B e t t er H e ar i ng C ar e

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N EWSLETTER
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
New Technology
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A N OT E FRO M V I C K I .
I am often asked, Is there
a possibility that my hearing may get worse? I usually say we dont have a crystal ball, but there are things a person can do to prevent hearing loss. even sitting close to the speakers and listening to loud music in the park. Sometimes the radio or TV at home, if set too high can have damaging effects on our ears.

My advice: Be careful.
Remember hearing loss happens over time. Rarely does it happen overnight.

Cleaning Continued Myths & Hearing Hearing Loss and Alzheimer's, Dementia Joke Central Strange Funny Facts

One of the biggest

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There are times we can

feel conscientious wearing earmuffs when using loud equipment (or Im only using it for a short time, what damage can it do?) that we choose to forgo the sound protection.

reasons for hearing loss (besides genetics) is the exposure to loud sounds whether by the use of power tools, lawn-mowers, weed whackers, guns or

Vicki Fisher, BC-HIS

Nationally Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences

Did you know?

The British governor of Indiana, Henry Hamilton, was known as the Hair Buyer because he encouraged Indians friendly to the British to take American scalps, for which they were paid. Indiana General Ambrose Burnsides bushy whiskers were originally called burnsides and now are known as sideburns.

HOW TO CLEAN HEARING AIDS HOME

By Healthy Hearing

AT

Your new hearing aids may

be the tiniest piece of technology you own, but they also may be the most important. With a minimal amount of daily care, they should provide you with quality service for years to come.

sider making the investment. These are the tools youll need to keep your hearing aid clean and free of earwax. Youll also want a dry place to store your hearing aids when youre not wearing them, such as the box they came in or other suitable container.

only push the wax deeper into your ear and, in extreme cases, puncture your ear drum. If gentle, daily cleaning with a wash cloth doesnt prevent earwax build, consult your doctor or hearing healthcare professional for help.

Like the rest of the equipment you depend upon such as automobiles and household appliancesa gentle cleaning does wonders to keep things running smoothly. Hearing aids are no exception.

Your hearing health professional will give you detailed instructions on how to care specifically for the make and model youve purchased, but here are a few general care tips to keep in mind.

When you remove your

hearing aids each day, wipe them off with a clean, dry cloth or tissue. Do not use alcohol swabs or cleaning solvents as these may damage the material your hearing aid is made of. Your hearing care professional can recommend special sprays specifically designed to clean and disinfect hearing aids, if you prefer.

Indiana is known for its many unusual place names, such as Gnaw Bone and Bean Blossom.

Most importantly, keep your

ears clean and free from earwax. Remember never stick anything into your ear canal, such as a hairpin or cotton swab. These objects

If your hearing center didnt provide you with a wax pick, brush, or blower (for some BTE models) con-

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N E W T E C H N O L O G Y A VA I L A B L E
Tinnitus Help?

A number of Does ringing go away?

manufacturers have recently developed hearing aids with tinnitus maskers. This can be a big benefit to those who have a difficult time with ringing in their ears to the point of not being able to live a normal life.

Sometimes the ringing can even keep them from participating in everyday activities.

I have often been asked if

ringing ever goes away. The answer is that sometimes a hearing aid can naturally mask the sound of the ringing, but with these new maskers built into the hearing aids, we can now try

to isolate the frequency of the ringing and give the brain a different sound to focus on so that the ringing will be diminished. If you would like further information, please feel free to call.

CLEANING
apply any hair productssuch as sprays or gelsand face creams before you put your hearing aids in for the day. If you wash your face with a cleanser at night, take your hearing aids out before you do. These materials can clog the microphone and may also be damaging to the plastic material.

C O N T I N U E D ...
ear) model: Check it thoroughly after you remove it each day. If you see any earwax, use the wax pick to gently remove it. open while they are stored. Any moisture that may have accumulated will dry overnight and your batteries will last longer.

Heres a tip:

If you wear a traditional

BTE (behind the ear) model: Examine the unit for any earwax and remove what you find with the wax pick or brush. Remove the earmold from the hook and clean it in soapy water. Use a blower to force the water out of the tube and place the tubing in a safe place to dry overnight. Finally, before you store your hearing aids for the day, open the battery compartment, remove the batteries and brush the compartment with the cleaning brush, Replace the batteries and keep the compartment

You also may want to consider

investing in a hearing aid dehumidifier. They arent expensive and will effectively dry the internal components of your devices overnight while you sleep. Since moisture build-up is one of the primary reasons for repair, investing in a dehumidifier may prolong the life of your hearing aids. One word of caution: be careful when you handle your hearing aids especially the first few times. Consider spreading a towel or other soft item beneath you when you insert and remove them, as dropping them on hard surfaces, such as countertops and tile floors, can damage them.

Heres a tip

Its important to keep your

hearing aids free of earwax. This yellow substance, also called cerumen, can clog the microphone and receiver, blocking the sound to your ear. Large amounts of earwax can create a crackling, static or feedback sound.

If you own an ITE (in the

MYTH

ABOUT HEARING LOSS

close to six million people in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 44 with hearing loss, and more than one million are school age. Hearing loss affects all age groups.
*Better Hearing Institute

Myth: Hearing loss affects

only old people and is merely a sign of aging.

Truth: Only 35% of people

with hearing loss are older than age 64. There are

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T R E A T I N G H E A R I N G L O S S I M P O R TA N T FOR ALZHEIMERS AND DEMENTIA

Reprinted from article in Healthy HearingMonday, January 4th 2010

If you visit Healthy Hearing

often, you know that there is a correlation between hearing loss and certain medical ailments such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, among others. But there is also compelling evidence to suggest a link between a hearing loss, dementia and Alzheimers, both which are degenerative diseases that lead to progressive memory loss in the elderly.

correlation between the severity of cognitive decline and the degree of hearing loss.

In fact, multiple research

studies have shown that hearing loss not only exacerbates the symptoms of Alzheimer's and dementia, but may also be an important risk factor.

Another study carried out in the 1980s; found that 83 percent of the 30 patients diagnosed with senile dementia also suffered from a significant hearing loss, higher than normally expected for that age group. However, there was some promising news that came out of that research: 33 percent of those with memory and hearing loss were reclassified to a less severe category of dementia once the hearing loss was treated with hearing aids. That was also
demonstrated in yet another study conducted a decade ago, which showed a significant drop in communication problems in Alzheimers patients whose hearing loss had been tested and corrected with the use of hearing aids.

Alzheimers dont undergo tests to rule out hearing loss. So if anyone you know is suffering from memory loss, or displaying any symptoms of Alzheimers or dementia, encourage them to be screened for hearing loss as well. If a hearing loss is found, assertive technology such as hearing aids can, as demonstrated above, make a big difference in improving all the essential cognitive functions.

Once appropriate treatment

is implemented, these people can benefit from other measures that improve the failing memory such as music therapy. Music to your brain

The common denominator in

both functions auditory and memory is the brain, so naturally, anything we can do to boost its ability to properly process hearing, language, and memory, will be beneficial. In other words, treating hearing loss will allow the brain to continue to be stimulated and active, allowing the patient to stay alert. And this is where the beneficial effects of music for people with cognitive deficiencies can be seen. Studies conducted at University of California, Davis, found that Alzheimers patients who have difficulty with their memory still respond to music.

Many symptoms of hearing

loss especially those related to difficulty in understanding and communicating - are similar to some of those found in Alzheimers. For example, both Alzheimers and hearing loss are known to affect speech and language skills. Depression is also a common feature of both conditions. Hearing Loss and Memory: A proven link

Treating hearing loss will allow the brain to continue to be stimulated and active

The message here is clear:

hearing aids can be extremely beneficial for the Alzheimers and dementia patients, as they are for anyone with hearing loss. It is possible, however, that health care providers who do not routinely deal with elderly people the way hearing healthcare professionals, audiologists or geriatricians do, may not be aware of the importance of screening these patients for hearing loss. As a matter of fact, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that many seniors diagnosed with dementia or

A number of studies have

demonstrated a correlation between Alzheimers, dementia and hearing loss.

One study conducted at

the University of Washington with Alzheimers patients who also had hearing loss, demonstrated a strong

Other research has indicated that music stimulates the motor region of our brain and listening to familiar songs may restore a certain degree of cognitive functions in

3165 E. Center Street Warsaw, IN 46582 or 10420 Maysville Road Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Phone: 574.269.6236 (Warsaw) Phone: 260.486.8873 (Ft. Wayne) Email: janelle@A1HearingCare

Were on the Web! www.A1HearingCare

ALZHEIMERS
Hey Jim, called Harry. Check out my new hearing Strange Funny Facts aids, they work so well I can hear a pin drop! Really, More are born in asked babies Jim, thats unbelievSeptember than in any other month. About 8,000 Americans are injured by musical instruments each year. One in twelve Americans alphabetize their spice rack. 95% of the creatures on earth are smaller than a chicken egg. There are twice as many billionaires in the U.S. today as there were 10 years ago. people with memory loss.

CONT.
hearing is essential to stimulating parts of our brain required for memory and is also the foundation of so many other therapies that are crucial to our health and well-being.

For example, Dr. Concetta

Tomaino of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in the Bronx, NY, found that music stimulates areas of the brain that have become dormant due to degenerative diseases such as Alzheimers. She reported that 45 patients with mid-to late-stage dementia, who had one-hour personalized music therapy sessions

three times a week, were able to boost their cognitive functions by an average of 50 percent within less than a year.

Again, this is where the

importance of assistive hearing technology comes in, since it makes it possible for people to hear and respond to music, thus boosting their diminishing cognitive functions. Look at it this way: good

Take heart to this

message and pass it on to those you know suffering from dementia or Alzheimers.

JOKE CENTRAL
Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney. "Did you see the paper?" asked Gallagher. "They say I died!!" "Yes, I saw it!" replied Finney. "Where are ye calling' from?"