The holidays are fast approaching. While we really don’t want to think about it yet, I would like you to think about noise level when purchasing toys for children. Many toys have noise to make them more interesting. Anything from a squeaky toy to drums to an electronic device can have sounds that can damage hearing. Infants and toddlers hold toys right up to their faces. While the toy may not seem too loud when held at arm’s length, it may be too loud when held close to the face. … [Read more...]

Do you hunt or have a hunter in your life? Did you know that gunfire is about the worst thing you can do to your hearing? Many of hunters wear hearing protection while shooting at the range. This is a good thing. However, most hunters do not wear hearing protection while out hunting. I can certainly understand that a hunter needs to hear the sounds around them to hunt successfully. Electronic shooters are the answer for the hunter. They allow the individual to hear … [Read more...]

October is National Audiology Awareness Month - Over 36 million American adults have some degree of hearing loss. This is over 4 times the amount of people who live in New York City. A hearing evaluation will determine the degree of hearing loss you have and what can be done. If you, a friend or a loved one have stopped attending social events and gatherings because it is too difficult to hear, there is help for you. I would be very happy to help. Give us a call at … [Read more...]

Did you know that chickens can restore their hearing? When the delicate inner ear hair cells dies, they can be regenerated. Unfortunately people can’t restore their own hearing. Maybe someday we will be able to do it, but not yet. So, the best thing is to protect what you have. Wear hearing protection when you are around loud noise. How do you know if noise is too loud? We are so conditioned to the loud sounds around us that we lose the ability to tell what is too loud. One of my … [Read more...]

Did you know that sports can cause hearing loss? I am not just talking about the “noise” of the sport. Take soccer for instance. We are becoming aware that using the head to hit the ball can cause concussion. It can also cause hearing loss. Football, boxing, and wrestling can also cause hearing loss. Any sport that can cause a jarring movement of the head can damage the delicate inner ear. Because the cochlea, or inner ear is surrounded by bone and filled with fluid, intense … [Read more...]

Lately it seems that whenever I use a public restroom they have very loud electric hand dryers instead of or in addition to paper towels. Some of these hand dryers exceed 90 decibels, well above the level that can cause hearing loss. Very unpleasant. I encourage you not to expose yourself to this noise. If possible, use paper towels. If there are no towels available, I would encourage you to avoid the electric hand dryers. Not only are the dryers uncomfortably loud but that the … [Read more...]