Tinnitus

Tinnitus (pronounced /tɪˈnaɪtəs/ or /ˈtɪnɪtəs/, from the Latin word tinnītus meaning "ringing") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.

Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period (but usually with some duration, ear infections, foreign objects in the ear, nose allergies that prevent (or induce) fluid drain, or wax build-up. In-ear headphones, whose sound enters directly into the ear canal, without any opportunity to be deflected or absorbed elsewhere, are a common cause of tinnitus when volume is set beyond modest or moderate levels.

Tinnitus can also be caused by natural hearing impairment (as in aging), as a side effect of some medications, and as a side effect of genetic (congenital) hearing loss. However, the most common cause is noise-induced hearing loss.

As tinnitus is usually a subjective phenomenon, it is difficult to measure using objective tests, such as by comparison with noise of known frequency and intensity, as in an audiometric test. The condition is often rated clinically on a simple scale from "slight" to "catastrophic" according to the practical difficulties it imposes, such as interference with sleep, quiet activities, and normal daily activities.

Tinnitus is common; about one in five people between 55 and 65 years old report symptoms.

Characteristics

Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining, electric, buzzing, hissing, screaming, humming, tinging or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, roaring, "crickets" or "tree frogs" or "locusts (cicadas)", tunes, songs, beeping, or even a pure steady tone like that heard during a hearing test. It has also been described as a "wooshing" sound, as of wind or waves. Tinnitus can be intermittent or it can be continuous, in which case it can be the cause of great distress. In some individuals, the intensity can be changed by shoulder, head, tongue, jaw, or eye movements. 

Treatment

Unfortunately there is no cure but there are some simple things that may help with tinnitus including keeping stress levels down,exercise, relaxation, or joining a support group.

There are no medicines which have been shown to effectively treat tinnitus itself. However, a GP may be able to prescribe you medicines to treat an underlying cause, if there is one.

Depression or anxiety can make tinnitus more of a problem and treatment of these conditions may help bring some relief.

Hearing aids

If you have impaired hearing, wearing a hearing aid can help mask the tinnitus by making external sounds seem louder.

If your have good hearing, you may be given noise generators as part of tinnitus - retraining treatment. These produce background noise, such as 'white noise' or sounds of nature, just below the sound of your tinnitus. The devices can be part of a hearing aid, worn like a personal stereo, or stand alone like a radio. 

Are you in denial?

I was intending to write this blog on mental health issues arising form hearing loss or deafness, but last evening at a party when I mentioned my Hearing Awareness Campaign, my companions began discussing several of our friends and colleagues who everyone recognizes as having difficulty hearing, but who refuse to address the issue, so I changed my topic to investigating why people deny hearing loss. According to RNID, individuals take 10 years, on average, to address their hearing loss. RNID is urging MPs debating the Health and Social Care Bill in the UK to ensure hearing loss is recognized as a major public health issue which carries a serious impact on quality of life.

Why People Deny Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is denied for multiple reasons, such as being afraid of looking different with a hearing aid. Some people are afraid of looking old, or don't want to be thought of as having a disability. Others may not realize that their hearing loss is causing problems in daily interactions and blame others for poor communication. Still others may think their hearing loss is not serious enough for a hearing aid.  People have no problem wearing glasses/contacts, makeup, push-up bras, coloring or straightening their hair, wearing corrective shoes, etc, but are afraid of a small device that will improve the quality of their life.

Of the folks that our group discussed, one admits to being ‘a bit hard of hearing’ but does not want to get a hearing aid because he is afraid it will make him look old.  He cannot judge the volume of his own voice, so consequently speaks very softly, almost in a whisper, making conversation both ways difficult, and driving his wife crazy. Another ‘thinks’ there is a problem but does not want to get it checked out, due to fear of appearing disabled or admitting weakness if using a hearing aid.  This person speaks exceptionally loudly, almost shouting.  The funny thing is that all who interact with these folks know what is going on, so no one is being fooled.

Acceptance

The first step in coping with a hearing loss is to acknowledge --openly-- that it exists.  Without self-acceptance, a successful adjustment to a hearing loss is impossible. Taking what control one can of one's problems is a healthier and more mature response than just doing nothing. It is not necessary to make a big deal of it. Just the comment that "I don't hear very well" or "You know I have a hearing loss" or any similar statement lets a person know why a specific request is being made. Actually, most people will be pleased to know what they can do to improve the communication situation. If they are interested in talking to you, they are interested in being understood by you. 

Be Assertive

It is not sufficient to say "What?" when something is not understood. This does not indicate to the speaker the source of the communication breakdown. Did the hearing-impaired person not understand? Did he or she miss someone's name or a particular location? Lacking specific information, the speaker does not know what should be repeated, and if other people are involved in the conversation and the What?" happens too many times, a feeling of general annoyance is soon generated. The better strategy is to frame the "What?" as a specific request, such as "What was that name again?" or "Did you say that happened in Podunk or Poland?" or "I missed the last sentence. Would you repeat it?" Such a strategy is flattering to the speaker - someone is actually listening - and can expedite the conversation.

http://www.hearingcentral.com/copingwithhearingLoss.asp

Training Update and Favorite Sounds

I am up to nearly 1400 pounds sterling!  Thank you to all my generous friends, family members, and colleagues.

As for the mileage, Layla and I did a frosty but well-paced 17 miler the day before she moved back to Houston.  I'm on my own for the 18, 20, and 22 milers--or whatever they work out to be.  Hoping to get some help from the lovely Cliona at the end of those runs.  As the mileage gets higher, that means the big event is approaching--just under 10 weeks now.  The training is going well, only a small setback 2 weeks ago when a sneezing fit threw my back into spasms.  The super-amazing osteopath, Holly, at the Yoga Spot worked some magic on me and I seemed to be as good as new in 2 days, so back to the full-on training plan.

The past couple of weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs, so I thought I would keep this post simple and list the things that I am thankful that I can hear.  Don't take your hearing for granted--have a think for yourself--what sounds do you enjoy?  These sounds make me happy:

(In no particular order)

• The crunch of gravel on the drive when Andy comes home. (Used to be his brakes screeching at the other house!)
• When Callie the kitten purrs.
• The thunder of 8 kitty feet through the house.
• Ave Maria sung in a church.
• The laughter and shouts of the Milltimber Primary School kids at recess behind our house.
• The sound of water--the ocean, river riffles, bubbling brooks, waterfalls, rain on the roof, fountains...
• Waves rolling the rocks around on a shingle beach.
• Any song sung by John Rzeznick!
• The whoosh of air filling a hot air balloon.
• The crack of a beer can opening.
• OM at the Yoga spot before class.
• Birds.
• The horses across the street neighing at me when I wait for the bus in the morning.
• Slide steel guitar.
• My nephew Matt singing the songs he makes up.
• When the London Underground calls out the stop for Bermondsey.
• Farm animals. Especially roosters cock-a-doodling.
• Tree leaves rustling in the breeze.

Don't Lose the Music!

My friend, Tom, who has run several marathons and trained for other endurance events commented the other day, “How did people ever train for this stuff before MP3 players?”   That inspired me to choose this week’s topic—hearing loss from loud music/headphone use.  I’ll be completely honest: I love my iPod shuffle and the Sennheiser earphones that Andy got my for Christmas a year ago, and I use them every time I run alone or on the treadmill.  I try to keep the volume reasonably low but do turn up the volume a bit if it is the Goo Doo Dolls playing or if I’m at the end of an interval workout or long run.  How much does this affect my hearing I wonder?

Every day, we experience sound in our environment, and when we hear these sounds at safe levels, our hearing is unaffected. However, when we are exposed sounds that are too loud (over 85 decibels) or loud sounds that last a long time—sensitive structures in our inner ear can be damaged, causing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). These sensitive structures, called hair cells, are small sensory cells that convert sound energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain. Once damaged, our hair cells cannot grow back.  NIHL can be caused by a one-time exposure to an intense “impulse” sound, such as an explosion, or by continuous exposure to loud sounds over an extended period of time, such as industrial noise or excessive use of MP3 players.
NIHL is 100 percent preventable. All individuals should understand the hazards of noise and how to practice good hearing health in everyday life. To protect your hearing:

Ø  Know which noises can cause damage (those at or above 85 decibels).
Ø  Wear earplugs or other hearing protective devices when involved in a loud activity
Ø  Be alert to hazardous noise in the environment.
Ø  Protect the ears of children who are too young to protect their own.
Ø  Make family, friends, and colleagues aware of the hazards of noise.

RNID sponsors the Don't Lose the Music Campaign (http://www.dontlosethemusic.com) and has been warning personal stereo users for some time that they could be risking long term damage to their hearing by turning up the volume to levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. They were one of the groups that lobbied Apple to introduce the software update to allow iPod users to set an upper volume limit.

Figures show that 51.4% of 16-24 year olds listen to their stereos at least an hour a day with 19.7% listening for more than 21 hours a week. New research conducted for the Don't Lose the Music campaign reveals that a shocking 58% of 16-30 year olds are completely unaware of any risk to their hearing from using MP3 players and other audio products that attach directly to the ears. RNID is so concerned that the MP3 generation could be at risk from premature hearing damage, that it's calling on manufacturers of MP3 players to protect consumers by providing clearer warnings on packaging about the dangers of listening too loudly to their products.

So, what can you do if you have an iPod addiction?

v    Turn it down a notch! Even a small decrease in volume could massively lessen the damage to your ears.


v    If you can hear sound from your headphones from two or three feet away, they are probably too loud. 


v    Avoid using the volume to drown out background noise, for example the sound of the train or traffic

v    Take a five minute rest period for every hour of listening to allow ears to recover.

Sources: www.ehealthmd.com, www.dontlosethemusic.com, www.hearinglossweb.com, RNID

Happy New Year!

Over the holidays whilst visiting London, I was reflecting on languages, so wanted the first blog of 2011 to be about sign language.  Along with sign language and lip reading, many deaf people communicate with the manual alphabet, which uses finger positions that correspond to the letters of the alphabet to spell out words.  Believe it or not, I was a member of the sign language club in 8th grade, short-lived though it was, and learned the fingerspelling alphabet for American Sign Language (ASL) and a few basic words, and remarkably, I have not forgotten it!


Sign language for the deaf was first systematized in France during the eighteenth century by Abbot Charles-Michel l'Epee and French Sign Language (FSL) was brought to the United States in 1816 by Thomas Gallaudet, founder of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. He developed American Sign Language (ASL), a language of gestures and hand symbols that express words and concepts. It is the fourth most used language in the United States today.  British Sign Language (BSL) is utilized by over 70,000 people in the UK and in 2003 was given status as a recognized minority language leading to increased funding for the needs of people who are Deaf, and has increased  awareness of the language, which has a similar status to that of other minority languages in the UK such as Gaelic and Welsh.  The Deaf community can thank RNID for their lobbying efforts!

On the whole, deaf sign languages are independent of oral languages and follow their own paths of development. In doing this research, what I found remarkable is that British Sign Language and American Sign Language are quite different and mutually unintelligible, even though the hearing people of Britain and America share the same oral language (well sort of!). The grammar of sign languages does not necessarily resemble that of spoken languages used in the same geographical area.  BSL manual alphabet tends to be a 2-hand method whereas ASL uses a single hand.  

I think I shall explore this topic more in a future blog, but for a bit of fun, I have pasted the ASL alphabet below--have a go!

Sources: www.british-sign.co.uk, www.squidoo.com/american-sign-language-alphabet, RNID

10 Ways to Recognize Hearing Loss in Adults

Hearing loss in adults can be hereditary or acquired from illness, ototoxic (ear-damaging) medications, exposure to loud noise, tumors, head injury, or most commonly due to aging. This loss may occur by itself or with tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

The following questions could help you determine if you should have your hearing evaluated by a medical professional.  If you answered "yes" to three or more of these questions, you may want to see an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat specialist) or an audiologist for a hearing evaluation.

• Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?
• Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time? 
• Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high? 
• Do you have to strain to understand conversation? 
• Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background? 
• Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves? 
• Do many people that you interact with seem to mumble ? 
• Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately? 
• Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children? 
• Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say? 

*Deafness Research Foundation, RNID, American Speech, Language & Hearing Association

Welcome to my blog to raise funds for RNID

I am fortunate enough to have been awarded a charity place in the  2011 London Marathon sponsored by Virgin.  The charity that I will be running for is RNID: Action on Hearing Loss (RNID is the Royal National Institute for the Deaf).  Participating in this  event has been one of my ambitions: it is one of the largest fundraising events in the world and takes place in my favorite city!  I thank RNID for providing this opportunity.


I am also fortunate enough to have normal hearing.  Not so for thirty six million people in the United States (17%) and 9 million people in the UK (15%) who suffer from hearing loss. Your hearing should be screened regularly just like eyesight, dental health and blood pressure, and yet it is generally something that people do not like to talk about-I hope to help change that.


My fundraising target is £1750 GBP (about $2600).  I am not really a fan of blogs so it will be a real challenge for me to keep this going.  My intention is to use this site as a vehicle to share information on RNID and hearing loss, and share a bit about the challenges of training for a marathon in the Scottish winter, which has arrived early and with a vengeance!  I hope you enjoy my posts:  I will try to keep them brief!


If this is your first time visiting my site, please consider making a donation using the link to my Virgin Money Giving site.


My training is under way, albeit a bit late.  Sinuses acted up all through November and I recovered just in time for a 2 foot snowfall that stuck around for over 2 weeks.  I have been learning to enjoy the treadmill, or at least to accept the treadmill as a training tool.  Having done an 8 mile long run and a 9 mile run the following week, the anticipation of 10 miles on it this weekend makes me thankful that Santa brought me an ipod shuffle last Christmas!