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When people talk about the different types of tinnitus, they are often referring to the different sounds that people experience. Yes, tinnitus can come in the form of ringing, hissing, static, crickets, whooshing, roaring, buzzing, and even music. But tinnitus is actually much more complex than that.

There are a variety of reasons why and how people experience tinnitus. While inner ear damage due to noise exposure is usually the first cause that comes to mind, tinnitus is also associated with certain health conditions and physical attributes in the body.

Unfortunately, there is no magical cure for tinnitus. But there are several ways you can work with an audiologist to come up with a treatment plan to manage the symptoms. Our next post will go into more detail about the ways we can help.

Check out the link below to hear some examples of what certain types of hearing loss and tinnitus sound like:

https://www.hear-it.org/Impressions-of-hearing-loss-and-Tinnitus-

It’s May, which means it’s Better Speech and Hearing Month! It’s a month dedicated to raising awareness about communication disorders and promoting ear and hearing care.

Each week we are going to share information with you about different hearing matters that have become much more prevalent here at the clinic. That brings us to the theme for our first week: tinnitus.

Today we’re looking at what tinnitus looks like with and without hearing loss. While tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, the two often occur together. Tinnitus is caused by absent or reduced nerve activity in the nerves which connect the damaged part of the inner ear to the central nervous system in the brain. Acoustic overexposure can both damage the hair cells in the inner ear as well as the nerves which send signals from the inner ear to the brain. Acoustic overexposure can result in noise-induced hearing loss. Both age-related hearing loss and noise damage or exposure can cause tinnitus.

Tinnitus can also occur without any hearing loss for a variety of reasons. Listed in the slides are many ways a person may experience tinnitus that is not accompanied with hearing loss. The important takeaway here is that if you or someone you know is experiencing tinnitus, you need to get a hearing test! This will determine if there is hearing loss as well and your audiologist can work out the best treatment plan for your needs.

Check out the links below for more information:

https://www.hear-it.org/Close-relationship-between-Tinnitus-and-Hearing-loss

https://www.tinnitusretrain.com/causes-of-tinnitus/

Hi, my name is Alison and I have been an audiologist here at London Audiology Consultants for almost 6 years. I started my career working in a hospital, mostly with children, and working with the Infant Hearing Program. Seeing our pediatric patients is one of my favourite things to do.

I have a special interest in the area of auditory processing. We often see children who have difficulty in school, or adults with brain injuries. But many people from young children to older adults struggle with auditory processing issues. Auditory processing is “what your brain does with what your ears hear” (Jack Katz). I am currently training to offer our auditory processing testing to a wider range of ages (below age 6), and we are very excited to be launching an auditory processing treatment program soon as well! Please feel free to contact us if you would like to receive further information.

It’s true! It breaks down to the two most common types of earwax: wet, amber-to-brown, or the dry, gray, and flaky kind. An estimated 97 to 100 percent of people of European and African descent have the wet-type earwax, while 90 percent or more of those descended from East Asians have the dry type.But for the rest of the world population, earwax makeup is mixed. Native Americans and people from southeast Asia, for example, exhibit dry earwax in 30 to 50 percent of the population.

Using this information, researchers can determine in part the ancestral routes of different people and how those ancestors got to where their descendants now live.

You can learn more details about this at the link below:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/29620/determining-migratory-patterns-early-humans-%E2%80%94-earwax

Millions of people suffer from migraines. This neurological disease typically affects more women than men and is much more than experiencing a headache. People can experience throbbing, pulsating pain, light and sound sensitivity, nausea, vomiting and aura (flashes, bright spots.) Migraines can last from 4 hours to several days.

Studies show that people who suffer from migraines are at greater risk of developing hearing loss than those who do not. In one particular study, they found that Out of 58 migraine sufferers, two-thirds had one or more abnormalities with their cochlea function and auditory pathways.

You can learn more at the link below:

https://www.soundrelief.com/the-link-between-migraines-and-hearing-loss/

Next up in our weekly spotlights is Joel, coming to us from his home office!

Hello my name is Joel Brac. I have been working at London Audiology Consultants for around eight years. What started as a part time job trying to help out my Mom’s business ended up sending me down the audiology path myself because seeing how the clinic runs from the inside made me fall in love with the profession.

I am studying at Western University and I just completed my first year. It was challenging when the program switched to online learning because of Covid-19, but luckily we could still have some lab time to at least have some on-hands experience.

My favorite part of the program is learning how to conduct all of the different ways we can assess and test hearing. I look forward to the day I can work one-on-one with patients who come to see us for their hearing needs.

Our weekly spotlights are back! We want you to get to know us better, and more about the work we do. Next up is Sheila:

I’ve been in Administration with London Audiology since 2009 and right from the get-go this has been my second home. A lot of patients have been saying they don’t see me much anymore. That is because I reduced my hours so I can live a semi-retired life. It is the wonderful interactions with staff and patients that keep me here.

Besides performing the daily tasks to help provide great service, I also organize and administer our appointments/billing/administration at Parkwood Hospital. I try to make Mary and Alison’s work run smoother for when they service our Veterans there.

Working for an offsite location can have its challenges but we have fostered a great relationship with the staff and residence at Parkwood. It’s fantastic knowing we are able to continue the best hearing services for patients there. So remember we are there to help should you know of someone being admitted to Parkwood.

Did you know that there are actually three different types of hearing loss? Whatever the cause, the first step needs to be a hearing test so you can be set on the right path suited to your hearing needs.

One of the most frequent complaints we get when someone comes in for a hearing test is that they have difficulty hearing the television… or we have a partner complaining that this individual has to “blare the TV in order to hear it!” While the issue may be a hearing loss that requires hearing aids, there are also helpful tips that can improve this situation.

One solution is using closed captioning. Almost all newer TVs have this option in their settings, and streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime, give you this option as well. Closed captioning is unique when compared to subtitles because you get sound effects and musical cues as well as dialogue. Here are some reasons why closed captioning can benefit everyone:

A new study has found that listening to the sounds of nature can make you healthier in several fundamental ways. People who check in with Mother Nature experienced pain relief, less stress, better moods and sharper cognitive performance.

The sounds of water were most beneficial to health and emotions, while bird sounds had the biggest positive effect on stress and anger.

It’s a form of organic therapy that researchers say is an evolutionary response. “Natural acoustic environments provide indications of safety or an ordered world without danger, allowing control over mind states, reduction in stress-related behavior, and mental recuperation,” according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Having trouble finding time to get outside during your busy working day? Don’t worry, there’s always an app for that!

Better Speech and Hearing Month: Week One -Tinnitus

Better Speech and Hearing Month: Week One-Tinnitus

Weekly Spotlight: Alison

Using Earwax to study Migratory Patterns

The Link Between Migraines and Hearing Loss

Weekly Spotlight: Joel

Weekly Spotlight: Sheila

The Three Types of Hearing Loss

Benefits of Using Closed Captioning

Listening to this Sound makes you Feel Better Instantly..

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