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Are Noisy Restaurants Harmful to Our Hearing Health?

In Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, News, Noise, Research, Work & Economy by Zach Kenealey, HIS

We regularly hear from people that fun activities like eating out at restaurants have become strained because hearing loss makes it hard to keep up with conversation. Restaurants are one of the most consistently problematic locations for those with hearing loss – even when they are using hearing aids. It turns out, restaurants aren’t helping. New investigations and reporting are …

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Proposed Accessibility Legislation in Seattle

In Hearing Loss, News by Zach Kenealey, HIS

The next time you catch a game at a sports bar in Seattle, Washington, you might just notice something slightly different. Businesses there with TVs are now required to turn on closed-captioning, as part of a recent law passed by the Seattle City Council. In what is seen as a major victory for the Deaf and hard of hearing communities, …

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Great Things to Hear this Holiday Season in Seattle, WA

In Hearing Loss, News by Zach Kenealey, HIS

The holiday season is upon us and that means there are a lot of great activities to put on your calendar. Seattle is an excellent city to engage in all of the sights—and sounds—of the holiday spirit. Here are some things that you might want to consider as you begin planning how to spend the end of 2018 with your …

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Scientists are Conducting Hearing Tests on Beluga Whales

In Hearing Loss, News, Research by Zach Kenealey, HIS

Beluga whales have long been studied for their intelligence, migration and social habits. Now, new research has just been released about the hearing ability of belugas. It’s the first time hearing has been studied in a wild population of sea mammals. What did they find? In contrast to populations of dolphins living in captivity, wild belugas had a sharp sense …

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Subtle hearing loss while young changes brain function, study finds

In Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, Mental Health, News, Pediatric Hearing Loss, Research by Zach Kenealey, HIS

In 2015, the World Health Organization issued a warning for youth globally: the overuse of earphones, earbuds and personal devices is creating a worldwide pandemic of early hearing loss. And the effects reach farther than merely obstructing communication. According to a new study from The Ohio State University young people with subtle hearing loss are showing cognitive stress typically seen …