Hearing Loss Archive

Project better and reduce breathiness with voice therapy, hydration, and a bit of homework.

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Older adults have plenty to say, but changes to the vocal cords, nerves, or lungs sometimes make it harder to speak up. The voice may become soft or breathy, or it may grow hoarse, rough, or strained. "This sets up a real challenge for people to communicate. It may be difficult to speak over noise in a restaurant or in a group. It can be very isolating," says Barbara Worth, a speech-language pathologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Age-related changes

The vocal cords are twin bands of muscles that open when you breathe and close when you swallow or speak. They are located in the voice box (larynx) on top of the windpipe (trachea), and they vibrate and make sound as you exhale and air moves through them.

News briefs

A study published online March 2, 2017, by JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery suggests that hearing loss is going to become a major public health issue. Using current hearing loss estimates and population projections, scientists concluded that hearing loss among adults 20 or older in the United States will go from about 44 million in 2020 to almost 74 million in 2060, with the greatest increases among older adults. The climb is expected to be gradual, except between 2020 and 2030, when researchers project that mild hearing loss among people ages 70 to 79 will jump from about nine million to 12 million people.

The study doesn't prove that hearing loss cases will increase. But scientists are urging greater attention to hearing loss prevention. Protect your hearing by wearing earplugs if you know you'll be around loud noise. For more, check out the Harvard Special Health Report Hearing Loss (www.health.harvard.edu/HL).

The ear's self-cleaning system usually prevents wax from accumulating. But wax impaction requires medical attention.

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If you are like 90% of Americans, you assume that wax is something to be cleaned from your ears regularly, and you may have tried using cotton swabs, toothpicks, bobby pins, or any number of other small implements to do the job. However, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, you are not only performing an unnecessary task, you are risking hurting your ears and jeopardizing your hearing. The academy's new guidelines on earwax repeated a familiar warning — "Don't stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear."

Dr. Rachel Roditi, an otolaryngologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, agrees that there usually isn't much reason to clean one's ear canals: "I advise people that the ear has a lot of self-cleaning mechanisms already and so you usually don't need to do anything. Just let the ear do its job."

The realities of treatment can help relieve hearing loss concerns.

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Hearing loss is common in older age. It affects one in three people ages 65 or older, and two out of three people ages 75 or older. The condition leaves people struggling to keep up with conversations or simply hear the phone or TV, which can lead to serious problems. "Hearing loss can make a person less likely to engage with friends and family, which can be associated with depression," says Dr. David Jung, an otologist (ear specialist) with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Common excuses

The FDA announced in December 2016 that it would no longer enforce the requirement that adults receive a medical evaluation or sign a waiver prior to purchasing most hearing aids.

Fighting back against tiny allergens before they strike can help you avoid or reduce symptoms.

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The spring allergy season begins next month, and if you want to avoid symptoms, you must act now. "Pretreating allergies will lead to better control of symptoms, and maybe prevent symptoms from showing up," says Dr. Ahmad Sedaghat, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Automatic defenses

When spring allergens—typically pollen from oak, elm, birch, poplar, or maple trees, depending on where you live—float through the air and reach the nose, the body sometimes overreacts. Mast cells in the lining of the nose mistake the harmless tree particles for dangerous invaders, and summon help by releasing chemicals such as histamine and tryptase, which then recruit more immune system cells to the battle.

A persistent cough that remains after an infection has been treated can last for a month or two. There are several treatments that may offer relief, such as antihistamines or a bronchodilator inhaler. 

These tiny devices can improve your communication, your relationships, and even your brain function, but only if you use them. 

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Age-related hearing loss affects about a quarter of people ages 65 to 74 and half of those ages 75 and older, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Over all, though, it tends to be more male-oriented.

“By middle age, many men also have hearing nerve damage from long exposure to noises like power tools, music, and guns,” says Dr. Steven Rauch, an otologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear. Some career choices—like construction, manufacturing, or military service—also contribute.