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Ask Anna: Can I enjoy cycling with a hearing loss?

Written by Anna Biggins on August 16, 2016.

Ask Anna is a weekly advice column for the hearing loss community.

This week, we have a special “Ask Anna” column, based on some questions we received during #HearingLossHour – a monthly, live chat on Twitter. During July’s session, we discussed sports, and the challenges we face when wearing hearing aids and being an athlete. One activity that dominated a lot of the conversation was about cycling. In my ignorance, I didn’t realize how scary the prospect of cycling on roads with a hearing loss can be. In some cases, people said they had given up this sport that they loved because of their hearing loss. After the hour had finished, I went straight to one of my colleagues, Solange, who is also an audiologist and has a severe to profound hearing loss and wears Phonak Naida V hearing aids.

Together we came up with some answers to: “How can I enjoy cycling with a hearing loss?”

Anna: Solange, please tell us a bit yourself and what you do as sports and hobbies outside of work?

Solange: I enjoy being outside and like hiking, snow shoe walking and am an avid cyclist. I do road cycling, not mountain biking, which I got into because my husband used to race and we used to ride with the cycling team.My biggest accomplishment was doing 120-150 km a day (100 miles). This was before kids came along! I still ride, but only around 40 km in a day.

Anna: What kind of challenges do you face as a cyclist with a hearing loss?

Solange: There are challenges with group rides (team or friends). During the warm up or cool down time people are communicating and chatting, and it is easier to hear because you are not going too fast, but as speed picks up it gets more difficult to hear because of wind noise. It becomes really difficult above 20 km per hour, which is similar for normal hearing cyclists. So, conversation tends to stop. Hand signals become really important. I also use wind protection over my hearing aids, which I find very helpful. I don’t hear cars or other environmental sounds unless they are very loud or close. It is possible, however, to hear traffic and environmental sounds when your are cycling alone, but only if you stay below certain speeds. In traffic on the road I have to be focused and aware and I tend to go slower. A strong head wind can be a problem, however, even if I am going slow.

Anna: What would be your message to other people with a hearing loss who want to get out on their bikes?

Solange: First, I would like to say just because you have a hearing loss doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy cycling. Cyclists who have normal hearing and those with hearing loss will technically face the same issue of not being able to hear anything, once they reach a certain speed.

However, before you start cycling, it is important to define your goals and decide what do you want to get out of it. Is it for general fitness or exercise, with less focus on communication? Or do you want to cycle to enjoy the ride with family or friends as a social activity?

Anna: Great message Solange! Do you have a list of tips and tricks that people can use when cycling with a hearing loss?

Solange’s 11 Tips and Tricks for Cycling with a Hearing Loss:

• When you are cycling alone, make sure you do everything you can to be as aware as possible of the environment
• If you are cycling in a group, communication is key. Make sure everyone uses hand signals that the whole group recognizes.
• To improve hearing of environmental sounds and speech, ask your audiologist to create a single program that you use for cycling that directly addresses these challenges. This will ensure your hearing aids aren’t changing constantly and trying to adapt to the environment. In most cases this is a benefit, but cycling has unique sound characteristics, such as a constant low-pitched noise due to wind, which can mask speech and environment cues. Plus, you also have the added challenge of a helmet.
• Reduce wind noise by wearing a headband or head sweat cap cover over the hearing aids and under the helmet. There are also specially designed additions to the helmet that help reduce wind noise, such as www.cat-ears.com   www.windblox.com.
• If your hearing aids have a built in wind noise and or noise canceler, make sure your audiologist sets these to strongest setting in your cycling program.
• Make sure the cycling program is in what is called an Omni microphone setting. This means that you have the best chance of picking up sounds and cues from all around you. Normally, you want the hearing aid microphones to focus on the direction of one sound signal like speech, but for cycling you want to pick up environmental sounds coming up behind and to the side of you.
• Choose your cycle helmet carefully. Try different helmets to get the best fit and make sure there is space for your hearing aids so they sit comfortably and don’t push the hearing aids into the side of your head.
• Always wear your hearing aids when you are trying on and buying a cycling helmet.
• Don’t assume the fit will be the same if you wear a head band or head sweat cover. Some manufacturers offer spacers and foam and these might need to be added or removed depending on the fit.
• Add a small mirror to your handle bar or helmet for recreational riding. This is great for city cycling.
• Keep up to date with technology. Cycle helmet technology and hearing aid technology  are constantly changing, so it is good to check if you can replace or update anything every couple of years.

Anna: Thanks, Solange for your great, expert advice! I hope this encourages others with hearing loss to enjoy cycling.

Do you have a question for Anna? Email: feedback@hearinglikeme.com

The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Hearing Like Me website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately.

When Kason, a triplet, was born with hearing loss, his mother went on a journey to find him the best hearing technology. He recently heard for the first time with his Phonak Sky V hearing aids.

Finding out your child has hearing loss can be a scary and overwhelming experience, especially for those whom don’t know anyone else with hearing loss.

After giving birth to triplets, Shanquail Horton Archibald learned that one of her sons had hearing loss.

This is their story: 

Q: When did you first find out about Kason’s hearing loss diagnosis?

Shanquail: Kason is our youngest son from a triplet pregnancy. He spent several weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit when he was born, and failed the newborn hearing screen. That’s the starting point of the journey we traveled in order to reach a hearing loss diagnosis.

Kason had several more hearing screens and a tympanogram was done, which detected fluid in his ears. The audiologist referred us to the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor for tube placement, due to the fluid in his ears, and to rule out hearing loss.

In January, Kason had tubes placed in his ears, and underwent a more in-depth hearing screen  in the operating room, as well. The in-depth hearing screen showed moderate hearing loss in the right ear and moderate-to-severe hearing loss in the left ear. The audiologist stated he would need hearing aids and gave us an appointment card for a consultation at the children’s hospital of Alabama Hear Center.

Q: What was your experience with hearing loss prior to your son’s diagnosis?

Shanquail: We really don’t have a lot of experience with hearing loss. My first cousin had meningitis as a baby and has unilateral hearing loss, but she never wore a hearing aid or used any other assistive devices. Kason is the first person in our family born with hearing loss who wears hearing aids. This is a new experience for us.

Q: Where did you find support or guidance after his diagnosis?

Shanquail: We have received a lot of support from Children’s Hospital of Alabama Hear Center, Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, Children Rehabilitation Services, Community Service Early Intervention program, Phonak, family, and friends.

Read more: 5 Reasons to Choose a Pediatric Hearing Aid for Your Child 

Q: How has he adapted to his hearing technology so far?

Shanquail: Kason is adapting well to his hearing aids. He is smiling and very attentive. I read “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf,” to him the other day and he looked at the pictures in the book, smiled, and kicked as I read the story. The “Little Boy Who Cried Wolf,” was his first story with his new ears.

Read more: 5 Hearing Loss Related Books my Deaf Toddler Loves 

Kason also heard himself cry for the first time yesterday and completely froze in place; I guess the loud sound startled him. We are excited how well he is doing with his Phonak Sky V hearing aids.

Q: What do you hope other families gain from your story or what advice would you give other parents?

Shanquail: We hope families are inspired by our faith and determination to help our child thrive and conquer the world. We hope our story bring families closer and give them a relentless desire to exhaust every avenue for their child. We refuse to allow hearing loss to define our child, and we hope other families follow in our footsteps.

“We refuse to allow hearing loss to define our child…”

Q: Anything else I would like the community to know?

Shanquail: We have started a campaign to address our son as “Triumphant Kason,” because he is victorious over hearing loss. We are determined to help our child reach and exceed all of his milestones in life. We refuse to allow hearing loss to dampen our spirits, make Kason feel different from his brothers, or allow him to hide behind his hearing aids in shame.

We chose Phonak Sky V hearing aids in Carribean blue with a yellow hook in order for his hearing aids to stand out. We are raising our son to be proud of who he is and to always remember he was made perfect by God.

We plan to continue to raise awareness about hearing loss in our community and educate parents on the importance of being aware of the signs of hearing loss. Our best advice for families is to continue to love and support your child and make strides everyday to help them better themselves.

Content provided by www.hearinglikeme.com

Ask Anna is a weekly advice column for the hearing loss community.

Dear Anna,

Hi, I purchased the Phonak Audéo BR rechargeable hearing aids in December and for the most part I am extremely pleased with them. Lately, however when I’m in meetings at work and there is a someone on a conference call, my hearing aids begin to put out a high pitch squeal. This has happened on more than one occasion and is very embarrassing. I usually have to take them out to stop the noise feedback. Is there something I can do with them to change this or us this just something I need to live with? – Lewis, “Working with hearing loss” in Atlanta 

Hi Lewis,

The first thing to check is if this high pitch whistling happens only when you are in conference calls or if it happens at any other time? If it happens at other times then it could be that the earpiece of your hearing aid has become  little loose or if there is some wax that has built up in your ear. It is unlikely that a conference call system is interfering with the hearing aid. Our rechargeable hearing aids do not behave any differently to non-rechargeable hearing aids, they just have a different battery that supplies the power they need.

However, this is not something you should have to live with. Unfortunately if there is no obvious cause of the whistling then it becomes a process of elimination, here are few things you can check.

3 Tips for Troubleshooting Feedback in your Hearing Aids

• Check if this only happens with one particular conference call system or with all conference call systems that you use?
• Check if the high pitch whistle you hear is emitted from your hearing aids or from the conference call system?
• Try a different conference call system and see if the same thing happens
• Use a system where the speakers of the conference call phone are on the table so that you avoid covering the hearing aid microphones.

If none of these suggestions are helpful, I do think it would be worth speaking with your audiologist as they may have another idea and will be able to check  your ears and check that your hearing aid is working.

I hope you get to the bottom of this problem and please let me know the outcome or get back to me if you have further questions.

-Anna

Do you have a question for Anna? Email: feedback@hearinglikeme.com or on Twitter @Phonak

The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Hearing Like Me website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately.

Adult musicians with hearing loss may be interested in some of the opportunities provided by the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss (AAMHL). A nonprofit organization based in Rockville, MD, the Association was founded as a resource for musicians with hearing loss to discuss the challenges they face in making and listening to music. The Association also helps organize public performances by adult musicians with hearing loss who might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in concerts.

Wendy Cheng, the organization’s founder and president, uses bilateral cochlear implants (CI) for her own hearing loss. She explained that AAMHL was established to help overcome the prevailing attitude in the hearing healthcare industry that making or performing music is not a worthwhile endeavor for people with hearing loss, especially if they are adults.

An avid violin player for many years, Cheng was cautioned by her cochlear implant audiologist that after activation of her CI device, she shouldn’t expect to hear her violin quite as well as she would hear spoken language. This was discouraging news for Cheng, who decided to switch from violin to viola when she realized that hearing and discriminating notes two octaves above middle C was impossible with her implant.

The AAMHL’s membership is comprised primarily of amateur musicians and adult music students, and includes a smaller number of audiologists and music professionals, as well as music educators. In the organization’s early days, members performed in libraries and nursing homes. They have since put on two performances in New York City, one in 2010, and one in 2014. AAMHL members also have performed in a church in New Jersey. In May 2015, the group will give its first performance for the public in Washington, DC.

According to a recent study from the University of Vermont College of Medicine, learning to play the violin or piano may help youth brain development by providing added benefits in key behavioral areas of the cortex. The team specializing in child psychiatry published a research article in the September 3, 2014 online edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

James Hudziak, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, worked with colleague Matthew Albaugh, PhD, and graduate research assistant Eileen Crehan on a study they believe is one of the largest investigations of the association between playing a musical instrument and brain development.

According to the researchers, as children age, the cortex—the outer layer of the brain—changes in thickness. In previous analysis of MRI data, Hudziak and his team had discovered that cortical thickening or thinning in specific areas of the brain reflected the occurrence of anxiety and depression, attention problems, aggression, and behavior control issues even in kids without a diagnosis of a mental disorder.

The researchers found that music playing altered the motor areas of the brain, because the activity requires control and coordination of movement. They noted changes in the behavior-regulating areas of the brain related to memory, attention control, organization, and planning.

According to the researchers, a child’s musical background also appears to correlate with cortical thickness in brain areas that play a critical role in inhibitory control, as well as aspects of emotion processing. As 75% of US high school students rarely or never take extracurricular lessons in music or the arts, this researcher stresses the importance of making music training more widely available to youths.

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Research scientists in the United Kingdom have discovered details about insect hearing that may help advance hearing technology and other devices for humans. According to a paper published in the December 17, 2014 issue of the Journal of Comparative Physiology, Dr Fernando Montealegre-Z, from the School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, and Dr Daniel Robert from the University of Bristol, explain how the development of hearing in katydids may have wider implications for further research and technological development.

For their study, the researchers were particularly interested in the acoustic production and hearing mechanisms of cicadas, crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers. “Some insects, like katydids, have biophysical mechanisms for auditory processing that are remarkably equivalent to those of mammals,” said Montealegre-Z, PhD. “Located on their front legs, katydid ears are small, yet capable of performing several of the tasks usually associated with mammalian hearing. These tasks include air-to-liquid impedance conversion, signal amplification, and frequency analysis.”

A cochlear organ for frequency selectivity was thought to be unique to hearing in mammals until Dr Montealegre-Z and his research team discovered a similar mechanism for frequency analysis in the ears of bushcrickets in South American rainforests two years ago. Scientists believe the discovery of this previously unidentified cochlear organ in some insects could pave the way for technological advancements in bio-inspired acoustic sensors, including medical imaging devices, and hearing aids.

Hearing aids appear to improve balance in older adults with hearing loss, say researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. According to their study, published in the October 2014 online issue of The Laryngoscope, the research team found that patients with hearing aids in both ears performed better on standard balance tests when their hearing aids were turned on, as compared with when they were off.

The study was relatively small, but demonstrated that sound information, separate from the balance system of the inner ear, contributes to maintaining the body’s stability. The study lends support to the idea that improving hearing through hearing aids or cochlear implants may help reduce the risk of falls in older adults.

“We don’t think it’s just that wearing hearing aids makes the person more alert,” said senior author Timothy E. Hullar, MD, professor of otolaryngology at the School of Medicine. “The participants appeared to be using the sound information coming through their hearing aids as auditory reference points or landmarks to help maintain balance. It’s a bit like using your eyes to tell where you are in space. If we turn out the lights, people sway a little bit—more than they would if they could see. This study suggests that opening your ears also gives you information about balance.”

In one test, subjects’ eyes were covered as they stood with their feet together on a thick foam pad. In a second, more difficult task, patients stood on the floor with one foot in front of the other, heel to toe, also with no visual cues for balance. Those having more difficulty with balance in these tests performed better when their hearing aids were on. Hullar concludes that the research team intends to undertake a much larger study, and is actively seeking funding to do so.

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Finding the right hearing aids is a bit like finding the right pair of running shoes. Although a friend might recommend a certain brand or model of shoe, you might find that it doesn’t work very well for you. Even if you wear the same size, the running shoe that works for one person is not guaranteed to work for another. Hearing aids are very similar; the fitting is completely personal.

A review of a particular brand or model of hearing aid may not be useful because two people may have the same hearing loss but different preferences for a hearing aid. A better way to find a suitable hearing aid for you is to directly compare different pairs of hearing aids. Ask your hearing health professional for a demonstration of a couple of different brands.

Hearing aid comfort is related to both physical and acoustic qualities. Demonstration hearing aids will not be custom-fit for your ear canal, but they can be programmed for your hearing loss. It will usually only takes a few minutes for the hearing care professional to hook the hearing aids to the computer and program them for you to try. They may even do this before you arrive for your hearing aid consultation appointment. If it’s your first pair of hearing aids, it may be difficult to figure out how to distinguish between the options. Everything will sound louder and you’ll be hearing things that you haven’t heard in awhile.

Patient satisfaction with hearing aids is related to the quality of the hearing healthcare experience.

Look for a professional in your area who will listen carefully to your needs, preferences and previous experience so that they can help you find the best hearing solution for you. If you don’t have a friend that can provide a personal recommendation, online consumer reviews can help you compare the clinics in your area.

Content provided by Healthy Hearing

The holiday season is fast approaching and that means more social activities and time spent with friends and family. But, for those people who have an untreated hearing loss, these social gatherings may be stressful. It can be really difficult, and isolating, to be in a social situation when you can’t hear what is being said around you.

Unfortunately, if you’ve been putting off getting hearing aids or know someone who has, you’re not alone. It takes most people upwards of seven to ten years to finally get help for their hearing loss. That’s a lot of missed family gatherings and social events, or at least not enjoyed as much as you could have.

But, if you have untreated hearing loss, missing out on social activities is only the beginning. Research shows you are also at risk for other serious issues due to not being able to hear such as depression, isolation, fatigue, and an increased chance of developing dementia.

The holiday season is quickly approaching. It’s a time of celebration and time spent with friends and family. Don’t miss out again this year. There’s still plenty of time to address your hearing issues before the holiday season.   Many hearing offices offer free trials over holiday season since it is a great opportunity to show how the newer models of hearing aids help to focus on speech and reduce background noises.

It is important to visit a hearing professional you are comfortable with and can trust as some “free” trials turn out to not be so free, or there can be a lot of pressure to keep hearing aids that you may not be terribly pleased with. We also recommend trying at least a couple of models as they are not all the same, and they are certainly not one size fits all.

Scientists from the University of Michigan Medical School’s Kresge Hearing Research Institute and Harvard University have restored the hearing of mice partly deafened by noise, using advanced tools to boost the production of a key protein called NT3. These new findings pave the way for research in humans that could improve treatment of hearing loss caused by noise exposure and normal aging.

NT3 is crucial to the body’s ability to form and maintain connections between hair cells and nerve cells, the researchers demonstrate. This special type of connection, called a ribbon synapse, allows extra-rapid communication of signals that travel back and forth across tiny gaps between the two types of cells.

Anyone who has experienced problems making out the voice of the person next to them in a crowded room has felt the effects of reduced ribbon synapses. So has anyone who has experienced temporary reduction in hearing after going to a loud concert. The damage caused by noise reduces the ability of hair cells to talk to the brain via ribbon synapse connections with nerve cells.

Using a special genetic technique, the researchers made it possible for some mice to produce additional NT3 in cells of specific areas of the inner ear after they were exposed to noise loud enough to reduce hearing. Mice with extra NT3 regained their ability to hear much better than the control mice.

Now the University of Michigan team will explore the role of NT3 in human ears, and seek drugs that might boost NT3 action or production. While the use of such drugs in humans could be several years away, the new discovery gives them a specific target to pursue.

Content provided by Hearing Review