McGuire's Resources

Is it Really a Hearing Aid? What You Need to Know Before Purchasing

You may have seen commercials and ads pushing various hearing devices that enable you to "hear the TV without disturbing your partner for less!" Well, maybe it's true but there's plenty of research to demonstrate that these ear amplifiers are not true hearing aids. And worse, yet, these low-ball, $19.95 plus shipping and handling personal sound amplification devices can actually be dangerous.  (read more) 

Smoking Damages Ear Health and Complicates Ear Surgery

It has long been known that active smoking exerts a negative effect on normal ear functioning and hearing by chronically irritating the Eustachian tube and the lining of the middle ear. Smokers tend to have more chronic ear disease requiring surgical correction, and have more advanced disease at presentation than their non-smoking counterparts. Their hearing commonly suffers as a result.  (read more) 

Study Shows Millions of People Can’t Hear Smoke Alarms

One of the scariest scenarios you can imagine if you suffer from hearing loss is not being able to wake up in case of a fire. That is indeed a scary thought and, unfortunately, it happens much too often. The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has long suspected that people died in fires because they were unable to hear smoke alarms. Until recently, however, no government investigations into the fire fatalities have focused on whether the victims were hearing-impaired, and no smoke alarms or strobe lights were tested to see whether they were effective for people with hearing disabilities.   (read more)