Our prefered
technology partner:
Hearing Aid Institute, Inc.
725 1st Ave N
Great Falls, MT 59401
800-331-6009
406-727-7269
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The Hearing Herald
Published by:
HEARING AID INSTITUTE, INC.
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May - June - July - August Issue 2009 |
www.hearingaidinstitute.com |
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A quick patient spotlight featuring Donna Anderson of Great
Falls who says "I DIDN'T KNOW I had a hearing problem!" Donna, who is a long time
Great Falls resident and former owner of Anderson Glass, was urged by her children to
have her hearing checked. She was surprised to learn that she had a hearing loss and
that loss could be corrected with the new "Rhapsody" hearing aids.
Donna says: "Now that I have my hearing aids, I know what I've
been missing and my granddaughter is happier too. She doesn't have to say it over for me
to understand. Visiting with family and friends is much easier for me as well as them.
Thank you Hearing Aid Institute for making my life more enjoyable. NOW I KNOW!!"
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FUNNIES!
Why, Why, Why, Why do we press
harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?
Why do banks charge a fee on
"insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
Why is it that no plastic bag will
open from the end on your first try?
In winter, why do we try to keep the house
as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
Hearing Aid Institute would like to welcome Collin Anderson to our
family of employees. Collin, who has come from Oregon, will be working in the Bozeman area. His wife
and three children will be joining him after school is out. Collin's wife is originally from Bozeman
and they wanted to get back to those roots. Welcome Collin and family!!
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HELP YOUR LOVED
ONES ADDRESS THEIR HEARING PROBLEM
The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is urging families across
America to keep loved ones with hearing loss close by encouraging them to get their
hearing checked and to have any hearing loss properly treated. For many people, an
unaddressed hearing loss can cause them to feel particularly isolated and depressed.
Even when surrounded by loved ones, a family member's impaired ability to hear and
actively participate in conversations cuts them off. Often times, they are left with a
sense of sadness, inadequacy, and emotional isolation. This is especially true when the
hearing loss is either unrecognized or is being 'hidden' by the family member with hearing
loss.
Signs and symptoms of hearing loss include not being able to
hear well in a crowded room or restaurant, having trouble hearing children and women, keeping
television or radio turned up to a high volume, needing to ask family and friends to repeat
what they're saying, or experiencing ringing in the ears.
"When a family member experiences unaddressed hearing loss, it
silently erodes the loved one's quality of life - undermining family relationships,
interfering with short term memory, and creeping into virtually every aspect of daily
living," says Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D. Executive Director of the Better Hearing Institute.
"The good news is there are solutions to help loved ones with hearing loss regain the gift
of sound so they don't need to draw back in silence. Hearing loss can be easily diagnosed,
and there are modern-day solutions that can help people hear better."
If someone you love is experiencing hearing loss, try these
tips to help them feel included in your everyday life:
- Keep the volume on the music and television down. Background noise makes it difficult
for people even with mild - and sometimes undetected - hearing loss to follow the
conversation.
- Try to talk to your loved one from the side that he or she hears best.
- Face the person when you are talking to them, and keep your hands away from your
face.
- Speak clearly and not too fast. Remember not to talk loudly or shout.
- If you plan to host a holiday dinner or party, consider leaving the dishes and
silverware in the china closet. Instead, use holiday-themed paper plates and plastic
cutlery. This will cut down dramatically on the noise from cutlery clattering on plates.
If you and your loved one with hearing loss are traveling, you
might consider these tips as well:
cont. on next page
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cont. from prev page
- Offer to drive so your loved one doesn't have to concentrate on heavy
traffic while trying to converse.
- If flying alone, encourage your loved one to let the flight attendants know
that he or she has a hearing loss. Even with perfect hearing, it can be a
challenge to hear at the ticket counter, security checkpoint, and gate.
Airlines are required by the Department of Transportation to accomodate
requests for meet and assist services for individuals with hearing loss.
Difficulty hearing in-flight and other announcements about boarding information,
connections and gate changes can seriously jeopardize a person's success in
having a safe and hassle-free trip.
"Most important, if someone you love appears to have a
hearing loss, encourage them to get a hearing screening," Kochkin urges. "Many
people decide to get their hearing checked because someone they love suggested it and
provided support.
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Excesive Noise:
Excessive noise damages the delicate hair cells in the inner
ear. This damage results in sensorineural hearing loss and often tinnitus (ringing of
the ears). Dangerous levels of noise can come from working in noisy occupations or in
engaging in dangerous recreational activities:
- Be aware of dangerous recreational activities: video arcades, fire crackers,
discos, music concerts, shooting a gun, movie theatres, sporting events, motorcycles,
snowmobiles, "boom cars".
- Occupations particularly under risk for hearing loss due to exposure to noise
are as follows: fire fighters, police officers, factory workers, farmers, construction
workers, military personnel, heavy industry workers, musicians, entertainment
industry professionals.
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If you have to raise your voice to shout over the noise to be
heard by someone within an arm's length away, the noise is probably in the dangerous range.
Some of the warning signs of the presence of exposure to hazardous noise are as follows:
- You can't hear someone three feet away.
- You have pain in your ears after leaving the noisy area.
- You hear ringing or buzzing (tinnitus) in your ears immediately after
exposure to noise
- You suddenly have difficulty understanding speech after exposure to
noise; you can hear people talking but you cannot understand them.
If you have been exposed to lots of loud noises, call us at
1-800-331-6009 to have a screening to see if you have damaged your hearing.
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THE ROAD TRIP
While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside
restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their
trip. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table and she didn't
miss them until they had been driving about twenty minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation,
they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around - in order to
return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses. All the way back, the elderly husband became
the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained and scolded his wife relentlessly during
the entire return drive. The more he chided her - the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't
let up one minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of
her car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, "While you're
in there, you might as well get my hat and credit card."
What You Can Do to Protect Your Hearing
- If you work in an at-risk occupation check with your employer to make sure you have
adequately protected your hearing according to OSHA regulations.
- Limit exposure time to noisy activities.
- Wear hearing protection, such as foam or silicone plugs or muffs. Foam plugs are
available at your pharmacy while muffs and specialized ear protection can be purchased
at sporting good stores or safety equipment stores. Specialized hearing protection can
be purchased from Hearing Aid Institute.
- At home, turn down the volume on the television, radio, stereos and walkmans.
- Wear ear plugs or muffs when using loud equipment (i.e. lawn mowers, power saw,
leaf blower.)
- Buy quieter products (compare dB ratings - the smaller the better)
- Reduce the number of noisy appliances running at the same time in your personal
environment
- Avoid medications that can be dangerous to your hearing. Be sure to ask your
physician about possible effects on your hearing.
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