American Sign Language
... American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the first language...

The Basics: Hearing Aids
... Hearing aids are electronic devices that fit inside or behind the ear and help amplify sounds. Hearing aids are helpful, but they do not restore normal hearing or eliminate background noise. Whether y...

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
... Hearing is a series of events in which the ear converts sound waves into electrical signals that are sent to the brain and interpreted as sound. The ear has three main parts: the outer, middle, and in...

Hearing Loss and Older Adults
... Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to three or more of these questions, you could have a hearing problem and may need to have your hearing checked by a doctor. yes no  &nbs...

Presbycusis
... Presbycusis is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most individuals as they grow older. Hearing loss is a common disorder associated with aging. About 30-35 percent of adults between the ages...

Auditory Neuropathy
... Auditory neuropathy is a hearing disorder in which sound enters the inner ear normally but the transmission of signals from the inner ear to the brain is impaired. It can affect people of all ages, fr...

Otosclerosis
... Otosclerosis is the abnormal growth of bone of the middle ear. This bone prevents structures within the ear from working properly and causes hearing loss. For some people with otosclerosis, the hearin...

Sudden Deafness
... Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), or sudden deafness, is a rapid loss of hearing. SSHL can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. It should be considered a medical em...

Vestibular Schwannoma (Acoustic Neuroma) and Neurofibromatosis
... A vestibular schwannoma (also known as acoustic neuroma, acoustic neurinoma, or acoustic neurilemoma) is a benign, usually slow-growing tumor that develops from the balance and hearing nerves supplyin...

Waardenburg Syndrome
... Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is an inherited disorder often characterized by varying degrees of hearing loss and changes in skin and hair pigmentation. The syndrome got its name from a Dutch eye doctor n...

Communication Considerations for Parents of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children
... The earlier that deafness or hearing loss is identified, the better the chances a child will acquire language, whether spoken or signed. A hearing screening can be an important indicator of deafness o...

Hearing, Speech, and Language Problems in Children (Silence Isn''t Always Golden)
... Some babies are born with hearing problems. Other children are born with normal hearing and begin to have hearing problems as they grow older. You can help your child's doctor to decide if your ch...

Captions for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Viewers
... Captions are words displayed on a television screen that describe the audio or sound portion of a program. Captions allow viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow the dialogue and the action ...

Cochlear Implants
... A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The implant is surgically placed unde...

More About Cochlear Implants...
... --> Donna's hearing was changing . . . something was happening. When Donna was a young mother, she was a city planner who had to make a lot of speeches to groups. She needed to talk to architects ...

Telecommunications Relay Services
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Lessons in Shooter Safety
... The loudness of a sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). An ordinary conversation is approximately 60 dB; city traffic noise can reach 80 dB; and firearms can reach an ear-piercing 140 to 17...

Protect Your Ears
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Prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Have WISE EARS!® for Life!
... Everyone. No matter how old or young you are, too much exposure to loud noise can permanently damage your hearing. Whether it's the screech of a chain saw, the sudden blast of a hunting rifle, or ...

Ten Ways To Recognize Hearing Loss
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WISE EARS! At Work!
... Noise-induced hearing loss is the most common workplace disorder and the second most self-reported occupational illness or injury. Thirty million workers are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss and...

WISE EARS! A National Campaign to Prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
... How Loud is Too Loud? bookmark Resources for Educators (videos, classroom activities) Ten Ways to Recognize Hearing Loss bookmark WISE EARS!® for Life flyer Noise-Induced Hearing Loss fact sheet G...

WISE EARS! Tips: Hearing Matters--Protect It
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Nonsyndromic deafness
... Nonsyndromic deafness is hearing loss that is not associated with other signs and symptoms. In contrast, syndromic deafness includes forms of hearing loss that are part of genetic syndromes. Syndromic...

Pendred syndrome
... Pendred syndrome is a genetic condition associated with deafness and goiter (an enlargement of the thyroid gland, which is a structure in the lower neck that produces hormones). Some people with Pendr...

Methotrexate Not Effective in Maintaining Improvements in Hearing Gained from Prednisone
... Bethesda, Maryland — Methotrexate is not effective in maintaining hearing in patients with autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) who had been previously treated with prednisone, according to the re...

Alström syndrome
... Alström syndrome is a rare inherited condition that affects many body systems. Signs and symptoms of the condition begin in infancy or early childhood. The disorder is characterized by progressiv...

Collagenopathy, types II and XI
... The type II and XI collagenopathies are a group of disorders that affect connective tissue, the tissue that supports the body's joints and organs. These disorders are caused by defects in type II ...

Otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia
... Otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia (OSMED) is an inherited disorder of bone growth that results in skeletal abnormalities, severe hearing loss, and distinctive facial features. The name of the condit...

Stickler syndrome
... Stickler syndrome is a group of hereditary conditions characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, eye abnormalities, hearing loss, and joint problems. Genetic changes are related to the followin...

Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome
... Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome is an inherited disorder of bone growth. The condition is characterized by skeletal abnormalities that improve with age, hearing loss, and distinctive facial fea...

Genes and Disease: Deafness
... Hearing loss is extremely common and can present at any time from infancy to old age. About 1 in 1000 infants has profound hearing impairment, with half thought to be of genetic origin. Many deafness ...

Genes and Disease: Pendred syndrome
... Pendred syndrome is an inherited disorder that accounts for as much as 10% of hereditary deafness. Patients usually also suffer from thyroid goiter. The recent discovery of the gene for Pendred syndro...

Waardenburg syndrome
... Waardenburg syndrome is a group of genetic conditions characterized by hearing loss and changes in coloring (pigmentation) of the hair, skin, and eyes. The hearing loss can occur in one or both ears. ...