Hearing Voices (Around the Web)

As hard as it is to believe, we're not the only place on the web to find hearing loss news and stories. Here are some of the week's best links:

Hearing Loss is Common, but Often Untreated
This New York Times article is the first in a two-part series. It takes a comprehensive look at the causes of hearing loss, different types of hearing aids and common reasons for not seeking solutions.

"Some people do not know - or they deny - that they have a hearing problem, complaining instead that everyone seems to mumble or talk too fast. Even those who get a yearly physical rarely have their hearing checked. Others are embarrassed to wear a hearing aid. About 30 percent of people who have hearing aids don't wear them daily."

Come Out of Silence
The Charlotte Observer tells the story of Karen Dortschy, who experienced a severe noise-induced hearing loss until she got cochlear implant surgery last year. Now, along with her husband, she has started a charity to help provide hearing devices for college students who can't afford them.

"Dortschy's condition got so bad that in July 2005 she underwent surgery for an electronic device called a cochlear implant, which profoundly improved her hearing.

The first post-implant sound she heard: crickets chirping.

'It was very emotional,' said Dortschy, 47, marketing manager for a Charlotte book, music and DVD distributor. 'I hadn't heard crickets in 20-some years and had to process what it was. It was an amazing thing to be able to hear something.'"

Hearing Conservation: It's Not Just for the Workplace Anymore
From Occupational Hazards, this article takes a look at best practices for hearing conservation at work and at home.

Posted by John Hawbaker, Clarity

Technorati tags: , , , , , ,