Vertigo, what is it?

Vertigo is a hallucination of movement,arising from problems within the vestibular portion of the inner ear.
The world spins about the patient, or the patient feels there is moving in space.
Dizziness is a giddy or swimming  sensation ,and is not vertigo.
Any disorder, tumor, infection or trauma causing a unilateral decrease in vestibular function may cause vertigo.

Hearing loss, is it a volume problem?

Anyone who is not familiar with hearing loss assumes that it is like turning the volume on a radio lower and lower until,you have difficulty understanding the words, or cannot hear at all.
Hearing loss is far more subtle than that.
A person with hearing loss usually has a different amount of loss at each frequency across a range of hearing. For example, a person may have normal hearing in the lower frequencies,  a moderate hearing loss in the middle frequencies and a severe loss in the high frequencies.
In relation to hearing aids,and in order to understand speech better, the person wants the low frequencies unchanged,the middle frequencies a little louder, and the high frequencies very loud.
Increasing the volume of the radio makes all the frequencies louder. The volume is so loud in the lower frequencies,where the hearing is normal, that it becomes intolerable. Louder does not mean clearer in relation to frequencies unless the frequencies are properly balanced.

Rock & Pop Musicians And noise.

Rock and pop musicians are at risk of having noise induced hearing loss the same way industrial workers do. Loss of hearing may be considered an occupational injury among musicians. A Spanish study among 60 young musicians and 60 youngsters in the control group with an average age of 26 years found a connection between being a musician and suffering from noise induced hearing loss.

More symptoms of NIHL were found among the musicians. At 4,000 Hz frequency, or high pitched sounds, the audiometer showed significant differences between musicians and non-musicians. Although young musicians did not suffer from hearing loss at the time of the study, almost 7 percent already suffered from permanent tinnitus, and 17 percent had experienced temporary ringing sounds in their ears.

What is swimmers ear?

Swimming and surfing is generally a quiet sport – but it can damage your hearing. It’s the exposure to water that causes the problems.

Swimmer’s ear or Otitis Externa is an infection of the ear canal when too much moisture irritates and breaks down the skin in the canal.

Symptoms include earache, itching or redness in the canal, hearing problems and sometimes an unpleasant smelling discharge.

If you are still having difficulty after you finish the treatment your doctor has prescribed, talk about a referral to a specialist. Water can be a problem in many peoples' ears. If drying your ears after swimming does not provide enough relief, you might want to consider swim plugs. These are custom made plugs just for your ears that would keep the water out.

Many people use them and find them comfortable and effective for keeping ears dry. Ear infections (swimmers ear) will vary in severity and duration. Your doctor is the best person to assess your particular problem and the correct treatment. Most ear infections do not cause permanent damage as long as they are treated in a timely fashion.

Should you use cotton swabs to clean your ears?

When you clean your ears with a cotton swab, you risk damaging your ear drum if the swab goes too far into the ear. A study shows, that more than half of the people who visit ear, throat and nose specialists confess to using cotton swabs to clean their ears. 

A ruptured eardrum, also known as tympanic membrane perforations (TMP), is a tear in the tympanic membrane, which separates the outer ear from the inner ear. A ruptured eardrum may be accompanied by sharp ear pain, an earache, ear drainage, ear ringing or buzzing, dizziness or hearing loss. In severe cases, vertigo and facial paralysis can occur. 

A ruptured eardrum can lead to discomfort, and even though the study showed that most cases healed on their own within two months, surgery can in some cases be required. 

There are many alternatives to clean your ears without damaging them,

For example,

1.Cordless ear wax cleaner safely and easily suctions out wax.

2.Ear candling.

3.Earwax removal aid. 

4.Lighted Ear Wax.

Can a hearing aid help a profoundly deaf person?

A profoundly deaf person does not rely on hearing for communication. The hearing aid cannot compensate for the level of hearing impairment. A hearing aid maintains contact with the hearing environment and allows the patient an awareness of what is going on around them, using auditory clues.

Why do most people dislike loud noise?

Most people do not like loud noise. Some people have particularly sensitive ears, they cannot bear ordinary levels of noise.
Hyper sensitive hearing is most commonly associated with hearing loss.Have you noticed how some older people ask you to speak up a bit. After a while they may ask you to stop shouting or they may say "I'm not deaf".


Loudness discomfort is typically a problem for people that suffer from a sensorinueral hearing loss (A sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage or a disorder of the inner ear, or of the auditory nerve, nerve fibres going from the inner ear to the brain stem).


However this is not a problem who suffer from a conductive hearing loss(A conductive hearing loss involves the breakdown or obstruction of some part of the external or middle ear which transmits or conducts the physical vibrations of sound through air, bone or tissue.)


As we age, the number of hair cells and nerve fibres that are responsible for picking up in the inner ear is reduced.The ability to grade different intensities of sound is reduced. How do we compensate for this? 
Our brain will "switch on " all remaining nerve fibres to produce almost maximum loudness. As a result, even quite moderate sounds may seem to be unbearably loud.


The dynamic range is narrowed or reduced in the ears: If sounds are heard at all, they are heard as loud noises.


When a person suffers from hearing loss and needs to use hearing instruments, the hearing instruments should not overload the ear with amplified sound. To overcome this, many hearing instruments have "peak clipping". Another more sophisticated form of compression is known as automatic volume control.


Some recent research has shown that in some cases the use of white noise applied to the ear by a white noise generator masker can help.

How do you learn music&song online?

My site is based around the human ear and all it's functions. For the most part I have I have tried to give as much pertinent information as possible relating to when things go wrong with our hearing, such as hearing loss.

However we must not forget that when we have normal hearing we can use it in so many different  

ways.

We listen to music, when we have music our lives are so much more joyful. If you are having a bad day, just put your favourite piece of music and hey presto! the day changes.

Music has the ability to lift us, e.g. just listen to some gospel music, or let your hair down with some good old rock&roll.

Would you like to learn to SING?

Most vocal ranges span two octaves, or 13 to 14 white notes on a piano, although perhaps only one and a half octaves of those will be able to be sung consistently with good quality and pitch.

Singorama is a fantastic way to learn to sing.

How about learn to play the piano at home.

"Discover The Secrets to Quickly & Easily Playing All Your Favorite Songs On The Piano By Ear...

...Using The Same Exact System Thousands Of Musicians Are Using To Play Anything They Hear On The Radio In Just A Few Minutes!

Learn more about how to learn to sing and play music here.

Why should you protect your ears from noise?

The best defense against noise-induced hearing loss is to stay out of hazardous noise areas. But when spending any amount of time in a noisy environment, use hearing protection devices. When used correctly, hearing protection devices (HPDs) help prevent hearing loss. And always remember, that the discomfort of wearing them, if any, is nothing compared to the permanent effects and discomfort of a hearing impairment or a worsened hearing loss.

Using earplugs or earmuffs can be an effective measure to protect your hearing in noisy environments at work or at play. In addition, handcrafted custom-fitted ear molds with filters are available, often at considerable cost, but well worth the price for those who wear hearing protection frequently.

Tactical Ear Protectors ,these are the Listening muffs that help protect against harmful noise while amplifying low level sounds. They are a real plus for shooters with less than perfect hearing. Electronics limits amplified sound to 82 dB. Features include easy storage and portability and they are lightweight (8.8oz). Amplifies low-level sounds up to 19 dB. Stereo microphones enhance sound localization. Independent volume controls are standard on each cup.

They are excellent for hunting applications and for persons with pre-existing hearing loss. Impulse noise attenuated immediately. Features dual stereo volume controls. Wide soft padded headband distributes weight while two-point suspension exerts low pressure for comfortable long-term use. Soft liquid foam-filled ear cushions provide added comfort. Four 1.5 V long life AAA batteries provide 200+ hours of service.

You can find out more here

Hearing aids stimulate brain activity

On average it takes 10 years for a person with a hearing loss to finally do something about it. The first reaction to a hearing loss is to wait for it to go away. This rarely happens.

Untreated hearing loss affects your quality of life, but it also affects the brain's ability to remember common everyday sounds because the hearing channels are no longer effectively used.

When the hearing nerves lose their function and no longer channel sound signals to the brain, the brain "forgets" the sounds over time and becomes unable to understand them.

Memory weakening

The brain centre for hearing stores sounds and noises for up to three years following the onset of hearing loss. But after about seven years the memory becomes weaker and weaker.

Therefore, it is important to have your hearing tested and hearing aids fitted when you find that you are losing some of your hearing. After fitting of hearing aids the hearing process resumes suppling signals to the brain.

Learning to hear again

If you delay the fitting of a hearing aid for any great length of time there could be serious consequences. Even the most tecnically advanced hearing aid may not be able to transform the incoming signal into understandable information. The brain no longer recognizes ordinary everyday sounds and noises, such as the hum of a refrigator or the noise of a computer. The brain must learn to hear all over again.

Improved quality of life

A study published by the Quality of LIfe Research journal indicated that hearing impaired people estimate their hearing to have improved while wearing a  hearing aid does more than help you to hear. A hearing aid improves your quality of life and improves your brain's function.

Most often hearing loss sneaks up on you. Suddenly one day you notice that you no longer hear the humming of the refrigerator or or the bird's singing.

Five improved 100% when treated with hearing aids. This is in contrast to their belief before being fitted with hearing aids that their hearing was inadequate.

The researchers conducting the study asked 98 people with hearing loss how they perceived their quality of life after the fitting of hearing aids. The results of the study confirm that people with hearing loss report improvements in their quality of life when they receive and adapt to hearing aids.

To find out more information on the human ear click here

What happens when the cochlea is damaged?

Cochlea Damage The majority of hearing losses in the world are due to damage caused to the cochlea,(sensori-neural). In nearly all cases the patient will struggle with speech discrimination ( "I can hear your voice but you sound like you are muttering")


This is made even worse in the presence of background noise. The fitting of hearing aids will be beneficial, but simply amplifying sounds will not overcome the problems found in the cochlea. We will now look at the various problems within the cochlea.


Loudness Recruitment


People with cochlea damage need a greater level of sound to hear well, but when sounds get louder they become just as intolerant of loud sounds as people with no hearing impairment. As seen in audiometry, this leaves the patient with a reduced dynamic range. This causes problems with speech discrimination, as the dynamic range of speech is about 50dB i.e. a 50dB intensity difference between the loudest and quietest parts of speech.Someone with a reduced dynamic range may not be able to accommodate the whole range of speech, which could become a problem when a hearing aid is fitted.


A hearing instrument with the ability to adjust the amounts of amplification will provide a better option for patients with a reduced dynamic range.Recruitment is found only in patients with cochlea (hair cell) damage. The term "abnormal growth of loudness" is commonly used and relates to patients perception of loudness throughout their dynamic range.

A full explanation of cochlea damage can be found here.

"Treat networking like a real business"

"I treat network marketing like a "real" business. You cannot thrive on a system that requires enrolling only eight customers, all of whom are family and friends. As I watch my traffic, leads, retail sales and enrollments increase, I am convinced that there is no better way to build a network marketing lead generation source that brings in the kind of quality leads you would pay a fortune for anywhere else."


Now, I am a home schooling father of five, building a real business from home. SBI! gives me a global reach from my little town.
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/finty55.html#MLM

How I got my products to market.

"The web site has allowed me to seed the market, prove the concept and create incredible buzz among the public who now go into stores demanding the product. This is how I was able to level the playing field and run around the big corporations to get my product to market."


http://case-studies.sitesell.com/finty55.html#ENTREPRENEUR

How did I get traffic to my site?

"I exercised due caution and did some more research first. I asked a few people, I dug around on the internet, and no matter where I looked, I didn't hear a bad word. Everybody said the same thing, "If you build your site with SBI, you will definitely get traffic."


"With every page I built, my confidence grew and things got easier. It didn't take long at all to master page building. It's not rocket science, not with the SBI tools."
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/finty55.html#TRAVELS

What is the process for online success?

"The process is just so logical... Content - Traffic - PREsell - MONETIZE. Starting with content (after all, that's what people search for, so that's where we begin, too). Right from the start, SBI showed us how to brainstorm our idea to find out if it was valid. It helped us choose and register our site name. Then it supplied the tools to create a content rich themed site, which the search engines love."
It's so logical, so efficient, and the tools make it so do-able. But you still have to do it. While SBI made this possible, we built this business. So if you are looking for a get-rich-quick, Dr. Evoy would be the first to tell you to chase after these false dreams elsewhere. If you want to own a business that makes it fun to wake up each morning, I can't say enough how much SBI has impacted our lives."
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/finty55.html

What happened?

"What happened to instigate this dramatic, life-enhancing change? The turning point was when I bought SBI. From there, my options were limitless, and everything changed."
"Because my online business runs virtually on automatic pilot these days, I will have the freedom to travel to Japan this December to visit my daughter who is teaching high school there. Since my products are downloadable, maintaining my business and dealing with any customer service issues from Japan will be a simple matter of checking my e-mail accounts via the Net once a day.Life just gets better each day."http://compare.sitesell.com/finty55.html

How did I do it?

"It's been over a year now since I started my first website, which ranks within the top 1% of sites on the net and receives up to 1500 visitors per day. I now have a second site, and plans for a third before the summer of this year. I no longer work from home in the evenings and my income is constantly growing. Right now, it's double what I was making when I was standing behind a chair."
"A wholehearted "Thank You" to SBI!. Perhaps it seems weird to thank a computer program, but Site Build It! is not some technically run corporate group with invisible leaders. It's really a down to earth company run by a fatherly CEO, bringing a global family of like-minded people together in success and freedom."
http://action-guide.sitesell.com/finty55.html

What is that buzzing/ringing sound in your ears?

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, nasal allergies that prevent (or induce) fluid drain, or wax build-up.

http://www.t-gone.com/cmd.php?Clk=4168318

What does it sound like?,

 Buzzing sound,
Chirping sounds,
Roaring sound,
Hissing sound,
Heartbeat sound,
Tingling sensation around your head.
 What causes tinnitus?
 Noise damage,
Stress,
Trauma,
Allergies or Sinus,
Meniere's Disease.
There are many reasons for tinnitus,it can be really annoying and affect your hearing and quality of life.
 Is there a cure?
Short answer,NO.
 Can it be reduced or relieved?
DEFINITELY!
What causes tinnitus?

Stress causes tinnitus

Natural treatment remedies for tinnitus caused from stress, anxiety and traumatic life events.
It has long been known that stress will aggravate tinnitus if you already suffer tinnitus however long continued exposure to stress is also a major cause of tinnitus in a healthy person.
 What happens with stress induced tinnitus?
The hypothalamus and related structures in the brain, such as the Pons, the pituitary fossa, the basal cisterns, the corpus callosum, the brain stem, the ventricular system all play a part in causing tinnitus.The hypothalamus is a primitive part of the brain situated below the third ventricle. It controls many systems in the body, including the pituitary gland, which in turn controls the endocrine organs, and the autonomic nervous system.The hypothalamus, and the organs in the brain it controls, are responsible for producing essential chemicals needed to make us function normally.The hypothalamus is severely affected by shock, grief, and long continued stress. When one is subjected to long periods of stress, shock or grief, those essential chemicals are not produced by the hypothalamus as normal all types of unhealthy conditions can occur and tinnitus is just one of these.

Can stress tinnitus be treated?

Obviously the best way to treat stress related tinnitus is to remove or modify the conditions or situations that are causing the stress Next you will need to "kick start" the hypothalamus in action once again. You need to get the hypothalamus to start working properly again so it can do it's job, one of which is to produce those much needed trace elements and chemicals that is is not currently producing.
 The Noises Associated With Stress Tinnitus
 The noises associated with tinnitus from stress and traumatic live events include:
*Ringing sounds
*Whistling noises
*Whizzing and whooshing sounds
*Rushing and a roaring as of water or a waterfall.

Tinnitus Treatment Methods

Most medical treatments for ear ringing are not what one would refer to as particularly successful, and most treatments will cause varying forms of side effects which most people can live without.These include such as dry mouth and constipation and many of the medications prescribed to treat the tinnitus actually aggravate the condition.
Most of these drugs are actually designed to correct other problems, and have been found to potentially help decrease the severity of tinnitus in some individuals under certain conditions, but the truth is that if the tinnitus is caused by age or noise exposure,then there is no conventional medicine to completely get rid of the noise or any other guarantee of a tinnitus recovery.

Please visit my website for details on tinnitus treatment methods.

http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com/tinnitus.html

Website building the easy WAY!

I was looking around the internet for an affordable easy to use website builder software.I wanted it to be easy because I don't have any website building skills or knowledge of html.
I searched for ages, read lots of site reviews, one day I found SBI. What is SBI?
SiteSell.com was established by Dr. Ken Evoy in 1997. His series of books have helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses. Make Your Content PREsell! and Make Your Words Sell!, formerly books sold by SiteSell, are now free. They are literally the dynamic duo of "Web-writing."


SBI! makes online strong business strong success do-able. Anyone can succeed with an all-in-one process, tools, and guidance.

Yes, there are easier ways to build a Web site. However, online profits require more than just having a collection of Web pages. SBI! includes all the tools and a proven process required to build a long-term, profitable e-business.

You get more than just a "site builder." You don't need to worry about looking for separate hosting, paying for a separate keyword research tool, handling site submissions, integrating autoresponders.
I started to build my pages in March 2011 and now I have 37 pages built.I'm really proud of my achievement, you can see it here.
,http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com

A health Blog: Anatomy of Human Ear

We use our human ears to hear meaningful conversation with other human beings. Only this morning I listened to my daughter on the way to school, explaining to me what she had written for a school project, how wonderful to be able to hear her speak. We use our ears to listen to our favourite music. One of the greatest pleasures in life is to have a good chat, as well as to listen.

The human ear makes us able to hear everyday sounds, the birds singing, the wind blowing, the waves crashing on the coastline, your little baby crying, the crowd roaring for your favorite team, your nearest and dearest saying those three little words, “I love you".

If you find yourself in a noisy environment,maybe you work under these conditions, perhaps you will be flying on a plane, or your human ear is exposed to loud sounds now is the time to think about hearing protection

Earwax is useful!

The glands in the external meatus secrete fluids, which mix with dead skin and dust to form wax.Cerumen is the name found in most textbooks for wax.

Earwax (cerumen) forms a protective coating of the skin in the ear canal. Small amounts are made all the time. Flakes or crusts of earwax break off and fall out of the ear from time to time.

The ear pushes this secretion out of the ear canal (self-cleaning). However this system has become inefficient, particularly when we get older.

When this happens the ear canal may become blocked and thus will need help in it's removal.

Function & Properties Of Wax

1, Acts as a lubricant, skin needs to be kept soft to provide a pliable protective surface.

2.Acidic-thought to provide a deterrent to visiting insects.

3.Reduces chances of infection by providing bacterial growth.

4. Colour variable- light brown when new, black when old and impacted.

5.Hygroscopic- absorbs water, this can leads to temporary blockage after swimming or bathing.

6. Water resistant- not easily washed away However if the earwax has become compacted and difficult to remove, the recommended advice to someone would be to visit your doctor/surgery, as suitable qualified person must do earwax removal.

Although we tend to think of earwax as ‘gunk’ it is in fact a natural substance produced by the body to protect the ear canal. Earwax contains important chemicals that support the skin inside the ear canal and collects dirt to help keep the ear canal clean.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming of the ear may be done by professionals or by home-vacuum kits. However, home "ear vacs" were ineffective at removing earwax, especially when compared to a Jobson-Horne probe.

Complications of removal

A postal survey of British general practitioners found that only 19% always performed cerumen removal themselves; many delegated the task to practice nurses, some of whom had received no instruction. It is problematic as the removal of cerumen is not without risk. Irrigation can be performed at home with proper equipment as long as the person is careful not to irrigate too hard. All other methods should only be carried out by individuals who have been sufficiently trained in the procedure.




http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com

Can mp3 players damage your hearing?

The short answer is "yes they can"

 Listening to loud music on a regular basis can wear the hearing down at an early age. A test showed that 45 out of 358 students at a prep school in the United States had significant hearing loss. The common denominator was that they all listened to MP3 players.
Listening to an Mp3 player at 60db is o.k. but turning the volume above that is putting your hearing at risk!
 
Students at Harvest Preparatory Academy in Ohio probably considered turning the volume down after a test revealed that 12.5 percent of the entire student body had significant hearing loss.

“This is terrible. This means that there is speech these kids are unable to discern, that they’re probably having a hard time listening in class”, said Lin Hamill, a health care educator of Audibility Hearing Care, who conducted the test.

Youngsters being unable to hear teachers in a classroom is obviously a major problem.Not being able to hear properly at an early age can have longer term consequences,i.e, hearing loss. Additionally, straining to hear can cause fatigue and headaches, making it harder to concentrate and affect study.

These are serious consequences and as the youngsters grow older their hearing will only worsen due to the normal decay of sensory hair cells in the inner ear over time.This can have a detrimental effect on their ability to socially interact.

Sound is Noise!

Hearing professionals and medical advisors have been warning against headphones and earbuds for years, but parents and kids have largely ignored("it won't happen to me") the dangers of a noise induced hearing loss.

“The issue,” pointed out Wayne Chiavacci, a local paediatrician, “is more urgent than ever as manufacturers keep coming out with new things for kids to stick in their ears.”

To ignore this problem will lead to a hearing impairment and frustration at not being able to hear properly.

Examples include hands-free solutions for telephones and the merger of phone and MP3player. Many young ears are loaded with sound most of the time.

A new volume limit setting makes it possible to control the noise-levels on your children’s MP3 players.
 
More than 42 million young people have bought iPods since 2001.
They are cool and trendy,


But the new MP3 players can also blow the listener’s hearing away. A growing number of
young people already suffer from tinnitus and noise induced hearing loss.

The music industry is aware of the problem and now Apple has introduced a volume limit setting for the iPod Nano and video players that makes it possible to encode a maximum noise level to be played on these personal stereos. The encoder is childproof, which makes it possible for parents to help their children avoid hearing impairment.

The industry wants to show that it cares about the customers, but it also wants to prevent further lawsuits brought by hearing impaired people claiming that the excessive noise-levels on the MP3 players damaged their hearing.

Prevent hearing impairment

Even when the volume is set not to exceed 60 percent of the maximum level, listening to the music on personal stereo should be limited to no more than one hour a day.

A team of British researchers removed the headphones from a number of 18-24 year-olds who played their music on MP3 players and other personal stereos. Two in every three of these youngsters told the researchers that they regularly suffer from ringing or hissing noises in their ears. Such noises may be a first indication that the personal stereo is played too loudly, according to the researchers.

The new options for limiting the noise-level on MP3-players will hopefully prevent more young people from suffering hearing loss in the future.
http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com/

How Does It Feel Not To Hear Properly?

What Hearing Loss Really Means

1. Hearing Facts. Explain that when people cannot hear facts well and often have to ask people to repeat themselves, it is not only frustrating to the person with the hearing loss, but to the other person as well. The other person often wonders if there might be a mental problem, before considering that it might be a hearing problem. This consideration alone can represent a strong motivation to purchase hearing aids.

2. Understanding Meaning and Intention. Understanding the meaning behind a person’s words and understanding their intentions are critically important in many conversations. The person with a hearing loss must understand how this capability deteriorates as hearing gets worse.

3. Feelings and Emotions. Hearing loss makes it much more difficult for the patient to understand the feelings and emotions behind spoken words. This is particularly important to family and friends. The more familiar the relationship, the more important subtle intonation and inflection are. When meaning and emotions are not accurately understood due to hearing loss, misunderstandings lead to frustration and disappointment. This is one of the main reasons why families are often the driving force in visits to the hearing aid office.

4. Alerts and Warnings. Personal and family safety can be jeopardized in an instant by poor hearing. The inability to recognize the nature, seriousness, and direction from which a warning or threat comes is very serious. There is a point at which disregarding this concern becomes irresponsible.This can be overcome with modern technology.

5. Sounds of Nature. Hearing the sound of the wind in the trees, birds chirping, and rain on the roof are important parts of feeling part of a living world. As hearing deteriorates, an inevitable feeling of isolation closes in. Though this is experienced most prevalently in advanced hearing loss, it is one of the most unfortunate consequences of the situation getting worse.

6. Music. For many people with hearing loss, music sounds off key or distorted compared to when it was originally heard. Music plays an important part in some of our favorite memories. Hearing loss often makes sharing these memories stilted and uncomfortable.

http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com/HearingLossReallyMeans.html

Gunshot blasts pose a serious hazard to hearing

The impulse noise from firearms is as intense as 132-165 Db and thus extremely dangerous to
hearing.
A Polish study including 18 hunters and 8 police trainees, with average ages of 46.2 years and
25.2 years, respectively, found that as many as 72.2 percent of hunters suffered from hearing
loss. Only 11.1% had completely normal hearing, and the remaining 16.7% had normal hearing
only in the ear furthest away from the rifle.
The hunters had never used hearing protection while hunting. The police trainees had always
used hearing protection when practising target shooting and none of them suffered from
measurable hearing loss.
In a comparison of the two groups their hearing was examined before and after a number of
test gunshots. Changes were noted in the hearing of the hunters, whereas no measurable
changes were found in the police trainees after the test shots. The latter group wore hearing
protection throughout the test shooting.
The study indicated that long-term exposure to gunshot blasts is not the only hazard when
using firearms. Even short-term exposure can cause temporary hearing damage and make the
ear more susceptible to noise damage later on.
On the plus side, the study confirmed that hearing protection prevents hearing loss. The use of
hearing protection is therefore highly recommended when using firearms.
Source; International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com/hearingprotection.html

What is ear training?

Ear training is the process of connecting music theory (notes, intervals, chords, etc.) with the sounds we hear. The more we train our ear to recognize this connection, the more we enjoy playing music, because we learn to understand what we play.

Absolutely all musicians need training for their ears, so EarMaster has been developed to meet the needs of beginning musicians just as well as those of college students and professionals.

The progressive lessons included in the Standard and Jazz Tutors will increase in diffulty as you become better, and the Customized Training mode will let you focus on specific elements of practice.

The most efficient way to train your ear is ear training software.

Earmaster will provide you with:

1.Progressive lessons made by music teachers that help you build up your skills according to your actual level.

2.New questions, drills and tests each time you use the program so you don't end up knowing the answers by heart.

3.A method that is used by some of the world's most prestigious music schools and conservatories (see our non-exhaustive list).

4.An ear trainer with a potentially unlimited life-span.

http://www.earmaster.com/welcome/493-699

What is deafness from noise?

Deafness or hearing impairment resulting from prolonged exposure to loud noise is most frequently associated with industrial workplaces, airports etc. The damaging effects of this kind of noise are also the most studied type of noise-induced hearing loss.


But according to an article in "The Hearing Review", February 1999, by otolaryngolist Ken Einhorn, up to 52 % of classical musicians and up to 30 % of rock or pop musicians suffer from music-induced hearing loss, MIHL. It is hardly surprising that music can cause damage while on the job. The sound pressure of a large concert orchestra may reach 112 dB - of amplified rock bands even up to 130 dB, far more than that accepted in an industrial environment.

For the musicians who are regularly subjected to this kind of noise, the resulting problems can be devastating described as noise induced hearing loss. Symptoms begin with losing the ability to hear high-frequency sounds and tones.

In many cases, this causes problems for musicians and singers who must be able to hear and play high notes equally as well as low ones in order to play or sing along with other orchestra members. Often, a musician who suffers from loss of high frequency hearing will try to compensate by playing louder at high-pitched notes, which leads to an artistically unacceptable performance.

As the problem grows, the musician might react oversensitively: suffer from increased blood pressure, headaches, fatigue or experience some sounds or instruments as being painfully loud, a state that often leads to tinnitus.

Another common symptom is the inability to perceive changes in pitch. This state, known as displacusis, is extremely problematic for singers, who have to be in control of their voice and stay in tune at all times. A hearing-impaired singer is also at risk of damaging his or her own her voice by constantly singing louder in order to monitor his/her own voice.

http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com

Teach Music Online

"EarMaster School is an interactive and powerful tool for music teachers and schools. It provides music educators with a myriad of features to teach ear training and music theory.
With EarMaster School, you can let your students train freely during and after class sessions. You can use the 651 ready-to-use lessons covering all important aspects of ear training, or make your own customized lessons, drills and tests to support your teaching.
EarMaster School can be used on your school's network with an unlimited number of simultaneous users and a live monitoring interface to follow the progress of your students while they are using the program. Thanks to EarMaster's e-learning features, you will also be able to send lessons and tests to your students in a couple of clicks so that they practice from home and send you their results afterwards.
Your students can interact with the program in many ways: Staff, multiple-choice, On-screen piano, guitar, bass, cello, violin etc., or they can play their answers using a microphone or a MIDI-instrument. The detailed statistics will allow you to browse the students’ progress – individually or by entire classes.
EarMaster matches the needs of modern music teaching. No matter whether you teach rhythmical or classical music, it is here to assist you day after day and make your ear training class a hit!
"http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com/howdoesyourhearingwork.html

Learn Music Online

"Advanced ear training software for all musicians."
EarMaster is the ideal method to train your aural skills and practice music theory.
Enhance your musical education, prepare for ear training exams, and start becoming a better musican today with EarMaster Pro. Train efficiently with the progressive tutor lesons: 450 lessons from Classical music to Rock and 211 lessons dedicated to Jazz music, or use the customized mode to create your own drills and train according to your precise needs. The lessons included in EarMaster have been created by professors of music theory and the EarMaster software suite is widely used by music schools, conservatories and universities throughout the world.
You can answer the questions using on-screen interfaces: staff, multiple-choice, piano, guitat, bass, violin, cello, etc., or with one of the interactive answering methods available: a microphone, a MIDI instrument or simply the computer keyboard and the mouse.
You will be able to follow your progress with the detailed statistics and get contextual help everywhere in the program! In short: the perfect tool for the modern music student and the professional musician. Training your ear with EarMaster will help you become a better musician!http://www.earmaster.com/welcome/493-699

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)

http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com/The beat form of tinnitus treatment involves counselling, masking and relaxation. The brain naturally habituates to sounds that are unimportant, i.e. clock ticking. Tinnitus retraining therapy combines counselling, and habituation to reduce the fear of tinnitus.
This involves the use of a tinnitus masker and the patient is able to reduce the intensity of the tinnitus, by reducing the volume of the masking noise. If this situation happens, the patient is now in control of the tinnitus (this process involves lengthy rehabilitation, but results are proving to be successful).

Other useful advice to tinnitus sufferers

• Decrease caffeine levels and alcohol intake (reduces ototoxic effects)
• Monitor effect of diet (low salt diet recommended)
• Alternative therapies-acupuncture, homeopathy, Chinese medicines, and music sound therapy.(good as a pleasant distraction)
• Attend a health authority tinnitus clinic.
• Cognitive behaviour modification- therapy used to adjust people's reaction towards their tinnitus.
• Refocus therapy- many sufferers focus on their tinnitus for much of the day and the more they think about it the worse it gets. Therapists are used to focus attention on other areas  of the patient's life.
• RNID (Royal National Institute For The Deaf) Tinnitus helpline
• British Tinnitus Association

Hearing Protection Is Better Than Cure!

http://www.all-about-the-human-ear.com/Earplugs - How to protect your ears from noise

The best defense against noise-induced hearing loss is to stay out of hazardous noise areas. But when spending any amount of time in a noisy environment, use hearing protection devices. When used correctly, Hearing protection devices (HPDs) help prevent hearing loss. And always remember, that the discomfort of wearing them, if any, is nothing compared to the permanent effects and discomfort of a hearing impairment or a worsened hearing loss.

Using earplugs or earmuffs can be effective measures to protect your hearing in noisy environments at work or at play. In addition, handcrafted custom-fitted ear molds with filters are available, often at considerable cost, but well worth the price for those who wear hearing protection frequently.

Custom-fitted ear mould are formable foam earplugs that are often used in work places. The formable foam earplugs will serve most occasional users well, but if not inserted correctly, they may be less than ideal. Earmuffs may, at times, be hot and uncomfortable. And for any hearing protection to serve their purpose, periodical removal in the noisy environment may reduce their preventive effect significantly. For these reasons, new types of custom-fitted ear molds with filters that protect your hearing while allowing you to hear speech and warning signals have been developed.

Despite their higher cost, they have been adopted eagerly in many workplaces, because they are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. However, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers there has been some dispute in the past as to their efficacy as claimed by their manufacturers, but significant improvements in design and manufacture have improved the performance of the most recent models to high levels.

Assistive Listening Devices

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The most popular television assistive listening systems now on the market are infrared systems. The transmitter (emitter) is placed on the television to pick up sound. Some systems provide an external microphone that can be positioned on the t.v. speaker.All systems provide the choice of plugging an audio cable directly into the audio output jack on the t.v.. This is the preferred method to obtain the cleanest signal possible.
Most systems use an under the chin style, or stethoscope style receiver and require that the hearing aids be removed. Some receivers have one or two buttons to adjust under the chin. One receiver has a large, wide wheel to turn and can be easy to use for people with limited dexterity.Other systems have either a headphone style receiver or the ability to use a neck loop to interface with hearing aid telecoils.

Being A Musician,.There are dangers from....Noise Induced Hearing Loss ......

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Rock and pop musicians are at risk of having noise induced hearing loss the same way industrial workers do. Loss of hearing may be considered an occupational injury among musicians. A Spanish study among 60 young musicians and 60 youngsters in the control group with an average age of 26 years found a connection between being a musician and suffering from noise induced hearing loss.

More symptoms of NIHL were found among the musicians. At 4,000 Hz frequency, or high pitched sounds, the audiometry showed significant differences between musicians and non-musicians. Although young musicians did not suffer from hearing loss at the time of the study, almost 7 percent already suffered from permanent tinnitus, and 17 percent had experienced temporary ringing sounds in their ears.

Researchers concluded that NIHL may develop over the years in musicians. Also, they suggested that some instruments, such as electric guitars and drums may affect hearing more than others, but further research should be done on this subject.

Hearing protection and taking breaks from the loud music will make a difference for professional musicians.

Lip Reading and the use of visual clues

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Lip reading or more accurately speech reading, since it includes facial gesture and body language, is a great help to the hearing impaired in making sense of speech. Lip reading is not sufficient on its own but together with the additional visual information available, even with impaired hearing, speech is much easier to understand.

Most of us lip-read to some extent in difficult listening situations and this can be a most useful adjunct to hearing aid use. Even with normal hearing a person will look at a speaker whenever possible to assist the communication process. In noisy surroundings, there may be some reliance on mouth movements and facial expressions to increase understanding. Many hearing impaired people acquire great skill without any conscious effort, while others may benefit from lip-reading classes.

Such classes also bring together people with similar problems, which may also be very helpful in an individual’s adjustment to hearing loss.

Many speech sounds cannot be differentiated by the visual pattern alone. Groups of phonemes that look the same when spoken are known as ‘visemes’ *(visemic-visually distinctive) E.g. `p’, `b’ and `m’ are part of the same viseme group, a speech reader could only conclude that one of the group had been spoken.Is is thought that only about 50% of a spoken message can be understood through lip reading alone. Lip- reading classes provides activities to aid development of speech reading. Even when significantly reduced hearing is coupled with speech reading, the listener’s ability to comprehend may be greatly increased.

Lip-reading classes are usually provided through the local education authority. With impaired hearing, there is likely to be some dependence on visual clues. Visual information may through observing visual cues (speech reading) or through a manual communication system (signing or finger spelling). The degree of dependence is related to the degree of hearing impairment. Someone who is profoundly deaf is reliant on visual information, whereas with a mild hearing loss hearing remains a primary communication channel.

What it's like for a deaf person..............

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Quote from a deaf person

"What Hearing people who work with the Deaf think of of music is not what we Deaf think.

We value eyes, hands, motion, and rhythm!

These things are the basic elements of communication, language, and art in Deaf culture.

Voices, instruments, and sound are NOT very important in our culture. Our world is a rich, visual world! It is true that many hard of hearing people love music.

Very few people who are "stone Deaf" enjoy music."

Many of us feel intimidated by those who are different from us. It is often hard for people to feel comfortable around the deaf because it is difficult to communicate with them. It is especially hard for one to do three difficult tasks at once: Feel comfortable with someone deaf, communicate with a deaf person, and ask someone out Deafness is a condition wherein the ability to detect certain frequencies of sound is completely or partially impaired. When applied to humans, the term hearing impaired is rejected by the Deaf Culture movement, where the terms deaf and hard-of-hearing are preferred.

Pre-lingual deafness

Prelingual deafness is hearing impairment that is sustained prior to the acquisition of language, which can occur as a result of a congenital condition or through hearing loss in early infancy. Prelingual deafness impairs an individual's ability to acquire a spoken language, but children born into signing families rarely have delays in language development. Most pre-lingual hearing impairment is acquired via either disease or trauma rather than genetically inherited, so families with deaf children nearly always lack previous experience with sign language.

Post-lingual deafness

Post-lingual deafness is hearing impairment that is sustained after the acquisition of language, which can occur as a result of disease, trauma, or as a side-effect of a medicine. Typically, hearing loss is gradual and often detected by family and friends of affected individuals long before the patients themselves will acknowledge the disability.[citation needed] Common treatments include hearing aids and learning lip reading for deaf people.Post-lingual deafness is far more common than pre-lingual deafness.