Hello,
If you are reading this, it may mean you are looking for something more regarding your hearing health. Maybe you suspect hearing loss and are concerned, or you simply don’t like your existing hearing devices and are looking for something better.
Well, I am here to tell you my story- I’ve been practicing for over 18 years and I have finally got the courage to be authentic and share with you what I have gone through, in hopes of empowering you to do more.
I am an audiologist, a wife, a mother of two lovely daughters, a business owner and…a hearing aid wearer.
I was diagnosed at 6 years old when my family and teachers noticed my speech was like I had a few too many drinks- it was unclear and not improving as I grew older. After it was determined that I had hearing loss, I saw a wonderful audiologist that fit me with my first hearing aid. Actually, this audiologist is still practicing, and I feel very in debt to her for supporting me to where I am today.

Fast forward a few years, research was showing that hey, it might be a good idea to put hearing aids on BOTH ears if the hearing loss is binaural. That was when I got my second hearing aid; let me tell you – even though my brain was young, it was still a challenge to get used to hearing my voice through hearing aids and everything was even louder. I think it took me about 3 months to ‘get used to’ the sound! Finally, I pushed through and have never looked back.
BUT, I would say I still don’t like wearing new hearing aids the first few weeks or even new earpieces for that matter…I am just like you.
One of the pet peeves I have with healthcare and marketing is that many brochures, signs, commercials and what not have a bunch of old people. No one wants to feel old, and certainly no one wants to look like those old yahoos on the brochures either. No matter how much fun they look like they are having with their new hearing device or diabetic monitor, they still look ancient, or as my oldest daughter calls them ‘Elders’.
I am here to tell you that at the clinic, my amazing team and I see people of ALL ages- my youngest was 5 weeks and oldest so far is 108 (and on his 3rd girlfriend). So, no, hearing loss isn’t just about ‘old people’.
The goal of this blog is to empower you, to know you are not alone and to get you off the couch to do something about your hearing. I’m also here to help make your day and smile a little 😊
So, this is my very first submission and there will be more to come,
Warmly,
Kath

 

It’s that time again to remind your parents to schedule a back-to-school hearing aid check-up! We would love to hear all about what you did over the summer while we check your hearing aids and FM systems, to ensure that you are ready to listen at school this fall!
Please call soon to schedule your appointment as we have many other kids to accommodate. If you have been in for a checkup this summer, or already have an appointment booked there is no need to book another appointment.
Please bring all FM and Hearing aid devices to your appointment. This appointment will only take 30 minutes and it will be a good opportunity to let us know if you are having any problems with your devices.

There’s an old song that goes, “Spring is here. Why doesn’t my heart go dancing?” Why, indeed? Well, it could be because the guy in the song didn’t watch out for his hearing the last time spring rolled around.

Spring is a pretty and gentle season, in many ways, but it can also pack quite an auditory wallop. Keep in mind that anything over 85 decibels is considered a dangerous level of volume and consider the following:

Do you like to work on outdoor handyman projects? Your power tools can generate decibel levels north of 100. The same goes for simple things like getting back to lawn care. Lawn mowers clock in at around the 95+ decibel range. Leaf blowers and string trimmers put out serious decibels, too.

Are you a convertible driver? Does spring make you want to cruise the highway with the top down? Just remember that you’re taking away a layer of hearing protection every time you do. The road noise on a drop-top road trip has been measured in excess of that aforementioned 85 decibels.

What about motorcycles? If motorcycles are your passion, you already know they’re loud. And since spring fever and motorcycle fever go hand-in-hand, why not protect your ears as carefully as your helmet protects the head they’re connected to?

We’re not done yet!

Do you like live music? Keep in mind that, just because you might be at an outdoor concert venue, the sound remains the same. Whether you’re listening to a rock band or a classical orchestra, loud music is loud music. And the closer you sit to it, the closer your ears can get to dangerously high decibels.

We’re not suggesting that you avoid all the things you love come spring. Just remember—while it might look like a sweet and harmless time of year, it’s a kitten that can roar pretty loud at times

Fortunately, there are a number of very comfortable options out there for protecting your hearing in any number of situations. Talk to the pros at your local hearing center and ask them to show you their range of options.

Hearing aids get treated with about as much respect as TV remotes. The goal is often to just keep the batteries fresh. There’s too much worth hearing to risk missing it because of the uncertain life-expectancy of a standard battery.

There are a lot of very important personal electronics in our lives these days. The ones we depend on most tend to have an important thing in common. They’re rechargeable. Smartphones, laptops, tablets—it makes sense to be able to charge them on the go.

But there’s an important piece of carry-around technology that has taken some time to catch up—hearing aids. Many people are still going out into the world each day, gambling on the freshness of the batteries in their hearing aids. A mobile phone sits in a pocket or handbag; a hearing aid is something people may actually depend on just to hear that phone.

It seems we haven’t given hearing aids the attention they deserve, despite their importance to the people who use them

Given how active people are these days, at all stages of life, hearing aid manufacturers have begun to explore ways of freeing people from the drudgery and expense that come with replacing disposable batteries. Actually, It’s more than drudgery for some people; anyone with some arthritis in the hands can have a very difficult time dealing with the battery-changing process.

Rechargeable hearing aids are definitely a welcome arrival on the scene. Here are just a few more reasons why:

Confidence: Start every day with a full charge, confident that your hearing aid will perform the way it should all day long.

Convenience: A hearing aid should be able to keep up with its owner’s lifestyle. Refresh your rechargeable anytime, anywhere you can find an electrical outlet.

Conservation: Environmentalists can take comfort in the fact that rechargeable hearing aids mean many fewer dead standard batteries in need of disposal.

Might you, or someone close to you, benefit by switching over to a rechargeable hearing aid? Talk to the professional staff at your local hearing clinic about the range of rechargeable options they offer.

A lot of people have diabetes. A lot of people with diabetes have hearing loss. What’s the connection between these two silent but devastating medical conditions?

Diabetes and hearing loss aren’t two conditions you expect to see in the same sentence. After all, what do blood sugar and sound have to do with each other?

More than we might think, according to research. For instance, hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes compared to those without diabetes.¹

And that makes sense, when you remember that the bloodstream contributes to our ability to hear; hearing depends on small blood vessels and nerves in the inner ear. Researchers are of the opinion that, over time, high blood glucose levels can damage those vessels and nerves, contributing to hearing loss. ²

Diabetes also appears to affect hearing and brainstem function, making some people more susceptible to falls.³

Despite such evidence, hearing loss in diabetes patients often goes undiagnosed. Why? Simply because diabetics aren’t tested for it as a matter of course.¹

With diabetics being twice as likely than others to have hearing loss, it makes sense to monitor their hearing. In fact, there would seem to be enough evidence to suggest that doctors should make hearing tests as routine as vision tests in the annual diabetic health review.⁴

Hearing tests are low-cost, low-risk and can reveal the need to take action that can improve a patient’s communication, safety, and overall quality of life.⁴

They won’t cure diabetes, but hearing tests can certainly be useful in combatting the effects of diabetes on the body both by maintaining the ability to hear clearly and by contributing to better balance, preventing injury from falls.

Doctors need to be encouraged to factor hearing into their examination and diagnostic routine and to proactively refer patients to hearing professionals for the help they need. People with hearing loss are five times more likely to continue with a hearing solution if they are given a positive recommendation by their physician.⁵

Hearing loss may be an inevitable result for many people with diabetes, but it’s a result that can be well compensated for by proper treatment from certified professionals who are recognized as colleagues by doctors.