There are many types of hearing disorders and gradations of hearing loss. In fact, over 50 million Americans have some form of hearing loss, including 1 in 5 teens and 60% of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is also widespread, affecting 20% of Americans, with hearing loss occurring in 90% of those cases. Hearing loss is a huge social issue that has both economic and social consequences. For example, hearing loss can make it harder to obtain and maintain a job. It is also highly associated with serious medical problems like diabetes and dementia. In fact, studies show that those with even mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia. With serious consequences like these, hearing loss deserves significant attention and research support. At HHF, we are proud to be funding research for cure for hearing loss and tinnitus Information about the many types of hearing disorders can be found on our website in HHF’s online dictionary.
2. How can parents support families that have a child with hearing loss?
Universal hearing screening for newborns has helped to identify most children with hearing issues quickly and accurately. With simple tests, 80 to 90 percent of hearing loss can be detected, and children can begin early intervention with the best possible outcomes for language development. However, even if your child passed the newborn screening at birth, hearing loss that is genetic or progressive may not appear until later, when a child is a toddler or older. It is important to identify the signs that may suggest a possible hearing loss in your child as quickly as possible, so that the next steps can be taken: testing, followed by appropriate treatment and management.
The signs your child may have a hearing loss include:
- If your child doesn’t respond to repeated entreaties—especially when you’re not facing him or her.
- A baby who doesn’t react to a sudden noise, such as a toy dropping to the floor, may have a hearing loss.
- Evolutionarily speaking, humans (and all animals) make sounds in reaction to hearing sounds, so a hearing loss can be indicated when a baby does not make word-like sounds, such as “gaga” or “dada” by 10 months of age.
- Speech milestones are critical for making sure your child’s development—and hearing—are on track.
Talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns, no matter how slight.
3. Sometimes hearing loss doesn't happen until adulthood - can you share some of your story?
I first became involved with HHF in 2010, when I retired from Wall Street and was searching for a way to give back in the area of hearing loss. I have a genetic hearing loss, as did my father and grandmother, and I knew this was an area where I could make a difference. When I first heard about the Hearing Restoration Project, I was thrilled, and immediately wanted to be a part of it. I am in my third year as Chairman of the Board of Hearing Health Foundation and am even more excited about the prospects of a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus. When you have hearing loss, it impacts your life almost every minute of every day. Whether it is trying to hear schedule announcements at the train station, watching TV, hearing the waiter discuss the specials at a restaurant, or talking with a shy child, having hearing loss makes everyday tasks more challenging. Socializing becomes less fun, particularly in settings with significant background noise. Movies and plays are harder to enjoy. Communication in general takes more effort and concentration than it does for those without hearing loss, and can sometimes be exhausting.
Supportive family and friends are key, as is advocating for yourself. I have now begun to request quiet tables at restaurants and to remind friends to face me when they speak to me. Being vocal about your hearing loss can make a big difference in enhancing communication and improving the quality of your life.
4. What tips do you have for people when they're interacting with someone who has hearing loss?
There are many myths and misconceptions about people with hearing loss. In order to better interact with someone with hearing loss, please avoid the following misconceptions:
Myth / Misconception
|
The Facts
|
·
All deaf people use sign language and
know how to read lips.
|
·
Hearing loss spans a wide spectrum
from mild to completely deaf and those along the spectrum prefer different
methods of communication.
|
·
Talking louder will help a person
with hearing loss understand better.
|
·
Increasing volume is only part of the
solution, clarity is also important when communicating with a hearing
impaired person.
|
·
Hearing aids and cochlear implants
restore hearing to normal.
|
·
These devices do not restore normal
hearing to a person with hearing loss. They are not like glasses that restore
normal eyesight.
|
·
People with hearing loss are
unsuccessful or not smart.
|
·
Those with hearing loss have the same
intelligence level as those with normal hearing.
|
·
People with hearing loss are usually
older adults.
|
·
Only 30% of those with hearing loss
are over age 65. One in five teens
have hearing loss.
|
·
People with hearing loss are defined
by their hearing loss.
|
·
Hearing loss is a characteristic like
the color of one’s eyes. It does not define a person.
|
·
Having hearing loss is shameful.
|
·
Untrue. This myth is part of the
reason that only 20% of those that could benefit from a hearing aid actually
wears one.
|
5. What does the HHF do?
HHF’s mission is to prevent and cure hearing loss and tinnitus through groundbreaking research. Since 1958, HHF has been the largest private funder of hearing and balance research. HHF has been a leader in driving new innovations and treatments for people with hearing loss for more than fifty years. This includes funding research that led to the development of cochlear implants and many of today’s standard treatments for otosclerosis (abnormal bone growth in the ear) and ear infections.
Today, HHF continues to support groundbreaking research in hearing, through the search for a biological cure for hearing loss and tinnitus. HHF’s Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) aims to achieve just that in the next 10 years. HRP officially launched in 2011 and is currently funding 5 projects from its consortium scientists, but the initial discovery that led to the HRP came many years before. Many types of hearing loss result from damage to the delicate hair cells of the inner ear. Humans can't regrow these cells—but in a game-changing breakthrough in 1987, HHF-funded scientists discovered that birds can. Chickens can naturally regenerate their inner ear hair cells, restoring their hearing after damage.
The amazing thing is that regeneration happens naturally and very robustly in almost all animals – mammals are the exception. This makes HHF and the researchers confident that we will find a way to stimulate this regeneration in mammals, including humans.
The HRP consortium of scientists has developed a strategic research plan to develop a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus in 10 years. This three-phase plan starts with discovery research and culminates in clinical trials. The plan, developed specifically by the HRP scientists and updated to incorporate new findings and approaches, is a living document meant to guide but not limit the work. Relevance to this strategic plan is one of the criteria for a project to receive HRP funding.
There are lots of ways for people to learn more about HHF and help support its research for the cure for hearing loss and tinnitus.
1. Visit our website to learn more
2. Stay up to date on all the latest news by liking us on
Facebook and following us on
Twitter
3. Sign up for our informative monthly e-newsletter
4. Subscribe to Hearing Health Magazine, our award-winning leading consumer publication on hearing loss. Get the latest on research breakthroughs,
strategies to manage hearing loss, personal stories, hearing technologies and
products, and features on seniors, pediatrics, veterans, musicians and more.
5. Inspire others by sharing your personal story and draw comfort
from the stories of others
7. Make a tribute
gift to honor a loved one with hearing loss or a
favorite audiologist
8. Support our work with a tax-deductible donation
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