Wayne's World

Leopard Communication The Leopard is the largest spotted cat in Africa, and a powerful symbol of the wild places of earth: it is solitary, beautiful, graceful, strong, agile, and cunning.  Leopards are heavier and more strongly built than cheetahs, but still one third the size of lions.  Their spots are dark rosettes with a hollow center, all on a tan

Hearing-related quotes and phrases come in a multitude of forms, ranging from humorous and insightful to useful and intriguing. In an endeavor to gather a collection of meaningful quotes, I reached out to my colleagues and requested their contributions. While the selection presented here offers a glimpse into the world of hearing-related quotes, it is important to acknowledge that this

This blog is another in a series of historical vignettes in audiology authored under the direction of Dr. Frank Musiek at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.  These provide not only an historical contribution, but relate how this information and testing continues to have application today, but one might have to use their imagination. –Wayne Staab, PhD by Frank Musiek,

How loud can sound get?  Could loud sound kill you?  Are there limits, and if so, what are they?  How are such things determined?  All of these are interesting questions and an attempt will be made to answer these as best possible. Two important lessons are supported by this article: one, the loudest thing in the world does not have

The Fourth of July and fireworks are traditional in the US, and go together like hamburgers and hot dogs. And, as thrilling as it is to watch fireworks, care should be exercised because the sound pressures generated by fireworks can lead to hearing damage if proper precautions are not employed.   Short History Ancient China introduced fireworks, but they have

Acoustic Application for Successful Hearing Aid Acceptance and Satisfaction A successful RIC hearing aid fitting, like many hearing aid fittings, is not necessarily related to any specific fitting formula, but is based on user satisfaction – the ability to hear, understand, and wear the hearing aid comfortably, without acoustic feedback, and in the presence of noise.  And, with RIC-type hearing

Contraindications to Hearing Aid Use Everyone recommending and fitting hearing aids is required by law (FDA, 1977) to determine if a patient has hearing conditions that could contraindicate hearing aid use, at least at the time when the fitting of hearing aids is being discussed.  If any of the 8 red flags occur, referral to a physician is mandated, preferably

In August, 2018, a Consensus Paper from hearing care associations was published relative to “Regulatory Recommendations for OTC Hearing Aids: Safety & Effectiveness.”1  The organizations involved in writing this Consensus Paper consisted of the AAA (American Academy of Audiology), ASHA (American Speech, Language, Hearing Association), HIS (International Hearing Society), and ADA (Academy of Doctors of Audiology), groups that could be

Measuring a hearing aid to ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standards should be a first step before any programming of the hearing aid is attempted.  While it is assumed that the hearing aids meet ANSI Standards, as measured and sent by the manufacturer, confirmation of the hearing aid’s basic foundation is necessary to ensure that the eventual programming of the

Hearing aid sales, along with advertising and promotion seems to have locked onto the Big Three (cognition, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease) great fear motivators.  (Not all hearing aid advertising, but a significant amount focuses on the Big Three).  All three are currently promoted to result in cognition being reduced, slowed, or improved with the use of hearing aids for those