Beyond the Audiogram : Lessons from both sides of the desk
On April 23, 2026, I presented at the Australian College of Audiology Conference, sharing my personal experiences with hearing loss as both a patient and clinician. I emphasized the distinction between measurable hearing capabilities and the daily challenges faced, highlighting the importance of understanding and advocating for those with hearing loss in clinical settings.
“Endless Ringing” (A Song About Tinnitus)
A song that depicts the profound struggle of a woman tormented by relentless tinnitus that overshadows her existence. Despite seeking peace, she finds only despair, as medical professionals dismiss her plight. The repeated cries for help emphasize her isolation and desperation, longing for relief from the haunting sound that dominates her life.
Holidaying with hearing loss: How to travel confidently without missing out
Facing the fun chaos at Aqua Park with my kids was a real dilemma—should I wear my cochlear implant aqua kit and risk losing it in the water, or just go without and miss out on the sounds? Traveling with hearing loss comes with challenges, but it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying experiences. Just stay…
Hearing loss news from Healthy Hearing
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Hearing News from The Hearing Review
- Devices give patients access to sound. Aural rehabilitation helps them understand it. This guide shows hearing care providers how to include aural rehab with every hearing aid fitting, helping patients get more from their devices while practices deliver more complete care, stand out, and generate new revenue from the patients they already serve. A successful […]
- The International Hearing Society (IHS) has launched a new monthly podcast.
- The World Health Organization's updated dementia prevention guidance — its most significant revision since 2019 — estimates that addressing untreated hearing loss could prevent approximately 7% of dementia cases globally.
- A new Med-El survey of more than 1,000 US adults finds that nearly half believe public awareness of hearing loss is lacking.
- Neurotone AI has integrated the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory into its Lace Pro auditory training app, giving hearing care providers a validated tool to monitor psychosocial outcomes between appointments.
Hearing loss news from ScienceDaily
- Researchers are applying evolutionary theory to cancer by changing treatments before tumors have time to develop resistance. Mathematical models suggest that rapid, carefully timed switches between multiple therapies could improve cure rates.
- The mysterious sound known as The Hum has been reported worldwide for decades, yet its source often remains impossible to find. Researchers tested whether people who hear it have exceptional low-frequency hearing or measurable sounds produced inside their ears, but neither explanation fit most participants. The strongest possibility is that many cases involve low-frequency tinnitus, […]
- Several popular sugar substitutes may not be as harmless as they seem. Adults who consumed the most artificial sweeteners showed substantially faster declines in memory and thinking, especially if they were under 60 or had diabetes. The highest intake was linked to cognitive aging roughly 1.6 years faster than the lowest intake. Researchers stressed that […]
- Tiny silica nanoparticles engineered to seek out prostate cancer caused tumor cells to self-destruct and supercharged the immune system in preclinical mouse studies. Combined with immunotherapy, the treatment produced complete remissions in multiple mice, raising hopes for a powerful new approach to prostate cancer.
- Researchers found that a rare liver cancer evades immunotherapy by luring immune T cells away from the tumor and trapping them in nearby fibrous tissue. An FDA-approved drug called AMD3100 freed those T cells to attack the cancer, significantly improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy in tumor samples.
Hearing loss facts
Hearing loss is a global and national health crisis. It is an often misunderstood disability that has some very inaccurate stigmas attached to it. For the majority affected by hearing loss, the main difficulty comes from a lack of clarity of speech, especially when there is any background noise.
Hearing Loss does not only affect the elderly
- According to the World Health Organization, over 360 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss.
- One in six Australians is affected by hearing loss. With an ageing population, this is expected to increase to one in four by 2050.
- Of the one in six affected, most believe their own hearing is fine. Around two in five say their hearing is “very good” or “almost perfect”, while one in four say their hearing is below average.
- Only 20% of the Australians who could benefit from a hearing aid actually use one.
- Nearly 40% of the hearing loss experienced by individuals was caused by Noise-induced Hearing Loss; this is preventable and repeated exposure to loud noise.
- In 2010, the National Acoustic Laboratories published the Binge Listening Report which revealed young Australians have a greater risk of acquiring a hearing loss through their leisure activities, (listening to music through headphones, regularly going to nightclubs and live music concerts)
- Nearly half of Australians is affected by hearing loss were working age (16-64 years)
- It roughly takes seven to 10 years, on average, before someone with hearing loss seeks treatment for it.
The effects of untreated hearing loss
Studies have linked untreated hearing loss effects to:
- Irritability, negativism and anger
- Fatigue, tension, stress and depression
- Avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
- Social rejection and loneliness
- Reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
- Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
- Reduced job performance and earning power
- Diminished psychological and overall health
Words describing deafness and hearing loss
There are no rights and wrongs about the words used to describe a person’s hearing loss. However, generally accepted definitions are as follows:
- Deafened – people who were born with hearing and have lost most or all of their hearing later in life.
- Hard of hearing – people who have lost some but not all hearing.
- deaf (lower case ‘d’) – people who have hearing loss; they may be born deaf or become deaf. They mix well in the hearing world and may communicate orally and may also be users of sign language.
- Deaf (upper case ‘D’) refers to people who are members of the Deaf community and who communicate almost exclusively with sign language.
- Hearing impaired – anyone with any level of hearing loss.
- Acquired hearing loss – people who were born with hearing but have lost some or all of their hearing.
- Congenital hearing loss – born with hearing loss which may become progressively worse
There a number of noteworthy past and present people in music, movies, and media who suffer from hearing loss
- Angus Young – Musician (AC/DC)
- Barbara Streisand – Actress
- Bill Clinton – Past U.S president
- Halle Berry – Actress
- Paul Stanley – Musician (KISS)
- Mark Ruffalo – Actor
- Stephen Colbert – Comedian
- Osher Günsberg – Television Presenter (The Bachelor Australia)
- Thomas Edison – Inventor
- Rob Lowe – Actor
- Millie Bobby Brown – Actress (Stranger Things)
- Eric Clapton – Musician
- William Shatner – Actor (Star Trek)
- Ludwig Van Beethoven – Composer
- Huey Lewis – Musician
- Whoopi Goldberg – Actress
- Lou Ferrigno – Body Builder/Actor (The Incredible Hulk)
- Robert Redford – Actor
- Jodie Foster – Actress
Talking Hearing Loss 