Category: Hearing Protection

Jan’s Coping Toolbox: Lessons Learned in 2025

Welp. 2025 sucked. I like to think I’m pretty good at self-care strategies. But last year was challenging. Here’s my recap including the worst comment from a healthcare provider and…
Coping Tools for Hyperacusis & Tinnitus

There are so many videos out there promising instant relief to tinnitus, and they just aren’t real. In this video, I info share about what coping tools actually work and…
Granny Jan now on the YouTube

I’m going really high tech. You’ve listened to simulated tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss on my SoundCloud. (If not, check it out! Scare yourself. Scare friends and loved ones.) But…
Rethinking Care for Hyperacusis

My latest article in Tinnitus Today (Spring 2025) is titled When the patient becomes the clinician: Rethinking care for sound hypersensitivity. In this post, I’m giving a short overview and…
Style Guidelines for Children’s Hearing Protection

As a general rule, earplugs are not recommended for children up to age 12 unless prescribed or fit by an audiologist or hearing healthcare professional. Earplugs are difficult to insert…
No Hearing Protection at Stadium Sports Events

I was excited to watch the Canada vs Belgium World Cup men’s soccer match in Qatar. I had no doubt our team would do Canada proud. But this isn’t about…
Protecting Hearing at Concerts

Images by Jan L. Mayes Whether it’s pop, rock, or country, amplified music at concerts is loud enough to damage hearing health. I’m an old bat in my 50’s and…
If Only We Could See the Damage of Noise Exposure

I was very honoured to have my article featured in Tinnitus Today, Spring 2022 issue. I discuss science from my 2021 papers published in Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, co-authored…
Protecting Hearing for Life

Written by Jan L. Mayes, MSc, Audiologist (Retired) This article was originally published in Communique, the Speech-Language Audiology Canada blog: https://blog.sac-oac.ca/protecting-hearing-for-life/ The theme of World Hearing Day 2022 is, “To…
Finger Plugs Protect Hearing Health

This International Noise Awareness Day 2021, ignore the images showing people clapping their hands over their ears to block out loud noise. This doesn’t lower sound levels. Hands are NOT…
Build Your Own Hearing Protection Toolbox

I was pleased to write an article and help answer reader questions for the American Tinnitus Association Winter 2020 issue of Tinnitus Today. This is an excellent issue full of…
Fake Crowd Noise Poses Real Health Threat

[Originally published at silencity.com] With coronavirus pandemic restrictions on fan attendance, NFL football teams have lost the stadium crowd noise once called a home field secret weapon by the Seattle…
Social Hearing Protection

Websites, media and other sources say use ear protection if you’re in damaging high level environmental noise whether that’s mowing the lawn, going to a concert or stadium event, or…