Tinnitus

Have you ever experienced a “ringing in your ears” or “noise in your head”? This sound is referred to as tinnitus. Most people have tinnitus at some point in their lives – for some individuals it occurs very infrequently and for others it may be constant; it can also be in both ears or in only one ear. Approximately 40 million people in the U.S. have tinnitus at the present time. The sound of the tinnitus can also vary among people and has been described as ringing, hissing, buzzing, roaring, pulsing, whoosing, chirping, whistling, or clicking.

What causes tinnitus? Tinnitus is a symptom of a problem so it is important to determine the underlying issue in order to determine how to treat it. It may be a sign of hearing loss or may be caused by excessive exposure to noise, which may be occupational, military, or recreational (hunting, target-shooting, concerts). Certain ear diseases, injury involving damage to the ear, wax in the ear, barometric pressure changes (scuba diving), or circulation changes in the inner ear are other auditory causes of tinnitus. It can also be due to medical problems such as allergies, high or low blood pressure, tumors, diabetes, and thyroid issues. In addition, there are several medications that can cause or worsen tinnitus. Caffeine, nicotine, and stress also tend to aggravate tinnitus.

What should you do if you have tinnitus? You should see your physician to determine the cause of the tinnitus. If it is not caused by a medical problem or a medication, it may have an auditory etiology. An audiological evaluation would therefore be necessary to determine if you have a hearing loss or if there is another auditory cause. Unfortunately, there is no cure for tinnitus at this time but there are options available to help reduce the tinnitus. Hearing aids are an option for individuals who have both hearing loss and tinnitus. Masking devices can be used to make the tinnitus less noticeable. Tinnitus retraining therapy is available to help reduce the brain’s focus on the phantom sound and therefore, provide relief. Certain medications can be used if the cause is related to stress or depression. There are also tinnitus support groups in communities to help people cope with the tinnitus.

Tinnitus can be very distracting and cause difficulty concentrating. It is important to determine the cause of the tinnitus and what options you have to help alleviate it. For more information, please visit the American Speech Language Hearing Association website at www.asha.org or contact a hearing health specialist at Coastal Hearing and Balance Center 732-280-7855; www.coastalhearing.com.
Kristen Olsen is a Doctor of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ, and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; kmolsen@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com

Increase in Hearing Loss in Adolescents Courtesy of Coastal Ear, Nose & Throat

During the holiday season, you are probably overwhelmed with determining what gift to get for your teenage family members. How about preserving their hearing? The number of adolescent children with a slight hearing loss has significantly increased in recent years. Even a slight degree of hearing loss can result in more difficulty with understanding speech in a classroom setting.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article in August 2010 regarding the prevalence of hearing loss in children age 12-19 years in the United States. The researchers compared data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey regarding the hearing sensitivity of teenagers in the 1988-1994 timeframe to 2005-2006. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of a slight hearing loss in this age group, rising from 14.9% in 1988-1994 to 19.5% in 2005-2006. Hearing loss has become more commonly unilateral (only present in one ear) and tends to primarily affect the high frequencies in teenagers today.

There is speculation that the recent increase in hearing loss in teenagers may related to the increased use of personal music devices by this age group. If you can hear the music coming from someone’s ear buds or headphones, the volume is set too high. Noise cancelling headphones instead of ear buds may be considered to allow for MP3 players and IPODs to be enjoyed at a lower volume setting. Repeated exposure to noise at a dangerously loud level can result in a permanent hearing loss. Portnuff and Fligor (2006) evaluated the safe listening volumes over time for several portable music players. They recommended that the volume may be set at 70% for no more than 4.6 hours of use per day in order to avoid a permanent noise-induced hearing loss. Higher volume levels put children at a higher risk for permanent damage to their hearing – for example, 80% volume setting should not be used for more than 1.2 hours at a time. There are now ways that parents can limit the maximum volume levels on the IPOD to prevent children from listening at a potentially harmful level. Instructions on limiting IPOD volume can be found at: www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/limiting-your-ipods-maximum-volume. More tips on protecting kids’ hearing can also be found at: www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov or contact a hearing health specialist at Coastal Hearing and Balance Center 732-280-7855; www.coastalhearing.com.

Remember to enjoy your holiday season and protect your young family members!
Suzanne McCorry is Doctor of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ, and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com

Better Speech and Hearing Month

Coastal Hearing & Balance Center Joins Better Hearing and Speech Council in Promoting Across America Hearing Check Challenge during Better Speech and Hearing Month

May 1 marks the start of Better Hearing and Speech Month, a month dedicated to educating consumers about the need to assure that their hearing is healthy. This year, Coastal Hearing & Balance Center is joining the Better Hearing and Speech Council (BHSC) in promoting the Across America Hearing Check Challenge (www.hearingcheck.org)–an online hearing test that lets individuals quickly and confidentially determine if they need a comprehensive hearing check by a hearing professional. Coastal Hearing & Balance Center is urging everyone to rise to the challenge, visit www.hearingcheck.org, and walk through a simple, 15-question self-screener in the privacy of their own homes.
“We know that unaddressed hearing loss seriously undercuts a person’s quality of life and has a tremendous impact on relationships,” says Suzanne McCorry, a hearing health professional in Neptune, NJ. “We see it every day in our practice and hear it from our patients and their concerned family members and friends.
“We also know that too many people wait years, even decades, before getting treatment—either unaware of the extent of their hearing loss or too afraid to confront it—losing out on so much. That’s why Coastal Hearing & Balance Center is so excited about this updated, simple, and interactive screening check that couples, families, and anyone else can use in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. By visiting www.hearingcheck.org, members of our community can take the first, most critical step in reclaiming their hearing—and their quality of life. And when they’re ready to take that next step—and get a professional assessment—we’re here and ready to help.”
The signs of hearing loss can be subtle and emerge slowly, or they can be significant and come on suddenly. Either way, there are common indications. Symptoms of hearing loss include not being able to hear well in a crowded room or restaurant, having trouble hearing children and women, keeping the television or radio turned up to a high volume, needing to ask friends to repeat what they're saying, or experiencing ringing in the ears.
“Research shows that hearing health affects everything from job performance and income to personal relationships,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, executive director of the Better Hearing Institute and a leading member of the BHSC. “Increasingly, research shows a correlation between hearing loss and other chronic medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s.”
During Better Hearing and Speech Month, Coastal Hearing & Balance Center also is warning people of the financial dangers of leaving hearing loss unaddressed. People with untreated hearing loss lose as much as $30,000 in income annually, depending on their degree of hearing loss. The cost to society is estimated at $26 billion each year in unrealized federal taxes. To those with unaided hearing loss, the yearly cost is estimated at $176 billion. However, in a recent BHI study, the use of hearing aids was shown to reduce the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent for those with milder hearing loss, and from 65 to 77 percent for those with severe to moderate hearing loss. What’s more, hearing aid use was shown to reduce unemployment among hearing aid users.
“Most people don’t have to suffer the consequences of unaddressed hearing loss,” says Dr. McCorry. “Hearing loss can be easily diagnosed, and there are modern-day solutions that can help people hear better. Simply by getting their hearing checked and addressing their hearing loss, people in our community can reclaim their quality of life. We hope that many in our community will visit www.hearingcheck.org as well as www.coastalearnoseandthroat.com during Better Hearing and Speech Month.”
More About Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids
Numerous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks, reduced alertness, and increased risk to personal safety, irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, and diminished psychological and overall health. But nine out of ten hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life.

Advances in digital technology have dramatically improved hearing aids in recent years, making them smaller with better sound quality. Designs are modern, sleek, and discreet. Clarity, greater directionality, better speech audibility in a variety of environments, better cell phone compatibility, less whistling and feedback then hearing aids of the past, and greater ruggedness for active lifestyles are common features.

Suzanne McCorry is a Dr. of Audiology at Coastal Hearing and Balance Center in Neptune, NJ, and can be contacted 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; www.coastalhearing.com
The Better Hearing and Speech Council is a coalition of national and local organizations dedicated to promoting high quality hearing health and hearing healthcare for all residents of the United States. For more information, visit www.BHScouncil.org

National Better Speech and Hearing

Millions of Americans of all ages and from all walks of life suffer from some degree of hearing loss. Early detection can save valuable treatment time and enhance language development for babies and young children. Early testing can also help prevent a child’s hearing impairment from being mislabeled later as a learning disorder.

For teenagers and young adults, identification of a hearing problem can improve academic performance and social interaction.

For adults and the elderly, a proper hearing evaluation can increase confidence in communication with friends, family and colleagues.

If you notice signs of hearing loss, make an appointment to see an audiologist at Coastal Hearing and Balance Center (732-280-7855). A simple hearing test can determine the type and severity of hearing loss you may have.

Please visit our website at www.coastalhearing.com for more information on healthy hearing.
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Suzanne McCorry is Director of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com

Dr. Fuchs Joins Coastal

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat is proud to announce Tara L. Fuchs has joined the staff of Coastal Hearing and Balance Center Dr. Fuchs is a hearing-health professional with an audiologic career that spans over a decade. Dr. Fuchs earned her Master of Arts in Audiology from The College of New Jersey in 1997 followed by her Doctorate in Audiology from the University of Florida in 2003. During Dr. Fuch’s audiology tenure, she also became a member of both the American Academy of Audiology and the NJ Association of Hearing Health Professionals. She has spent time working as an Adjunct Professor at The College of New Jersey to help educate the next generation of hearing-health professionals. As both an industrial and clinical audiologist, Dr. Fuch’s professional experience spans from pediatric through geriatric patients.

Please visit our website at http://www.coastalhearing.com/for more information on healthy hearing.

Dr. McCorry is Director of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com/

Hearing Loss

What are the primary causes of hearing loss?

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat along with Healthy Hearing would like to educate the public on the primary causes of hearing loss.

There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing loss, all of which have different causes.

Conductive hearing loss is caused by issues with the middle ear such as fluid in the middle ear space or issues with the middle ear bones. Many types of conductive hearing loss are not permanent and can be treated by medical intervention. A full hearing evaluation followed with a medical evaluation by an ear physician will help to determine the cause of the conductive hearing loss. Once the cause is identified, the physician will recommend medical treatment.

Most causes of sensorineural (nerve) hearing loss are never known; however, through a hearing evaluation and medical evaluation, various causes of hearing loss can be suspected based on the outcome of the evaluations. The most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss are genetics, aging and noise exposure. Medications, diseases associated with small vessel disease, arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease are all associated with a higher incidence of hearing loss.

Recent studies have also found persons who smoke increase their probability of having hearing loss. Finally, high levels of blood lipids and cholesterol have been associated with an increased incidence of hearing loss, possibly through the promotion of small vessel disease.

Currently, noise-induced hearing loss is the only type of hearing loss that can be fully prevented by the use of ear protection. Noise induced hearing loss may be caused by a single exposure to excessive noise or from many years of being exposed to loud levels of noise.

Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, and is caused by the previously mentioned causes.

Unfortunately, even if you live healthy and take all precautions possible, the majority of us will slowly develop hearing loss due to the natural aging process. The inner ear hair cells do not replace themselves and once they are lost, their function is not recovered.

Recent studies have found high doses of antioxidants may be associated with the prevention of noise induced hearing loss. Other studies have shown a diet rich in folates may also help prevent hearing loss by up to 20% (2009, AOO-HNSF); however, further research is needed.

Joanne Slater M.S. CCC-A. Copyright 2009, www.HealthyHearing.com - The leading web resource on hearing loss and hearing aids. This article was reprinted with permission. Article Source: http://www.healthyhearing.com

Please visit our website at www.coastalhearing.com for more information on healthy hearing.
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Suzanne McCorry is Director of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com

Hearing Aid Dispenser

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat is proud to announce Jessica Miller has joined the staff of Coastal Hearing and Balance Center. Dr. Miller received both her Bachelor’s and Doctorate in Audiology degrees from James Madison University in Virginia. She is a licensed Audiologist and Hearing Aid Dispenser. Jessica also holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. After experiencing a variety of clinical settings including hospitals, VA medical centers, ENT offices, & private practice, she has found her niche working with hearing aids.

Call (732) 280-7855 or visit us on our website to make an appointment.

Meet Our Physician Assistant

Jaclyn Sylvia, our Physician Assistant, is committed to excellence in patient care. She received her bachelor’s degree in Health Services and Biology at Quinnipiac University in 2005. She continued on to obtain her Master’s degree in Health Science Physician Assistant at Quinnipiac University in 2007. She has been a practicing licensed medical professional working in otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery for over three years providing care for both adults and pediatric patients. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Society of Physician Assistants in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery as well as an active member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants in order to promote growth and development of Physician Assistants in the ENT field.

www.coastalhearing.com

sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat Urges Area Residents to Listen Up in a Down Economy
and Address Hearing Loss During Better Hearing and Speech Month

Neptune, May 1, 2009—May 1 marks the start of Better Hearing and Speech Month, a month dedicated to educating consumers about the need to assure that their hearing is healthy. This year, Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat is joining with the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) to educate Americans on how hearing health affects job security, performance, and employment opportunities. Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat is encouraging people of all ages who are either seeking employment or who want to protect their jobs to make sure that unaddressed hearing loss doesn’t pose a barrier to employment success. BHI is offering an online hearing test where people can quickly and confidentially assess if they need a comprehensive hearing check by Coastal’s hearing professionals. Please visit our website at http://www.coastalhearing.com/ under helpful links to take the Better Hearing Institute hearing test.
“Never before has good hearing been so important,” says Suzanne McCorry, an audiologist in Neptune. “Hearing your best can be a smart job security strategy in a tough job market. How an employee is perceived by employers is effected by how he or she hears. Job candidates need to sound sharp during an interview. And employees who aren’t sure what an employer is asking can’t answer their best.”
According to the International Listening Association (ILA), listening is one of the top skills employers seek in entry-level employees and in those being promoted. Individual performance in an organization is found to be directly related to listening ability or perceived listening effectiveness.
When people with even mild hearing loss use hearing aids, they improve their job performance, increase their earning potential, enhance their communication skills, improve their professional and interpersonal relationships, stave off depression, and better their quality of life.
According to a BHI national study—“Impact of Hearing Loss on Household Income"—Americans with unaddressed hearing loss make less money than people with normal hearing. The study found that wearing a hearing aid reduces the amount of income lost. Specifically, untreated hearing loss negatively affects household income, on average, up to $23,000 per year depending on the degree of hearing loss. The use of hearing aids mitigates those negative effects by about 50 percent.

“Treating hearing loss early is no longer an option,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, Executive Director of BHI. “It is a career imperative. Great workplace communication is critical to both job performance and to getting a job. Great communication starts with great listening. And great listening starts with the ability to hear. We urge everyone to take that first, most critical step to ensuring career success by visiting http://www.hearingcheck.org/. Do it today.“
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Suzanne McCorry is Director of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ, and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com/