AudiologyOnline Takes You Around the Web in 60 Seconds! - Vol. 5, No. 2

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: Elf ears (a must see), feeling your words, inner ear has natural volume control, newborns rock out innately and many more.

If you have an item to add to this list, please send it to the Editor via the Contact Us section of the web site.

Quota Club aids hearing-impaired child - 02/17/2009
fortmorgantimes.com
Quota Club International of Sterling recently assisted in obtaining hearing aids for a 2-year-old Fort Morgan boy with severely impaired hearing.

Elmore girl gets the help to hear - 02/16/2009
portclintonnewsherald.com
One audiologist found an insurance company wouldn't cover digital hearing aids for a young girl, only analog. So she sought the assistance of the local Lions Club who assisted in purchasing new digital hearing aids for the little girl. Truly the value of community.

Free hearing aid batteries - 02/16/2009
walletpop.com
Energizer is offering free hearing aid batteries. Read for further information.

NHCA, NIOSH Honor Hearing Conservation Leaders - 02/15/2009
ohsonline.com
The first four Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards™ were presented during the 34th annual conference of the National Hearing Conservation Association.

Bill's World: Drop your pennies, grab your hearing aid - 02/15/2009
gastongazette.com
A fun column about two hearing aid wearers discussing whose increases volume better.

East Falmouth woman helps hearing impaired in El Salvador - 02/15/2009
wickedlocal.com
Sue Burns of East Falmouth was one of the three Beltone New England employees who traveled to El Salvador where they donated their professional services and $500,000 worth of hearing aids to severely or profoundly deaf people in Nueva Esperanza.

"What? What?" Failure To Supply Earplugs Cost GIs Their Hearing - 02/14/2009
politicalaffairs.net
New evidence is showing tinnitus and hearing loss epidemic among troops may be due to lack of ear protection supplied to soldiers.

Counselor expands reach to deaf - 02/14/2009
tennessean.com
A counselor born to deaf parents who were advocates for the community, now provides a one-on-one counseling service for the deaf, Walk Ministry.

Elf Ears - 02/13/2009
instructables.com
No joke - someone actually modified their ears to appear "elf-like". Yikes! Click with caution...

Start-up tunes in on hearing devices - 02/13/2009
floridatoday.com
Melbourne's Audigence Inc. raises $2M to develop devices. Audigence, with six employees in Melbourne and key collaborators from the University of Florida, has developed software technology allowing audiologists to help patients with cochlear implants and general hearing problems to better understand speech.

'The Amazing Race' recap: What a Cheesy Episode - 02/13/2009
ew.com
One team on the newest Amazing Race season consists of a mother and her deaf son.

Firefighters Claim Sirens Caused Hearing - 02/12/2009
cbs2chicago.com
When you hear a fire siren, you know it's time to get out of the way. The sirens are loud hey're supposed to be. But some Chicago firefighters say there's a downside for them: hearing loss.

Granite Bay's Knudtson shuts out noise to lead team - 02/11/2009
granitebaypt.com
When one highschool basketball player goes to the line for a free throw she can block out the noise like no one else."They will scream and yell and she just turns off her hearing aids," said father Bud Knudtson. "She steps to the line and does her free throws."

Waynesville group seeking donations for boy's surgery - 02/11/2009
daytondailynews.com
A local Masonic lodge is raising money to help pay for one young boy's cochlear implant surgery. Although insurance provides partial coverage for each year, the family still needs to come up with $7k per ear.

Cochlear Implants Restore Hearing - 02/11/2009
kfyrtv.com
Hearing aids help millions of Americans regain their fifth sense. But they don't work for everyone, particularly those who can't hear at all. In those cases, audiologists often turn to cochlear implants.

Cochlear H1 profit up 22pc, sees growth - 02/10/2009
theaustralian.news.com.au
COCHLEAR posted a 22 per cent rise in first-half net profit and forecast double-digit earnings growth over the full year.

That Buzzing Sound - 02/09/2009
newyorker.com
The mystery of tinnitus is discussed in length in the New Yorker.

Boomer Survey by Energizer - 02/09/2009
nwanews.com
Funded by the Energizer battery company, the "Keep Going. Live Healthy" campaign found that nearly half of the respondents reported that their marriage has suffered because of a spouse's hearing loss.

Loud Music - 02/09/2009
gwhatchet.com
Ever since Sony launched their Walkman in 1979,audiologists have been worried by the presence of headphones that press against the ear and blast music directly into them. Headphones have since become earbuds that burrow inside of the ear canal, which is even worse, hearing experts say.

Church bridges the communication gap for deaf and hearing - 02/09/2009
craigdailypress.com
Asking someone to describe his or her perfect day is generally straightforward. But when one person is deaf and the other doesn't know sign language, suddenly the situation is more complex.

Captioning law would bring political ads to deaf residents - 02/09/2009
fredericknewspost.com
The Maryland General Assembly is looking to pass a bill requiring captioning on all state and county political ads, or a transcript on the campaign website.

The sounds of success - 02/09/2009
caller.com
Andy Garza, a 15-year-old who received cochlear implant surgery in 2007,started Andy's Day One Fund at Driscoll Children's Hospital in December 2008 to help other deaf children afford the same procedure and after care.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing to get help with TV transition - 02/08/2009
argusleader.com
Communication Service for the Deaf will launch a new call center and Web site to help the deaf and hard of hearing with the digital television transition.

Ways to Minimize Tinnitus & Troublesome Noises in the Ears - 02/07/2009
infozine.com
Tips on reducing tips from the Mayo Clinic are discussed.

An ear for Holy Spirit's song - 02/07/2009
oregonlive.com
In his punk period, Ken Canedo thought pianos sounded "clunky." He was losing his hearing, and part of music's appeal was playing it loud. Despite hearing loss, Canedo crafts many musical styles into praise songs that Catholics nationwide sing.

Dunmore students head to Honduras - 02/07/2009
scrantontimes.com
Operation Honduras will head to Honduras to provide hearing and dental care. The Starkey Hearing Foundation, based in Eden Prairie, Minn., has assisted Operation Honduras in the past by providing hearing aids for Hondurans in need.

New Technology Aids Hearing Impaired - 02/07/2009
gvnews.com
Looping systems showing big success for hearing aid wearers.

Audiology Expert Traces Evolution of Field in U.S. - 02/06/2009
utdallas.edu
Dr. James Jerger, distinguished scholar-in-residence in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, has devoted his career to audiological education and research. And with the recent publication of his 11th book, he is sharing much of what he has learned and experienced over the past 55 years.

Program curbing soldiers' loss of hearing - 02/06/2009
gazette.com
A 2005 study in the Journal of Audiology found that soldiers deployed to Iraq from April 2003 to March 2004 were 50 times more likely to suffer acoustic trauma than those who weren't deployed.

Such statistics have prompted the military to rethink how it handles hearing cases, and Fort Carson is on the front lines of that change. The Colorado post is piloting an Army study to show whether additional hearing experts on staff and a sharper focus on prevention can cut down on hearing disabilities.

Knights for Knight - 02/06/2009
wickedlocal.com
They may not wear shining armor, but the Knights of Columbus Council 1190 are certainly heroes to a young Plymouth boy with hearing loss and his family.

Special concert gives deaf the chance to rock - 02/06/2009
metronews.ca
At the concert, the deaf will get a chance to rock thanks to a series of "emoti-chairs" designed to analyze sound frequencies and translate them into vibrations, motions and blasts of air.

'Lighthouse' teaches to cope with sight, hearing loss - 02/05/2009
duluthnewstribune.com
Lighthouse for the Blind of Duluth is a non-profit organization that works to provide those who experience hearing or vision loss with tools and skills to improve and simplify life. The organization offers a range of classes, programs, services and products at no cost to its roughly 300 clients.

Soldiers in Afghanistan to get ear plugs like those used by Madonna - 02/05/2009
telegraph.co.uk
British soldiers being sent to Afghanistan are to be issued with sonic ear plugs used by pop stars from Madonna to Take That to protect their hearing.

Antibiotics blamed for child deafness - 02/05/2009
independent.co.uk
One child a week is being made deaf by treatment with antibiotics and many more may suffer damage to their hearing, doctors report today.

SONIC INNOVATIONS ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 2008 - 02/05/2009
sonici.com
Sonic announcers the 4th quarter results from 2008.

Spectrum Brands Reaches Agreement with Noteholders to Significantly Reduce Outstanding Debt - 02/04/2009
corporate-ir.net
Company Files Voluntary Chapter 11 Petition to Implement Debt Restructuring All of the Company's Businesses in the U.S. and around the World Operating as Usual. Plan Supported by Noteholders Representing Approximately 70% Face Value of the Outstanding Notes.

Alive and Kicking: Deafness and the Cochlear Implant - 02/04/2009
yourneighborhoodnews.net
One husband writes of insight into how hearing loss affected his marriage and how it can affect any relationship.

Daniel Island boy makes debut in Hollywood film - 02/04/2009
thedanielislandnews.com
A young boy with Autism will star in the upcoming film Dear John, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.

What? A word to the iPod generation - 02/03/2009
unogateway.com
Pete Townshend. Neil Young. Bono. Tom McCauley. Besides being musical geniuses (arguably), what do these guys have in common? Noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, a permanent ringing, buzzing or roaring of the ears that affects more than 50 million Americans.

Now hear this: Used hearing aids help others hear better - 02/03/2009
thedailytimes.com
Blount County Hearing and Speech Foundation collects used hearing aids from the public and can either recycle them for the needy or get credit from a manufacturer.

SEDOL Foundation launches sound program - 02/03/2009
suburbanchicagonews.com
As a child, David Raye struggled with speech and learning delays due to hearing impairment. Now the owner of Goddard School in Third Lake and a Special Education District of Lake County Foundation board member, Raye has started a program to help needy families get hearing aids.

Teen silencing her own disability - 02/02/2009
berryessasun.com
An inspiring story about a teen named Allison, who lived the first 31/2 years of her life in total silence. But through a wondrous marriage of technology and personal will, she is building a normal life today — an exceptional life, many would say — with the aid of a cochlear implant, a strong support system and her own personal drive.

Hughes Syndrome: simple to treat but all too often ignored - 02/02/2009
telegraph.co.uk
Hughes Syndrome can cause tinnitus and earaches.

Actress with hearing loss doesn't let challenges stop her - 02/01/2009
timesdispatch.com
I'm not going to let things stop me because I'm losing my hearing," actress Erica Siegel said as she sits in the Barksdale Theatre, where she has been spending many hours of late. "It's just not worth it. So many people tell you that you can't do something, and when you hear that enough, you do it, just to spite them!"

Silence the Ringing in Your Ears - 02/01/2009
ivanhoe.com
Henry Ford Clinic is finding success with Neuromonics for treating tinnitus.

He brings joy of music to deaf people - 02/01/2009
cnn.com
Sean Forbes, 26,started a nonprofit called D-PAN, or Deaf Performing Artists Network, which creates American Sign Language-enhanced music videos.

Going Deaf and Blind in a City of Noise and Lights - 02/01/2009
nymag.com
An amazing story of a 29-year old New Yorker and her life with Ushers Syndrome, which is slowly taking away her sight and hearing.

New Web Site Focuses on Changes to NRR System - 01/31/2009
ohsonline.com
A new Web site—www.NRRUpdate.com—has been developed to help safety and health professionals charged with workplace hearing conservation stay up to date on the proposed changes to the Noise Reduction Ratings system as EPA, ANSI, and other agencies continue efforts to better align the system with real-world use of hearing protection.

Hearing aid maker Sonitus lands $13.5M - 01/30/2009
venturebeat.com
Sonitus Medical, a company that makes a hearing device to treat single-sided deafness, just brought in $13.5 million in second-round funding to commercialize its flagship product, reports VentureWire. Based in San Mateo, Calif., it still needs to push the device through one more clinical trial and plans to go to market in 2010 if all goes well.

Scientists describe your ears' natural earplugs - 01/29/2009
jhunewsletter.com
New research demonstrates how the sensitive cells of the ear can protect themselves from excessively loud sounds.

Quota plans 90-year legacy event - 01/29/2009
bismarcktribune.com
The mission of Quota International focuses on deaf and hard-of-hearing persons and disadvantaged women and children.

Overcoming adversity - 01/29/2009
eudoranews.com
Zach was 2 1/2 when he got his first walker and hearing aids. He has cerebral palsy and has managed to overcome many obstacles.

It's Not Too Late to Guard Against Hearing Loss - 01/28/2009
health.usnews.com
You can't change your genes, but you can minimize exposure to noise.

Children to receiving hearing aids - 01/27/2009
mydesert.com
About 70 children in the Palm Springs area will receive free hearing aids, thanks to Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Hearing impaired, hearing students team up for musical performances - 01/27/2009
uticaod.com
The musical is a production of Youth Interaction Through Theater, which brings together hearing kids and deaf children. The program is designed to allow children to interact with deaf children in a theatrical environment

Let's rock! Even newborns can follow a rhythm - 01/26/2009
msnbc.msn.com/
Is rocking out innate? Newborns can follow a rhythm, a new study has found, suggesting rocking out is in fact innate.

Noise drowning out teachers - 01/24/2009
canada.com
The average Grade 1 student misses one out of every six words spoken by their teacher due to excessive background noises like ceiling fans and rattling heat vents, says a group of hearing and speech language experts from across Canada.

Music to his ears: Vietnamese boy finds world full of sound at school for deaf - 01/23/2009
commercialappeal.com
Identified as profoundly deaf in his native country Vietnam, this little boys father fought for him to come to the US to receive a cohlear implant. He is now playing music and flourishing.

Mouse Mutation Results in Hearing Protection - 01/22/2009
modernmedicine.com
Efferent feedback inhibition appears to play a role in protecting hearing in the presence of loud noise, according to the results of study in mice published online Jan. 20 in PLoS Biology.

Researching 'baby talk' - 01/22/2009
bgnews.com
This use of "baby talk" has been linked to the improvement of normal-hearing children's speech and language skills. The Indiana University School of Medicine is researching how hearing-impaired infants develop speech and language skills. "We are trying to understand what factors will promote the development and the best speech and language outcomes for children that have hearing loss," Dilley said. "That is the main goal of the whole research project and there are a lot of unknowns."

How the Ear Protects Your Hearing - 01/22/2009
usnews.com
Research provides insight into a built-in volume-control system

Texas Medical Center researchers win collaborative grants - 01/21/2009
genengnews.com
Helping the deaf hear again by using lasers to stimulate auditory neurons is the focus of research by Robert Raphael, an associate professor in bioengineering at Rice, and John Oghalai, clinic chief and director of The Hearing Center at Texas Children's Hospital.

Reflections on witnessing an amazing journey - 01/21/2009
mysuburbanlife.com
Jennifer and Todd White's deaf daughter, the beautiful and vivacious Lauren, was receiving cochlear implants, and they hoped to raise awareness about the technology. So, deciding to make us privy to their journey, they opened their home, hospital room and therapy sessions to a couple of interlopers armed with a notebook and camera.

Earbuds can cause child hearing problems to blossom - 01/20/2009
cleveland.com
Earbuds can cause hearing loss...really? Ok joking. You have to check out a photo in this article depicting the danger of earbuds - it is great.

Additional information on earbud: How loud is too loud? - 01/20/2009
cleveland.com
Tips for consumers safe listening are given.

AARP Extends Date to Restructure Royalty - 01/19/2009
money.cnn.com
AARP notified HearUSA that AARP was exercising its right to extend the date for restructuring the royalty compensation provision of its license agreement with HearUSA to February 23,2009.

Signs of the Times: Non-hearing, hearing students learn together - 01/17/2009
azstarnet.com
Welcome to Miles Exploratory Learning Center, where visitors would be hard-pressed to know at first glance who can hear and who can't because in this dual-language program, all students learn together7,and are all likely to sign.

Capricorn rock pioneer suffers hearing loss - 01/15/2009
nwi.com
What does being a Capricorn and having hearing loss have in common? Nothing actually - this once young teen rock sensation in the 50s just happened to be/have both and despite having hearing loss became a sensation.

Report Criticizes F.D.A. on Device Testing - 01/15/2009
nytimes.com
FDA promises to toughen standards on approving medical devices. Will this happen? How may it affect hearing aids or over the counter amplification devices?

Clearing hurdles: Hearing impaired Cronin is record-setting high jumper, sprinter - 01/15/2009
andovertownsman.com
No one can deny that Moira Cronin is an athlete. Nor can they deny that she has not allowed her hearing loss to slow her down, literally.

Ryan Adams quits music, quietly defends decision - 01/15/2009
musicradar.com
Popular rocker Ryan Adams is taking a break from his music career due to his battles with Meniere's Disease.

Is someone hearing more than you think? - 01/15/2009
times-herald.com
One columnist offers humor on hearing loss and hearing aids.

Feeling Your Words - 01/14/2009
haskins.yale.edu
It is not surprising that sensory information from the facial skin and the muscles of the vocal tract affects the sounds of speech as we talk. A recent study by scientists at Haskins Laboratories, a Yale-affiliated research laboratory in New Haven, shows that movement of the facial skin at the side of the mouth also changes the way in which speech sounds are heard.

Could it be that restaurants are getting quieter? - 01/13/2009
sfgate.com
San Fran is one city that restaurant reviewers have implemented noise ratings. Now critics are wondering, has it worked? Author states restaurants are now implementing acoustically friends designs and acoustical treatments to help with noise.

High-tech imaging of inner ear sheds light on hearing, behavior of oldest fossil bird - 01/13/2009
eurekalert.org
Using innovative modern technology, a team of paleontologists and biologists from London, Munich and Ohio have shown for the first time how the length of the inner ear of birds and reptiles can be used to accurately predict their hearing ability and even aspects of their behavior.