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!

Best of State!

Winners were just announced for Best of State 2011 and Timpanogos Hearing & Balance was named Best of State in Auditory Services!  We are so excited about this honor-- we are very proud of our staff and their never-ending care for our patients. 

If you haven't come into our office for a while, come in and say Hello and see the big improvements we've made in the last few months.  You'll be surprised!

New Hearing Loss Survey Results

Sergei Kochkin, an American hearing expert, has carried out various studies, the MarkeTrak Surveys, of hearing impaired Americans and their use of hearing aids.  In his 2008 survey, MarkeTrak VIII, he found that:

• More than 35 million Americans, 11.3 percent of the population, were hearing impaired.
• More than 25 million of them did not have a hearing aid.
• Only about 28.5 percent of hearing impaired Americans actually use hearing aids.

Furthermore, among people who suspect that their hearing is impaired, three in four wait for years before seeking treatment. The ratio is unchanged even among those whose suspicion is confirmed. Those are the findings of a new online survey conducted by hear-it.org.


Many hearing impaired people live with their untreated hearing loss for years, according to a new survey conducted by the non-commercial hear-it organization. Three in four people, who suspect that their hearing is impaired, said they believe that they have suffered from their hearing loss for more than a year. 37.5 percent said that they have lived with their untreated hearing loss for more than five years.

'My hearing loss got worse' is the main reason, given by 55.4 percent in an American survey, when hearing impaired people decide to get their first hearing aid. Many of them experience an improvement in their quality of life as they adapt to their hearing aids.


The finding was among the results of the extensive MarkeTrak VIII survey on hearing impairment in the US, conducted in 2009 by the American hearing expert, Sergei Kochkin. The MarkeTrak surveys are published every four years.

51 percent of the respondents indicated that they agreed to accept their first hearing aid partly because their family kept telling them that they had to do something about their bad hearing. 26 percent said that the hearing health care professional had influenced their decision.

Hearing aid specialists, family doctors and free hearing aid programs also were credited with some degree of influence.

The survey found that the average time from individuals become aware of their hearing loss until they are treated with hearing aids is 6.7 years. Non owners with hearing loss have been aware of their hearing loss for 12 years on average without seeking treatment.

Other studies have shown that hearing aids contribute to improvements in the wearers' quality of life as well as their hearing. 70 percent of the respondents in a German study found that their enjoyment of everyday life improved after they were fitted with digital hearing aids. Hearing impaired people with no hearing aid often have difficulty communicating with relatives, friends and colleagues and often feel isolated as a result.

Thanks, Emily!

Check out this video from one of our very satisfied patients!

Battery Tips

One frequent complaint about hearing technologies is the inconvenience of batteries going out too quickly.  Here’s how to make your batteries last longer.


Hearing aids will not work without batteries. In its magazine, Auris, the Swedish hearing association HRF gives some tips as to how get the most out of your batteries.

Zinc-air batteries should also be given a little time to “charge up” before they can be used. These batteries need air to work and it takes about a minute before the air has reacted to the zinc in the battery

1. Leave the batteries in their packaging until you need to use them
2. Store them at room temperature, not in the refrigerator
3. Only remove the coloured strip when you need to use them. This will protect the battery from oxidisation.
4. Do not put the coloured strip back on, as this can damage the battery.
5. If you do not use your hearing aid at night, turn it off and open the battery compartment. This reduces the risk of condensation and preserves the battery’s power.
6. Do not store batteries in your pocket.
7. Do not let batteries come into contact with metal objects.