Acute external otitis or otitis externa – more commonly called swimmer’s ear – is an infection that strikes the outer ear canal. The popular name “swimmer’s ear” originates from the fact that the problem is frequently associated with swimming. When moisture remains in the outer ear it provides a moist atmosphere where microbes may grow. […]
In the same way that there are numerous reasons for hearing loss, there are several forms of hearing loss; understanding the way that we hear is the beginning of understanding the distinct types. We receive sounds through the outer ear, which is not merely the portion of the ear on the outside of our heads, […]
As hearing instrument specialists, one of the frustrations we experience in our practice is that the issues that have caused hearing problems in our clients can’t be reversed. For example, one of the extremely common reasons for hearing loss is damage to the tiny, sensitive hair cells that line the inner ear and vibrate in […]
If you are finding it more difficult to hear female voices or children’s voices than to hear male voices, it may be an indication that you’ve suffered some degree of high-frequency hearing loss. Men’s voices generally fall into the frequency range of 85 to 180 Hertz, while women’s and children’s voices have a frequency range […]
Central Auditory Processing Disorder, or CAPD, is a hearing disorder in which the trouble lies not with the ears, but with the brain. With CAPD, your ears have no problem hearing sounds (especially the sounds associated with speech) properly, but something is affecting the brain’s ability to interpret these sounds. That’s why the disorder is […]
One topic that is rarely mentioned with regards to hearing loss is how to keep people who have suffered it safe in their homes. Imagine this scenario: you’re in your house and a fire breaks out, and like most of us nowadays you have smoke detectors to alert you so that you and your family […]
Hearing loss can take many forms, and can appear either suddenly, due to injury or trauma, or gradually, due to the aging process. The hearing loss itself can be transient or permanent, and can range from mild (having difficulty understanding casual conversation) to severe (total deafness). Either a single ear can be affected by hearing […]
February 19, 2013 | Contra Costa Hearing Aid Center
According to data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), out of every 1,000 babies in the United States, 2 to 3 are born deaf or with impaired hearing abilities. Children can experience hearing loss as the result of congenital factors, because of a middle ear infection called otitis media, or it may be acquired […]
February 10, 2013 | Contra Costa Hearing Aid Center
A fact that indicates how important the ability to hear is to living species on earth is that while researchers have identified various kinds of amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fishes who are sightless, they have been unable to find any naturally deaf species. However, hearing does not necessarily call for ears. Only vertebrates have ears, […]
