The Deaf Have Better Eyesight

New research has revealed that deaf persons have better vision than persons who can hear.

A study by the University of Sheffield has found that deaf people who had a hearing-impairment early in life have enhanced peripheral vision, which makes them see better.

Researchers have learnt that the retinas of the deaf develop differently than in people who can hear.

This offered them better peripheral vision, enabling them to see more & thus enhance their awareness of their surroundings & any potential hazards.

A significant correlation was recorded between changes in a deaf person’s retinal distribution & the effect this had on improving their peripheral vision.

Researchers hope that a better understanding of the retina & vision of the deaf can lead to improved visual care for the deaf.

Related Article:

Cleaning Ears With Cotton Swabs May Rupture Eardrums (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

Concentration Can Lead To Inattentional Deafness

Concentrating

All of us have experienced or heard of instances where people get so absorbed in what they are doing – reading a page-turning book or working on a tricky puzzle – that they may not hear the bus driver’s announcement & miss their stop.

Now, a study conducted by the University College London has revealed that concentrating on a task could lead to the experience of deafness to absolutely audible sounds in people with absolutely normal hearing.

This phenomenon known as Inattentional deafness is a regular everyday experience.

The study involved several experiments designed to capture participants’ attention while playing a tone through headphones. While engaged in the simpler tasks, only 2 in 10 missed the tone; on the other hand, during the more complex tasks 8 out of 10 failed to recognize it.

Hearing is usually believed to have evolved as a sort of early warning system that doesn’t bank on attention; yet the study demonstrates that if people’s attention is diverted elsewhere, they may be effectively deaf to what’s going on around them.

Related Article:

Cleaning Ears With Cotton Swabs May Rupture Eardrums (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

iPod Users Risk Hearing Loss

Millions of Brits risk suffering hearing loss by listening to music at volumes more blasting than a pneumatic drill.

Researchers revealed 1 in 10 people regularly turn up their radio volume higher than a construction-site drill, with another 1 in 6 plugging in to MP3 players at levels more ear-splitting than an aero plane taking off.

1 in 20 regularly listen to music that’s far more deafening than a train tearing past in a railway station, a car alarm going off & even shrieking kids.

But disturbingly, 17% have ringing ears after tuning in to loud music for a long time.

These findings show that most Brits are totally oblivious to how an ordinary routine pleasure of tuning in to music could actually damage their hearing.

Damage occurs when your ears are exposed to sounds over 85 decibels for long periods. For instance, a pneumatic drill, reaches 110 decibels, and this means that most Brits are playing music at volumes nearly 40% higher than what’s naturally safe.

A quarter of them shut off the ‘volume limiter’ and 1 in 20 turn the volume to the highest level.

Worryingly, 9 in 10 said they had no idea what were the safe sound levels for their ears.

1 in 20 revealed their music is usually noisier than a car back-firing or road works.

4 in 10 who had ringing ears said their ears started to throb after only 10 minutes.

1 in 5 listen to blaring music in the car – and 1 in 20 said that the loud music so distracted them that they nearly missed having an accident.

A staggering 43% said they weren’t worried that blaring music might cause hearing damage now or in the years to come.

And 6 in 10 have never gone for a hearing test.

These results don’t imply that the fun needs to go out of tuning in to music, but seeks to highlight the importance of taking measures to protect their hearing. Protecting hearing now will lessen deafness later on.

Getting a hearing test done ought to be part of a regular health-check schedule such as going to an optician or the dentist.

 Related Articles:

 ‘Invisible’ Hearing Aid Unveiled (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

 Cleaning Ears With Cotton Swabs May Rupture Eardrums (bluebell25.wordpress.com)  

‘Invisible’ Hearing Aid Unveiled

Lyric, the world’s 1st invisible’ hearing aid, that’s fitted deep into the ear canal has been unveiled in the UK.

 The hearing aid is 16 millimeters in length and can be put on 24/7 for up to 4 months. It was made to be so discreet that users can well ‘forget’ they are sporting it. It’s akin to a contact lens for your ear.

In the UK, around 9 million people have hearing difficulties; however, many are usually reluctant to sport conventional over the ear hearing aids, not desiring to attract attention to what’s usually an age-related problem.

The Lyric hearing device is fitted just 4mm from the ear drum, allowing the outer ear to direct sound more naturally intothe ear canal. Lyric is fitted totally inside the ear canal, enabling users identify the direction of sounds and reduces feedback.

InSound Medical, the makers of Lyric say it can be left on whilst sleeping, showering and working out. A magnetic tool helps regulate the volume or to switch on or off the device. In contrast to traditional devices, no batteries need to be changed, no maintenance is required & no daily insertion/removal is needed.

Users need to go see their audiologist once in 3-4 months, whereupon a new device replaces Lyric. It’s positioned in the ear canal without any surgery or anesthesia by a professional hearing aid audiologist.

The Lyric comes with a price tag of £100 per month and is more expensive than conventional hearing aids.

Approved by Europe & the FD, it’s presently available in the U.S & Germany. It can be ordered from private audiologists on a subscription basis.

Related Articles:

iPod Users Risk Hearing Loss (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

Cleaning Ears With Cotton Swabs May Rupture Eardrums (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

Cleaning Ears With Cotton Swabs May Rupture Eardrums

 A recent study shows a direct link between using cotton ear buds to remove ear wax & ruptured eardrums also known TMP – tympanic membrane perforations.

Over half of the patients visiting ENT doctors acknowledge using swabs, but this practice can cause serious ear damage if they push the swabs in too far.

On the bright side, nearly 97% of cases of punctured eardrums healed on their own in about 2 months and only the most serious cases required surgery.

However, doctors advise against being complacent about how people clean their ears.

A ruptured eardrum is only one unpleasant possible outcome, as that can result in tinnitus, and in acute TMP cases, facial paralysis & vertigo may occur.

If a person experiences symptoms like hearing loss, dizziness, drainage, or abnormality in facial movements, they need to visit a doctor right away to assess possible ear damage.

Related Articles:

 

iPod Users Risk Hearing Loss (bluebell25.wordpress.com)

 

‘Invisible’ Hearing Aid Unveiled (bluebell25.wordpress.com)