Tampa Teenager with hearing loss and a milk moustache

 This young woman, who loves to sing and dance, has about a 25% hearing loss, but you wouldn't know it.  She's vying to be one of 9 finalists in Got Milk's latest Milk Mustache Campange.

How loud is too loud?

Laughter really is good medicine.

Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health."

~Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

According to Madan Kataria's 2005 book "Laugh for No Reason," children laugh an average of 300 times per day. At age 35, that number drops to a measly 15 times per day.  Evidently, those kiddos know a whole lot more than we adults do...



Laughter is good for your health

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.



The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.

~Mark Twain

Extremem Makeover: Home Edition takes on Hearing Loss

Last October, ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition visited the Oregon School for the Deaf. The show aired on Halloween.

The Oregon School for the Deaf is 140 year old school fro students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Every year as a fundraiser for their school they host a haunted house, called "Nightmare Factory."  However, the 12,000 square foot space used to hold the haunted house was in much need of a makeover, including a new concrete floor to replace the dirt floor.

With the help of professional haunted house designers and celebrity volunteer Rob Zombie, the Extreme Makeover team went to work improving the space as well as updating the the spooky Halloween effects.

Just above the space being given a facelift is the boy's dormitory. That space was also rebuilt, allowing for 8 residential students. The school is also preparing for an addition to house 48 students.

Not only were the students thrilled to see their school get help, but they also received some new, more personal gifts. Starkey Hearing Foundation treated more than 100 students, family members, faculty and alumni from the school to a trip to its headquarters in Eden Prairie, MN. More than 500 hearing aids were fit on the guests and they all got to meet actress Marlee Matlin.

"Oh my heavens, it was amazing," director Patti Togioka said. "The students learned a great deal and when they returned from Minnesota we noticed the communication skills of the students went way up. It was helpful to the younger kids who hadn't been exposed to as much signing; and for the parents who went on the trip, their signing improved as well. Really, truly, that was a whole bonding experience. The dorm staff and teachers were able to spend more time together and the same with the parents."

I wanna rock and roll all night...

...and party every day!

Remember that song? By American Rock Band KISS?

On Thursday, April 14th (that's tomorrow!) Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar) will appear on "The Doctors," a nationally syndicated TV medical talk show.  It is aired at 2pm in the Toledo area on NBC channel 24. (outside the Toledo area, please check local listings for times).

Mr. Stanley will discuss his work with the non-profit House Research Institute, his own hearing loss and his efforts to prevent noise-induced hearing loss among teens. They are working on a major initiave called "It's How You Listen that Counts," to educate millions of teens around the world on preventing noise-induced hearing loss. 

Together, they will be drawing the attention of teens in NYC and LA to hearing health issues through an after-school event called SOUND RULES!

The event, free for teens, will take place at the Director’s Guilds in NYC on May 4 and Los Angeles on May 12. 

Did You Know that Paul Stanley was born deaf in his right ear?

What people are saying: The Agil from Oticon

Here at Kenwood Hearing Center, we are proud to fit products from the oldest hearing aid manufacturer in the world, Oticon!

The Agil is Oticons newest premiere product that boasts revolutionary signal processing and second generation wireless features.  The processing speech is 2x as fast as that of their last product line with no additional drain on the batteries!

Here what other consumers are saying about their experiences with Agil:

http://www.oticonusa.com/Oticon/Consumers/User_Testimonials.html

A story

This is a story that was shared in one of our journals - Mr. John Ayers lives in Dallas and has shared his story with the world. (from hearing health magazine)


Cochlear Implants Changed My Life - John C Ayers


I'm 78 years old and received my first cochlear implant at age 73.

At age 50, as I admitted I could hear less and less, I gave in and got hearing aids. Like most people, I didn't want people to know I couldn't hear, so I purchased devices that I wore deep in my ear canal. my father came from a family of 16 children, half of them men. The men all had hearing loss later in life, so I figured this would happen to me, too.

After I retired, I took up doing construction projects with my church, and realized that perspiration and hearing aids do not mix. I started taking them out before working. then one day when I reinserted them in my ears, my left ear still could not hear, even after changing the battery. This brought on an attack of vertigo. At the ear, nose and throat doctor the next day, I learned I'd become deaf in one ear. Most likely, a virus caused the hair cells in my left ear to sop working properly - and permanently.

I walk three miles six days a week, and it was during this time that I came to terms with my new condition. A doctor I found via an internet search told me I was a strong candidate for a cochlear implant in my left ear. I continued to use a hearing aid in my right ear, but eventually this ear too lost its functionality.

I have been very fortunate with both CIs. Both activations were seamless. Getting CIs at an older age has helped me continue to be active and productive. To seniors who believe they are too old to get them, I say think again.


I admit my two devices are not perfect. I have occasional problems regarding directionality - figuring out which direction sounds come from. For example, say I'm distracted and my car keys don't make it into my pocket. I will hear the clink as they keys hit the pavement but I won't know what direction it has come from, and will not realize it was coming from my keys as they dropped onto the ground.

The other issue is being bombarded with many sounds all at once, as in a meeting or restaurant. Normal-hearing individuals can tune-out people and music they don't want to listen to. But I've learned that some speech processors have programs that can change the microphone range from 360 degrees to 90 degrees, which can reduce many extraneous sounds.

Since getting the CIs, I've become very involved with provided feedback about them to researchers and manufacturers. I'm participating in four university studies around the country, and regularly speak about my experiences to churches, schools, hospitals, implant support groups, and industry meetings. you can say CIs have changed my life.

A see-through mask?

A company from Fort Worth Texas, Sam-Go Products, has recently introduced a new see-through surgical mask and respirator mask. This mask would allow people with hearing loss communicate better with their physicians, dentists, and nurses! It gives a person with hearing difficulties access to much needed facial cues and lip reading.

Genius!

An added bonus - the mask is Green! It's reusable and reportedly has a life expectancy of over a year.

To learn more, visit: http://samgoproducts.weebly.com/

Can my baby hear?

Parents don't always think about their new babies hearing right away.  At first, you count their fingers and toes, marvel at the color of their eyes and the amount of (or lack of!) hair on their head.

But, did you know that hearing loss is one of the most frequently occurring birth defects? According to the NIDCD (the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders) approximately 2-3 of every 1000 babies born have significant hearing loss or deafness.

Countless studies have supported the fact that the earlier a child is diagnosed with hearing loss, the better.  Undetected and untreated hearing loss in early childhood can hinder the normal development of speech, language and cognition, which in time can lead to significant learning disabilities and exorbitant educational costs. The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) reports that detecting and treating hearing loss at birth for one child saves $400,000 in special education costs by the time that child graduates from high school.

Most states have programs in place that ensure babies are screening within their first month of life.  In Ohio, legislation requires each hospital or free-standing birthing center to conduct hearing screening on each newborn before discharge (unless transferred to another hospital).  It goes on to require a complete follow-up test before 3 months of age on any baby who fails the screening, and after that, if hearing loss is confirmed, treatment must be in place by 6 months of age.  (Yeah Ohio!)  For information on Ohio's newborn hearing screening program, visit http://www.ohiohelpmegrow.org/parents/infanthearing/infanthearing.aspx

However, there a babies born who pass a newborn hearing screening and lose hearing later in life. It is important to know the normal auditory development of babies, so you can follow along with your child's development and talk to the pediatrician if questions arise.  Just remember - not all babies develop exactly the same way, that's why there are such age ranges here.  And, trust your own motherly (or fatherly) instincts. If you have a concern, don't hesitate to ask someone who knows.

BIRTH – 3 MONTHS	- Reacts to loud sounds - Is soothed by your voice - Turns head to you when you speak - Is awakened by loud voices and sounds - Smiles when spoken to - Seems to know your voice and quiets down if crying
3 – 6 MONTHS	- Looks upward or turns toward a new sound - Responds to changes in voice tone - Imitates his/her own voice - Enjoys rattles and other toys that make sounds - Begins to repeat sounds (such as ooh, aah, & ba-ba)
6 – 10 MONTHS	- Knows words for everyday objects (i.e. cup) as well as common sayings ("bye-bye") - Makes babbling sounds, even when alone - Starts to respond to requests such as "come here" - Looks at things or pictures when someone talks about them - Responds to his/her own name, telephone ringing, or your voice
10 – 15 MONTHS	- Plays with own voice, enjoying the sounds & feel of it - Points to or looks at familiar objects or people when prompted - Imitates simple words & sounds; may use a few single words meaningfully - Enjoys games like peeka-boo & pat-a-cake
15 – 18 MONTHS	- Follows simple directions such as "Give me the ball" - Uses words he/she has heard often - Comments, points to objects, vocalizes or uses word approximations or single words
18 – 24 MONTHS	- Understands simple "yes-no" questions ("Are you hungry?") - Understands simple phrases ("in the cup") - Enjoys being read to - Points to pictures when asked - Uses 2-word combinations to talk about or ask for things
24 – 36 MONTHS	- Understands "not now" - Follows simple directions such as "get your shoes" - Understands many action words (run, jump) - Begins to use articles ("a" "the") and word endings (e.g., "ing, "ed") - Engages in short dialogues

Tinnitus Research Update

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center hypothesize that tinnitus may be produced by an unfortunate combination of structural and functional changes in the brain.  According to the study, tinnitus - the phantom ringing heard by about 40 million people in the US today - is caused by brains that try, but fail, to protect their human hosts against overwhelming auditory stimuli. Researchers add that the same process may be responsible for chronic pain and other perceptual disorders.

The researcherrs say that the absence of sound from hearing loss in certain frequencies due to normal aging, loud-noise exposure or an accident, forces the brain to produce sounds to replace what's missing.  Tinnitus results when the brain's limbic system (which is involved in processing emotions and other functions) fails to stop these sounds from reaching conscious auditory pathways.

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I liken Tinnitus to a "phantom limb."  When someone loses an arm or a leg, it's common for them to have the sensation that they can still feel that limb - they can feel it moving or feel temperature changes.  Tinnitus is similar. You have lost a part of your hearing, but your brain still has the sensation that sound is still there.  So you are, in essence, getting a false-firing of that hearing nerve - something is triggering a sound when there is not a sound there.