wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

To Dana from Hudson, NY - the tinnitus retraining treatment mentioned by Dr. Lafargue can also be very successful with hyperacusis which is what it sounds like you have.

I missed the beginning of the program so I don't know if this was addressed. I'm 33 years old and have had extra sensitive hearing for as long as I can remember. This sensitivity posed issues in school because the sound of someone's breathing, chewing, tapping, etc., was diatracting and irritating. I was tested as a child and learned that I was hearing sounds in frequencies outside of "normal" hearing range, and that this was also found in people with autism. I've been on a low level of Zoloft for a few years now and I've noted that my perception of these sounds is lessened. I've wondered if there might be audio training to help me handle the sounds better as well.

I suffer from benign positional vertigo. I've had no head trauma and I'm not elderly. Apparently there are crystals in the inner ear that come loose and cause the sensation that causes vertigo. I've gone to physical therapy to train my brain to adjust to being dizzy in particular positions which helped me tolerate the vertigo. But, I've never gotten an answer from a physician for why this condition exists. Clearly, there isn't one, but, can anyone offer any other explanation? Thanks.

Re.- comment #25: Yes, it does confer a reproductive advantage. But, evolution doesn't happen BECAUSE of that: it is preserved as it confers a reproductive advantage; it occurs, however, BECAUSE of nothing more significant than a RANDOM mutation. This important distinction is not academic; and, it is lost on most people.

GREAT show, Leonard.

Does earwax buildup cause trouble with hearing?

what about the nose plug wearing over night. are they safe? r

How about some advice for purchasing hearing aids?

My husband and I frequently have trouble hearing each other, our son calls us what heads. I don't have trouble hearing other people and he claims he doesn't either, please explain.

Do "noise cancelling" headphones work by introducing white noise? And is there any danger to hearing, other than volume-caused?

Is there some way to dilate and clear out my Eustacian tubes without seeing a doctor?

lately, I have been hearing a pulsing sound when I lay down at night, only the right ear, ...like a arrhythmic heartbeat....any clues? the hypochondriac in me, keeps fearing a brain tumor?

Re: Comment #15:

I would imagine that better hearing does confer a reproductive advantage, in that the ability to hear dangers such as approaching predators is conducive to longer life...

Do the audio-silencing mechanisms on headphones damage your hearing?

If you covered this earlier, I missed it: isn't the reason people who've lost high-frequency hearing have trouble understanding speech that the sounds that characterize each consonant are at much higher pitches than the pitch of the voice itself? I've known some people to say they can be heard better because their voice is low, but does that really make any difference to someone who has age-related hearing loss? Thanks.

On April 16th I went to a "goodbye party" for someone in their early 30s at a very loud UWS bar. It was horribly loud in there and ever since being there I have a constant high-pitched ringing in my ears. I assume I damaged my hearing, but wondering/hoping that it's temporary. I have been wondering if acupuncture would be helpful. I am 55.

What exactley is 'ear WAX'?

When I was in college (1979), I regularly experienced tinnitus and vertigo, and was diagnosed with Meniere's Syndrome. I was told that this would affect my hearing some day. Some years later, a followup with another ENT yielded the singularly unhelpful diagnosis of non-specific tinnitus.

Now that I am 50, I have definitely experienced hearing loss, especially in my right ear and especially in noisy surroundings. Has there been any progress in knowledge or treatment of Meniere's in the last 30+ years? Is there anything I can or should do at this point, or is hearing loss simply a fact of my life now?

I have suffered from tinnitus for 5 years. It has become progressively wores and has a severe negative impact on my function. Is there any cure or useful treatment possible>

...why the seldom 'ring' in our ears?
Sometimes -once in a blue-, i hear that F#
(always in one ear)

Is there any way to correct a "collapsed ear canal?"

Wait - my hearing is excellent and I'm SO SENSITIVE that I wear ear plugs on the subway every ride!

I think I just have sensitive ears! I'm a singer.
Is that possible?

thanks.

I play the piano up to 4 hours a day. If I continue this for the next 30 years, will this activity damage my hearing?

Is it true that native Japanese speaker cannot hear the different between r and l?

Len: You've asked whether "teenagers can hear higher sounds than adults because their voices are higher." You've expressed a common misconception about evolution (ASK YOUR GUESTS TO COMMENT ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF EVOLUTION): evolution does NOT occur for any reason of enhanced organ-function (e.g.: for better hearing). Regardless of whether the result of evolution is enhanced organ-function or dysfunction, it will be inherited if a number of factors are propitious, the salient one being that it must confer an actual REPRODUCTIVE advantage.

Sometimes my hearing temporarily drops off in one ear. It seems to happen more in one ear than the other. Why does this happen?

I am 54 years old. In my twenties, I played with very loud bands. When I have my hearing tested, I am always told that my hearing is perfect. Yet, I find that I often can't hear what people are saying, particularly in a noisy environment like a restaurant. Is there a type of hearing loss that would not be reflected in the results of a standard hearing test?

As the result of being exposed to exploding fireworks about 30 years ago, I suffer from Tinnitus...which seems to be getting worse with time. It sounds like I am standing beside a highway and many cars are swooshing past. Is there anything that can be done? Would Ear Candling help?

Is hearing loss re-gainable (is that a word??) ?

Our son (age 17) is a drummer, and does wear ear protectors...however, there were many years where he did not wear anything, and although his hearing is fine NOW, we wonder if it will deteriorate as he ages.

Please feel free to offer a VERY LOUD WARNING to give our warnings more credibility!

Many thanks.

I have had bad hearing loss in one ear since I was pretty young. I have also had motion sickness since then. Since motion sickness is connected to balance, could this also be connected to my hearing loss?

Oh, and, I have sleeping issues so I have to sleep with a fan or a/c on for the white noise. My husband swears it will give us hearing loss over time. Is this true?

I developed tinnitus the day after my complete thyroidectomy. The sound seems to lessen at times, but then returns.

I was told I had a sharp rise in thyroid hormone when the thyroid was first cut, a "hormone dump," and I couldn't sleep for two nights, the night after the surgery and the next night as well--really wired.

Could the amount of synthetic thyroid required to suppress thyroid stimulating (in order to prevent growth in any remaing thyroid cells) cause tinnitus? Some nerve nicked during surgery?

Well, I've probably missed the window of opportunity to have a questions answered, but just trying....

Can you ask: is there a difference between listening to WNYC (for example) loud at home vs on an ipod? In the sense that in my home wont the sound dissipate vs. being forced into my ears through earphones? Just curious - I tend to listen to things loudly at home but not on the earphones...

How much of the hearing loss associated w/aging comes from aging itself & how much from accumulated damage over time from high volume, like what the guests were describing? I remember reading that rainforest dwellers were tested & could hear as well at 70 as at 20, presumably because they didn't spend their lives exposed to loud noise & music.

I am 51 & in the past 2 years my ears are so much more sensitive that I MUST plug my ears when subway cars run through the station (I've lived her 30 years without this problem.) why is this?

Can ultrasonic dental cleaning cause hearing loss or tinnitus?

I have hearing loss and have always wondered why there is such a stigma with hearing loss and not with low vision.

Often when I tell someone that I have hearing loss, they apologize for mumbling or seem uncomfortable. On the other hand, if I tell someone that I had a hard time recognizing them from far away because I don't have my glasses on, they just say "Okay".