Where is it?

Humans’ ability to process sound is a multi-faceted phenomenon. It is a marvel which likely changes through our ageing process and is influenced by a myriad of factors. This paper examines the particulars of the dimensions of sound processing –...

Systemic steroids for sensorineural hearing loss

This Japanese retrospective study looked at whether the dosage of prednisolone affects the response rate in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The authors included a total of 159 patients over a 14-year period who were treated with 200mg/day...

Not to be underestimated

Equipment may differ, formulas and hearing aids alter, but I am in agreement with what this article points out: the test box can be considered a vastly under-used and under-appreciated piece of equipment. It can provide an alternative verification for...

Are we now safe at work?

Fifty years is a long time, yet the years pass in a blink of an eye. Where are we in comparison to where we were then, in terms of the occupational protection from noise exposure and ototoxicity, other than being...

All present and correct

You have ear protection, but are you using it properly? What are the risks over time? The design of standard earplugs has changed a lot in a decade. Earplug attenuation did reduce over time but still remained safe, however the...

Lost and sound: exploring hyperbaric oxygen therapy for refractory SSNHL

Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) offer a breakthrough for patients with refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL)? SSNHL is defined as acute hearing loss of ≥30 decibels in three consecutive frequencies within three days. Typically, it’s treated with two weeks...

The right ear advantage in noise

Relatively little is known about the right ear advantage, particularly in noise. The speech-in-noise performances were assessed in a group of 37 participants with normal hearing via a Matrix Test. Participants were tested binaurally, in a right-ear condition and a...

Ageing Ears

How do our ears show our age? We are all aware of the concept of presbycusis and a plethora of other events that impact our hearing over the passage of time. We are familiar with the standard subjective testing, though...

What type of sensitivity?

It is true that the different types of decreased sound tolerance conditions are, in general, poorly defined and the lines between them blurry. Hyperacusis? Loudness recruitment? Misophonia? Phonophobia? Sensory overload in noise? This paper aims to provide reference data for...

Person-centred care, enhancing audiology student understanding across the globe

Over 200 students registered for a multinational virtual event facilitated by the Ida Institute. The aim was to determine levels of student understanding and approaches to person-centred care (PCC), alongside the opportunity to evaluate the benefits of this approach to...

Vascular disease and sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Oussoren et al performed a systematic review and meta-analyses of current literature on the above topic: specifically, cardiovascular risk factors for developing idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (iSSNHL), the presence of white matter hyperintensities in patients with iSSNHL and the...

Use it or lose it…

The ageing auditory system: about 15 years ago, you could probably count on one hand the number of research papers on this subject. Now it seems one of the hot topics of discussion and investigation. This is, it seems, quite...