Better Hearing. Better Health!
Our ability to hear is a complicated process. Change can be difficult. As an audiologist, I can help guide you and those you care about through the process of better hearing. Do you or someone you know need some help to be brave and take the steps needed for better hearing and better health? Areas I specialize in treating include:
The process of selecting custom hearing protection that reduces risk of hearing loss by limiting exposure to harmful sounds. It does not matter if you are working in a factory, use firearms or are a musician, continuous exposure to loud sound will reduce your ability to hear well if left unprotected. Finding something that is comfortable, makes it more likely to be used. Making it easy to use and readily available also increases the likelihood you will form the new habit of putting it on each time. Starting young is ideal but it is never too late to begin with hearing protection!
Looking at medications and evaluating options to reduce high blood pressure or stress levels can help reduce head noises. Tinnitus can also often be managed by treating un-detected hearing loss.
Seeing a local audiologist like me, means receiving Patient Centered Care. An issue with ear wax build up or middle ear fluid won’t be overlooked before trying to address a hearing deficit. Balance concerns can be related to hearing loss, vision issues, neuropathy, and your muscle strength. Getting the right help can prevent a fall. I know the questions to ask and tests to perform to help minimize risk.
Co-morbidities like diabetes and kidney disease can mean a progressive hearing loss which needs to be managed annually. Better nutrition and exercise will improve your overall health and blood flow. Your ear is an organ so your healthy habits will benefit your hearing. If hearing does progress, many hearing devices can be re-programmed and verified with real ear after getting a new hearing evaluation. If you are not experiencing the ease of listening you would like, it is time to take charge and be re-evaluated. The need to hear better does not always indicate the need for new hearing aids.
I will always encourage you to treat hearing loss with correctly fit hearing aids as it is one factor you can control to reduce the risk of dementia, isolation, and depression. “Mild” untreated hearing loss doubles your dementia risk; “moderate” loss triples your risk. Selecting the right hearing devices to meet your needs is a process not “one size fits most” or related to the “deal of the month”. I am your local expert to help navigate the best course of action for your hearing needs.
You definitely want to be strong and brave going into 2021 to achieve your dreams, goals and meet your challenges. Our team will actively listen and partner with you to allow you to experience better hearing and better overall health. Give us a call. We are here for you and have precautions in place to keep you safe while we provide services during the pandemic.
Blessing to you as we start the journey of 2021 together, Strong and Brave,
Sharon, Stefanie, Deb and Danielle
Even with folks being careful, hearing aids have fallen off when removing a mask. If you happen to be the one to find a hearing aid or know someone that has found a stray, please contact us. Hearing aids have serial numbers and can often be traced back to the owner through the manufacturer. We would be happy to assist in the process of reuniting them!
We also have “mask extenders” available in our office to take the pressure of the mask off of you ears and place it behind your neck so you are less likely to bump your hearing aids when adjusting your mask. They are just a dollar each so give us a call if you’d like to pick one up!
Have you tried any of the Tips from Henry? If you want some free communication tips; enjoy hearing loss humor, check out our Facebook page. We post daily tid-bits to keep you informed and in touch.
If you are reading this online, copy the link below to find our page. We’d love it if you would like our page or share some posts with your friends and family so we can educate more people about audiology, hearing loss and hearing devices.
Hearing aids and Bluetooth Cell Phones… can experience connection issues. Before you call our office for assistance, please be sure your phone has the most recent operating system installed and the most current version of the App. We are finding if these two things are not on the “same version” calls can be dropped. We are happy to assist with any pairing issues, but you need to have your phone current, so we aren’t wasting time. If you don’t have a care plan with us, there will be a fee to assist.
History was made Monday, January 4th when the first deaf contestant aired on The Bachelor. She is Abigail Heringer, a 25-year-old from Salem, Oregon that was born deaf and then implanted with a cochlear implant at the age of two. Even with the implant to help her hear, she relies on lip reading a lot to help her understand conversation. She received a rose so will be moving on…we wish her well and hope her story will bring more acceptance and awareness to hearing loss in our society.
