.

I’d do the yoga—but in a much cooler room and see if the hearing
loss keeps progressing. If it doesn't progress any more, then you
know it was very likely the high temperatures that did your ears
in. Your inner ears may be more sensitive to high temperatures
than is the case with the rest of your classmates. (Or maybe some
of them are losing hearing too and don't even realize it.)

**************************************************

If you are receiving this issue of Hearing Loss Help e-zine as a
forward, you can sign up for your own subscription at
http://www.hearinglosshelp.com, or send a blank email to
hearingloss-158260@autocontactor.com. Hearing Loss Help e-
zine doesn't cost you a cent!

**************************************************


==================================================
4. Tips for Successfully Coping with Hearing Loss
==================================================

Neuromonics and Tinnitus

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A man explained: "I have a question about tinnitus. I have it in
the left ear. It started suddenly last February. I had the usual
tests from three ENTs. They couldn't figure out what caused it,
so I started learning about tinnitus (which included reading your
excellent book on tinnitus). I have a slight high-frequency hearing
loss at 8 kHz (which is also the pitch of my tinnitus).

Here's my question. I started a treatment called Neuromonics,
which involves listening to music from a special device that has
been shifted to be louder at the pitch of your tinnitus. The idea is
that the auditory cortex is not getting enough stimulation at these
frequencies, and thus causes tinnitus. My problem is that after a
week of using the device, my tinnitus started getting louder—much
louder—and the increase in loudness persisted for many hours
after using the device. So I stopped the treatment. My tinnitus is
not usually reactive to sound in this way—in fact, in many cases,
sounds seem to quiet it down a bit. Have you heard of this
treatment, and do you have any thoughts on it? Would you
continue after having the reaction I had?"

I don't think I would continue a treatment that makes your
tinnitus even louder than before. It doesn't seem to be the right
treatment for you.

What a lot of people fail to realize is that there are 10 or 12
"kinds" of tinnitus, and depending on your specific type of
tinnitus, you need a treatment that works specifically for it—
not just some generic treatment that assumes all tinnitus
responds the same way.

For example, if your tinnitus is caused by your temporomandibular
joint (TMJ) being out of place, then the Neuromonics treatment
wouldn't work, because it is trying to fix the wrong problem.

However, if your tinnitus is the result of hearing loss, then I
think this treatment may have some merit. One caution, if your
hearing loss and tinnitus are the result of noise damage, then
your ears are likely more sensitive to louder sounds, and thus
the louder Neuromonics music could make your tinnitus worse.
Perhaps this is what is happening in your case.

Louder sounds can definitely increase your tinnitus. For example,
my tinnitus gets much louder after talking on the phone for any
length of time since I need the volume up very loud in order to
hear/understand. As a result, my tinnitus screams at me for a
while after I hang up the phone. If something like this is
happening in your case I'd suggest you turn the volume down. It
seems you have too much aural stimulation the way it is set now.

Normally louder sounds mask your tinnitus and drown it out, but
in your case, it is making your tinnitus worse.

Does Neuromonics work? Obviously it works for some people, but I
don't have first-hand experience with this treatment, nor have I
talked to anyone that has actually had success with it.

If you want to continue with the Neuromonics treatment, I'd
suggest you give it one more trial with the volume turned down
and see what happens. If that doesn't keep your tinnitus at its
normal level or lower, then I'd say the Neuromonics gizmo either
isn't adjusted right for you, or it just won't work for you.
Discuss the issues I've raised with your Neuromonics audiologist
and see what they suggest.

==================================================
5. Subscriber-only Special
==================================================

As is our custom, with each issue of Hearing Loss Help eZine we
bring you a subscriber-only special that is only available to
you, our loyal subscribers.

This issue's special is for the book Ototoxic Drugs Exposed. I
use this book all the time in answering people's questions on
whether drugs are ototoxic or not, and what the specific ototoxic
side effects are.

We have a very few slightly damaged books in stock. The pages are
in perfect condition, however the spines are a bit "rumpled" from
rough handling during shipping. As a result, we will give you a
great deal on these valuable books.

Ototoxic Drugs Exposed normally sells for $39.99. If you always
wanted this book, but couldn't afford it, now you can get a copy
for yourself for just $25.00 plus P&H if you hurry. They are
first come, first served so you need to act fast.

To grab your book now, you must click on the below link. Do not
order from the regular links on the web site or you will be
charged the regular prices.

Here is your special link.

==================================================
6. Information on Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants and/or
    Assistive Devices
==================================================

Cracking Tubes on Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A mother wrote: "My son got a hearing aid in May and the ear
piece is cracking already. This is his first hearing aid, so I
have no idea what to expect. Is this normal?"

Yes, it is normal for the tubes to become harder and more brittle
as the months go by, and eventually they get so brittle they will
crack or snap off if you wait that long before replacing them.

Furthermore, when the tubes stiffen, they make wearing hearing
aids uncomfortable as the tubes shrink in length and thus pull on
the top front of your ears and can make your ears sore there.

There are at least two factors affecting how fast ear mold tubes
stiffen, and thus need to be replaced. One is exposure to
sunlight. Another is the oils in your skin—your particular body
chemistry. Thus some people have to replace their tubes every 4
months or so, others can go 6 to 8 months, and some people get
away with only replacing them every year or so. (I just replaced
my tubes at 11 months (they were pretty stiff and I should have
done it sooner), while my wife has gone almost 2 years—but needs
to get her tubes replaced soon.)

I think normally you should expect to replace your tubes at least
once or twice a year on the average. When they start to
stiffen up, that's your signal that its time to replace them.

Another mother asked: "Do you mean the plastic 'tube' that is
attached to the hearing aid itself that curves around the ear, or
do you mean the tube that attaches to the ear mold and then fits
into the first plastic tube?"

The piece of plastic that is attached to the hearing aid is
called the "ear hook." The ear hook is hard to start with and
should never need replacing. It doesn't shrink.

The plastic tube I am talking about is the one that fits onto the
ear hook and goes to the ear mold.

It should be so soft it sort of flops the ear mold around if you
hold the hearing aid itself. If it holds its position and doesn't
flop, it is too hard by far.

If you go to the audiologist you purchased your hearing aids
from, they should replace the tubes for free. Otherwise they may
charge between $5.00 and $15.00 each to replace them.