wellness

I will never forget when my mom started losing her hearing. It began with frequent vertigo episodes. Doctors eventually diagnosed the dizzy spells as Meniere’s Disease, and it began to affect her hearing. Being hard-of-hearing myself, I always relied her to fill in the gaps that I missed if we were out in public or if I was […]

When we think of using our hearing aids, we tend to think of clarity, loudness and sensitivity. We home in on hearing the words spoken to us clearly, so that we can respond in kind. However, a recent study reports on an important question for those who experience hearing loss: is it enough just to hear words, or do

Depression is a heavy topic to deal with. It’s one that’s pretty personal as I’ve been there myself, but it is important to recognize how depression can affect people with hearing loss. Depression is incredibly hard to discuss, given the nature of the “black dog”. The “black dog” is a beautifully apt metaphor attributed to

Living with any disability comes with a particular set of challenges, many of which are immediately obvious. It also comes with costs and challenges, that are not so obvious.  Here in South Africa, different groups of people experience a “tax” due to the effects of apartheid. Not a literal economic tax, but rather a “tax”

A new study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that women can decrease their risk of hearing loss by eating a healthy diet.  The study is called Adherence to Healthful Dietary Patterns is Associated with Lower Risk of Hearing Loss in Women. It was published in the Journal of Nutrition. The researchers tracked the diets

One of the things that we tend to do in our quest to make sense of the world around us is to try and categorize everything in the world around us, and one another! Tropes, archetypes, stereotypes. The general classification of people by their appearance, nationality, geographic location, ethnicity, gender, behavior, hobbies, interests, religion; the

  For most people, making a booking and attending medical related appointments is a very simple procedure, however, this is not always the case for everyone. There are a number of issues and challenges which can arise for those with a hearing disability, which would never occur for those in the hearing community when going

  The headline is alarming. “A Minor Hearing Loss Now Can Mean Major Dementia Risk Later.” The Healthline subhead is no less reassuring: “Even a subtle loss of hearing when you’re young can change brain function and increase the risk for dementia.” Whoa. What does this mean for those of us who are young and

When you prefer high-intensity workouts, adjusting to slower-paced activities like yoga and meditation isn’t easy. It’s even more challenging attempting them with a hearing loss. As a soccer player, working out is a key part of my everyday life. Stretching and meditating regularly are things I’m really working to incorporate more frequently since they’re supposed

People who have learning difficulties are more likely to experience hearing loss and yet they’re less likely to be diagnosed. Hearing loss often overlooked People with learning disabilities (PWLD) are often overlooked when test groups are considered. This tends to happen with mainstream testing and early diagnostic implementation. Other symptoms can mask hearing loss. The British