What to expect when having a hearing test:

A hearing test is a fairly quick, painless, non-invasive test that should be performed by an Audiologist.  Each test should begin with a thorough case history. Why are you having your hearing tested? Do you have any ringing or roaring in your ears? Those and several other questions will be asked to help your audiologist understand your hearing health history as well as determine which tests should be performed. A thorough case history will also help the audiologist in decided what to do after the test - what type of treatments are or referrals are necessary?

Following your case history, the audiologist will physicall examine your ears with a special light called an otoscope. They will look at the appearance of your outer ear, look at your ear canal and also inpect your eardrum. During this examination, the audiologist is looking for signs of disease that may relate to your symptoms. We also look for excessive earwax, called cerumen, that we may need to remove prior to testing.

Next, you will move into a sound-treated test booth for your actual hearing evaluation (if you're not already there).  Here, you will wear headphones. You will be listening to a series of tones or whistles at several different pitches. You will be asked to respond if you hear them by raising your hand or pushing a button, etc. You will also be asked to repeat various words at different levels to determine how clearly you understand speech.  Your responses are called thresholds and are recorded on a graph called an audiogram.

Other tests may be performed such as tympanometry may be done to asses the function of your middle ear and eardrum.

When all the testing is complete, your audiologist will discuss the results with you. He/she may provide you with further recommendations if necessary. This includes the need for hearing aids.  You also may be referred for further evaluation if necessary.

If you suspect you have any amount of hearing loss, or are experiencing moments where speech seems to be unclear, it is imperitive to have your hearing tested as soon as possible. The "Us it or Lose it" principle definitely applies to hearing: the sooner you treat hearing loss, the better the outcome of the treatment.

WHAT is in my child's ear?

Top 12 things removed from kids' ears - by Lexi Walters

found on babyzone.com. Find the full article HERE.

Little kids have little ears—but are enormously curious. And the results of their "What if I ..." experiments often land them in the ER. The top docs at Children's Hospital Yale-New Haven know these tendencies well: There's even a collection on display in their waiting room of common items removed from kids' ears.

Here is their list of top repeat extractions:
1. Cotton Swabs
2. Buttons
3. Pen parts
4. Earrings
5. Springs
6. Moths, flies and other flying insects
7. Beetles and bugs
8. Seeds
9. Pits (think: cherry)
10. Peanuts
11. Button batteries (think: HEARING AID BATTERIES!)
12. Erasers

Motorcycle Helmets causing hearing loss!

Motorcycle helmets, while protecting bikers' brains, may also be contributing to hearing loss. Scientists mapped the airflow and noise patterns to find out why.

College Park, MD: The distinctive roar of a Harley's engine is loud, but studies have revealed the biggest source of noise for motorcyclists is actually generated by air whooshing over the riders' helmets. Even at legal speeds, the sound can exceed safe levels.

Now, scientists have identified a key source of the rushing din. Researchers from the University of Bath and Bath Spa University placed motorcycles helmets atop mannequin heads, mounted them in a wind tunnel, and turned on the fans. By placing microphones at different locations around the helmet and at the mannequin's ear, the researchers found that an area underneath the helmet and near the chin bar is a significant source of the noise that reaches riders' sensitive eardrums.

The team also investigated how helmet angle and wind speed affected the loudness. Future tests will move beyond the wind tunnel to real-life riders on the open road. The findings, described in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, may one day be used to design quieter helmets, saving riders' ears for the enjoyment of hard biker rock, the researchers say.

Source: American Institute of Physics
Note: The article: "Aeroacoustic sources of motorcycle helmet noise" is accepted for publication in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

Matt Lauer of the Today Show has his hearing tested

Did you happen to watch the Today Show this past Wednesday, August 10th?

If you missed it, Matt Lauer had his hearing tested by Lexington Hearing & Speech Center.  He brought much needed attention to a critical health concern that is under-recognized and under-reported.


"In submitting to a hearing test on the air, Mr. Lauer performed a genuine public service that helps bring attention to the growing health crisis of hearing loss in adults under 65," said Adele I. Agin, LCSW, Executive Director, Lexington Hearing & Speech.


"The truth is that younger Americans are losing their hearing at an alarming rate, and recently I found out that that includes me as well," Mr. Lauer said.  Mr. Lauer, 53, reported that although hearing loss is commonly thought to predominantly affect the aged, currently more adults under 65 suffer hearing loss than those over 65.  He was advised by the audiologist conducting his hearing test that his impairment was attributable to the earphone he routinely wears in his right ear as part of his job.  


"Regular earphone and headphone use is the single most common factor leading to hearing loss in adults under 65.  Teenagers and young adults who 'plug in' to listen to music for hours at a time are especially vulnerable, and parents should make sure their children are getting hearing tests as part of their annual health check ups. Testing is covered by most insurance plans, is painless and take only a few minutes," said Lexington's Audiology Director, John Ioannou, MS, CCC-A.  "Hearing loss is irreversible.  Identifying any problem early on will enable appropriate steps to prevent further deterioration and reduce the impact of hearing loss on quality of life."


Kudos to you Mr. Lauer!  Thank you, from this group of audiologists, for bringing this to the attention of all of your viewers!

Where has the time gone?

Wow. Time sure has passed us by quickly this summer. We're rolling along and before you know it, it's the end of July!  And I look at our blog and I see I haven't posted anything in 2 months!

Well, needless to say, things have been busy this summer. Kenwood is rolling right along. We've been busy learning and implementing a lot of new things in our office - things that are making the office flow better, things that benefit YOU, our patients.  We're learning and fitting great new hearing aid technology on our patients and we are seeing amazing outcomes.

We are having fun.

If you haven't been in to see us in awhile, or maybe never, PLEASE give us a call!  We would be excited to tell you about what's going on in our office - maybe you are ready to hear about some breakthrough hearing aid technology, maybe you need a hearing test, or maybe you just need to say Hi and have your hearing aids cleaned?  We'll do it!  We'd love to see you!

And, if you figure out how to slow summer down a bit, we'll take any tips!  August is right around the corner, which means fall isn't too far off either!

Earplugs: 101

By now, we should all be aware of the damaging affects noise can have on our hearing. But what can we do about it when we have to be in loud environments?

Earplugs.

Earplugs are not only ideal for use in noisy work environments, they are ideal for recreational listening, mowing the lawn, using loud power tools or firearms.

custom hearing protection
available at Kenwood!

Disposable earplugs are available and can be purchased at any retail drugstore or even sporting goods stores. You MUST look for a good, snug seal for comfort and to ensure the noise rating is a minimum of 22dB for solid protection.  High-fidelity earplugs are also available - these earplugs have embedded filters that help reduce distortion, ideal for musicians.

At Kenwood Hearing Center, we offer custom-fit hearing protection. These require us to take an impression, or mold, of your ears. The earplugs are then custom-made to fit your ears. These offer the best protection as you can often get 30 to 45dB of sound reduction, depending on the frequency.

Energizer recently conducted an "All Ears" survey of 1,065 baby boomers whose spouses suffer from hearing loss. Here's what their survey reveled: 

1. Listen up: Being hard of hearing can cause hard feelings. About half (47.8 percent) of the respondents feel that their marriage has suffered because of their spouse's hearing loss. Nearly seven out of 10 (64.8 percent) respondents feel annoyed when their spouse cannot hear them. In addition, 16.4 percent feel ignored and 8.1 percent feel sad or hurt.

2. Loud talkers: Raised voices become more familiar. More than half (59.8 percent) find themselves in recent years talking louder daily so their spouse can hear them. And 83.4 percent feel that if they talk loud enough, it would help their spouse better understand what they are saying.

3. Sounds like a sandwich: Is it hearing loss, or selective hearing? While 45.3 percent of respondents believe their spouse doesn't hear chore requests, 77.5 percent say their spouse can hear them fix a snack.

4. In denial: Nearly half believe their spouse is in denial about their hearing loss. Of the boomers surveyed, 56.8 percent feel their spouse is reluctant to get his or her hearing checked. Nearly half (46.4 percent) feel that denial is the No. 1 reason their significant other is hesitant to get his or her hearing checked.

5. Time for checkup: Hearing screenings are few and far between. More than a third (35.6 percent) know their spouse hasn't had his or her hearing checked in more than three years. Moreover, 23.4 percent revealed that their spouse has never had his or her hearing checked.

How Loud is Too Loud?

For more than 75 years, May has been Better Speech and Hearing Month. According to the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association, it's a time to raise awareness about communication disorders, treatments and prevention.

The noise chart below lists average decibel levels for everyday sounds. Sounds that are louder than 85 dB can cause hearing loss after eight hours of exposure. The higher the decibel, the shorter the period of time it can take for hearing loss to occur.

Painful

• 150 dB = fireworks at 3 feet

• 140 dB = firearms, jet engine

• 130 dB = jackhammer

• 120 dB = jet plane takeoff, siren

Extremely loud

• 110 dB = maximum output of some MP3 players, model airplane, chain saw

• 106 dB = gas lawn mower, snowblower

• 100 dB = hand drill, pneumatic drill

• 90 dB = subway, passing motorcycle

Very loud

• 80-90 dB = blow-dryer, kitchen blender, food processor

• 70 dB = busy traffic, vacuum cleaner, alarm clock

Moderate

• 60 dB = typical conversation, dishwasher, clothes dryer

• 50 dB = moderate rainfall

• 40 dB = quiet room

Faint

• 30 dB = whisper, quiet library

Source: The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website (www.asha.org)

Deborah J. Botti

Did You Know...

• Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?
• Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?
• Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high?
• Do you have to strain to understand conversation?
• Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background?
• Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves?
• Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)?
• Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?
• Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?
• Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be suffering from a hearing loss.  Call our office today to schedule an appointment for a Complete Hearing Evaluation! We have offices in Toledo, Bowling Green and Wauseon - call 419-534-3111 or toll-free 1-877-534-3277 to schedule an appointment at any location.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Come celebrate Deaf Awareness Night with the Toledo Mud Hens and a post-game fireworks show

A leader of the Deaf Community will start off the game with the first pitch and school age children will entertain the crowd by signing either the National Anthem or the 7^th inning stretch "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

Tickets can be ordered from the Deaf and hard of Hearing Center 419-241-6219(v) 419-386-2140(VP), in person at the Mud Hens stadium, or online at www.mudhens.com. If purchasing tickets at the stadium or online please use the PROMO CODE: deaf, this will ensure you are in the right section. Please contact Veronica McComb at 419-241-6219 ext. 216 or vmccomb@heartoledospeak.org with any questions or for more information.

Everyone is invited to the Toledo Deaf Club for an Open House after the game to continue the fun and socialization, for more information on the Toledo Deaf Club go to www.TDCnow.com This game will have a fireworks show and following the game the Toledo Deaf Club is hosting an open pricing and put you in the right section. This game will have a fireworks show and following the game the Toledo Deaf Club is hosting an open house.

We need to sell at least 100 tickets to be able to throw the first pitch, the pitcher will be a leader from the deaf community. The coordinator is looking into geting the ASL Mud Hens shirts, once we get more information on if the shirts the information will be posted.

We are also trying to set up a booth to recognize William Ellsworth "Dummy" Hoy, the coordinator is also looking into whether this will be allowed. We are hoping next year to have the information shown during the 7th inning stretch on the big screen...so come on out and show your support!

Any questions please feel free to contact me 419-241-6219 ext. 216 (v) 419-386-2140 (vp) or email vmccomb@heartoledospeak.orgpricing and put you in the right section. This game will have a fireworks show and following the game the Toledo Deaf Club is hosting an open house.

Place: 5/3 Field Downtown Toledo

Date: Friday, May 27. 2011

Time: 7:00pm

Price: $9.00