Dr. Beck Returns to RI to Speak on Tinnitus
On Saturday,
May 3rd, the Hearing Loss Association of Rhode Island (HLA-RI) will host
the return of Dr. Douglas Beck to discuss tinnitus. The program is free and open to the public at
the Warwick Public Library in the large meeting room from 1:30-3:30.
Dr. Beck
participated in the special full-day seminar last October providing an
excellent presentation titled “Issues in Hearing, Listening and Cognition”. He has agreed to return to RI to focus on the
important issue of tinnitus.
Often
describing as ringing in the ears, tinnitus can be experienced as a variety of
sounds. For some it is soft and lasts
for a short time. For many, however, it
is loud and constant. Tinnitus is not
limited to people with hearing loss, but it is a common issue for people with
hearing loss and a growing problem among returning veterans.
According to
the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), tinnitus is “the perception of sound
in one or both ears or in the head when no external sound is present.” The ATA estimates that 50 million Americans
experience some form of tinnitus.
In the March
2014 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine published by the Hearing Loss Association
of America (HLAA), Katherine Bouton writes “there’s no cure for tinnitus,
though plenty of people will try to sell you one.” She highlights recent research efforts
including Progressive Tinnitus Management.
She also reports that “the military has a vested interest in finding a
way of alleviating tinnitus. Almost one
million veterans received disability payments for tinnitus in 2012. It’s the largest single category for
disability claims in the military.”
Tinnitus is
a growing problem across all ages including children. While the cause of tinnitus is largely
unknown, there are known sources such as noise and ototoxic medications. There is significant research being done to
better understand the causes and develop treatment options.
Dr. Douglas
Beck is the Director of Professional Relations for Oticon Inc, a
major hearing aid manufacturer, and he serves as Web Content Editor for the
American Academy of Audiology, and he is an adjunct Professor of Audiology at
Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas...
Dr. Beck’s
attendance is sponsored by Oticon.
Real-time captioning for the event is sponsored by the RI Commission on
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Refreshments are
sponsored by RI Relay.
sponsored by RI Relay.
