You may notice that someone you know has difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, following directions, or distinguishing between similar sounds. They may have Auditory Processing Disorder. Below is some more information on what that is, what to look for and when to seek professional help from an audiologist. What Is Auditory Processing Disorder (Central) Auditory Processing is the term to describe how the brain processes auditory information; that is “what we do with what we hear”. Our ears are just the first step in processing – it encodes and sends the signals to our brains to interpret so…
Did you know that hearing affects much more than just our ears and our social life? Over the past few years, multiple studies have emerged highlighting how hearing, cognition, and memory are linked – and how hearing loss is not an inconsequential part of aging. Most of the focus with hearing and hearing loss is on the ears and mechanisms within them. In actuality, we really “hear” with our brain! Our brain does the majority of the work in processing what we hear- our ears are the mechanism to get the sounds there. Hearing and The Brain Even seemingly “small”…
Summertime is a season abuzz with fun and exciting events - parties, weddings, graduations, fairs, and festivals. During all of these events, there is one feature that takes center stage - music! Now everyone knows that music can make (or break) a party, but music can also break something else - our hearing! Loud music can have the same effect on our ears as using power tools and heavy equipment without hearing protection, even though it's certainly more enjoyable. Loud Noises And Our Ears Our inner ears contain nerve endings, that move in response to sound vibration and change…