To Kill a Hearing Aid

Just when we thought we had heard it all, we were told of a new way to kill a hearing aid.

See the bite marks? This aid has been chewed up by the
owner's dog.  The earmold? Completely eaten.

Over the years we have seen hearing aids that have been "fried" in a skillet, nuked in a microwave, washed in a washer and dried in a dryer, melted in a oven, drowned in a cereal bowl, flushed down a toilet, eaten by a dog, buried in the garden and "harvested" in the spring.

BUT....

Eaten by an owner?!?

Yes, just a few years ago we saw not just one, but TWO hearing aids eaten alive by their owner. From the looks of the aids, the deaths were not pleasant and the owner stated the experience was less than pleasant for him also. Not to mention costly! So please, Don't eat your hearing aid...


...or fry it, or melt it, or nuke it, or feed it to your dog.

Protect your Heart by Protecting your Hearing?

Protect your heart with a healthy diet, exercise, aspirin...and...earplugs? Frequent exposure to noises at home or work raises blood pressure and your risk of heart attack, several studies warn.

When 46 factory workers wore blood-pressure monitors on the job, University of Michigan scientists found that their blood pressure rose two points for every 10 to 13 decibel increases in workplace noise, which ranged from 40 to 100 decibels.  Meanwhile, a German study discovered that living in a noisy neighborhood, where traffic raised decibel levels above 60, tripled a woman's risk of heart attack; men's risk doubled.

Excess noise increases stress hormones that constrict arteries. When it's loud enough that you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone three feet away, put in earplugs. We also recommend wearing them to loud social events too, and buying appliances with low-noise ratings.

-from Prevention Magazine.

Age-Related Hearing Loss Explained

Hearing loss is common with age, affecting one-third of people over 65. Among people 75 and older, 40-50% have hearing loss.

For most, age-related hearing loss - called presbycusis (pres-bih-KU-sis) - occurs gradually as part of the general wear and tear of aging. People often adapt to slight hearing loss without fully realizing that they're doing so. Volume levels may creep up while listening to the radio or watching TV. Smaller gatherings or one-on-one conversations in quieter settings may be more enjoyable.

Sound Mix
Presbycusis usually affects both ears equally. Age-related hearing loss is most commonly associated with changes in the inner ear. In most instances, those changes involve loss of some of the tiny receptor hair cells found in the snail-shaped cochlea. in addition, your brain may not interpret sounds as quickly as it once did.

Age-related hearing loss tends to run in families, although the degree of the problem varies. Other possible factors include:

• The cumulative effect of loud noise - repetitive or long exposures to sounds over a lifetime, such as gunshots, loud music or machinery - can gradually affect your ability to hear.
• Medications - some drugs can potentially h arm your hearing mechanism, often on a permanent basis, and can be monitored by your prescribing doctor. Among the most commonly cited is the intravenous antibiotic gentamicin (typically used in hospital setting for severe infection), the chemotherapy agent cisplatin and some types of diuretic drugs, such as furosemide (Lasix).

With presbycusis, your ability to hear high-pitched sounds is usually affected first. Often that's because damage occurs first to tiny hair cells at high frequency locations inside the inner ear's cochlea. As a result, you may miss or confuse sounds in speech, such as "s" or "th" or "fff." You might notice that the speech of women and children is more difficult to understand. 

Sometimes, people with presbycusis may find loud noises or sounds especially annoying,. Age-related hearing loss may also be accompanied by ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus).

If you suspect you have a hearing loss, or your family tells you you have a problem, call us at 419-534-3111 to schedule a complete test. Remember, "Better Hearing Means Better Living."

The IncrediBATs: The Soundwaves are Coming: Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

The IncrediBATS: A Survival Guide for your Hearing

Who are the IncrediBATs?The IncrediBATs are a team of local (Toledo, Ohio) kids who are home-schooled.  They participate in The FIRST LEGO League (also known by the acronym FLL).  FLL an international competition for elementary and middle school students (ages 9–14 in the USA and Canada, 9-16 and Australia). Each year the contest focuses on a different real-world topic related to the sciences. Each challenge within the competition then revolves around that theme. The students work out solutions to the various problems they are given and then meet for regional tournaments to share their knowledge, compare ideas, and display their work.
The IncrediBATs contacted Kenwood Hearing Center to help them with this year's theme: Acoustics and Hearing.  Dr. Alison Friend was interviewed by the group of youngsters to help with their project.
Here is video #1(come back Monday to see video #2)

Keys to Good Listening for People with Hearing Loss

• Don't bluff! Pretending reinforces the myth that hard of hearing people understand "when they want to."
• Analyse the problem. What is making it hard to hear? Then go to work on the problem. Don't assume that it's all your fault when you have trouble hearing.
• Take charge of your environment. If the environment is causing listening problems, make some changes. For example, turn off background music or move your chair closer to what you want to hear.
• Case the place! When you first enter a room, look for the best place to hear and see.
• Prepare ahead. Think about who will be at an event and what the topics of conversation might be. This weill help you listen and lip-read more effectively.
• Use assistive technology. Sometimes hearing aids need to be supplemented with other equipment.
• Get closer. Don't even try to hear someone in another room. Say, "Wait a minute, I hear you talking but I can't understand from here." Then go to where the talker is.
• Speak up. Say what you need when you cannot hear. Others would like to help but don't know what to do. Then, remind them when they forget and thank them when they remember.
• Tell the talker what to do differently. If the talker is talking too fast, you can say, for example, "because of my hearing loss, I'm having trouble hearing you. Can you speak more slowly, please?"
• Wear you hearing aids routinely. Don't make the mistake of wearing them only when you go out where listening is difficult.
• Learn what helps in noise. Try reducing you hearing aid volume a very small amount or try a different program if you hearing aid has multiple memories.
• Ask what the topic is. In order to make sense out of the bits and pieces you do hear, you need to know what people are talking about.
• Clarify specifically. Let your communication partner know what you heard and what you did not hear. For example, if you did not hear the words "next week" in the sentence, "We'll need to get this out by next week," you can say, "We'll need to get this out WHEN?"
• Verify frequently. This is especially true for times and places. Verify you heard correctly by saying, for example, "did you say the meeting is at eight o'clock on Friday?"
• Sometimes it is best to wait! In some situations, attempts at communicating will only lead to frustration. If so, tell your communication partner what is going on. For example, you can say, "its' too dark in here for me to lip-read and I cannot understand you Let's wait until the lights come on."

A day for LOVE

Hearwith yourEars

Listenwith yourHeart

Happy Valentine's Day

from your friends at

Kenwood Hearing Center

Simple Hearing Aid Battery Tips

Batteries provide the fuel for hearing aids. Depending on the size of the battery, the features of the hearing aid and the amount of time you wear your hearing aid(s) daily - you may get anywhere from 5 days to 4 weeks from you batteries.  Here is some information about hearing aid batteries, as well as tips for using them.

Battery Sizes and Colors

#675 - BLUE - used in behind-the-ear hearing aids with super power needs.
#13 - ORANGE    \         all 3 of these sizes may
#312 - BROWN     |-   be found in behind-the-ear
#10 - YELLOW    /              or in-the ear aids

Batteries should be kept away from metal objects such as keys and coins when stored.
Batteries frequently have a longer shelf life when stored in a cool (not cold) environment, but don't store them in the refridgerator!
Some hearing aids beep when batteries need to be replaced. Poor hearing aid performance is frequently a sign that the battery needs to be replaced.
A battery tester is an excellent way to chec the status of battery life.

Battery Installation
Wash your hands before and after replacing a battery since oil from the skin can prevent proper battery function. The positive (+) side of the battery must be matched with teh postivie side marking in the hearing aid.
Look for signs of damaged batteries, such as moisture, leaking or a clogged battery opening.
While wearing the hearing aid, increase and decrease the volume control (if applicable) or change programs on your hearing aid to ensre that the hearing aid is working properly.

Troubleshooting
If the hearing aid is not operating, the hearing aid may be turned off, the battery may be dead, weak or inserted incorrectly. The hearing aid may also be plugged with wax or other debris.
If there is intermittent operation, the battery may need to be replaced or there may be poor battery contact.
A buzzing sound may indicate the battery power is low or the hearing aid is in the telephone (or t-coil) program.
If the volume sounds low, the battery may need to be replaced.

WARNING
Hearing aid batteries (and other kinds of batteries) may explode if exposed to intense heat.
Batteries are dangerous if swallowed. If a battery is swallowed, call the Battery Hotline at 202-625-3333.
Batteries must be kept away from small children and pets.

Can YOU help others hear better?

You sure can!

Here is a list of things you can do to help loved ones with (or even without) hearing loss hear you better.

• Gain the person's attention before speaking
• Face the listener wheile speaking
• Remain at eye level with the listener
• Maintain eye contact
• Allow adequate lighting to fall on the face of the speaker (YOUR face!)
• Use facial expressions and gesture to help convey meaning
• Speak CLEARLY and a tad more SLOWLY
• Use short sentences
• Speak in a normal tone of voice, yelling rarely helps
• Repeat and rephrase words
• Write key words if necessary
• Hold your conversations in a quiet environment
• Keep you mouth free of hands, gum, pencils, etc.

What does hearing loss sound like?

Below you will find a short clip of a Flinstones cartoon.  The audio has been altered to allow you to experience hearing loss. First, you hear a few seconds of "normal hearing."  Then a mild loss, a moderate high-frequency loss and a severe loss. 

Rather eye-opening isn't it?

Does this help you understand how those loved ones with hearing loss experience conversations?

Yerko DiFonis

Despite being born blind and deaf in Valparaiso, Chile, Yerko DiFonis has surpassed all expectations by emerging as a gifted pianist.



Because of an absence of educational programs in Chile for children who are deaf and blind, Yerko's parents sold everything they owned and moved to New York City in 1998.  Yerko flourished as a high school student at the prestigious La Guardia School for the Performing Arts.

Things changed last October, when US immigration authorities ordered the family to return to Chile.

Yerko's dream is to have a career in music - he is pursuing self-study now in Chile, but the Hear the World Foundation has begun a fund to help cover his college expenses.  Contributions can be made via the Hear the World Website.

Second-hand smoke linked to hearing loss

As reported by the Hearing Journal:

It has been known for y eras that smoking tobacco is bad for your hearing. But a new study, published online on November 15 in the journal Tobacco Control, reports that smoking is also bad for the hearing of anyone who inhales your second-hand smoke.

Drawing on statistics collected from 1999 to 2004 by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), scientists from the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine and from Florida International University's Robert Stempel School of Public Health identified 3307 self-identified non-smokers aged 20 to 69 years whose blood levels of cotinine showed that they were exposed to second-hand smoke.  Dave Fabry, PhD, lead author of the study, noted that their cotinine levels were high enough to prove significant exposure to other people's smoking, but much lower than they would be if the subjects were actually smokers, despite their claims not to be. Fabry, who is now managing director of AudioSync Hearing Technologies at Starkey Laboratories, conducted the study while on the University of Miami faculty.

In an interview with the Hearing Journal, Fabry explained that the NHANES data show that the hearing loss related to smoking or exposure to smoking differs from presbycusis and noise-induced hearing loss.  It is less dominated by high-frequency hearing loss, which makes it more similar to hearing loss in people with diabetes or cardiovascular disease.  He continued, "The ear is a good overall barometer of cardiovascular health." Thus, when smoking or other factors reduce the blood supply to the ear, it is likely to be reflected in impaired hearing.

When asked how much exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke is too much, Fabry, a former president of the American Academy of Audiology, replied, "We don't know exactly, but the threshold for damage is very low. No exposure is the only safe level."