"Keeping it Down on the Farm"

At the National Future Farmers of America convention in Indianapolis, the National Instutute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) launched online materials to encourage parents to protect their preteen's hearing from loud noises on the farm.

The effort is part of NIDCD's national public education campaign, It's a Noisy Plant. Protect Their Hearing, designed to increase awarenes of the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss among parents of children 8 to 12. The new "Keeping it Down on the Farm" materials included downloadable tip sheets on how to reduce noise and a list of common sounds found on the farm that occur at potentially damagin levels.

Find them here: Keeping it Down on the Farm

Information for Patients with Dizziness

If you haev a balance disorder as a result of an ear problem you should know:

• The ears work together to create balance.  The ears send a balance signal to the brain, and the brain compares the two signals.  Normally these signals are the same.  Vertigo is triggered when the balance signals are unequal, such as when one ear sends a strong signal and the other a weak one.
• Sedating medications do not help the healing process.  Medications like Antivert (meclizine), Valium (diazepam), and some antihistamines suppress the vestibular and central nervous system.  This delays the healing process because the medication reduces the neural response as the brain tries to balance the two signals, and delaying rehabilitation makes balance problems worse.
• The ears need to learn to work together.  Some patients do not want to move because they are afraid of creating vertigo, but this is a mistake.  The brain needs to relearn how to coordinate the balance signals from both ears.  The more often the brain deals with the signals from the ears, the quicker the dizziness problem will be resolved.  When the brain learns how to coordinate the signals from both ears, balance results.
• Balance exercises help. Vestibular rehabilitation is a series of instructions and exercises to help your brain adjust to a weak ear signal.  Remember, professional ice skaters and ballerinas learn to spin rapidly without getting dizzy.  Rehabilitation classes help patients adapt to the signal imbalance coming from the ears.

From The Hearing Journal, December 2011, Volume 64, Number 12. Written by Robert L Martin, Ph.D.

When a Loved One Resists Help for Their Hearing Loss

from the Better Hearing Institute - written by Richard Carmen, Au.D., Auricle Ink Publishers, Sedona, AZ

When we think of helping a loved one with hearing loss who declines use of hearing aids, we often think of how important it is to repeat ourselves, speak clearly, speak louder or interpret what others say if they cannot hear the message. But when we do these good deeds for loved ones with a hearing loss, what we don't realize is that we're assisting in their failure to seek help.  Such well-intended efforts are counterproductive to the ultimate goal of them receiving hearing aids. Here's why.

If a loved on with a hearing loss has come to rely on your good hearing, what is the great need for them to wear hearing aids? You co-dependent efforts must stop in order for them to grasp the magnitude of their problem.  Many people with a hearing loss never realize how much communication they actually fail to understand or miss completely because you have become their ears.  However, it takes only a short time for them to realize that without your help, they're in trouble.It is through this realization that one becomes inspired to take positive action to solve their problem.  Therefore, as a loving spouse or family member you must create the need for your loved one to seek treatment by no longer repeating messages na being their ears.  Your ultimate goal is for them to hear independent of you.

Here are some practical tips for you:

STOP REPEATING YOURSELF! Explain that you are on the "Hearing Help Quest" - one that involves you loved one by allowing him or her the opportunity to realize the significance of their hearing loss. Do not stop helping though. All you do it preface what you repeat by saying each time, "Hearing Help!" or some other identifier. In a short amount of time, your loved ones will relize how often you say this. In turn, they will come to realize how often the depend on you. (This suggestion is only for a loved one who resists the idea of getting any help.)

STOP RAISING YOUR VOICE (the complaining you're hoarse). That results in stressing your throat and vocal chords.

STOP BEING THE MESSENGER BY CARRYING THE COMMUNICATION LOAD FOR THE FAMILY. Do not tell your loved on "he said' and "she said" when he or she needs to be responsible for getting this information directly from the source.

DO NOT ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION FROM ANOTHER ROOM as tempting as this is and as convenient as it appears. The sets up your communication process for failure.

CREATE A TELEPHONE NEED. This means for you to stop being the interpreter on the telephones. Allow your loved one to struggle in order to recognize how much help he or she needs. We're looking for motivation (to hear) from you loved one - not you.

For more information, click HERE.

Why Hearing Healthcare Professionals Still Matter

a few months ago - November 11, 2011 to be exact - I shared with you a article urging consumers to seek proper diagnosis, treatment and counselling for hearing loss.  (see HERE)

I'd like to add to that discussion by sharing this next article with you.  It was written by Ross Cushing, Au.D.  Dr. Cushing is the director of A&A Hearing Group in Maryland.

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Increasingly, hearing aids are being sold online, through catalogs, and directly to the consumer, bypassing the hearing healthcare professional.  Even Hammacher Schlemmer, a gift and gadget retailer, is selling hearing aids as an over-the-counter product.

Leaving aside whether it's legal (it's not), the main argument for buying direct is that it will provide greater access to more products, which will make manufacturers more competitive, and this will ultimately provide a less expensive, higher quality product for the consumer.

Here's the problem. Although it is true that the distributors of these products can almost always provide hearing aids at lower costs, the purchase and use of a hearing aid without a proper examination, diagnosis, fitting, programming and counseling is a recipe for poor treatment outcomes and increased health risks.

There are many potential causes of hearing loss including aging, blockages, ear infections, fistulas, head injury, medication, Meniere's disease, noise damage, otosclerosis, and tumors. Many cannot be treated with a hearing aid and may require a cochlear implant instead. Several require immediate medical intervention. If they buy via a catalog, how will consumers know when to seek medical attention? They won't. What's more, hearing loss can result from the improper fitting or programming of instruments.

Most hearing aid manufacturers will not allow their hearing aids to be sold or purchased without a face-to-face consultation with a licensed practitioner.  They recognize the risks of buying and using them without the proper counseling and fitting that only a licensed hearing healthcare professional can provide.

Customers value professional input as well.  Research by trade group Hearing Industries Association using MarkeTrac data provided by Sergei Kochin, Ph.D., the executive director of the Better Hearing Institute in Virginia, has shown that the top reasons for patient satisfactions with hearing aids are directly attributable to his experience with a trained hearing professional.  The technology is successful only when a professional has evaluated the hearing loss and prescribed a customized solution.

There are four important components in the audiology model that are necessary-and absent-from the direct-to-consumer model:

1. Proper Evaluation.  A battery of audiology tests will evaluation if medical treatment is necessary and if a hearing aid is even needed.

2. Individualized device setup. A hearing aid has to have the right hardware and software for the needs of the individual. It has to physically fit correctly. It has to be tuned and configured to the individual's dynamic range of hearing. And finally, it has to be used correctly.

3. Psychological considerations and counseling. A hearing aid is not a normal consumer product. It is a medical device. On average, people know they have a hearing problem for seven years before they do something about it. They wonder: "What will other people think about me if they know I have a hearing aid?" There are communication issues to be addressed, and there is often a fear of having to rely on an artificial device.
   From the perspective of someone who has never gone through the process of getting hearing aids, getting hearing aids through a catalog may seem simpler.  They can try it in their own time and see if it workds. In theory this soudns attractive, especially for new users who aren't ready to confront their own perceptions of wearing hearing aids or for those who want to keep costs low. But does this work?
   It's like putting a Band-Aid on a broekn arm. Although on the surface it may seem as if better hearing can be more accessible if provided in a direct-to-consumer way, in reality it is not practical or effective, and in many case, not safe. Fitting hearing aids is an art that is guided by science and delivered by the experience of a hearing healthcare professional.

Not Customizing Hearing Aids Hurts Patients:

I recently read this passage in a monthly hearing journal:

   Just one of every four Americans with hearing loss wears hearing aids, a figure that suggests many are missing the chance to hear better and improve their quality of life, said Sergei Kochkin, director of the Washington DC based Better Hearing Institute, at a convention session.
   Part of the problem may be stigma."To some, hearing aids are a sign of impending death," he adds.
   But, according to Kochkin, stigma is just an excuse for underuse because if more people wore hearing aids, there'd be less stigma.  The real issue, he said, is too many people have negative experiences with hearing aids due to poor fitting and improper adjustment.
   "Thirty percent of new use fittings are probably failures," he said.  "They get poor benefit, poor fit and comfort, and poor performance in noise.  As a result, we fail to improve positive word-of-mouth about our services."
   Between 11% and 18% of hearing aids stay in people's drawers. In other words, more than a million of the 8.4 million hearing aid owners never use the devices, said Kochkin.

Wow.  That hurts.  And I want to comment:

At Kenwood Hearing Center, we PROMISE to work with you; to customize your chosen hearing technology to best fit not only your hearing loss, but more importantly, your hearing needs.  We PROMISE to work with you ensure that your hearing ability supports your listening demands.

As Audigy Certified Professionals, we are committed to making every effort to maintain your confidence and satisfaction while providing you with the best hearing care possible.

Holiday Observances

Our offices will be closed the following days in observance of the Holidays:

Saturday, December 24

(affects Toledo office only)

Monday, December 26

(affects Toledo and Bowling Green offices)

Saturday, December 31

(affects Toledo office only)

Monday, January 2nd

(affects Toledo and Bowling Green offices)

We hope that you all have a very safe and happy holiday season!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Released: 12/9/2011 2:15 PM EST 
Source: House Research Institute via Newswise

The Sounds of the Holidays Can Help a Person Recognize Hearing Loss

Newswise — Los Angeles, CA – December 9, 2011 – Jingle bells, carols, and holiday greetings are all the sounds that help make the holiday season special. But, those holiday sounds also give people an opportunity to recognize if they are having trouble hearing. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), of the 36 million American adults who report having a hearing loss, an estimated 26 million of them between the ages of 20 and 69 have a high-frequency hearing loss caused by too much exposure to loud sound.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is usually painless, progressive, permanent, and completely preventable. NIHL happens when a person is exposed for too long of a time to sound pressure levels of 85 decibels or more, resulting in damage to the sensory hair cells of the inner ear. It can be the result of exposing your ears to a sudden, intense impulse noise like an explosion or gunfire or extended or repeated exposure to loud machinery and recreational activities, such as loud music and video.

The process is so gradual that people often do not realize they have a hearing loss until it affects the ability to carry on conversations in daily life. With NIHL softer high frequency sounds are difficult to hear, which means a person can hear what is said but they cannot understand what is said.

How can people recognize if they have noise induced hearing loss?

“When a person frequently has trouble understanding conversations at holiday parties, family gatherings, and in noisy restaurants it might be a good time for a hearing test and ear examination,” said John W. House, MD, president of House Research Institute and physician at the House Clinic. “We recommend for people to pay close attention to how well they can hear in different situations.”

The holidays give family and friends the opportunity to notice a change in a loved one’s hearing as well. People with hearing loss may have trouble participating in conversations because they miss key words.

“We hear from our patients that they first noticed a change in their hearing several years before they finally come in to the House Clinic to have their hearing checked,” said Dr. House. “Often it is a spouse or family member who urges a patient to get their hearing tested.”

Physicians in the House Clinic recommend patients come in for a hearing test at the first sign of a change. There are some forms of hearing loss, which are not noise-induced, that can be treated with surgery to restore the patient’s hearing. The sooner a hearing loss is identified, the sooner the patient can learn about the treatment options that may help.

If you know someone who is having trouble hearing, you can help give the gift of hearing by encouraging them to schedule a hearing test as well as by supporting the research and education programs of the House Research Institute to improve hearing loss treatments and knowledge of hearing loss and related disorders. For more information, log on to www.houseresearch.org.

In 2006, House Research Institute launched the nation’s first NIHL prevention education initiative focused on encouraging safe hearing choices among teens and young adults, called It’s How You Listen That Counts®. To learn more, visitwww.earbud.org.

About the House Research Institute

The House Research Institute, formerly the House Ear Institute, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with hearing loss and related disorders through scientific research, patient care, and the sharing of knowledge. Institute scientists research the auditory system, at the level of function, as well as at the cellular, molecular and genetic levels. We also explore the neurological interactions between the auditory system and brain, and study ways to improve auditory implants, diagnostics, clinical treatments and intervention methods. We share our knowledge with the scientific and medical communities as well as the general public through our education and outreach programs. For more information about the House Research Institute, please call (800) 388-8612 or (213) 483-4431, E-mail info@hei.org or visitwww.houseresearch.org. 

Just for FUN!

1. Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
2. Many hamsters only blink one eye at a time.
3. Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.
4. Millie the White House dog earned more than 4 times as much as President Bush in 1991.
5. Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.
6. Montpelier, VT is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.
7. More Monopoly money is printed in a year, than real money printed throughout the world.
8. More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes.
9. More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.
10. Mosquitoes have teeth.
11. Most Americans' car horns beep in the key of F.
12. Most cows give more milk when they listen to music.
13. Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
14. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
15. Mr. Rogers is an ordained minister.
16. Murphy's Oil Soap is the chemical most commonly used to clean elephants.

Just for Fun!

1. John Lennon's first girlfriend was named Thelma Pickles.
2. "Kemo Sabe" means "soggy shrub" in Navajo.
3. Kotex was first manufactured as bandages, during WWI.
4. Lee Harvey Oswald's cadaver tag sold at an auction for $6,600 in 1992.
5. Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
6. Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.
7. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.
8. Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son.
9. Lorne Greene had one of his nipples bitten off by an alligator while he was host of "Lorne Greene's Wild Kingdom."
10. Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula" and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its original size: "L.A."

An Apple a Day...

Fruits and vegetables are healthy-but those with white flesh may protect against stroke.  Researches examined stroke incidence in 20,069 adults as compared with participates' responses eto a 178-item food frequency assessment for the previous year.  The risk of stroke incidents was 52% lower for people who ate more white fruits and vegetables.

Article HERE.