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
Hearing News from The Hearing Review
- A new fMRI acquisition method developed at the University of North Carolina reduces peak scan noise from levels exceeding 120 decibels.
- This marks the fourth straight year the Milan-based hearing care giant has earned the distinction.
- By addressing operational bottlenecks with integrated software and automated workflows, hearing care practices can save time, improve data quality, and enhance the patient experience.
- Sensorion has received French regulatory approval to begin a Phase I/II trial of SENS-601, its investigational gene therapy for GJB2-related hearing loss, with first patient dosing targeted for early 2027.
- Hearing Health & Technology Matters has opened public voting for the seventh annual Hearing Technology Innovator Awards, an international program recognizing innovation and achievement across the hearing industry.
Hearing loss news from ScienceDaily
- UCLA researchers developed ready-made cancer-fighting T cells from cord blood stem cells that can attack solid tumors through two separate detection systems. In mice, a single dose controlled cancer and extended survival while avoiding a dangerous complication associated with donor-derived T-cell therapies.
- Researchers have mapped breast tumors in striking detail and uncovered hidden pockets of dormant cancer cells that may help explain why cancer can return after treatment. Unlike rapidly dividing cells, these quiet cells can essentially hibernate, allowing them to evade chemotherapy and reactivate later. The team found that they are often surrounded by immune cells […]
- Researchers have found a way to supercharge natural killer cells, powerful immune cells that can attack cancer, so they can penetrate solid tumors and keep fighting once inside. In mice, these specially prepared tissue-resident cells slowed the growth of several tumors, including melanoma and head and neck cancers, and worked even better when paired with […]
- Exercise and healthy blood sugar levels in midlife may help slow cognitive decline decades later. Physical activity appeared especially beneficial for Mexican American adults, suggesting that some brain-protective factors may differ across populations.
- Ancient remains from Vietnam suggest diseases like yaws may have been passed from mother to child thousands of years ago, a form of transmission often assumed to indicate syphilis. The discovery could overturn how scientists interpret ancient infections and complicate the long-running mystery of syphilis’s origins.
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 