Kenwood's Elves

Look at what else we've been doing this Christmas season in addition to helping people hear better.  Happy Holidays everyone!
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/JturftKw1WB00wKd

Keep your hearing aids clean!

Why is it important to keep your hearing aids and earmolds clean?

The ear is a dark, warm, moist place where bacteria and other germs, some good and some bad, like to grow. These bacteria or germs get on the surfaces of your hearing aid or earmold and continue to grow. Some of these bacteria or germs are not part of your ear's normal environment and can easily infect the skin of your ear canal. This may cause itchiness, redness, swelling, pain and ear odor.

Poor maintenance is a common reason why hearing aids to do not work. Most of the time, hearing aid repairs are necessary due to ear wax, body oil, various moisture, dirty hands, oily hands.

All of the above can cause clogging and breakdown of hearing aids. If you don't clean your hearing aids appropriately, in a short period of time earwax, dirt or moisture will clog up components in a way that your hearing aids will need to be repaired.  If they're out of warranty, the repair will cost you money. More importantly, you'll be without your hearing aids during that repair period, and we want to avoid that.

Cleaning your hearing aids the right way is important!  Wiping them with a tissue is NOT enough. Using alcohol pads is NOT a good idea. Here's why:

Your hearing aids will become contaminated with bacteria or other germs. Since these devices are worn in the ear, it is important to make sure that your hearing aids are cleaned and disinfected properly. Your hearing aids are made from special material that requires special cleaning. Using alcohol will ruin surfaces quickly. Only use what is recommended by your Audiologist.  We like our patients to use a product called Clean Aid™, available at all 3 of our locations.

Need help?  Call us for an apopintment and we will show you just how to do it!

Tax Tips

As 2010 draws to a close you may be starting to think of tax saving moves you could make.  There are two ways to save on your taxed if you have a hearing loss.

1. The cost of hearing aids, or related products are deductible as a medical expense. So if you have put off buying hearing aids or you need new ones, now is the time.  Pay for them in 2010 and take a medical expense deduction.

2. Donate your old hearing aids to charity.  The Quota International Club of Toledo has a hearing aids loan bank and is always in need of good used hearing aids.  If your hearing aids are no longer working, they can still be donated to Quota Club.  These are recycles at a repair facility.  The ones that can be repaired are, and the others are used for parts and Quota receives credits to have other aids repaired.  Kenwood Hearing Center is a drop-off point for your old hearing aids.

From Oregon, with love.

We received the follow letter from Dr. Jennifer Gray, an audiologist in Oregon, in regards to a young man who we have worked with since he was a little boy.  When he moved he was very frustrated trying to find an audiologist to go to.  We assisted him in finding one and then we received this letter from her:

Dear Mrs. Johnson,

I just wanted to forward a hello and thanks from Robert H.  He spoke of you fondly and with great respect.  If he could have figured out a way to commute to Ohio, you would still be seeing him.  I am honored to be his replacement audiologist, and according to Robert's reports, I have some pretty big shoes to fill.  I will work at living up to it.  I am enjoying working with him and I am sure he will do well with the new hearing aids.

                                                                                      -Dr. Jennifer Gray

Is it too loud in here?

You know the thought (go with me here...you should have this thought) - you go somewhere rather loud, and you wonder, "Is it too loud in here?  Should I maybe be wearing ear plugs?"

Well, now we have the solution for you!

The E.A.R Sound Checker - a personal sound level meter!

It's a pocket-sized sound level meter that you can actually wear on your keychain.  Just point the Sound Checker towards the source of a noise, press the button, and the Sound Checker will instantly tell you if sound levels are safe for your ears or dangerous, indicating hearing protection should be worn.

This is an ideal solution to help determine if you should be using ear plugs or muffs while shooting, at concerts, in the military or law enforcement, at sporting events and much more!

The E.A.R. Sound Checker is available in both Silver and Black finishes, and can be purchased in our office for $25.00 plus tax.

Cerumen? What's that all about?

FACTS ABOUT EAR WAX (from our friends at Bionix Medical Technologies)

• Medically named cerumen.
• Primary components of cerumen are shed layers of skin, kerative (a family of fibrous structural proteins), saturated and unsaturated long-chain fatty acids, alcohols, squalene, cholesterol.
• Fear, stress and anxiety result in increased production.
• There are two distinct genetically determined types of cerumen; wet, which is dominant, and dry, which is recessive.
• Caucasians and Africans are more likely to have the wet type - honey brown to dark brown and moist.  East Asians and Native Americans are more likely to have the dry type of cerumen - grey and flaky.
• Cerumen type has been used by anthropologists to track human migratory patterns!

Resource for Parents

Having a child diagnosed with hearing loss is difficult for any parents.  Where do you turn? What do you do next? Hopefully, you and your child feel comfortable the hands of the team of physicians and Audiologsts who will work together to treat your child's hearing loss.

We found a few websites that are designed to share with those parents who are just starting or even those that are well in to this journey.


Parent to Parent - Resources for Parents of Children with Hearing Loss 
The goal of this site is to empower parents of hard of hearing and/or deaf children by providing the resources necessary for them to make informed decisions about their children’s hearing loss. 


Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
Use this site to look into your states laws for Newborn Hearing Screenings and Early Intervention, as well as learning average developmental milestones for hearing.


IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Federal legislation requiring free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment to children from birth to age 21. 


Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)
The mission of RSA is "to provide leadership and resources to assist state and other agencies in providing vocational rehabilitation(VR), independent living (IL) and other services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment, independence and integration into the community and the competitive labor market.”

TV EARS

TV EARS is a wireless television headset specifically designed to clarify voices and deliver movie-theater sound without annoying others that are nearby sleeping, reading or even watching the same television program that you are.

The TV EARS transmitter accepts the audio signal from the television and converts that signal into an invisible beam of light called infrared.  This infrared beam is then sent to the TV EARS wireless headseet, which then changes the infrared signal back into crystal clear audio sound.  You maximize your listening enjoyment by adjusting the volume, tone and balance controls located conveniently on the TV EARS headset.  TV EARS lets you customize your audio preferences without affecting the television volume.

You just do the following:

1. Plug the TV EARS transmitter into an electrical outlet
2. Connect one end of the TV EARS audio cord into the back of the TV EARS transmitter, and the other end into the audio out jack located on the back of your television.
3. Installation is finished! Put on the TV EARS headset, adjust the volume, ton and balance, and enjoy listening to your favorite TV programs!

Stop in to our Toledo office for a demonstration of this easy to use TV amplifier!

Why do hearing aids cost so much?

Q: Why do hearing aids cost so much?


A: Hearing aids, like other custom medical devices such as dentures, artificial limbs and individually manufactured wheel chair seats, are major health issues.  However, hearing aids - unlike many other devices - are typically not covered by insurance, including Medicare.  Consequently, the cost is of major concern when purchasing hearing aids.

The cost typically includes both professional services and the product. The hearing aid itself reflects the research and development needed to produce the ever improving hearing aids of today. There are regulatory costs in the manufacturing of a safe and effective medical device. There are costs to the generous repair and return privileges offered, and there is the cost of shipping impressions and the product.

Another factor in the cost of hearing aids is the number sold, or maybe we should say, the numbers not sold. There are 31 million Americans with hearing loss, but less than 20% of them wear hearing aids.  Hearing aids are this nations most underutilized medical product.

Therefore, the cost of research and development is spread out over fewer hearing aids. If we could convince the vast majority of people with hearing loss that today's hearing aids really do make a difference, the cost of hearing aids would be reduced dramatically.  The untreated hearing impaired population need to know that the cost of not treating hearing loss can be far more devastating in human emotions and relationships than in dollars.

Don't You Wish You Could Just Make That Noise STOP?

That uncomfortable ringing is known as Tinnitus.  There are an estimated 50 million Americans who suffer from Tinnitus.  It is highly annoying and difficult to endure.  At Kenwood Hearing Center we have a unique sound therapy tool, ZEN, that may help you manage your Tinnitus.

On November 2 and November 3, a representative from Widex will be presenting a commnity seminar on Tinnitus and its management.

Tuesday November 2 at 11:30 am

     in the Beck Room at the Fulton County Health Center

     Wauseon, OH

Wednesday November 3 at 11:30 am

     at the Pharmacy Counter - 2655 West Central Ave

     Toledo, OH

Call Kenwood Hearing Center today to 

register for our Lunch and Learn!

419-534-3111

Audiologist VS Hearing Aid Specialist/Dealer

Q: What is the difference between an Audiologist and a Hearing Aid Specialist or Hearing Aid Dealer?

A: Many people are confused by these terms, and some hearing aid specialists create new terms such as audioprostologist, to further confuse the public.

According to the Ohio Revised Code 4747.01(B), a Hearing Aid Dealer is defined by the following; "Practice of dealing in" or "fitting of" hearing aids. This means the sale of a hearing aid and the measurement of and testing of human hearing by means of an audiometer or by any other means for the purpose of selecting, adapting and selling a hearing aid to any person and includes the making of impressions for earmolds. According to the Ohio Revised Code, the requirements to become a Hearing Aid Dealer are: you must be 18 years old, of good moral character, free of contagious or infectious disease, have a high school diploma or equivalent and must pass the qualifying test.

The Ohio Revised Code 4753.01(G) defines the practice of Audiology as the planning, directing, supervising and conducting of habilitative or rehabilitative counseling programs for individuals or groups of individuals who have or are suspected of having disorders of hearing; any service in audiology, including prevention, identification, evaluation, consulting, habilitation or rehabilitation, instruction and research; participation in hearing conservation, hearing aid and assistive listening device evaluation, selection, preparation, dispensing, and orientations; fabrication of ear molds; auditory training and speech reading, and administering tests of vestibular function and tests for tinnitus. The educational requirements to become and Audiologist are now a 4-year Doctoral degree in Audiology after completion of a 4 year undergraduate degree.  Audiologists must also pass state licensing boards.

To summarize, the difference between an Audiologist and a Hearing Aid Dealer is education. When choosing a facility to have your hearing tested, ask that all important question, "Do you have Audiologists on staff?" The Audiological staff at Kenwood Hearing Center has called "Dealers" and asked if they have and Audiologist on staff and have been told by several office that they did not, but that the dealers can do the same thing as an Audiologist.  not only is this not true, but it is also illegal for dealer to imply that they are the same as an Audiologist.

Your hearing is your most precious sense, trust it to an Audiologist.

Radiation and Hearing Loss?

Q: Can radiation to the head or neck lead to hearing loss?

A: Radiation is commonly used to treat patients with brain tumors or cancers on the head or neck. Because of the location of the ear, it and all of its components are often in the radiation field. Damage can occur to the outer ear, the ear canal, the ear drum and the space behind the ear drum, the cochlea, the auditory nerve and the auditory pathways.

Radiation induced hearing loss can be conductive, mixed or nerve in nature. A recent report stated that 40% of patients receiving head or neck radiation will experience acute complications to the middle ear system typically resulting in middle ear infection and Eustachian tube dysfunction. I would suggest that you have your hearing evaluated to determine if loss is due to an infection or nerve damage.

Watch us!

Denial of Hearing Loss

Q:  My husband has difficulty hearing but he refuses to admit it or have his hearing tested.  He says that his "hearing is fine," but our friends and family members are getting very frustrated with always having to repeat themselves. How could he not realize how much he is missing?


A: Although hearing loss is one of the most common health problems in this country, it often goes unnoticed and the person with the hearing problem is usually the last one to become aware of it.  Described below are some of the characteristics of early onset hearing loss.  Understanding theses characteristics may help explain why hearing loss can "sneak up" on someone, even when family and friends are well aware of the problem:


Gradual: A loss of hearing can develop so slowly that you're not aware of any change from year to year.


Partial: You can develop a loss of hearing in the speech clarity range, but still have normal hearing sensitivity for background noises and for the loudness of speech.  That's why someone with early onset hearing loss may say, "I can hear people talking...I just can't understand them."


Painless: Although tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing sound in the ear) may accompany hearing loss, usually there is no feeling or sensation that alerts you to a change in hearing.


Invisible: The person with a hearing loss doesn't look any different and you can't detect hearing loss by looking into someone's ears.  Only a hearing test can determine whether a hearing loss is present.


Keep in mind that because of theses characteristics, it is easy for the person with early onset hearing loss to believe there is no problem.  It's also very easy for them to blame others, because to them, it really sounds like people are mumbling.  If you know of someone who may have an undetected hearing loss, please ask him or her to read this.  And remember, the first step is not to get hearing aids, but simply to have an audiological evaluation.  We've never heard anyone complain if the result indicate normal hearing!

Quick Thinking!

I have a patient who is a bus aid for a local school district.  She helps kids with behavioral, medical and other handicaps while they are riding the bus.

This year, she has a male teenager with a severe behavior disorder.  According her her, this young man can be very unruly and she has to constantly remind him what the rules of the bus are.

One morning, he was particularly wound up, and my patient sternly reminded him to behave.

The young man retorted:  "My grandma has those."
Patient:  "Those, what?"
Teenager:  "Those hearing things in your ears."
Patient:  "No, I don't think your grandma has what I have."
Teenager:  "Yeah, she has trouble hearing, so she has those hearing things in her ears to help her hear."
Patient:  "Well, these aren't hearing aids, these are my transmitters."
Teenager:  "Transmitters?"
Patient:  "Yes.  This one [pointing to left hearing aid] goes to the police station, and this one [pointing to right hearing aid] goes to the bus garage.  Whenever someone is misbehaving, all I have to do is push the button on my transmitters and they can hear EVERYTHING that is going on on this bus."

Silence.  And a well-behaved 14 year old.

Genious!

~Sarah

Welcome to the official BLOG of Kenwood Hearing Center!

The audiologists and staff at Kenwood Hearing Center, Inc. are VERY excited to start this blog.  We realize that the "digital media" world is all around us, and we are looking forward to becoming a part of it.

We hope to use this blog to update you on what is new in hearing aid technology, to share fun and inspiring stories, to document patient testimonials, and most importantly to educate the world (or at least the Toledo area!) on hearing loss, hearing aids, and anything related.

If there is something you'd like to see here or if there is a question you would like to have answered, you are welcome to email us at kenwoodhearing@gmail.com.  We hope we can be of assistance to you!

~Sarah