The medical profession tends to treat our ailments in isolation, which is why there are so many specialisations in medicine. However, generally, things don’t go wrong with parts of our body in isolation. The ears are no exception. Hearing depends on blood flow, healthy nerves, and general wellbeing.
Studies show that meditation can reduce the production of adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones), and increase the flow of blood within the ears. That blood flow is essential to maintaining hearing health.
Overproduction of stress hormones can reduce blood circulation in the inner ear and prolonged exposure to these fight or flight chemicals creates inflammation, which can cause parts of the body to deteriorate. So, it’s no surprise that stress can influence the delicate parts within the ears. This will not only cause hearing loss over time, in rare cases, sudden hearing loss can occur if circulation in that region stops completely.
It’s understandable therefore that meditation, which reduces stress, also decreases these deteriorating effects. As it turns out, according to research conducted by Sara Lazar, neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, meditation goes a step further and can be beneficial to the primary hearing centres of the brain. According to a meta-analysis of several published studies,
“Those who meditated have an increased thickness of grey matter in parts of the brain responsible for attention compared to those who do not meditate.”
The parts of the brain associated with memory and recognising language, are also involved in processing sensory information including hearing, so the increase in grey matter suggests that meditation enhances the ability to pay attention, as well as the way the brain codes and stores auditory information.
In one study examining long term meditators vs a control group, they found long-term meditators have an increased amount of grey matter in the insula and sensory regions, which is part of the auditory and sensory cortex. They also discovered increased grey matter in the frontal cortex, which is associated with higher level cognitive skills and the daily working memory.
As we age, the cortex shrinks so remembering and figuring things out can be more challenging. What researchers discovered in 50-year-old meditators, was that the prefrontal cortex had the same amount of grey matter as 25-year-olds.
A second study observed people who’d never meditated before. A group who was put through an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program had increased brain volume after just eight weeks.
Separate to the physiological benefits to the auditory system, meditation has been shown to increase people’s ability to feel compassion and empathy. Combined with attentional improvements, it follows that you may well become a better listener. How can that not be a good thing?
Meditation is also a great benefit in relation to tinnitus because it can improve your ability to selectively switch attention away from the annoying sounds as you go about your day. Conversely during meditation sessions, it can be helpful to focus on the tinnitus sound because then you may start to associate it with the positive experience of relaxation and calm. This new, more peaceful
association may slowly replace the old disturbing and stressful one. Alternatively, it might be helpful to play relaxing sounds or music during meditation sessions if you find the tinnitus particularly distracting.
A useful resource for starting out or complementing an existing practice is a smartphone app called ‘Waking Up’ developed by Neuroscientist & Philosopher Sam Harris. You can find his website via the following link, the app is available as a free trial, I can highly recommend his 21-day introductory course, just 10 minutes a day. Sam’s Waking Up app is quite comprehensive; he has also written a fascinating book by the same name.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_button button_color=”accent” border_width=”0″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwakingup.com%2F|title:Click%20here%20to%20check%20it%20out||”]Click here to check it out[/vc_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]If I could recommend one habit to anyone I care about, it would be to develop the habit of meditating. What have you got to lose?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
I spend over 50% of my clinical time educating patients on the importance of wearing their hearing aids full time. Unfortunately in Australia, studies have shown that around one third of hearing aids almost never leave the top draw.
Additionally only one third of Australia’s with hearing aids wear them for the recommended length of time, 12 hours, that is required to receive the full benefits (as well as cognitive enhancement) not to mention value.
There is a common misconception that hearing aids can be worn like reading glasses. You simply pop them on in conversation and don’t need to wear them at any other time. Hearing aids don’t work in this way – your brain needs time to adjust.
Hearing aids work by amplifying sound as it enters your ears. This helps to enable sound to be converted into electrical energy and sent to the brain for interpretation.
Initially this can seem really overwhelming. This is because the brain is being inundated with so many electrical signals that you haven’t been hearing for a really long time. However, the more you wear your devices the faster this process occurs and the quicker your brain can adjust.
The brain needs to time. It needs to work out which sounds to focus on and which ones it doesn’t need to, like background noise. An example of this is the air conditioner or sound of a clock ticking in a quiet room. If we focus on them, we can hear them. However, after a while we don’t notice these background noises.
The more you wear your hearing aids the better. Your brain becomes faster at recognising speech and important sounds to go about your daily life and ignoring unimportant sounds like background noise.
If you only wear them for a few hours a day there isn’t enough time for this to occur. This is why if you haven’t been wearing them often and you go out into a group situation, like a noisy restaurant, it can feel really overwhelming. The brain hasn’t had enough time to adjust and filter out unwanted sounds.
When we wear our hearing aids full time our brain is receiving more information from the ears. This increased level of stimulation can feel really overwhelming at the start. It is the number one reason why devices get left in the top draw.
When I am talking to my patients about being fitted with hearing devices for the first time, I like to call the first few weeks an acclimatisation period. This helps my patients to understand that this adjustment period does take time.
In fact the initial adjustment period for hearing aids can be several months. At the start it is really overwhelming. You simply aren’t used to that increased level of sound.
The best thing you can do is persevere, so the brain can adjust. Perhaps turn the volume down on them slightly, rather than taking them out. If they are too overwhelming, talk to your audiologist and they can make adjustments or recommendations for you.
Understand that the first few weeks are going to be the hardest. The more you wear your hearing aids at the start the faster this process will occur. Doing activities like reading a book aloud can speed up this process, especially in relation to how you hear your own voice.
When you have a hearing loss you have less environmental awareness. You are missing subtle cues like your footsteps and trip hazards beneath your feet. The research shows you are 2.4 times more likely to have a fall with a hearing loss, than a person with normal hearing.
Additionally, many researchers believe that you have to use a lot more of your mental resources if you have a hearing loss. When we don’t wear our hearing devices full time we have to strain to hear. We are also relying on the visual parts of our brain to lip read and interpret hand gestures. We rely on our memory more to piece together what is going on from previous experiences.
Dr Frank Lin is the world leader in hearing and brain health. Dr Lin says that “Gait and balance are things most people take for granted. However they are actually very cognitively demanding,” Dr Lin explains that hearing losses uses more of our mental resources as we struggle to hear. This leaves fewer cognitive resources to help maintain balance and gait (walking). One of the reason’s why he, and many other researchers have demonstrated a link between hearing loss and increased falls.
In the previous point we discussed how we have to use more of our mental resources when we are struggling to hear. It is very common for people with hearing loss to feel exhausted by the end of the day. When you need to rely on watching faces and sometimes guessing what has been said, you are using far more cognitive resources that communicating via hearing alone.
If we treat hearing loss and wear hearing devices full – time we are decreasing that cognitive load, which consequently can improve those feelings of exhaustion.
Finally, there is a direct link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. With hearing loss there is an under stimulation of the corresponding parts of your brain that interprets sound.
Studies have shown up to a 30 – 40% loss in brain matter in the areas associated with speech, hearing language and memory when hearing loss is untreated. Fortunately, recent studies have shown that such loss can be reversible with full time hearing aid use. It’s why hearing is SO important and a VERY IMPORTANT reason to keep your devices in full time.
There are so many benefits to wearing your devices full time. The research shows the benefits not only affect you but also those you care about the most. Treatment of hearing loss isn’t just about getting them fitted. It’s about wearing them on a full time basis, meaning around 12 hours per day.
So the next time you are thinking about leaving them in the top draw until you are having a conversation, I hope you take a moment to think back on some of these compelling reasons to keep them in from when you wake up in the morning and retire to bed at night.
If you would like to understand more about the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss, you can order a complimentary copy of my book here: Order Your Free Copy Now
If you are worried about if you have a hearing loss or are frustrated with the devices that you currently have and would like a second opinion to see if we can get you wearing them more frequently, please feel free to book in for a complimentary consultation with me. Book Now
Cognifit – A Sharp Mind or a Fit Body?
In a substantial study on longevity, Pew research indicates that only 20 percent of respondents wanted to live to age 90 or older. Why such a lack of interest? Concerns about decline in healthy life years and in particular dementia a recurring theme. Imagine you could fast forward to your 90+ year old self, at that ripe older age if you had to make a choice, would you favour mental or physical fitness? Most people I ask at my seminars would prefer to have both! But how to maintain both? This post focuses on new technologies for training the mind; online brain training that is scientifically proven, easily accessible and personally motivating.
It can be considered common knowledge that physical exercise at least three times per week is advisable for overall well being, longevity and prevention of decline. However, the notion of training the mind on a similar regimen may seem odd to many. Where would one start?
According to Alexandre Bennett, a clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in geriatrics., a fear of dementia is often greater than the fear of death itself. ”People fear this more than death, because it steals your personality and turns you into somebody that requires total care,” she says.
Before we dive into online brain training with promising indications for the prevention of cognitive decline, I should point out the beneficial impact of treating hearing loss on cognition. Studies published by the University of Maryland and University of Melbourne earlier this year on specific measures of cognition, visual working memory, processing speed, and executive function showed improvement after 6 months of full time use of quality hearing device use. This recent research ads to the growing body of evidence that hearing devices have on cognition, including a major review whereby the Lancet Journal recognise hearing loss as the #1 preventable risk factor for the prevention of dementia.
When training the mind, Sudoku and crosswords can be helpful in cognition, however they’re limited in scope. A major study in the British Medical Journal found that crossword puzzles and Sudoku could boost mental ability in specific ways, they had no influence over mental decline as people age. Skills trained in these activities are very specific and eventually a ‘plateau’ is reached where progress is limited. It’s like going to the gym and performing a couple of specific exercises with the same weight, you’ll reach a point where progress flattens out.
If you’ve ever been to one of my live seminars, read my book or followed NeuAudio on social media, you’ll know I’m an advocate of structured brain training, specifically cognitive training. What has cognitive training that got to do with Audiology you may ask? The answer is plenty! Consider your ability to hear in background noise, this involves separating the target signal from distracting noise, an interplay between pattern recognition, selective attention and short-term memory. The most common forms of hearing loss result in a loss of perception of many higher pitch consonant sounds which requires input from the visual system to ‘fill in the gaps’ with body language, facial expression and lip movement, a considerable and multifaceted cognitive task.
Recent research published by Edith Cowan University examined 26 peer-reviewed studies examining the effectiveness of seven brain training programs for people aged over 50. They found two programs reached their gold standard of Level 1 in scientific backing; these are Cognifit and BrainHQ.
Having researched and personally used both programs, my preference and recommendation is Congifit. After reviewing close to 8,000 studies, reviewers at the University of Western Australia stated that CogniFit possessed the highest level of evidence showing concrete effects of brain training in healthy aging. CogniFit can be classified as a cognitively preventative program for dementia, i.e. a serious game that keeps the player cognitively engaged and slows down the symptoms of dementia.
In short, Cognifit has a general cognitive assessment component and personalised training program. The assessment generates an overall score out of 800 and an equivalent cognitive age based on your results. As you progress through the training program, which is simply 15-20 minutes every second day, your score out of 800 changes. I have to say personally find it quite motivating to see the score improve (on most days ; )
I’d encourage you to give it a try, what do you have to lose?
Best Regards
Andrew
p.s. If you or someone you know may benefit from my help and you’re interested in Cognifit, I’ll happily gift you a general Cognifit assessment and 6 months training access (valued at $230) once they or you become a patient of the practice; additionally we’ll send a set of hearing devices to Cambodia on your behalf for referred patients.
p.p.s I’m in no way associated with Cognifit, like treating hearing loss (my day job), it’s one of the best ways I’ve found to help prevent cognitive decline.
Click here to learn more about what I can do to help, or find one of my clinics.
I am an Audiologist focusing on the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. This means that I am constantly looking for ways to help my patients keep their mind sharp.
Over the next few weeks and months we are being forced to completely change our lifestyle. Some of us are out of work. Others are forced inside, into complete isolation. But what can we be doing over this period to help prevent cognitive decline?
The number one message that I want to convey to all my patients and those out there who have a hearing aids – WEAR YOUR HEARING AIDS FULL TIME DURING THIS PERIOD.
That is from the moment you wake up in the morning until to you do to bed at night. (12 hours or more.)
It is easy to think that because you are not going out to see anyone, you don’t need to have them in. However, the main reason why we need to wear our devices full time is to enable adequate stimulation to the auditory areas of the brain. This process doesn’t change simply because we are in lock down.
So first things first – keep those devices in, keep that brain stimulation occurring, to help keep the mind sharp.
Sticking to my theme of making sure we come out the other side of the global health crisis with our health and wellbeing intact, here are some other ideas about how you can keep your mind sharp over this period.
A healthy amount of sleep is essential for Brain Plasticity – the brain’s ability to adapt, change and grow. A lot of the processes of storing memory of what we have learnt during the day occurs at night. If we don’t get enough sleep, our brain has a difficult time remembering that information into the future. Overnight sleep also reenergises the body’s cells and clears waste from the brain. The recommended minimum amount of sleep is 7 hours per night, with significant impacts to the brain and our ability to function occurring after only a few nights without that many hours.
If there was ever a time to pick up a new skill it would be during this Global Health Crisis. Research shows us that learning something new and/or stepping outside your comfort zone forces the brain to make new neural connections. It helps to strengthen the brain. Myelin is a substance that acts as an insulator around neural tissue. It allows for electrical messages to travel much faster from one place to the other through out the body, including the brain. Additional research is starting to show us that when we learn new skills and have new experiences we increase the amount of white matter, which get its name from the amount of myelin covered axons (nerve fibres) in our brain. This may help with brain plasticity and essentially helps strengthen the neural pathways of our brain.
If you’re having a sugar craving over the lock down period try switching to dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains zinc, iron and magnesium. The high levels of cocoa within dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals and prevent oxidative stress – which contribute to the natural processes of ageing.
Dig out the recipe books or head online to find some recipes to cook fish.Cold water, oily fish like sardines, salmon and trout are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for brain health. The Gourmet Traveller’s have a full list of Salmon Recipes to try. (Learn more) Not only are you helping strengthen your brain by trying something new, you are cooking delicious food that is great for brain health.
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For some of us, time is less of a limit over this period. Make a point to switch hands. Yes it may take you a little more time than normal to tasks like brushing your teeth, using the computer mouse with your other hand or opening the door. However, getting the brain to complete complex tasks like these with your other hand helps the brain learn new skills. ⠀
Not only is physical a great way to manage stress over this period but it can help improve your memory. Physical activity when performed regularly for 20mins have shown to increase the size of your hippocampus, the area of your brain associated with forming new memories. ⠀
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I have spoken alot about BrainHQ both in my seminars and in other blogs. Practicing recalling facts, using programs like brain HQ have been proven to sharpen the mind. Brain HQ has 100 research articles written about it. It help exercise your memory, improves you ability to pay attention, improve’s your brain’s processing speed and can even help you hear better in background noise. Over this period we have time. So just like you’d use a personal trainer to train your body, it’s time we start thinking about training our minds. Schedule in 3 x 20mins sessions into your week to start training your brain.
Over this period it is my intention to help my patients with hearing loss as much as I can to improve their ability to hear, share tips on how to improve your listening setting at home to make it easier to hear things like the TV. I am creating a webinar series with 10 modules that aim to give my people actionable tips as well as some more information on the connection between hearing and brain health. To register your interest please send an to katherine@neuaudio.com.au and Kat will put you on our growing list.
Finally – To all those out there with hearing loss, if there was one thing I wanted you to take away with you from this blog it is to wear your devices FULL TIME over this period. To ensure we maintain that brain stimulation and help prevent cognitive decline.
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Tinnitus or ringing in the ears affects approximately 18% of all Australian’s and studies show that 98% of people will experience tinnitus in a room that is quiet enough.
The 2020 World Health Crisis is placing extreme levels of stress and uncertainty on us. Over this period of time we have noticed many of our patients tinnitus symptoms have been exacerbated.
The research tells us that tinnitus is exacerbated by stress and worsen’s with sleep deprivation. We are most certainly living through a time that is both stressful and a potential cause for a lack of sleep.
Using products like white noise machines, a low fan or music can help to avoid quiet rooms, such as your bed room at night. We know that tinnitus is most prevalent when we are in quiet. Using low level sound to help cancel out the sound of tinnitus at night can help you get to sleep.
Scientists across the world have documented that a lack of sleep worsen’s tinnitus. Limit your screen time after a certain time at night. Restrict your caffeine intake after a certain time of day. Do some relaxation or deep breathing techniques, right before you go to bed to help to switch off the mind.
The exact link between tinnitus and stress isn’t know but they are undoubtably related. Try the Simply Being app, a guided meditation app, that’s isn’t too ‘left of centre’. Head Space is another great app and website that focuses on meditation, stress and anxiety management and sleep. The Waking Up app and website developed by Neuroscientist Sam Harris focused on mindfulness. I used this daily. Yoga is also a brilliant way focus on deep breathing and stress management, if you aren’t the type of person who wants to mediate. Check out the Down Dog app or Stretch Yoga’s online studio.
When the brain is not getting enough sensory input it steps in and generates it’s own. This is why treating hearing loss and giving the brain back that input can help with tinnitus. It is both astounding and satisfying to see how quickly tinnitus symptoms can be relieved for some people, when they treat their hearing loss. Feel free give us a call or book in online if you would like a complementary consultation over this period.
Amongst other impacts to your health, smoking is a known cause of tinnitus. High blood pressure or atherosclerosis also increase tinnitus risk. We are living through an unpredictable and tumultuous time. However, it is also a time where we have an opportunity to reset. Is it time to make some lifestyle changes towards living a healthier life, which can inadvertently help our tinnitus?
Tinnitus is one of those conditions that the more we focus on it the worse it usually is. Trying to draw your attention away from it onto something else, can help to decrease it’s impact on your quality of life. Set up strategies for those times when you know it is usually quite bad for example at night. The most understanding you get around how the condition works the easier it is to manage it symptoms.
Is a fun online program that has shown to improve tinnitus perception, memory, attention, and concentration of patients with tinnitus. Check out the link www.brainhq.com to learn more.
In terms of tinnitus the key is to understand the mechanism behind the condition. Unfortunately there is no cure. However that isn’t to say that we cannot manage its symptoms and live a full life, with the condition.
We want tinnitus to eventually be something that is there is the background but we only notice it, if we focus on it.
The key is to manage stress. Get enough sleep. Have strategies in place, like a white noise machine or music close by for those times when your tinnitus symptoms are exacerbated. Understand that it is very common and not something to spend a lot of time worrying about or focussing on – as this will only exacerbate it for you.
If you haven’t your hearing tested, tinnitus is a very common sign of hearing loss, for the reasons we spoke of above.
Right now is an opportunity to shift all aspects of our lifestyle towards leading a healthier life. As much as this is a stressful and uncertain time, there is opportunity to put strategies in place now that will help us in the long-term. This is particular true in the case of managing a condition like Tinnitus.
I offer a Tinnitus Evaluation. I test your hearing and provide additional strategies to help you manage your symptoms. Audiology is considered an essential service. This means I am still able to see you in clinic over this period.
Alternatively I am able to do phone consults, if you are unable to come into the clinic.
For more information give the clinic a call on 1300 418 852
Right now almost every country around the world is calling for mandatory social distancing We know it is the number one way we can slow the spread of the Coronavirus… Yet as humans we are fundamentally social creatures.
Why, as Audiologists are we concerned about social isolation? Preserving human connection essentially underpins everything we do.
Reduced social interaction poses a huge concern to psychologists who are thinking in terms of the long term psychological impact this period will have on our lives. There are also concerns amongst psychologists of social isolation being a risk factor for developing anxiety and depression.
The Australian Government is asking for us to think of this crisis in terms of months, not weeks. So how do we combat the emotional impact that social isolation and its best friend loneliness will have on ourselves, our family and friends over this period?
We know a great deal about the impact of social isolation, loneliness on mental and physical health.
In my Brain and Hearing Health Seminars I talk about how one of the main reasons why we want to treat hearing loss is to maintain social connection. This is because there is a growing body of evidence showing a correlation between social isolation and its impact on long term health and quality of life.
According to the ongoing, 75 year-long, Harvard University Grant and Glueck Study , the clearest conclusion researchers made was that quality relationships keep us happier and healthier, long term over and above any other factor that was measured. Without a doubt, great communication is central to quality relationships.
Studies have also shown strong links between social isolation, depression, anxiety and less physical activity. In fact one study showed that isolation has the equivalent adverse impact to physical health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is a greater threat to our health than obesity.
(Pettite et al 2015)
How do we stay physically distant from others yet still connected?
There is a growing call for us to move past thinking in terms of social distancing and move towards the term physical distancing. This term recognises that although there is a great need for us to maintain actual physical distance between each other and less physical contact, that DOES NOT mean we should reduce our social connection.
We need to readjust the way we interact with one another over this period.
Let’s be honest, no amount of rebranding of the term social distancing will change the fact that we are living in a very different world to what we were at the start of 2020.
It is going to be crucial over the next few months that we adapt and help our loved ones to adapt. So we all come out the other side of this global health crisis as healthy and emotionally intact as possible.
Can you imagine if we’d had to go through this ordeal even 15 years ago? We are lucky we live a digital age, where staying socially connected, whilst maintaining physical distance is relatively easy.
Melbourne Based, registered Psychologist Ms Jill Searle recommends that ‘Preparation is key right now, as this could be our new norm for quite some time. Having a plan of how we manage our time. Literally getting a calendar or diary and scheduling activities every day is highly encouraged. There are so many free resources available right now. Even undertake an online course to upskill in some area, or learn something new.’
I was talking to an 84 year old recently, who purchased a keyboard so they can start learning to play for the first time. He is now taking online lessons because he recognised the need to keep himself occupied and connected over this time.
If he can do it, anyone of us can!
Psychologist Ms Jill Searle says that you can be physically distant from others yet still be connected, just like you can be alone but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are lonely.
There is no doubt that the world has changed and we need to adapt to thrive.
Focusing on the positive is going to be essential. Research shows that adopting a perspective of gratitude, despite the limitations currently being placed on us can help to maintain that level of positivity and prevent stress and anxiety from creeping in. (Remember that managing stress is a key to keeping tinnitus at bay)
It’s crucial to take a look at all of the normal weekly activities and social events you would be involved in and see if there is a way to continue to carry these out online or interject something similar, for the time being.
If you are feeling lonely or isolated reach out. Just like we need to look after those is our family and community who have a hearing loss, so therefore struggle to remain socially connected now we have to look after each other for exactly the same reasons.
We need to make sure that one of the things that makes us fundamentally human, our need for social connection is maintained over this period of time.
Read through My 2 Hour Hearing & Brain Health Seminar in 4 Minutes
Many people engage in regular crosswords, for instance, to keep their brain young and even reduce dementia risk. However, unfortunately, there is no evidence that crosswords, or other common brain games, like sudoku are significantly effective for this. In this two part blog learn about two strategies that are peer reviewed and scientifically proven to reduce dementia risk.
You Know It’s Important to Exercise Your Body. What about your Mind?
I’m often asked by my patients, attendees of my seminars and readers of my book – ‘What else apart from wearing hearing aids can I do to improve my brain health?
Two specific strategies come to mind, both with increasing levels of peer reviewed, scientific literature to back up their effectiveness. They are BrainHQ and Mindfulness Meditation.
In this blog series I’ll focus on the revolutionary, online brain training platform BrainHQ.
Of the numerous brain training programs available online, BrainHQ is the most clinically verified program I can find. I should mention at this point that there is quite a big difference between brain games and brain training.
Brain games are something that you might do for fun like sudoku, crossword puzzles, quizzes, and word problems. However, unfortunately, there is no evidence that crosswords, or other common brain games, are significantly effective for this.
Brain training via BrainHQ, on the other hand, is more like going to the gym with a professional plan, tailored to your progression. It’s a system of exercising the brain to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, focus and processing speed.
• Reduce dementia risk,
• Increase speech understanding in background noise,
• Improve short term memory
• Reduce Tinnitus.
Specifically, the Brain Speed module has been proven to reduce dementia risk by 29% over 10 years following just 10 hours of training on your computer or phone over 5 weeks.
The Auditory Intensive module has been proven to improve short term/working memory to the equivalent of a person 10 years younger, improve hearing in noise by 41% and reduce tinnitus disturbance for 50% of participants. This is following an hour a day training, 5 days a week for 8 weeks.
Coined with full time use of hearing devices, BrainHQ is a great way to improve memory, concentration and hearing in noise, which all amount to a better quality of life for people with hearing loss.
Other than ‘Brain Speed’ and ‘Auditory Intensive’ modules, there are also other modules that have been shown to increase reaction time and reduce the risk of car crashes amongst other things.
I use the program, as does my family and many of my patients. It’s well designed and is actually good fun!
There is a free trial and access can be as low as $10 per month, visit www.brainhq.com for more details.
If you are wondering what else you can do to help your brain’s health, as any of my patients or those who have been to a seminar or read my book will know, there a strong connected between untreated hearing loss and dementia.
To learn more head to my blog on the connection between hearing and brain health
Best Regards,
Andrew
One of the ways in which hearing aids help us hear better is by making sounds louder. In effect, all hearing aids have this ability. Most have some degree of noise reduction meaning they are able to recognise speech sounds, recognise noise (non-speech sounds) and give more prominence to speech sounds. Typically, the more advanced the device is, the better the noise reduction processing capabilities are. As a general rule, the more channels the device has, the more precise decisions the devices can make about what is speech, what is noise and to reduce the noise without compromising speech clarity. Basic devices almost always have fewer channels than premium devices generally meaning less precision in noise reduction.
In group situations, simply ‘cleaning’ the signal via noise reduction processing is usually insufficient when the ‘noise’ is other people’s voices. This is where directional microphones come into play, these microphones enable the devices to be more sensitive toward the front (in most cases) whilst reducing the sounds from the sides and the rear, assuming the people you want to hear are in front if you. In many studies, directional microphones have been shown to improve speech understanding in background noise by around 30%. Unfortunately, devices that are hidden, or partially hidden in the ear canal don’t have the physical structure nor orientation to enable such directional microphones, meaning the devices amplify sound equally, including unwanted sounds, from the sides and the rear. They also generally have an unwelcome impact on ear canal acoustics, but that’s another story.
Not all directional microphones are made equal. In basic devices, the directional microphones are often ‘fixed’ and usually need to be manually activated by a push button in the devices, a confusing and fiddly process for most. More advanced devices have automatic, adaptive directional microphones which have the capacity to reduce unwanted voices and noise from the sides and the rear, even in those sounds move e.g. a moving truck. Some devices are able to track and reduce multiple noise sources with the view of comfortably enhancing speech toward the front of the wearer.
Taking directional microphones one step further are devices with ‘bilateral beamforming’ capabilities. In my opinion, based on my research and experience, they are the ‘holy grail’ of noise reducing hearing devices. Beam forming devices work together as a team to augment directional microphones in a similar manner to what occurs in a normally functioning, unimpaired hearing system. There’s a complex interaction between both ears and both sides of the brain to help us hear well in noise. With hearing loss, the receptor cells, specifically outer hair cells, are less able to perform their noise suppressing functions. Beamforming devices augment the brain’s ability to selectively filter and suppress unwanted sounds enabling unprecedented hearing in noise. Fortunately, there is now a range of beamforming options available from different manufacturers at a range of technology levels.
Bottom line, when hearing devices under perform at the times when they are most needed, of course they’ll end up in the top drawer. Today’s multi-channel, bilateral beamforming solutions correctly fitted by an Independent Audiologist (who is not limited by device choice), in my experience, is your highest probability of success.
I’m an Adult Hearing Device specialist; it’s a subspecialty within Audiology on which I’ve focused my whole career. Why? I’ve found it’s the most rewarding and successful way to have a profound impact on my patients’ wellbeing and the relationships they have with the people they most care about.
Positive results occur quite quickly in many cases but for most patients, it’s an adaptive process with a significant period of adjustment. Considering the substantial neurological processes at play, first time hearing aid wearers should not expect to gain maximum benefit from their devices until they’ve worn them full-time for around three months.
If only ears were like car parts!
I really do wish our ears were like car parts. It would be so great if the worn and torn parts could be replaced with new ones and, just like that, we would hear better again. Problem is, it’s not that simple because the auditory pathways in our brains are far more complex than any car part, engine or supercomputer for that matter. Hearing loss is a progressive, degenerative disorder with neurological involvement. An adaptive process is needed to progressively acclimatise to renewed and more appropriate levels of stimulation.
Also, your brain needs time to relearn which sounds to filter out and which sounds to focus on. At home, you’re not likely to notice a ticking clock, air conditioner or refrigerator noise as they are there all the time and because they only add limited value, your brain learns to filter them out. The same thing will happen over time with full time hearing device use, leading to progressively improved filtration of unwanted background noise.
When you go to the gym, you can’t realistically expect to experience visible muscle growth within the first three months of working out for the first time. You will become stronger within the first three months with consistent training, largely as a result of stimulating your nervous system, but the definition may not be so visible in such a short space of time. Likewise, a broken arm that has been in plaster won’t get back to full strength overnight.
Our hearing system is quite similar in that regard. It simply takes time and consistent stimulation to experience increases in signal strength and processing speed sufficient to hear better in challenging situations. And in a patient with tinnitus (ringing in the ears), a similar timeframe is often required to achieve sustained relief.
I recall early in my career the company I was running offered overnight hearing device ‘trials’. In fact, if I recall correctly, we called them ‘test drives’, as you may do when car shopping. It was actually my idea and in retrospect, one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in my 18 years as an Audiologist. The failure rate was unprecedented, with around 20% of patients simply overwhelmed by the fact that an acclimatisation period was required. Nowadays, with the benefit of decades of experience behind me, and a better grasp of the neurological literature, I make it a priority to ensure all my patients are clear about the fact that treating hearing loss is an adaptive process. Complete overnight success is just not physically realistic. I’ve found that the probability for success climbs exponentially once my patients understand that full time use over 1-3 months is necessary for acclimatisation because everything progressively feels more natural as your physiology adapts.
Though I’ve never had to act on it, I offer a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee at three months. Whist you can expect improvements straight away, it’s just not realistic to expect completely natural results and total comfort within this timeframe. However, the combination of full time use and today’s incredible technology means your chances of overcoming the challenges that brought you into the practice in the first place couldn’t be better.
It was pleasing to see the Brisbane Times published an article today on our efforts in supporting All Ears Cambodia. Working with this outstanding organisation is an ongoing reminder of the powerful, life changing benefits that come with treating hearing loss. Kids can go to regular schools, grandparents can continue to support their families all because those devices in the top drawer were put to good use.
To receive the full benefits for communication and the prevention of cognitive decline, hearing devices need to be comfortable and effective enough to be worn at all waking hours. Fortunately, today’s devices are smaller, smarter and more effective in background noise than they were even 12 months ago. The programming platforms generally give us broad flexibility for fine tuning adjustments so there should be no reason why they can’t be worn full time.
If you (or someone you know) have spare devices or are due for an upgrade; know those pre-loved devices will be put to good use. Follow the link to the Brisbane Times article below with information on where to send them and more detail about the program.
In addition to teaching at All Ears Cambodia and sending pre-loved devices, to recognise word of mouth referrals to my practice, I also send new devices to this organisation to recognise such referrals. If someone you care about could do with my help, you’ll be helping them and someone less fortunate in Cambodia return to a fuller participation in life.
Here’s the full article:
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