A Brief History of Hearing Loss

A Brief History of Hearing Loss

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Hearing Loss

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, approximately 48 million Americans (20 percent) report some degree of hearing loss. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 28.8 million adults in the United States could benefit from wearing hearing aids. Despite hearing loss being an issue that has affected humans since the beginning of …

A man straining to hear

Why Pretending to Hear Doesn’t Help

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Communication, Hearing Loss, Tips & Tricks

Everyone has encountered situations where they have not been able to follow a conversation whether in a noisy room or understanding the speaker’s voice. It’s normal in our society to pretend to understand, even when you do not. You might feel it is impolite to stop the conversation or you don’t want to make a spectacle and ask the speaker …

Hearing Loss & Cognitive Decline

Hearing Loss & Cognitive Decline

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Brain Health, Cognitive Health, Hearing Aids, Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, Mental Health, News, Research

Cognitive decline has long been an early indicator of dementia, the sixth leading cause of mortality in this country. So it makes sense that we should be vigilant of anything that might compromise our brain functions. That’s why we should start looking at hearing loss. Even adults with a little hearing loss are at a higher risk of dementia, and …

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Communication, Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, Mental Health, News, Research

We all know that May is the month of some pretty important events, including Star Wars day, National Hoagie Day and National Clean Your Room Day (seriously), but the whole month is also dedicated to highlighting the communication problems people face. This the aim of The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), who have launched their Better Speech and Hearing campaign this …

Everyday Noises that Could Cause Hearing Loss

Everyday Noises that Could Cause Hearing Loss

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, News, Noise, Research

As waves of lawsuits and millions of pounds of compensation has shown, we certainly don’t tolerate loud noises in the workplace anymore. The same however, cannot be said for our leisure activities. Indeed, noise from everyday leisure activities are fast becoming the chief cause of noise-induced hearing loss. The problem with this kind of hearing loss is that it takes …

Dealing with Noise Pollution in Your Neighborhood

Dealing with Noise Pollution in Your Neighborhood

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Community, Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, News, Noise, Research, Tips & Tricks

Sound occurs when the fragile complex system inside our ears picks up vibrations in the air, which our brain then interprets and identify.  Our days are permeated with sounds that are relaxing or stressful to our ears. The sounds in our day are inescapable and when sound becomes bothersome, we call it noise. When this noise in a particular area …

Hearing Loss & Fatigue

Hearing Loss & Fatigue

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Cognitive Health, Fatigue, Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, News, Research, Signs & Symptoms

Do you find yourself low on energy, exhausted after a day of busy interactions, whether in a social or work setting? Hearing loss may be the culprit for your exhaustion. Hearing loss and fatigue may seem unrelated, but in reality, they are much more connected than you realize. Fatigue is defined as “extreme tiredness, typically resulting from mental or physical …

Ensuring That Your Meetings are Accessible to People with Hearing Loss

Ensuring That Your Meetings are Accessible to People with Hearing Loss

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Communication, Hearing Loss, News, Tips & Tricks, Workplace & Economy

Do you run a lot of meetings at the office? Do you sometimes feel like not everyone is on the same page, or that some people on your team are struggling to hear? Roughly 60% of those with hearing loss are in work or educational settings, and as a leader at your workplace, it’s important that your meetings are accessible …

Veterans and Hearing Loss

Veterans and Hearing Loss

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, Military

Veterans – particularly those who’ve served in war zones – have considerably higher rates of hearing loss than the general public. Seeing as 20 percent of the public in the US has some level of hearing loss, the rates among veterans are disturbingly high. The most frequent service-related disabilities among soldiers that served in Iraq and Afghanistan are hearing loss …

Symptoms of Memory Loss Could Actually Be Hearing Loss

Symptoms of Memory Loss Could Actually Be Hearing Loss

Leanne E. Polhill, LHAS, BC-HIS, BA Brain Health, Cognitive Health, Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, Mental Health, News, Research, Signs & Symptoms

Have you noticed that a loved one is struggling to remember things? You may be worried about a possible Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and Alzheimer’s is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the US. While memory loss is often an early warning sign of dementia, it could also be pointing towards something else: hearing loss. Studying Memory Loss and …