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Hearing Protection Requirements in the Workplace

In Uncategorized by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Hazardous noise levels have been identified in many workplace environments, which can cause permanent or temporary damage to the organ for hearing. Employment in an environment with daily/occasional exposure to hazardous noise poses many health and safety risks, including the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Other types of hearing health and safety risks can include rupture of the eardrums and …

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What to Expect During Professional Earwax Removal

In Uncategorized by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Let’s face it: Everyone makes earwax. Some people make more than others for various reasons, including the shape of the ear canal, the ratio of ceruminous vs. sebaceous glands in the ears, and even age/lifestyle. It is not recommended to use “at home” remedies such as ear candling, q-tips, or bobby pins to remove earwax. Professional wax removal is highly …

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5 Tips to Prevent Swimmer’s Ear

In Uncategorized by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Swimmer’s ear is a term typically used to describe Otitis Externa, otherwise known as an outer ear infection. An outer ear infection affects the ear canal from the opening to the eardrum. These infections can be painful, have a distinct odor, cause drainage, and potentially a hearing loss. Here are a few tips on how to prevent swimmer’s ear. What …

Raising a Child With Hearing Loss

In Hearing care by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Hearing loss can range in severity from mild to profound. A child with mild hearing loss can hear some sounds but may have difficulty hearing all sounds, which can be vital when developing speech and language skills. Meanwhile, a child with profound hearing loss will have significant difficulty hearing any speech sounds and may only detect very loud sounds.   …

Audiologist Vs. An ENT Doctor: How Are They Different?

In Hearing care by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Like any body part, ears are susceptible to ailments such as infections and congestions. They can also develop more serious conditions like hearing impairment or loss. When you feel like something is wrong with your ear, it’s important to know which kind of doctor you need to consult for a proper diagnosis. What Does an Audiologist Do? Audiologists are health …

The Benefits of Working Out With Hearing Aids

In Health by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Wearing hearing aids can take a lot of time to get used to, especially for first-timers. Fortunately, hearing aids are now more pleasant to wear. On top of that, most Bluetooth hearing aids are now designed to be more resistant to dust and moisture as compared to previous ones.   But for someone new to using a hearing aid device, …

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Supporting a Loved One with Hearing Loss

In Hearing Loss by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

In the US today, about 48 million people are living with some form of hearing loss. Most of us know someone who has hearing loss, and many of us may experience it ourselves. The thing is, hearing loss doesn’t only affect the person who has it, but everyone they’re close to as well. If your spouse or other loved one …

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Annual Hearing Tests and Why They are Important

In Hearing Loss by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Most healthcare practitioners will agree, annual health screens are a good idea. They help to ensure that we are healthy, and also help to identify any potential issues before they become a major problem. While most people are quite familiar with annual health screens, they may be less familiar with annual hearing tests. Unlike many other ailments that have easy …

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The Do’s & Don’ts of Hearing Aid Maintenance

In Hearing Loss by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

While we might have once thought of hearing loss as a predictable and benign part of getting older, we now know that leaving age-related hearing loss untreated can cause a cascade of negative health outcomes.  These can include earlier onset of dementia and cognitive decline, and can severely limit social engagement as well as our level of physical activity. In …

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Which style of hearing aid is best for me?

In Hearing Loss by Dr. Arica Black, AuD

Unlike choosing a new shirt at the mall, there is a lot of thought that goes into choosing the style of hearing aid that is the right fit for you. After all, also unlike a new shirt, you will be wearing your hearing aids for multiple hours a day – every day! It is important that you choose hearing aids …