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The loss of hearing - be it gradual or acute, mild or severe, present since birth or acquired in older age - can have significant effects on one's communication abilities, quality of life, social participation, and health. Despite this, many people with hearing loss do not seek or receive hearing health care. The reasons are numerous, complex, and often interconnected. For some, hearing health care is not affordable. For others, the appropriate services are difficult to access, or individuals do not know how or where to access them. Others may not want to deal with the stigma that they and society may associate with needing hearing health care and obtaining that care. Still others do not recognize they need hearing health care, as hearing loss is an invisible health condition that often worsens gradually over time. In the United States, an estimated 30 million individuals (12.7 percent of Americans ages 12 years or older) have hearing loss. Globally, hearing loss has been identified as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability. Successful hearing health care enables individuals with hearing loss to have the freedom to communicate in their environments in ways that are culturally appropriate and that preserve their dignity and function. Hearing Health Care for Adults focuses on improving the accessibility and affordability of hearing health care for adults of all ages. This study examines the hearing health care system, with a focus on non-surgical technologies and services, and offers recommendations for improving access to, the affordability of, and the quality of hearing health care for adults of all ages.
For twenty-two years, Katherine Bouton had a secret that grew harder to keep every day. An editor at The New York Times, at daily editorial meetings she couldn't hear what her colleagues were saying. She had gone profoundly deaf in her left ear; her right was getting worse. As she once put it, she was "the kind of person who might have used an ear trumpet in the nineteenth century." Audiologists agree that we're experiencing a national epidemic of hearing impairment. At present, 50 million Americans suffer some degree of hearing loss—17 percent of the population. And hearing loss is not exclusively a product of growing old. The usual onset is between the ages of nineteen and forty-four, and in many cases the cause is unknown. Shouting Won't Help is a deftly written, deeply felt look at a widespread and misunderstood phenomenon. In the style of Jerome Groopman and Atul Gawande, and using her experience as a guide, Bouton examines the problem personally, psychologically, and physiologically. She speaks with doctors, audiologists, and neurobiologists, and with a variety of people afflicted with midlife hearing loss, braiding their stories with her own to illuminate the startling effects of the condition. The result is a surprisingly engaging account of what it's like to live with an invisible disability—and a robust prescription for our nation's increasing problem with deafness. A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2013
The ever-changing world of wearable technologies makes it difficult for experts and practitioners to keep up with the most recent developments. This handbook provides a solid understanding of the significant role that AI plays in the design and development of wearable technologies along with applications and case studies. Handbook of Artificial Intelligence and Wearables: Applications and Case Studies presents a deep understanding of AI and its involvement in wearable technologies. The book discusses the key role that AI plays and goes on to discuss the challenges and possible solutions. It highlights the more recent advances along with real-world approaches for the design and development of the most popular AI-enabled wearable devices such as smart fitness trackers, AI-enabled glasses, sports wearables, disease diagnostic devices, and more, complete with case studies. This book will be a valuable source for researchers, academics, technologists, industrialists, practitioners, and all people who wish to explore the applications of AI and the part it plays in wearable technologies.
A fire alarm’s wail. A cat’s quiet purr Your ears let you hear all kinds of sounds, both loud and soft. But how do your ears work? And how does your sense of hearing help you? Read this book to find out! Learn all about your five senses in the Your Amazing Senses series - part of the Lightning Bolt BooksTM collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt BooksTM bring nonfiction topics to life!
The surprising science of hearing and the remarkable technologies that can help us hear better Our sense of hearing makes it easy to connect with the world and the people around us. The human system for processing sound is a biological marvel, an intricate assembly of delicate membranes, bones, receptor cells, and neurons. Yet many people take their ears for granted, abusing them with loud restaurants, rock concerts, and Q-tips. And then, eventually, most of us start to go deaf. Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss. Faced with the cost and stigma of hearing aids, the natural human tendency is to do nothing and hope for the best, usually while pretending that nothing is wrong. In Volume Control, David Owen argues this inaction comes with a huge social cost. He demystifies the science of hearing while encouraging readers to get the treatment they need for hearing loss and protect the hearing they still have. Hearing aids are rapidly improving and becoming more versatile. Inexpensive high-tech substitutes are increasingly available, making it possible for more of us to boost our weakening ears without bankrupting ourselves. Relatively soon, physicians may be able to reverse losses that have always been considered irreversible. Even the insistent buzz of tinnitus may soon yield to relatively simple treatments and techniques. With wit and clarity, Owen explores the incredible possibilities of technologically assisted hearing. And he proves that ears, whether they're working or not, are endlessly interesting.
As technology continues to advance and the interconnection of various devices makes our lives easier, it also puts us at further risk of privacy and security threats. Phones can connect to household devices to help set alarms, turn on or off the lights, and even preheat ovens. The Internet of Things (IoT) is this symbiotic interplay of smart devices that collect data and make intelligent decisions. However, the lack of an intrinsic security measure within IoT makes it especially vulnerable to privacy and security threats. Blockchain and IoT Integration highlights how Blockchain, an encrypted, distributed computer filing system, can be used to help protect IoT against such privacy and security breaches. The merger of IoT and blockchain technology is a step towards creating a verifiable, secure, and permanent method of recording data processed by "smart" machines. The text explores the platforms and applications of blockchain-enabled IoT as well as helps clarify how to strengthen the IoT security found in healthcare systems as well as private homes. Other highlights of the book include: Overview of the blockchain architecture Blockchain to secure IoT data Blockchain to secure drug supply chain and combat counterfeits Blockchain IoT concepts for smart grids, smart cities, and smart homes A biometric-based blockchain enabled payment system IoT for smart healthcare monitoring systems
