Getting An iPod For Christmas? Watch The Volume!

Reprinted from The Atlantic

Portable music players may be contributing to permanent hearing loss among many casual listeners, gradually leading to the inability to discern speech. An iPod's maximum volume is more than 10 times as loud as the recommended listening setting, audiologists say, and the sensory damage caused by prolonged listening is irreversible.

Since the iPod was introduced in 2001, hearing loss has been an obvious problem among young patients of Brian Fligor, an audiologist at the Boston Children's Hospital.

"It depends on what you call major hearing loss, but there are a couple of cases (among children and teenagers) where using headphones contributed to a person's hearing loss that was enough that they needed to use hearing aids," Fligor said. These cases generally involved other factors contributing to the problem but were mainly music-related.

Hearing damage from loud music is not always permanent, but prolonged exposure to loud noise can lead to health problems such as hypertension and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

The biggest concern is that as hearing worsens over time, people may lose some ability to distinguish consonants and understand speech.

MUSIC-INDUCED HEARING LOSS
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs, simply, when sensitive cells in the inner ear are exposed to loud noises. These "hair cells," which convert sound energy into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain, can't grow back once they are damaged.

According to the National Institutes of Health, "long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss" -- noise louder than city traffic but not as loud as a lawnmower. The louder the sound, the shorter the time it takes to damage hair cells.

At maximum volume, an iPod reaches about 103 decibels, which can cause permanent hearing loss in a matter of minutes while listening through ear buds. In-ear headphones, like the earbuds that come with an iPod, send loud music straight into your ear and directly toward sensitive cells.

Noise-amplifying headphones, such as the kind DJs might use in clubs to hear over background club music, can produce louder sounds and take less time to cause irreversible damage. Just 15 minutes of listening at 100 dB can be harmful, according to the NIH.



PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYERS
For regular iPod users, the negative effects of loud listening might not be immediately noticeable.
"Noise-induced hearing loss or music-induced hearing loss happens very slowly over time," said audiologist Cory Portnuff. "I think in a few years we'll be able to see some effects of music players on hearing, but we're still easily five to 10 years away from seeing larger scale effects."

Portnuff has been studying the effect of portable music players on hearing loss as part of his doctoral dissertation at the University of Colorado. Studies on the hearing effects of portable music players have been around for decades, first looking at cassette and CD players. Portnuff's research is the first to use a monitoring device attached to participants' iPods to take away the unpredictability of self-reporting.

Consistent with previous research, his study found that people will increase their listening levels in proportion to background noise. But he said the most interesting or, rather, concerning result of the study was finding that 17 percent of the people monitored were putting themselves at risk for music-induced hearing loss from daily activities, exceeding the maximum allowable dosage for the day.
"It's a small but substantial group, about one in six people that are putting themselves at risk for hearing loss," Portnuff said. "That on its own is not a huge number, but when you think about the number of iPods in the world, we start to get a little concerned."

The biggest concern is that as hearing worsens over time, people may lose some ability to distinguish consonants and understand speech.

Most people are exposed to the problem throughout their lives, though the change is gradual. Some jobs require prolonged exposure to loud noises, such as those in factories or on construction sites. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recognizes the risk, limiting workers to 40 hours per week while exposed to noise at 85 to 90 dBA. Even then, it's acknowledged that this doesn't necessarily protect against hearing damage.

As Beltran recognized a little too late, it's an occupational hazard for musicians. But going home and listening too loudly to a portable music player increases the risk.

"The best cure is prevention," Peck said. "We only have one set of ears -- there are no spare parts."
Portnuff recommended casual music listeners follow the "80-90 rule": listen at 80 percent volume (about 90 dBA) for 90 minutes, then let your ears rest. Sensitive cells are like batteries that need to recharge after a while.

"My car is capable of driving 120 miles an hour down the streets, but as a society we set speed limits because those are safer," he said. "We need to set some sort of speed limit for music listening."

If you want more information on hearing loss or protecting your hearing, visit www.utahhearingaids.com or call 801-770-0801.

TIme's Almost Out for Christmas Hearing Aid Nominations!

We are so excited for our second annual Hear For Christmas giveaway.  Last year, we were able to give away 4 sets of digital hearing aids to those in need.  We look forward to this all year.  Here's the response from one of the candidates we chose:

Dear Dr. Garrett & Staff,

Words cannot convey how your kind generosity has changed my life for the better.  Hearing is indeed a blessing.  I can continue to play my violin in the symphony, work in the operating room, and live my life to the fullest now.  I even can hear my two year old grandson say "I love you, Grandma!"  and I can hear the cries of my new born grandson!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!
S.J. from American Fork

We are accepting nomination still until Monday December 12, 2011.  You can submit an application online at http://www.utahhearingaids.com/christmas_form.php for yourself or a loved one. 

Why Not To Buy Hearing Aids Online

Emmett, Idaho -- A hearing aid exploded near an Emmett man while it was being charged.

He wasn't' seriously injured but, now he wants to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else.

He was trying to help someone by buying the hearing aid online. It turned out his good intentions to help someone literally blew up in his face. He says he wants everyone else to know that buying a hearing aid online is not a good idea.

Kevin Airrington just wanted to help an elderly neighbor who has a hearing problem.

"He asked me about getting a hearing aid because he went to the ear doctor and it's about $3,000 and his insurance wouldn't cover it," said Airrington.

So he looked online and found one on eBay.

"It was like $22 bucks, really cheap," said Airrington.

The product was made in China.

"We knew it wouldn't work like a three thousand dollar hearing aid, but we thought it might help him enough to where he wasn't going 'huh' all the time," said Airrington.

It arrived by mail on Monday.

"I open it up; I'm kind of excited that it's here for him. I'm going to charge it up so it's all charged up ready to go as soon as he comes over," said Airrington.

He plugged it in and went back to what he was doing.

"Less than five minutes later, there was this big loud kaboom," said Airrington.

"I hear, this bang and I look around and my dad he looks confused himself and he's holding his face," said Nicholas James, Airrington's son.

"My face was burning and my ear was ringing. There was quite a bit of pain," said Airrington.

He couldn't' figure out what had happened.

"I see pieces of plastic all over and, you know, after looking around I realized this is what happened," said Airrington.

The hearing aid had been blown to bits.

"The hearing aid exploded like a bomb, just kaboom!" said Airrington.

"Just think what would happened if it had exploded in somebody's ear," said James.

Airrington was slightly injured in the face, but what's worse is his hearing was affected. He got a refund for the product and he also called eBay and they said they were sorry, but there was nothing they could do.

"And they said 'yes, if somebody sent you a bomb through eBay all you do is leave negative feedback,'" said Airrington.

An expert from the Idaho Elks rehab hospital says it's not only a bad idea but, also illegal to sell hearing aids online directly to customers.

He says it's best to go to a trained doctor to get a prescription in the first place.

"One thing you get is their professional expertise and training how to adjust and fit that hearing instrument and how to do the follow up care. The real success of most hearing aid patients is in the relationship with the audio expert they are working with," said Michael Sturmak, chief operating officer of Elks Hearing and Balance Center.

A professional will make sure it's fitted properly and that the hearing aid works correctly.

"Plus, you don't have any real understanding of what you're getting. You may be getting something someone made in somebody's garage," said Sturmak.

To find out more about investing in better hearing with a certified Audiologist, go to www.utahhearingaids.com.

New Study: 1 in 5 Over the Age of 12 Have a Hearing Loss

Reposted from http://news.yahoo.com/hearing-loss-far-more-common-expected-210408085.html

MONDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Hearing loss affects
about one-fifth of Americans aged 12 and older, a far higher number than previously believed, researchers report.

They examined data from people whose hearing was tested during National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2001 to 2008. Based on the World Health Organization's definition of hearing loss (unable to hear sounds of 25 decibels or less in the speech frequencies), the NHANES data showed that 12.7 percent (30 million people) of the U.S. population aged 12 and older had hearing loss in both ears and 20.3 percent (48 million
people) had hearing loss in at least one ear.

Previous estimates put the numbers at 21 million to 29 million.

This new study also found that rates of hearing loss nearly doubled with every decade of age, and that women and blacks were significantly less likely to have hearing loss at any age.
It's not clear why women and blacks are less likely to experience hearing loss, study leader Dr. Frank Lin said in a university news release.

Lin is an assistant professor with dual appointments in both the department of otolaryngology-head & neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

It may be that the female hormone estrogen and the melanin pigment in darker skin could have a protective effect on the inner ear, which Lin and colleagues plan to investigate in future studies.

Lin said the findings of this study, published Nov. 14 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, will help research into hearing loss and its potential consequences such as cognitive decline, dementia and poor physical functioning.

"This gives us the real scope of the problem for the first time and shows us how big of a problem hearing loss really is," Lin said.

If you would like to learn more about hearing loss, go to www.utahhearingaids.com. To schedule a free hearing exam and consultation with a board certified audiologist, call 801-770-0801.

Why NOT To Use Cotton Swabs To Clean Your Ears

An old saying tells us not to stick anything in our ears smaller than our elbow.  Audiologists have told their patients this for years.  It seems like common sense, but a new study has confirmed that there is a direct association between those who ignore that advice and use cotton swabs to clean their ears and ruptured ear drums.

When you clean your ears with a cotton swab, you risk damaging your ear drum if the swab goes too far into the ear. A study shows, that more than half of the people who visit ear, throat and nose specialists confess to using cotton swabs to clean their ears.

A ruptured eardrum, also known as tympanic membrane perforations (TMP), is a tear in the tympanic membrane, which separates the outer ear from the inner ear. A ruptured eardrum may be accompanied by sharp ear pain, an earache, ear drainage, ear ringing or buzzing, dizziness or hearing loss. In severe cases, vertigo and facial paralysis can occur.

A ruptured eardrum can lead to discomfort, and even though the study showed that most cases healed on their own within two months, surgery can in some cases be required.
Alternative ways to clean your ears

As for alternative ways to clean your ears, study co-author Dr. Michael Seidman, director of the division of otologic and neurotologic surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, recommends these methods:

• Mix equal amounts of cool peroxide and hot tap water. Allow the mixture to reach body temperature and then gently irrigate the ear. No more than twice a month.
• Mix one part plain vinegar and one part water and use four or five drops once a week.
• Try an over-the-counter ear wax removal product and follow the directions carefully.
• Make an appointment with a doctor to have ear wax removed.   Those in Utah County can call 801-770-0801 to schedule a wax-removal appointment.  You can also go to our website at www.utahhearingaids.com for more information on the ear.

The study

The study was carried out by researchers from Henry Ford Hospital. In the study, the researchers examined the medical records of 1,540 patients who suffered from ruptured eardrums between 2001 and 2010.

Tinnitus and Neuromonics for our Veterans

Did you know that tinnitus is one of the most common post-war complaints of our returning soldiers?  Watch this CNN story about one soldier's experience and how Neuromonics helped him.

Should I Get Help For the Ringing In My Ears?

Nothing is as scary as something that you don't understand.  Educating yourself about any condition is the first step to treating it.

Even though tinnitus usually begins with a hearing loss, the problem is not exclusive to the ears. It is the result of neurological mis-fires in the auditory system and within the parts of the brain that affect your conscious thoughts and emotions.

Every case of tinnitus is unique, but there are some commonly accepted explanations for its cause.

In our brains, there is neurological activity occurring all of the time. Normally, this activity is “masked” by everyday sounds.  When something happens to alter the natural balance of activity (such as a hearing loss, head trauma, etc…), the neurological activity is changed and the brain interprets this activity as sound. This could be a rustling, whistling or ringing sound—and it is this sound that it known as tinnitus.

50 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, but only about 4% of those suffer badly enough to seek professional treatment.  This first step in treatment is an evaluation by an audiologist who will diagnose the problem and present treatment options and recommendations.

So how do you know if you are one of the 4% who should seek professional help?  Follow this link to take a simple online self evaluation.  If you have any questions or would like to schedule an evaluation with the ONLY clinic in the Intermountain West that is able to provide both Neuromonics and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, call 801-770-0801.

You can also sign up for our free education seminar on November 15th in Lehi, UT to have any questions answered and to hear about the latest treatment options.  RSVP by calling 801-770-0801.

Tinnitus Seminar November 15th 2011 in Lehi, UT

Timpanogos Hearing and Balance will hold an informational seminar on tinnitus Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Best Western Timpanogos Inn in Lehi.

Layne Garrett, Au.D., director of audiology at Timpanogos Hearing & Balance, will speak at the seminar. He will discuss living with tinnitus and developments in treatments for tinnitus, the widespread condition defined as the perception of sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus affects more than 50 million people in the United States. The condition, usually brought on by exposure to loud noise, is especially significant in the military, with more than 34 percent of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from tinnitus.

The seminar will include discussion of the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment (NTT), a particularly effective treatment protocol delivered through its easy-to-use Oasis device. The device is the only FDA-cleared, patented and clinically proven medical device with documented long-term relief of severe or chronic tinnitus. Timpanogos Hearing & Balance is one of only four providers in Utah to offer the NTT, which CNN recently featured in its profile on tinnitus.

 The Oasis device looks like a small consumer music player and works by desensitizing the patient’s tinnitus perception. The patient wears the device for a prescribed number of hours on a daily basis, listening to soothing music that audiologists customize to each person’s unique hearing profile. A recent independent study shows that more than 90 percent of patients who use the NTT experience a significant reduction in tinnitus.

 “The Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment has proven to be one of the most effective ways to treat tinnitus on a long-term basis,” says Garrett. “The Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment reduces hypersensitivity and annoying environmental sounds – all by allowing the user to enjoy music, without constant distraction of their tinnitus. In effect, the treatment enables the brain to create alternative pathways so tinnitus is no longer perceived.”

RSVP, More information

The seminar, free of charge, will be open to the public as well as medical providers and clinicians who find tinnitus a debilitating condition among their patients. Seating is limited; RSVP is required to Timpanogos Hearing and Balance at 801-770-4744 or info@utahhearingaids.com by Nov. 11. Light refreshments will be served at the event.

The Best Western Timpanogos Inn is located at 195 S 850 E in Lehi. For more information, contact the office or visit Timpanogos Hearing & Balance’s website at www.utahtinnitus.com 

Timpanogos Hearing & Balance (www.utahhearingaids.com)

With locations in American Fork and Spanish Fork, Timpanogos Hearing & Balance is an audiology practice that helps adults and children with hearing and balance challenges. The professional staff includes three audiologists and two audiology technicians in addition to professional office staff. The practice offers a complete assessment of tinnitus and treatments for tinnitus, ranging from hearing aids to the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment.

New Study Shows That Musicians Hear Better

Parents are often told that having their children learn to play a musical instrument helps them to be better students.  However, recent studies indicate that learning to play a musical instrument helps you to hear better when you get older.

The study, published in Psychology and Aging, carried out hearing tests on 74 adult musicians and 89 non-musicians.  It found a 70-year-old musician's hearing was as good as that of a 50-year-old who did not play.

Hearing normally declines as people age. By 60, 10-30% of people have moderate hearing loss. By 80, that goes up to as many as 60%.  Problems are particularly seen in the central auditory processing system, which is associated with understanding speech, especially when there is background noise - often described as the "cocktail party problem".

Previous studies have shown musicians have better hearing than non-players.  But this research, by a team at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, looked at adults of all ages - from 18 to 91 - to see how people were affected as they aged.

They carried out hearing tests on 74 amateur and professional musicians (who had played since the age of 16, were still practising and had been given formal music lessons) and 89 non-musicians (who had never played an instrument).


Musicians were significantly better at picking out speech against noise.

The researchers suggest that lifelong musicianship mitigates age-related changes in the brain, probably due to musicians using their auditory systems at a high level on a regular basis.

Benjamin Zendel, who was part of the research team, said: "We found that being a musician may contribute to better hearing in old age by delaying some of the age-related changes in central auditory processing.

"This advantage widened considerably for musicians as they got older when compared to similar-aged non-musicians."

All people, whether musicians or not should protect their hearing and have annual hearing exams after age 60 to monitor their hearing.  You can call for a free hearing consultation at one of our two Utah County offices at 801-770-0801 or see http://www.utahhearingaids.com/ for more information about hearing and hearing protection.

“Use It or Lose It” – Why Your Brain Needs Hearing Aids

Many studies have shown that hearing better helps family relationships, helps people to increase their earning potential, and improves health and safety.  Recent studies, however, have shown that untreated hearing loss causes cognitive degeneration and early intervention considerably slows that decline. 

On average, people tend to wait five to seven years between first experiencing hearing loss symptoms and actually getting help for it. But research shows there are good reasons to seek hearing loss treatment sooner rather than later.

Early intervention prevents your brain from forgetting what to do

Over time, reduced stimulation to the ears and brain can actually impair the brain’s ability to process sound and recognize speech. Once speech recognition deteriorates, it is only partially recoverable with hearing aids in place.

Early intervention slows cognitive decline and communication problems

When you can’t hear what’s going on around you, it contributes to reduced mental sharpness and communication abilities.

Early intervention improves the use of hearing aids themselves

The earlier people begin to use hearing aids, the more comfortable they are with them, and the easier it is to learn to use them to greatest advantage. (If your world has been mostly silent, it can take longer to adapt to once again hearing all the little environmental sounds like fans, airplanes and footsteps.)

If you or someone you love is experiencing untreated hearing loss, realize that waiting longer is going to actually worsen your problem.  Taking action sooner rather than later will not only let you live a fuller life for a longer period of time, but will slow down the progression of the condition.

Timpanogos Hearing & Balance offers free hearing consultations with a Board Certified Audiologist.  They will examine your ears, test your hearing, and explain the results and their recommendations clearly.  If hearing devices are recommended, we will let you try them for free for a week to make sure that you can really see a difference.

Call and schedule your free consulation today at 801-770-0801 or go to http://www.utahhearingaids.com/news.php for free online offers!

One Patient's Lyric Hearing Success

If you have ever wondered about the completely invisible, hassle-free Lyric hearing aids, take a look at the success of one patient who has used hearing aids for years.  Thanks for the good words, Mr. Matson! 



You can find more information on our site at: http://www.utahhearingaids.com/lyric.php or call for a free demonstration and two week trial at 801-770-0801!

"Blindness Separates Us From Things, But Deafness Separates Us From People"

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880. Contrary to popular belief, she was not born blind and deaf, but was left with those disabilities after a serious illness at the age of 19 months. In spite of her obvious physical limitations, Helen worked very hard to become and educated, contributing member of society and a hero to anyone who has a disability.

She had the following to say about her perceptions on being blind and deaf:

"I am just as deaf as I am blind. The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus-- the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir, and keeps us in the intellectual company of man. "

"Blindness separates us from things but deafness separates us from people."

"Children who hear acquire language without any particular effort; the words that fall from others’ lips they catch on the wing, as it were, delightedly, while the little deaf child must trap them by a slow and often painful process. But whatever the process, the result is wonderful. Gradually from naming an object we advance step by step until we have traversed the vast distance between our first stammered syllable and the sweep of thought in a line of Shakespeare."

Those who live with hearing loss in any degree are missing part of that "most vital stimulus" talked about by Helen Keller. The good news is that of the 34 million people who have hearing loss in the United States, 95% of them can be helped.

If you or someone you love experiences the lonely effects of hearing loss, contact a hearing professional such as Timpanogos Hearing & Balance (801-770-0801) to begin the journey back to hearing today!

Queen drummer Taylor reliant on hearing aids

A long life as a musician in the rock band Queen has left its mark on drummer Roger Taylor’s hearing, but the rocker is still active

Years of playing loud music has made Roger Taylor hard of hearing and reliant on hearing aids. "I guess it was inevitable and hardly surprising given what I have been doing for the past 40 years,” the Queen star says.

My standard reply

There is a running joke in Taylor’s house, that no matter which question you ask the Queen drummer, the response is always the same. “Half-past seven is my standard reply,” Taylor says with a smile. “It doesn’t matter whether they’ve asked me what I want to drink, watch on TV or where I want to go on holiday.” Behind this private joke lies the uncomfortable truth that one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music has suffered dramatic hearing loss. Found By His Wife

My wife was the one who kept pointing out that the TV volume was up too loud, though I could only just hear it. Then I kept missing out on dialogue in films and at dinner parties and social gatherings I couldn’t understand what people were saying. It felt strange and frustrating to a point where I was starting to lip-read. I realised my hearing wasn’t what it should be,” the drummer explains.

Hearing aids help

Taylor is now wearing hearing aids in both ears. Luckily, the hearing loss has not affected Taylor’s vocal range, but his hearing aids are a great help. “I can still pitch perfectly but without the hearing aids I don’t hear the intricate high parts of the actual spectrum. It goes all ‘wooferly’.”

Good company

Taylor is not the only rock musician struggling with serious hearing loss e.g. The Who's Pete Townshend is also suffering from hearing loss, so the Queen star feels he is in "good company".

One Man's Experience Hearing Better

New Research Shows That Hearing Aids Help Majority of Users to Regain Quality of Life

Washington, DC — According to a new research study conducted by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI), today’s technically advanced, sleekly designed hearing aids are helping people with hearing loss regain their quality of life and remain socially involved.

The researchers surveyed 2,000 hearing aid users from across the United States and found that 8 out of 10 hearing aid users are satisfied with the changes that have occurred in their lives specifically due to their hearing aids. In addition, 82% of participants say that they would recommend hearing aids to their friends.

“This survey clearly reveals how dramatically people’s lives can improve with the use of hearing aids,” said Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI’s executive director and frequent contributor to The Hearing Review.

The improvements that participants saw in their quality of life as a result of their use of hearing aids were broad and varied. Among the findings:

■Nearly 70% of hearing aid users said their ability to communicate effectively in most situations improved because of their hearing aid;

■A little more than half said their hearing aids improved their relationships at home, their social life, and their ability to join in groups;

■Roughly 40% noted improvements in their sense of safety, self-confidence, feelings about self, sense of independence, and work relationships;

■Between 25% and 33% of hearing aid users said they even saw improvements in their romance, sense of humor, cognitive skills, and mental, emotional, and physical health;

■91% of all hearing aid users surveyed are satisfied with the ability of their hearing aids to improve communication in one-on-one situations; and

■85% of hearing aid users are satisfied their hearing aids improve communications in small groups; 80% while watching television; 78% while outdoors; 78% during leisure activities; 77% while shopping; and 77% while riding in a car.

Kochkin commented that outdated notions about hearing aids pose a significant barrier that inhibits people from addressing their hearing loss. He also said that public perception of hearing aids hasn’t kept pace with the new technologies and discreet designs of today’s modern devices. Furthermore, the misperceptions are holding people back from improving their quality of life by addressing their hearing loss.

Indeed, the BHI study reveals that 79% of people who do seek help and use hearing aids are satisfied with them, and 86% are satisfied with the benefit they derive from hearing aid usage.

“Today’s hearing aids are about staying young, not growing old,” Kochkin explained in the press statement. “People want to hold onto their vitality as they enter and move through middle-age. But when someone ignores a hearing loss—which oftentimes has progressed gradually over time as a result of repeated noise exposure—that individual unwittingly begins losing the very vitality they treasure. What this research shows, however, is that those who do face their hearing loss and use hearing aids are experiencing significant and satisfying improvements in their quality of life.”

For more details, see the entire news release on BHI’s Web site.

SOURCE: Better Hearing Institute

Hearing Aids May Help Decrease Brain Atrophy

Reprinted from Hearing Review: http://www.hearingreview.com/insider/2011-09-08_05.asp

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania shows that declines in hearing ability may accelerate gray matter atrophy in auditory areas of the brain and increase the listening effort necessary for older adults to successfully comprehend speech. However, a hearing aid may help decrease the atrophy, as well as help hearing ability.


When a sense (taste, smell, sight, hearing, touch) is altered, the brain reorganizes and adjusts. In the case of poor hearers, the researchers found that the gray matter density of the auditory areas was lower in people with decreased hearing ability, suggesting a link between hearing ability and brain volume.

Lead author Jonathan Peelle, PhD, research associate in the Department of Neurology, explained in the press release, "As hearing ability declines with age, interventions such as hearing aids should be considered, not only to improve hearing, but [also] to preserve the brain." He added, "People hear differently, and those with even moderate hearing loss may have to work harder to understand complex sentences."

In a pair of studies, researchers measured the relationship of hearing acuity to the brain, first measuring the brain's response to increasingly complex sentences and then measuring cortical brain volume in the auditory cortex. Older adults (60-77 years of age) with normal hearing for their age were evaluated to determine whether normal variations in hearing ability impacted the structure or function of the network of areas in the brain supporting speech comprehension.

The studies found that people with hearing loss showed less brain activity on functional MRI scans when listening to complex sentences. Poorer hearers also had less gray matter in the auditory cortex, suggesting that areas of the brain related to auditory processing may show accelerated atrophy when hearing ability declines.

In general, research suggests that hearing sensitivity has cascading consequences for the neural processes supporting both perception and cognition. Although the research was conducted in older adults, the findings also have implications for younger adults, including those concerned about listening to music at loud volumes. "Your hearing ability directly affects how the brain processes sounds, including speech," says Peelle. "Preserving your hearing doesn't only protect your ears, but also helps your brain perform at its best."

The research appears in the August 31, 2011, edition of The Journal of Neuroscience and was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Physicians should monitor hearing in patients as they age, noting that individuals who still fall within normal hearing ability may have increasing complaints of speech comprehension issues. Patients should talk to their physician or an audiologist if they are experiencing any difficulty hearing or understanding speech.

Is Your Child Hearing Well?

Child Hearing Loss

Hearing loss at any age is an emotional issue. It robs you of a sense that adds so much to the richness of life. This loss is especially heartbreaking in children. Not only does it impact the sound experience of a life yet to be lived to the fullest, but it also creates a barrier to a child's number one job, learning. Fortunately, many causes of hearing loss are treatable, and it is often possible to return the sounds of childhood to a young life. Read on to learn more.

Categories of Hearing Loss

As with adults, hearing loss in children is measured in degrees. The loss can range from mild, one that causes difficulty hearing hushed tones such as a whisper to moderately severe, where the child can still hear loud speech, to a total loss resulting in deafness.

Hearing loss in children typically falls into two main categories. The most common, a conductive hearing loss, is associated with conditions in the external or middle ear that block the transmission of sound. These conditions can include ear infection, fluid in the ear, impacted earwax, a perforated eardrum, a foreign object in the canal or birth defects that alter the canal. Many of these conditions are treatable through minor procedures or surgery.

Sensorineural loss, also known as "nerve deafness", is the second type. This occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or nerve pathways from the inner to the brain. Most often, this type of loss is caused by congenital. It can also be caused by the use of ototoxic drugs (antibiotics), premature birth with a very low birth weight and some of the resulting treatments or a number of other medical conditions. Although there is no cure for this type of hearing loss, in most cases children can often be helped with hearing aids.

Symptoms

Signs to look for possible hearing issues in children of different ages are:

Newborn / infant:

•Not startling at loud noises

•Not showing normal speech development

Toddler and older:

•Sitting close to the television with the sound turned up to a loud volume

•Having difficulty in school

•Not responding to someone that is talking without being face to face

•Stating they are having difficulty hearing

If you believe your child is experiencing a hearing loss, please come to our office in American Fork or Spanish Fork to meet with our Audiologists. Timely hearing testing, diagnosis and treatment will provide the best course of action ensuring the highest quality lifetime experiences for your child.

Contact us today 801-770-0801 to book your appointment.

Hearing Aids Running On Methanol?

Reposted from http://www.hearit.org/

In just a short time, hearing aid batteries could be replaced by a drop of methanol.

Danish scientists are working on replacing the existing batteries in hearing aids with easily rechargeable fuel cells which run on methanol.

”We have come further than we ever could have hoped when we started this project of designing methanol-based batteries which can replace the traditional zinc batteries in hearing aids today”. That is what Leif Højslet Christensen, head of the Danish Technological Institute, and head of the project, says.

Recharging in 30 seconds

The vision of the project is that the batteries in a hearing aid should not need to be replaced for five years. Instead, one should simply take the hearing aid with its in-built fuel cell out and fill it with methanol for 30 seconds in a recharger. After this, it can be put back in the ear.

“Our realistic hope right from the start was to get a fuel cell to last for a month before it needed to be changed. Now, we have reached a life of five weeks. We are very satisfied with that,” says Leif Højslet Christensen.

”We are also very satisfied that we have developed a docking station – a recharger- about the size of a mobile phone, in which one opens the lid, puts the hearing aid in, closes it again and pushes a button, so that the fuel cells are refuelled with methanol.”

Leif Højslet Christensen explains, that they have already attached a hearing aid to a fuel cell via wires and can, in practice, say that the hearing aid runs on methanol. The goal now is to make the fuel cells small enough that they can be put directly in the hearing aid.

Perhaps ready by 2012

“We expect to launch the first fuel cells, which can be used directly in hearing aids, in 2012 – 18 months earlier than expected,” explains Leif Højslet Christensen.

There are around 40 million hearing aid users in the world. They use 3.7 million batteries per year, which today contain mercury. The more of these which can be replaced, the better it is for the environment.

Leif Højslet Christensen explains, that each fuel cell uses 1:100-200 thousandths of a litre of methanol in each recharging. According to him, the waste products are water vapour and carbon dioxide, which are both totally harmless to both people and the environment.

The Danish Technological Institute is working with scientists from DTU Nanotech in Copenhagen and Institute of Chemistry at the University of Aarhus.

Sources: Hørelsen 01, 2011 and Auris, 01, 2011

Hearing helper? Help loved ones deal with hearing loss-the right way.

 Hearing loss is a common problem in our noisy society. So is denial you're experiencing hearing loss.

To compensate for hearing loss, people in denial will often ask those around them to repeat information at greater volume, unintentionally compelling their loved ones to act as their ears. Yet acting as ears for a hearing-impaired loved one who is in denial can actually do more harm than good.

Dr. Richard Carmen, an advisor with the Better Hearing Institute, offers tips on how to get loved ones to admit their hearing loss and seek treatment:

* Stop repeating yourself and stop raising your voice.
* Enlist the entire family in helping your hearing impaired loved one overcome his denial.
* Use an alerting phrase like "Hearing Helper," and say it every time a hearing-impaired loved one requires you to repeat information or raise your voice in order for him to hear better. The repetition will bring home to the person how often he or she asks for help to hear.

To learn more about hearing loss and effective treatments, visit the Better Hearing Institute's Web site at www.BetterHearing.org.

(Reprinted with permission from the Better Hearing Institute.)

Collecting Hearing Aids for Christmas Donation Program!

Reprinted from Daily Herald http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_6e6b92f5-15ea-57dd-ae94-44ec9dda31e2.html by Heidi Toth


Hearing aids have now joined soda cans, cell phones and bald tires on the list of "stuff you have no use for but somebody else does."

Timpanogos Hearing and Balance, a hearing center with offices in Utah County, and the Utah Department of Health are collecting old hearing aids that are cleaned up, refurbished and then donated to people who need hearing aids but can't afford them.

That list is longer than people might think. Grandpa's old hearing aid probably will end up in the ear of a working man who's supporting his children or a teenager with a hearing disability.

"There's a huge need, actually," Kim Garrett, the Timpanogos practice manager, said.

They started collecting hearing aids several years ago in concert with America Helps, a nonprofit organization that sends old hearing aids to people in Africa who need them. That's still a part of their mission, but Garrett said after a while they realized a significant number of people in Utah County needed hearing aids but couldn't pay for them. So now the company focuses its work close to home.

That need isn't just that people are struggling with rising medical costs; it's also that more people are experiencing hearing loss at a younger age. Garrett said the fastest-growing range of people developing hearing problems are younger than 55 years old.

You can blame the earbuds for that one.

While there are many reasons for hearing loss, the trend of cranking the volume on MP3 players plays a significant role in younger people losing their hearing, Stephanie McVicar, an audiologist with the Utah Department of Health, said. The sensitive hearing organs can suffer permanent damage from overexposure to loud music, explosions and other loud noises.

Those are the people Timpanogos Hearing and Balance is focused on helping. The health department has geared its donation efforts toward children who are born with hearing disabilities. Utah has about a 98 percent rate of screening newborns for hearing loss, which can be passed down genetically or be the result of an infection the mother contracted while pregnant. However, not all of the families who find out their baby has a hearing disability have the means to fix it, as many private health insurers don't cover it, and the state only pays for those families who are on Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Now, thanks to donations of reused hearing aids, more children up to 5 years old are getting fitted for hearing aids quickly, often before they start school.

"Oh my goodness, it's huge, particularly in a child," McVicar said of the impact of being able to hear properly. "The sooner these kiddos get fit, the better off they're going to be."

A child's managing audiologist puts the child on a waiting list and, if the family meets the financial criteria, the child is then fitted from the stock of donated hearing aids. That stock works for all but the most severe cases, she said.

Any hearing aids can be donated; those that don't work for hearing loss in children can be returned to manufacturers for credit.

Timpanogos Hearing and Balance also will take any hearing aids, Garrett said. They work with a company that adjusts the hearing aids so each meets a person's needs, and all but the old hearing aids can be refurbished. Those that cannot be adjusted are sent to Africa, since the villages they're going to do not have the capability to do the adjusting.

Timpanogos Hearing and Balance collects year-round and during Christmas selects people from all of those nominated to receive hearing aids. To nominate someone, go to www.utahhearingaids.com.

Timpanogos American Fork office: (801) 763-0724

Timpanogos Spanish Fork office: (801) 853-8153

Children's Hearing and Speech Services: (801) 584-8215

You can nominate yourself or someone else for this program by going to http://www.utahhearingaids.com/christmas_form.php

Dr. Garrett On Helping Everyone to Hear Better

Hearing for the Whole World

RePosted from http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_07844ae9-3da3-5147-8435-1588be987c10.html?print=1
Local doctor providing hearing aids to people in Ghana

Special to the Daily Herald
Posted: Friday, August 19, 2011 12:06 am

The ability to hear is something many people take for granted. But without it, communication can be very difficult.

And in a country like Ghana, a person with hearing loss can have a hard time finding employment. Those who can't find work often live in desperate poverty.

Dr. Layne M. Garrett, an audiologist at Timpanogos Hearing and Balance, has given the gift of improved hearing to hundreds of people in Ghana, from the capital city of Accra to tiny villages across the country.

Garrett says most of the hearing loss he encounters in Ghana comes from genetic factors or diseases like malaria. He has traveled to Ghana three times since 2005, and has another trip planned for November. He estimates that his team of audiologists, medical doctors, nurses, educators, and support staff has fit about 3,000 needy folks with hearing aids. The hearing aids are donated to Timpanogos Hearing and Balance, and are sometimes refurbished before being taken to Ghana.

In addition to the difficulties of finding employment, a person with hearing loss can often be physically at risk if they are unable to hear an approaching vehicle or a smoke detector, for example. Hearing loss can reduce people's ability to communicate with and understand others, straining relationships and leading to problems like depression, isolation, and withdrawal.

Garrett remembers one small boy, about 3 years old, in Ghana in 2005. The boy's family knew he couldn't hear, so they brought him to Garrett's clinic, where the boy was fitted with a hearing aid.

"Watching his face light up the minute he was able to hear his mother's voice was just an incredible thing," Garrett recalls.

Garrett doesn't confine his humanitarian work to overseas. During the Christmas season, Timpanogos Hearing and Balance operates a program to fit local people with hearing aids on a charitable basis. The office is currently accepting nominations on its website, utahhearingaids.com.

"Being able to help people, whether they're there or here, makes the experience worthwhile," Garrett says.

Matt Lauer's Hearing Test

Great story on the increasing prevalence of hearing loss, the process of having your hearing tested, and the options for treatment.  Thanks, Matt Lauer!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We're on T.V.!

Here's the YouTube video produced by Spanish Fork Channel 17 of our Grand Opening.  Thank you Spanish Fork Chamber of Commerce!

Interesting Facts About Hearing.

The world is filled with many interesting facts.  Here are a few interesting ones about our miraculous ears.

1.The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.

2.Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

3.The ears of a cricket are located on the front legs, just below the knee.

4.A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.

5.Most people associate ears with hearing and sound but don’t realize that the inner ear helps them to have good balance as they walk and run as well.

6.The smallest bone found in the human body is located in the middle ear and is only 2.8 millimetres long. It is also commonly known as the hammer, anvil and stirrup and collectively all three bones can fit together on a penny.

7.Animals hear better than humans, especially dogs who can hear at much higher frequency than humans.

8.When you go up to a high elevation, your ears pop.  This is because your Eustacion tubes are equalizing the pressure between the outside air and that inside your ear.

9.The ear continues to hear sounds, even while you sleep.

10.Fish do not have any ears but they can hear by the changes of pressure through the ridges on their body.

11.Snakes can hear through their jaw bone and through a traditional inner ear. In essence, snakes have two types of hearing mechanisms, which also helps them hear and catch prey.

12.Sitting in front of the speakers at a pop or rock concert can expose you to 120 decibels, which will begin to damage hearing after only seven and a half minutes.

13.Thirty-seven percent of children who have a minimal hearing loss will fail at least one grade.

14.Male mosquitoes hear with thousands of tiny hairs that grow on their antennae.

Free Money!

In celebration of the Grand Opening of our new Spanish Fork office, for a limited time, we are QUADRUPLING our referral bonus.  That's right.  If you refer a friend, family member, or anyone else into our office and that person purchases hearing technology, we will send you:

*

Your referral will also get a free consultation with one of our AudigyCertified audiologists, as well as $1000 off of their technology purchase.  You don't have to be one of our patients to take advantage of this offer.  Just make sure that the person you are referring mentions your name (or call us yourself and let us know.) 

This offer is for a limited time and is simply our way of thanking those who let their friends and family members know where they can receive the best hearing care in the state of Utah!  Call our American Fork office at 801-770-0801 or our Spanish Fork office at 801-853-8153 for more details or to make an appointment.

(*Thank you amount will be given on an American Express gift card.)

Grand Opening!

The ribbon is cut and we are now officially open in Spanish Fork.  Thank you so much to the wonderful Spanish Fork / Salem Chamber of Commerce for helping us to get this fun event set up.  Here are a few pictures:

Cutting the Ribbon-- thank you to family, old friends and new friends for your support!

Thank you to Sam's Club for a delicious cake!

Here's Kim, Dr. Garrett, and Dr. Forsey being interviewed for Spanish Fork Channel 17 News.

Inside the reception area of the new office.

Thank you everyone!  We look forward to seeing you soon at one of our two locations!

Timpanogos Hearing & Balance Now Open in Spanish Fork!

We are pleased to announce the Grand Opening of the new Spanish Fork Branch of Timpanogos Hearing & Balance located at 642 East Kirby Lane, #102!  Phone number: 801-798-7210. (We are in the same parking lot as Wingers on Highway 6)

We are officially open for business in that location, but our official Grand Opening Ceremony will be Thursday, July 14th at 12:00 pm.  We will have local television coverage, refreshments, gifts, and more!  We'd love to see you there!

This office, like our office in American Fork is an Audigy Certified, full-service hearing and balance clinic serving the people of Southern Utah County.  We provide:

• Comprehensive hearing evaluations for all ages
• Sales and service for all major brands of hearing technology
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) evaluation and treatment
• Balance evaluation and treatment
• Ear plugs and hearing loss prevention
• Ear wax removal and management
• All insurance plans accepted

Please join us for our special event or stop in to say hi and to see the new office!


View Larger Map

Meet Dr. Steven Forsey!

We would like to introduce to you the newest member of our team, Dr. Steven Forsey!  Dr. Forsey will be mainly working in our NEW SPANISH FORK office, which will open in July 2011.  (More information coming soon!)

Dr. Steven Forsey was born and raised in Spanish Fork. He has strong roots in southern Utah County as his family owned and operated “Forsey’s Variety Store” in Spanish Fork, Payson, Nephi and Heber City. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Brigham Young University and his Doctorate of Audiology degree from Idaho State University.  Dr. Forsey specializes in hearing aid sales and service, balance and dizziness assessments of adults, diagnostic hearing and pediatric hearing assessments. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and is certified by the American Speech Language-Hearing Association.

 In his spare time he enjoys snowboarding, hiking, spending time with his family, and changing the air filter is his favorite way to pretend he is good with cars. He is married to Mandy Johnson also from Spanish Fork and has three children. 

Dr. Forsey will be wroking in the American Fork office until July--- stop by and say hello!

Check Out These Hearing Videos!

In an effort to promote more educated choices among our patients, we have been working on our website.   We now offer professionally produced video clips on our site on the following topics:

• Hearing Loss Overview 
•  Signs of Hearing Loss
• Hearing Technology Overview
• Choosing the Right Hearing Technology
• Tinnitus Overview
• Why Two Hearing Devices Are Better Than One

We hope that you enjoy these informative videos!

Calorie restriction may delay age-related hearing loss

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US have succeeded in delaying age-related hearing loss in mice by restricting their intake of calories.

Experiments with mice have shown that a 25% reduction in calories activated a single enzyme, Sirt3, which helped preserve hearing. The experiments are described by researches in the journal Cell.

"If we can find compounds that activate Sirt3 we may be able to obtain some of the benefits of caloric restriction without having to restrict our calories," said Tomas A. Prolla, a professor of genetics at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US and senior author of the new paper.

Prolla and his colleagues carried out experiments with normal mice and mice deprived of the Sirt3 enzyme. In one experiment both groups were fed the 25%-reduced calorie diet for 10 months. The diet had the same weight loss effect on both groups.

Although the diet delayed hearing loss at various frequencies in the normal mice, it did not work at all in the mice lacking Sirt3.

Energy factories and free radicals

The experiments also suggested how the benefits of caloric restriction play out at the molecular level.

"What seems to happen that drives caloric restriction is that the organism senses it is under stress," Prolla explained. "There are then metabolic changes that favour self-preservation."

Under normal conditions, he said, levels of Sirt3 are low. Caloric restriction appears to boost levels of Sirt3 and the boost helps the cells' energy factories, called mitochondria.

The mitochondria produce not only the energy, but also atoms called free radicals, which damage cells and advance the effects of aging. When Sirt3 levels rise, however, they reduce production of the harmful free radicals. One result is less damage to cells, including the cells of the inner ear.

"We need to find out which are the main mediators of caloric restriction," Prolla said, explaining that the current study indicates Sirt3 is one of them. "Once we've identified them we can come up with interventions that mimic caloric restriction."

Click here for the full article from the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

A Couple of Random Items

We finally got a new sign for the front-- the old one faced West and was starting to melt.  Take a look when you are driving by on 300 North!

Secondly, as adults over 55 are the fastest growing group of technology users, we thought we'd pass along the following guide to texting abbreviations-- specifically for seniors.  Enjoy!

MIDDLE AGE TEXTING CODES:

• ATD -at the doctor.
• BFF -best friend fell.
• BTW -bring the wheelchair.
•  BYOT -bring your own teeth.
•  FWIW -forgot where I was.
•  GGPBL -gotta go, pacemaker battery low.
• GHA -got heartburn again.
•  IMHO -is my hearing aid on?
• LMDO -laughing my dentures out.
•  OMMR -on my massage recliner.
• ROFLACGU -rolling on floor laughing and can't get up.
• TTYL -talk to you louder

ConnectLine Microphone Helps In Difficult Communication Situations

At Timpanogos Hearing and Balance, we are constantly striving to provide the newest and best tools for our patients to communicate better with their loved ones.  Recently, Oticon has developed a new tool that has been very successful for some of our patients.

The Oticon ConnectLine system empowers users to take full advantage of their Oticon hearing instruments’ wireless connectivity by streaming audio from a variety of modern communication and entertainment devices. With ConnectLine Microphone, patients can capture audio from a much more personal source in even the most difficult listening situations. New ConnectLine Microphone is a discreet clip-on microphone designed to pick up a companion’s voice, filter out surrounding sound and transmit conversation wirelessly through the Streamer to the user’s hearing instruments. For users, the wireless transmission from the microphone to the hearing instruments means enhanced ability to engage in one-on-one conversations in environments that may have been difficult if not impossible before.

“There are listening environments that make it almost impossible for people with hearing loss to carry on one-on-one conversations,” says Oticon President Peer Lauritsen. “When driving in a car, face-to-face communication is not an option. Everyone is facing the same direction, eliminating the possibility of lip and facial expression reading. This scenario is exacerbated by sound bouncing off the windows and background road noise. Other noisy environments such as social gatherings or restaurants also reduce the likelihood that quiet conversation between two people can be understood and enjoyed. The ConnectLine Microphone can help to bridge those communication gaps, empowering people with hearing loss to stream their conversation partner’s voice wirelessly to their hearing instruments.”

The discreet ConnectLine Microphone is worn by the user’s companion and connects wirelessly to the Streamer, allowing the user to hear the other person’s voice directly through his/her hearing instruments. With ConnectLine Microphone and other Connectline solutions including the ConnectLine TV Adapter and Phone Adapter, hearing device users have the potential to participate more actively and interact more naturally in some of life’s most important situations.

Call our office at 801-770-0801 if you  are interested in trying out some of this fabulous new communication technology!

May is Better Hearing Month!

 Since 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association celebrates Better Hearing and Speech Month each May. This month of awareness is a good time to analyze your own hearing and determine if you are one of the estimated 28 million Americans who have a hearing loss that can be treated. You may have a hearing loss if you:

• frequently ask people to repeat themselves

• often turn your ear toward a sound to hear it better

• understand people better when you wear your glasses or look directly at their faces

• lose your place in group conversations

• keep the volume on your radio or TV at a level that others say is too loud

• have pain or ringing in your ears

"People who see themselves in these statements should see an audiologist for a hearing test," said audiologist (your name).

"Even a very slight hearing loss can have an impact on your daily life," said Dr. Garrett.  "Hearing loss is treatable, and there is no reason for anyone to miss all the important sounds of life."

Annual hearing checkups is a good idea for people age 45 and up, according to audiologists, the professionals who specialize in preventing, identifying, assessing, and treating hearing disorders.

Audiologists can prescribe hearing aids and assistive listening devices, and they can teach people with hearing loss how to concentrate on hearing all sounds.  Call 801-770-0801 during the month of May to schedule your free hearing health check up!