Likable “Incredible Hulk” Lou Ferrigno Is A Real-Life Inspiration For Hard-Of-Hearing People
Healthy Hearing has just posted a good interview with hard-of-hearing actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. Read more
London “Hearwear” Exhibit Shows Off High-Fashion Hearing-Aid Designs
A group of collaborators in the UK is bringing high fashion to hearing aids with an upcoming exhibit at one of the world’s leading museums for design, the Victoria & Albert (V&A) in London. Hearwear — The Future of Hearing, which opens tomorrow, is the brainchild of the UK’s largest organization for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, RNID (formerly the Royal National Institute for the Deaf). Read more
Only 12.9% Of U.S. Doctors Screen For Patient Hearing Loss At Annual Checkups
One of the things I like best about my family doctor is the way she interviews me during my annual physical about everything going on in my life. In her view, early identification of the causes of potential disease, ranging from big issues like job stress and emotional or marital problems to relatively minor issues such as too much caffeine, are just part of the preventive maintenance a healthcare provider is supposed to perform during the annual checkup. Read more
Hard-of-Hearing Population Tops 30 Million In U.S., With More Than 20 Million Untreated
The total population of Americans with hearing problems topped 30 million in 2004, according to the Better Hearing Institute’s seventh update to its landmark MarketTrak hearing-aid adoption survey. Moreover, fewer than a quarter of those hard-of-hearing individuals are receiving help for their hearing problems. Read more
Postmodern Man: Michael Chorost’s Cochlear-Implant Book, Rebuilt, Is About A Whole Lot More Than Cochlear Implants
You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about cochlear implants, and more, from Michael Chorost’s new book, Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human. Read more
Cochlear Implants and Music
I went to my daughter’s piano recital last night and she was phenomenal. Because all music is horribly distorted for me, I couldn’t hear how well she played, but the response from the audience was awesome. My heart swelled. It also reminded me I’ve been meaning to point out a good article in the Bionic Beat newsletter. Read more
So How Does “The World’s Greatest Communicator” Communicate When He Can’t Even Hear?
On paper, at least, I am one of the world’s great communicators. I was CEO of one of the world’s largest public relations firms. Before that I was co-founder of one of the fastest growing high-tech marketing communications firms in Silicon Valley. And before that I was a successful journalist. I haven’t counseled kings, but I have whispered in the ears of some of the world’s most important business executives. When I lost most of my hearing, being the world’s greatest communicator got a lot more complicated. What I’ve discovered, though, is that communication involves a lot more than using your ears, and that you can still be one of the world’s greatest listeners even when you can’t hear. Read more
My Story: The Day the Music Died
Until I lost much of my hearing overnight two years ago, I had excellent pitch. My brother and I grew up around music, and both of us could always carry a tune. My dad is a gifted, self-taught piano player whose range spans from Chopin Sonatas to Ragtime to English Music Hall favorites. I took piano lessons, played in the school band and sang in the school chorus. I had enough formal and informal education to appreciate all kinds of music and at different stages of my life was enamored of many different forms — rock and roll, classical, Top 40, jazz, you name it. But on the day of my sudden hearing loss, I discovered that music had become completely unintelligible to me. Read more
How Many of Us Are There?
The hearing-impaired population is huge and growing. But a surprisingly small percentage of people who need hearing aids choose to use them. Read more
