AudiologyOnline Takes You Around the Web in 60 Seconds! - Vol. 5, No. 8

AudiologyOnline uses the latest in internet scanning and retrieval technology to find hearing health-related news and web sites from around the world. This information is then compiled and summarized by our President & Editor-in-Chief, Paul Dybala, Ph.D., and Associate Editor, Kristi Albers, M.A., so that you can take a virtual trip around the "hearing health world wide web" in 60 seconds!

This edition of "Around the Web" (ATW) includes: humans learning echolation (move over batman), Amazing Grace, iPhone becomes a hearing aid, MTV studies hearing loss and many more!

Don't be deaf to hearing loss - 07/28/2009
cambridge-news.co.uk
One writer experiences hearing loss for a day and writes about it.

Why do hearing aids, unlike other electronics, not fall in price? - 07/27/2009
baltimoresun.com
One blogger questions the price of hearing aids.

Amazing Grace: How One Little Girl and Her Mom Got Hearing Aid Bill Off the Ground - 07/27/2009
healthyhearing.com
Will sweet little Grace Gleba and her mother Jeanine from NJ ever cease to inspire us?!?

Kids Need Back-To-School Health Checks - 07/26/2009
healthnewsdigest.com
No matter what grade your child is entering, routine physical
examinations, including hearing and vision tests, help ensure that your children are truly ready for school. Hearing test is #1 recommended test by this pediatrician.

Deaf Woman Killed After Being Struck By Train - 07/26/2009
wdsu.com
A tragic story that could have been prevented by use of train crossing arms. Educating persons who are deaf or have hearing loss to use all of their senses for safety issues like this is important.

Almost 2,000 People Line Up for Free Health Care in Virginia - 07/25/2009
theledger.com
East Tennessee State University Audiology students assisted in this 3-day event testing hearing and fitting persons with hearing aids.

Families fight for deaf school - 07/25/2009
argusleader.com
Five families with school-age deaf children have filed a class-action lawsuit against the state alleging that a reduction in services offered on campus at the South Dakota School for the Deaf in Sioux Falls violates the state constitution.

Loud rock music wrecked my hearing, says Dire Straits star... Now iPod generation is at risk - 07/25/2009
dailymail.co.uk
After touring constantly from 1976 to 1992,Dire Straits Mark Knopfler has now sustained considerable hearing loss, something that he readily admits was inevitable.

Buying a Hearing Aid? You've Got a Lot to Learn - 07/24/2009
nytimes.com
One hearing aid wearer shares his hearing aid journey with the NY Times and how price was a shocker and disappointment.

Rowlett Girl Finds Strength in Injured Dolphin - 07/24/2009
nbcdfw.com
A young girl with hearing loss learns peace with her hearing aids from an injured dolphin. Grab a tissue, this one is sweet.

Children with hearing loss learn water safety in New Port Richey - 07/24/2009
suncoastpasco.tbo.com
Children with hearing loss are not able to wear their hearing aids while swimming and may potentially miss out on friends and family calling out to them for safety concerns. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services of Florida provided children and their family some water safety tips and the opportunity to have some fun in the pool.

Keller's story has timeless lessons - 07/24/2009
andalusiastarnews.com
In October, a bronze likeness of Alabama-native Helen Keller at age 7 will be unveiled in the U.S. Capitol complex. Organizers are hoping the new statue will prompt others to read or see Helen's story, and that all of us will continue to be inspired by her accomplishments.

Innovative device is making a big noise in industry - 07/24/2009
basingstokegazette.co.uk
Although in the UK, this technology is worth reporting on and is sure to make its way to the US.

What Do Urban Sounds Do to Your Brain? - 07/24/2009
discovermagazine.com
We live in a sonic world, immersed in vibrations that stimulate microscopic hair cells deep inside our ears. This unseen energy influences our mood, our learning, even our health.

Advanced Bionics® Launches New Pediatric Accessories Including the Melody Doll - 07/23/2009
advancedbionics.com
Advanced Bionics recently announced the launch of their Bionic Ears for Kids kit, which contains the newest addition to the Bionic Family, Buddy's younger sister, Melody, as well as several newly developed accessories that will make living with a cochlear implant easier, more convenient and more comfortable for pediatric patients.

Boomers learning they don't have to put up with hearing loss - 07/23/2009
toacorn.com
Listen up: There's good news for boomers who want to improve their hearing health. That's because there are practical steps they can take to correct a hearing impairment.

Learning From Nature - 07/23/2009
alibaba.com
Wind turbines based on whales, electric generation based on eels, radio chips based on human cochlea. Nature is one of the best R&D labs we know.

Hearing implants an option for seniors - 07/22/2009
wkowtv.com
Cochlear implants are electronic devices that can actually help kids born deaf to hear. But now they can also turn on sound for seniors with age-related hearing loss.

Hearing conservation: cue tips for musicians - 07/20/2009
ulstermusic.com
Step 1 - get a baseline hearing test. Step 2 - see an audiologist annually.

Big noise over a little gadget - 07/20/2009
qt.com
IT SEEMS good things do come in small packages for more than 20 per cent of Australian adults who suffer from hearing loss....many will now be able to receive the benefits of the world's smallest hearing aid - the Sonic Touch.

Diabetes and hearing loss - 07/19/2009
sunnewsonline.com
Hearing loss is a common problem that follows old age, diseases like meningitis and syphilis, use of high doses of certain drugs like aspirin and diuretics, noise exposure and heredity. Hearing loss is also one of the long term problems encountered by people with diabetes.

Nonprofit Leader Gay Ratcliff Has 'The Most Enthusiasm' - 07/19/2009
theledger.com
Audiologist Gay Ratcliff has been director of the non-profit Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center since she was 27 (she is now 63) and is among the longest-serving executive directors of a nonprofit group in Polk County of FL.

Music teachers pay price with hearing loss - 07/18/2009
suntimes.com
A recent study on the effect of sound levels on music teachers found 68 percent of them had noise-induced hearing loss.

Craving Pizza? Just Download the App - 07/18/2009
abcnews.go.com
Having trouble hearing? Just download the app and grab your iPhone.

Till Deaf Do Us Part - 07/17/2009
beattiegroup.com
Relationships throughout the UK are failing because of unmanaged hearing loss, according to a survey commissioned by Specsavers hearing centres.

Thanks to cochlear implants, local comic hears the roar of the crowd - 07/17/2009
johnstonsunrise.net
Comedian Mike Murray has a unique perspective on which to base his humor. Until about five years ago, he was almost totally deaf. Cochlear implants improved his hearing to almost 100 percent, giving him a whole new view on the world. Like many good comedians, he has worked his personal experiences into his show.

MTV Study on Hearing Loss - 07/16/2009
about.com
MTV and Vanderbilt team up in "Intentional Exposure to Loud Music: The 2nd MTV.com Survey Reveals an Opportunity to Educate"

Cochlear hit by currency exchange losses - 07/15/2009
theaustralian.news.com.au
HEARING implant maker Cochlear has downgraded earnings guidance after being hit by the rising Australian dollar on its largely offshore operations.

For some musicians, fear of injury greater than stage fright - 07/15/2009
scrippsnews.com
One of the more prevalent music injuries is rarely talked about: hearing loss. Players and educators of school bands and orchestras are most at risk of hearing loss. In a recent study on the effect of sound levels on 53 music educators, it was established that 68 percent of them showed signs of noise-induced hearing loss in one or both ears.

Brain Stimulation: Can Magnetic or Electrical Pulses Help You? - 07/15/2009
health.usnews.com
In recent years, attention has been focused heavily on the potential of brain stimulation therapies, which interrupt misbehaving brain signals. The list of disorders these techniques could target is lengthening. Depression and Parkinson's disease have been the subject of a considerable body of brain stimulation research, and clinical trials are now investigating the therapies to treat pain, epilepsy, Tourette's syndrome, tinnitus, obsessive-compulsive disorder, headache, and other conditions.

Should Seniors Worry About Hearing Loss? - 07/15/2009
livescience.com
Hearing problems that are ignored or untreated can get worse. If you have a hearing problem, see your doctor. Hearing aids, special training, medicines and surgery are options. Your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist, a physician who specializes in problems of the ear. Or you may be referred to an audiologist, a professional who can identify and measure hearing loss. An audiologist can help you determine if you need a hearing aid.

Doctors should warn against hearing loss - 07/14/2009
upi.com
The media is the most informative source about hearing loss prevention and the healthcare community is the least likely source, U.S. researchers found.

Celebrities help raise $5 million in St. Paul for Starkey Hearing Foundation - 07/13/2009
minnpost.com
Limos arrived and gala guests walked the red carpet in their best dress for an evening of fundraising and celebration at the RiverCentre in St. Paul Sunday. The star-studded gala raised more than $5 million. It was all part of the Starkey Hearing Foundation's So the World May Hear Awards Gala 2009.

Sir Elton and other hearing aides - 07/13/2009
startribune.com
The Piano Man was joined by a long list of celebrities to help poor children around the world hear.

People with misophonia experience extreme reactions to specific sounds - 07/13/2009
google.com
For the 32-year-old Toronto accountant, gum-chewing, lip-smacking and carrot-crunching are akin to nails on a blackboard. Worse, even. The noises other people make with their mouths have driven him to clobber a wall with his fists. Once, he chucked a bag of groceries at the wall.

Cochlear Implant Pouches for Kids! - 07/13/2009
livinglakecountry.com
Children with CI's often have difficult participating in physical activities due to their processor or complain it is in their way. Well, there's a Mom out there (in Australia) that has come up with a pretty neat idea to help solve this problem.

Unseen Hearing Aid Sounds Good to Some - 07/12/2009
wsj.com
Many people with hearing loss shun mechanical aids for cosmetic reasons, or because of the hassle of frequently putting them in and out and changing batteries. The Lyric, sold by InSound Medical Inc. of Newark, Calif., is a small cylindrical device roughly the size of two pencil-top erasers placed side by side. It's worn all the time—even when showering, sleeping and playing sports. The device can't be worn swimming, but a new model expected out later this year can be.

There's no shame in getting help for a hearing problem - 07/12/2009
columbusdispatch.com
Why don't we hear more about hearing aids and hearing loss from the great numbers of people among us who experience them? The pitiful answer is pretty simple: Our culture has deemed it an embarrassment to have a hearing problem, an embarrassment to wear hearing aids, to need one of those assistive-listening devices at the theater or to admit in any way that hearing is difficult. A VERY well written article!

World Deaf Surfing Championships at Waikiki - 07/12/2009
kgmb9.com
70 surfers from across the globe hit the waves in Waikiki for the World Deaf Surfing Championships at Queen's Beach. Hearing-impaired surfers flew in from countries like Brazil, Ireland, Uruguay and Australia to participate.

Starkey Hearing Foundation marks 25 years of helping - 07/11/2009
twincities.com
The Minnesota-based Starkey Hearing Foundation this weekend is marking 25 years of its worldwide effort to help people of limited means who suffer from hearing loss.

Marshall says no to iPods in the workplace - 07/11/2009
magentanews.com
A business in the UK has banned the use of iPods while on the job because of concerns they could put them in danger and damage their hearing. The firm said it feared workers would not be able to hear fire alarms or moving machinery on the factory floor and company chiefs fear staff could claim their hearing was damaged during work hours and sue the company for failing to protect them on health and safety grounds.

Plug In and Tune In: New Hearing Aid App for the iPhone - 07/09/2009
abcnews.go.com
People don't normally equate the iPhone with medical innovation, but with the June release of an application that doubles as a hearing aid, they may have to reconsider. Hearing loss? Yep, there's an app for that...

A drug's unintended use restores the gift of hearing - 07/09/2009
boston.com
Edith Garrett's hearing, which was nearly gone in 2006 due to neurofibromatosis type 2,has been restored in one ear thanks to a new drug treatment.

Englewood man has trouble 'lending an ear' - 07/09/2009
sunnewspapers.net
One man loving his new hearing aids and then lost one. Beltone stepped up and offered great customer service. Article continues with encouraging consumers to seek treatment of hearing aids.

Vertigo/"stroke" in older dogs and cats - 07/08/2009
examiner.com
In older dogs and cats, a sudden onset of vertigo or vestibular syndrome can look like a stroke.

Hard of Hearing, Soft at Heart - 07/08/2009
chickashanews.com
Dealing with progressive hearing loss since she was 27,USAO graduate Shanna (Bartlett) Groves did what any good writer would do he wrote a novel. Groves' experiences inspired her novel, Lip Reader.

Old age not only reason behind hearing loss - 07/08/2009
tmcnet.com
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss, but the old age is not only reason behind hearing loss, as there are also other causes of this ailment including living in surroundings having very loud voices, or ignoring ear infections.

Striving to inspire - 07/07/2009
monroenews.com
Young golfer Matt Lake competed in the United States Deaf Golf Championship. He wants to be a model for other deaf children and adults to never give up on their dreams.

Small Lyric Hearing Aids Bring Clear Sound - 07/06/2009
emaxhealth.com
Lyric continues to gain popularity among professionals.

Take a Look at the Smallest Hearing Aid - 07/06/2009
abcnews.go.com
New hearing aid is much smaller than traditional hearing aids and is gaining media attention.

Colby professor receives grant to study dizziness - 07/06/2009
kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com
Colby College professor Jan Holly is a mathematician with a great interest in neuroscience. That combination is what led Holly to study the inner ear and, more specifically, the issues of dizziness and imbalance and how they lead to misperception of self motion.

Fire alarm saves deaf man from Shoreham blaze - 07/06/2009
chichester.co.uk
Do you regularly recommend special fire/smoke alarms for your hearing impaired patients? If not, you may want to consider doing so...they change lives.

Crafting for the Body and Soul - 07/05/2009
nytimes.com
Dr. Hugh Herr is one of the heroes of a new book, "Design Meets Disability" by the industrial designer, Graham Pullin. The book acts as a manifesto by condemning many of the existing products designed for people with disabilities, and challenging designers to use their skills to develop inspiring alternatives. Hearing aids are among the products they discuss.

Super-thin hearing aid gets good reception from Cochlear investors - 07/05/2009
business.watoday.com
Cochlear is rolling out a new device that has just recently received FDA approval. The slimmer design means that the device is likely to be implanted without — or with less — need for skull 'excavation', which should appeal to surgeons.

The processor, which sits inside the implant, is also expected to be popular with users due to its range of new features such as requiring fewer batteries, improved durability and a remote control that can operate two processors as well as serving as a link to external devices such as an iPod.

Wounded Soldier Needs Help to Get Dog - 07/03/2009
myfoxatlanta.com
A wounded soldier who now suffers from many health conditions due to his war related injuries which include hearing loss and tinnitus, is in need of a dog to help him get through his days.

Cystic Fibrosis Treatment May Cause Hearing Loss - 07/02/2009
forbes.com
A common antibacterial treatment for cystic fibrosis can cause sensorineural hearing loss, finds a new study.

High-decibel shows pose hearing risk - 07/02/2009
jsonline.com
If you've left Summerfest, or any other concert, with ringing ears, then you'd better listen up. Public Investigator recorded decibel levels throughout the festival grounds and found that many musicians were rocking at levels that people should be exposed to for only 60 minutes or less.

Tinnitus can drive sufferer to distraction - 07/02/2009
southcoasttoday.com
M.D. column answering question on tinnitus.

Ear ringing destroys peace - 07/02/2009
detnews.com
Tinnitus suffer seeks help on the tinnitus that is causing him distress.

How to 'Speak' Like Dolphins - 07/01/2009
softpedia.com
Distinguishing what types of objects surround you in the dark could prove to come in handy in various situations, as, for example, when working in an environment where you have little visibility and the eyes don't help you much.

Fine Tuning For Hearing Impaired - 07/01/2009
thedenverchannel.com
University of FL investigators created a cochlear implant optimization software program, Clarujust. In a pilot study of the software, UF researchers found the new program resulted in improved performance in all outcomes measures, including speech perception and the ability to hear over background noise. Seventeen of the 20 cochlear implant recipients who participated in the research preferred to continue using the new optimized programming over traditional cochlear implant settings.

Volunteer Nurses Give Gift Of Hearing To Young Boy - 06/29/2009
cbs4.com
A mission of mercy to help a young boy hear the world around him ended up changing the lives of all of those involved.

Hearing Loss Safety: If You Can't Hear It, How Do You Avoid It? - 06/29/2009
healthyhearing.com
An article on hearing loss and safety concerns - issues not always discussed with hearing loss patients.

Searching for refuge — and, perhaps, health — in a sickeningly loud world. - 06/25/2009
miller-mccune.com
Very interesting and in-depth article on the effects of noise on our health, learning abilities and overall well being.