Download Winter 2010 - Hearing Associates

Amy T. Packer, Au.D.
John H. Voss, Au.D.
Sara K. Downs, Au.D.
Jonathan P. Gervais, Au.D.
Denise A. Hove, Au.D.
4905 Matterhorn Dr
Duluth, MN 55811
www.hearbettertoday.com
a member of
SOUNDNEWS
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 • winter 2010
We hear with our ears, we listen with our brains
Why a Sound Experience Journal is an important tool in regaining hearing
Once you start using a listening device, you’ll
begin to hear forgotten sounds like the birds
chirping, the wind, and even traffic. These
sounds can be startling and exciting as you
get acclimated to your surroundings.
Watch our educational video on hearing at
www.hearbettertoday.com
Cook up a Storm
$25 certificate
GIFT
to a local restaurant when you refer a friend or family
member for a Hearing Evaluation Appointment.
Referral must mention your name.
3 3 3
Years free
batteries
Years loss
& damage
INSURANCE
Year
warranty
on AGX5, 7 & 9 two-device hearing systems.
Guaranteed in writing.
Duluth • 4905 Matterhorn Dr • 218.206.8929
Grand Rapids • 303 SE First St • 218.206.8888
Natural remedies for hearing loss have been
linked back to intakes of honey and cinnamon
consumed every day. Although the best remedy
for hearing loss is visiting your AudigyCertified
professional, you can still enjoy this recipe for
the holidays:
Baked Apples w/Honey and Cinnamon
Ingredients
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup water
6 apples
1/3 cup honey
Few drops red food coloring,
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
optional
Preparation
In a large kettle or Dutch oven, combine the sugar, water, honey,
cinnamon, food coloring, and raisins; bring to a boil. Peel and core
the apples and add to pan. Cover and simmer in the hot syrup until
tender, about 20 minutes. Place each apple in a dish for serving, using
a slotted spoon to place raisins in center of each apple. Pour syrup
over all. Serve immediately.
Superior • Mariner Clinic
Cloquet • Raiter Clinic
Two Harbors • Lakeview Clinic
Hayward • Northwoods Comm Health Ctr
The good news is you’ve already taken the
first steps. You had an initial audiogram,
which determined for each ear, your degree
of hearing loss. The audiogram measured the
lowest volume or decibel that you could hear
pure tone signals at different frequencies.
The softest sounds you heard at each pitch
at least 50 percent of the time (your hearing
threshold) was considered your hearing level.
The results of an audiogram can be clarified
when combined with other tests, such
as the ability to recognize or understand
words, as well as hearing capability in noisy
environments.
Keeping a Journal
One of the better tools that can help you
and your audiologist ensure you reach your
hearing goal is a Sound Experience Journal, as
provided by your AudigyCertified™ expert.
When creating your journal, you first
defined what three hearing situations
you wanted to track and the expected
sound environment for each situation
(loud, moderate, or quiet). We recommend
you keep up on your journal, so you’ll
maximize your hearing experiences within
your selected lifestyle. You can do this
by following through the journal and
listing the specific activity performed (e.g.,
dining in a restaurant) and describing the
experience. We encourage you to list any
new sounds heard and the quality of those
sounds.
“Noon, Room, Pool”
In addition to keeping a journal, you’ll be
asked to perform sound comprehension
tests with a companion at home. The test
consists of a list of like-sounding words,
such as “noon, room, pool.” Your companion
reads each word aloud to you, while
you repeat the word aloud
4 Tips on Retraining Your Brain to Hear
1. Practice listening to words with a companion.
2. Concentrate on similar-sounding words
(Bow/Bowl, Noon/Prune, Pull/Pool, etc.).
3. Focus on your companion’s lips.
4. Be patient; the process gets easier.
to verify your comprehension (pay close
attention to your companion’s lips when he
or she is talking).
Remember to keep your Sound Experience
Journal up-to-date and bring it to your next
hearing appointment. The combination of
your journal entries, sound comprehension
tests and audiogram results will help your
AudigyCertified professional determine
what adjustments should be made to
your listening device.
Patient Corner
How has your life changed since
receiving a hearing system? We would
love to hear from you! Send us your
success story and we may publish it in a
future newsletter.
Please send your information to
[email protected].
It’s Too Loud.
You’re Not Too Old.
It’s a Noisy, Noisy, Noisy, Noisy World
There’s really no avoiding it—we live
in a world full of all sorts of noise and
distraction. Since the onset of the
Industrial Revolution, our world—once a
tonal palette of songbirds, rolling waves
and blustery breezes—has become an
unrelenting (not to mention unnatural)
environment of electric hums, screeching
semis and factory clang. Of course, this
barrage of noise is one we’ve grown
accustomed to. More appropriately,
we have become desensitized by the
racket that surrounds us, both mentally
and physically.
Ironically, we often use a product, like
an MP3 player, Walkman or Discman, to
1 in 5 U.S. adolescents now
suffer from hearing loss.
1988 and 1994, compared with their
reported hearing loss between 2005 and
2006, uncovered a 31 percent increase in
hearing loss among those between 12
and 19 years old.”
Hearing Loss Can Affect Development
Researchers say this means one in
five adolescents now suffer some sort
of hearing impairment. The reported
hearing loss in the study is classified
as slight to mild, but can nonetheless
negatively affect a child’s socialemotional development, impair their
speech and language development,
as well as impede their academic
performance.
Tip for Parents: Apple has created a
function that limits the volume on
your child’s iPod or iPod Shuffle. Once
the volume is locked, a combination is
required to change the setting. Go to
http://support.apple.com for details.
insulate us from the external noises of the
world, by drowning them out with even
louder sounds channeled directly into
our ears. It’s really no wonder that hearing
loss is so widespread—it affects tens of
millions of people in the U.S. alone.
And though hearing loss is largely
considered an affliction that exclusively
affects older generations, hearing loss
among U.S. adolescents is sharply on
the rise.
Though many would be quick to cite
the earbuds themselves as the primary
offender in causing hearing loss among
adolescents, it is more likely prolonged
exposure to high levels of noise in
addition to the earbuds that causes
the damage.
This extended exposure to loud noise
causes hearing loss by destroying the cilia
(small hairs) in the inner ear. Cilia respond
to different frequencies, sending different
sounds to the brain for interpretation.
According to the latest research published When the cilia are destroyed, the brain
in The Journal of the American Medical
is unable to interpret the information it
Association, “the prevalence of hearing
has received, resulting in an individual’s
loss among U.S. adolescents between
inability to understand speech.
The Science
of Hearing
20% of adolescents
now suffer some sort of
hearing impairment.
20
Pump Up the Volume—These statistics will make
you think twice before turning the volume up.
6.5 million teenagers
in America struggle to hear
whispered conversations or
leaves rustling in the wind.
6.5
30
30 million Americans are
exposed to hazardous
sound levels every day.
5.2 million adolescents
have hearing loss directly
related to noise exposure.
5.2
50
50% or more of high school
students report having at least
one symptom of hearing loss.
Additionally, the study found that
“adolescents and young adults typically
underestimate symptoms of loud
sound, tinnitus and temporary hearing
impairment during music exposure and
underreport concern for these conditions.”
Prevent Hearing Loss Now
So, what’s the solution? Many Audiologists
would recommend a worthwhile
investment in your child’s or grandchild’s
hearing—and ultimately their social
and academic future—by swapping out
their MP3 player’s stock earbuds for a
set of custom-molded earbuds, specially
designed by a hearing care professional
whose goal is to provide the listener with
optimum sound in the safest way possible.
Custom earmolds’ individually-created tips
are made specifically for the wearer by
lab experts, while the acoustic design of
custom MP3 earmolds optimize the sound
quality of standard in-ear headphones
that come with MP3 players (and other
similar audio equipment). Custom
earmolds allow a perfect fit—even for
exercise—guaranteeing an excellent
acoustic seal, while, more importantly,
“Adolescents and young adults typically underestimate symptoms of
loud sounds, tinnitus and temporary hearing impairment during music
exposure and underreport concern for these conditions.”
making lower volumes more satisfying
to the listener to protect their hearing.
Though the nature of popular music
will always change as time goes on,
an adolescent’s relationship with
it most certainly will not. Why not
give them the opportunity to
enjoy it for a lifetime, by giving
them the education and tools
they deserve to maintain
their optimum
hearing health?
After all, music—
much like our
hearing and
communication—
is a gift that we
can share across
generations.
Your AudigyCertified™
professionals would love to ensure that your
family’s enjoyment of these gifts is anything but lacking.
Source: JAMA, August 18, 2010— Vol. 304, No. 7
“Change of Prevalence in Hearing Loss in US Adolescents”
The Speed of Sound
Have you ever thought about why inhaling from a
helium balloon gives your voice that temporarily
goofy Donald Duck voice? It can be explained by
understanding how fast sound moves through
different objects. The speed of sound is measured
by the velocity of a sound through a medium,
such as a gas or solid. For example, the speed of
sound in air is 768.095 mph at a temperature of
68°F. At sea level, this means sound moves faster
than 750 miles per hour.
In general, the denser the medium, the faster
sound travels. Sound travels faster through steel
than through wood, and it travels four times faster
through water than through air. That’s why your
voice sounds so much higher when you inhale
helium. Since helium is much denser than air, it
travels at a much higher rate causing it to sound
high-pitched.
The Big Boom Theory
A sonic boom is the sound of an object moving
faster than the speed of sound. This means the
sound is moving faster than 750 mph (at sea
level). As a jet flies through the air, it creates a
wave of pressure in front. If the jet travels less
than the speed of sound, air particles have
enough time to part in front of it, much like
waves part in front of a ship.
However, when the jet flies faster than the speed
of sound, also referred to as Mach 1, the pressure
waves are compressed and overlap, resulting
in what’s known as a sonic boom. The loudest
sonic boom every recorded was 144 pounds of
overpressure– created by an F-4 fighter jet flying
just over Mach 1 at an altitude of 100 feet. There
were no injuries, which is amazing, since just five
pounds of overpressure can cause minor damage
to buildings. Recently, an experimental jet set a
record for hypersonic flight, traveling at
Mach 6—six times the speed of sound!
It’s Too Loud.
You’re Not Too Old.
It’s a Noisy, Noisy, Noisy, Noisy World
There’s really no avoiding it—we live
in a world full of all sorts of noise and
distraction. Since the onset of the
Industrial Revolution, our world—once a
tonal palette of songbirds, rolling waves
and blustery breezes—has become an
unrelenting (not to mention unnatural)
environment of electric hums, screeching
semis and factory clang. Of course, this
barrage of noise is one we’ve grown
accustomed to. More appropriately,
we have become desensitized by the
racket that surrounds us, both mentally
and physically.
Ironically, we often use a product, like
an MP3 player, Walkman or Discman, to
1 in 5 U.S. adolescents now
suffer from hearing loss.
1988 and 1994, compared with their
reported hearing loss between 2005 and
2006, uncovered a 31 percent increase in
hearing loss among those between 12
and 19 years old.”
Hearing Loss Can Affect Development
Researchers say this means one in
five adolescents now suffer some sort
of hearing impairment. The reported
hearing loss in the study is classified
as slight to mild, but can nonetheless
negatively affect a child’s socialemotional development, impair their
speech and language development,
as well as impede their academic
performance.
Tip for Parents: Apple has created a
function that limits the volume on
your child’s iPod or iPod Shuffle. Once
the volume is locked, a combination is
required to change the setting. Go to
http://support.apple.com for details.
insulate us from the external noises of the
world, by drowning them out with even
louder sounds channeled directly into
our ears. It’s really no wonder that hearing
loss is so widespread—it affects tens of
millions of people in the U.S. alone.
And though hearing loss is largely
considered an affliction that exclusively
affects older generations, hearing loss
among U.S. adolescents is sharply on
the rise.
Though many would be quick to cite
the earbuds themselves as the primary
offender in causing hearing loss among
adolescents, it is more likely prolonged
exposure to high levels of noise in
addition to the earbuds that causes
the damage.
This extended exposure to loud noise
causes hearing loss by destroying the cilia
(small hairs) in the inner ear. Cilia respond
to different frequencies, sending different
sounds to the brain for interpretation.
According to the latest research published When the cilia are destroyed, the brain
in The Journal of the American Medical
is unable to interpret the information it
Association, “the prevalence of hearing
has received, resulting in an individual’s
loss among U.S. adolescents between
inability to understand speech.
The Science
of Hearing
20% of adolescents
now suffer some sort of
hearing impairment.
20
Pump Up the Volume—These statistics will make
you think twice before turning the volume up.
6.5 million teenagers
in America struggle to hear
whispered conversations or
leaves rustling in the wind.
6.5
30
30 million Americans are
exposed to hazardous
sound levels every day.
5.2 million adolescents
have hearing loss directly
related to noise exposure.
5.2
50
50% or more of high school
students report having at least
one symptom of hearing loss.
Additionally, the study found that
“adolescents and young adults typically
underestimate symptoms of loud
sound, tinnitus and temporary hearing
impairment during music exposure and
underreport concern for these conditions.”
Prevent Hearing Loss Now
So, what’s the solution? Many Audiologists
would recommend a worthwhile
investment in your child’s or grandchild’s
hearing—and ultimately their social
and academic future—by swapping out
their MP3 player’s stock earbuds for a
set of custom-molded earbuds, specially
designed by a hearing care professional
whose goal is to provide the listener with
optimum sound in the safest way possible.
Custom earmolds’ individually-created tips
are made specifically for the wearer by
lab experts, while the acoustic design of
custom MP3 earmolds optimize the sound
quality of standard in-ear headphones
that come with MP3 players (and other
similar audio equipment). Custom
earmolds allow a perfect fit—even for
exercise—guaranteeing an excellent
acoustic seal, while, more importantly,
“Adolescents and young adults typically underestimate symptoms of
loud sounds, tinnitus and temporary hearing impairment during music
exposure and underreport concern for these conditions.”
making lower volumes more satisfying
to the listener to protect their hearing.
Though the nature of popular music
will always change as time goes on,
an adolescent’s relationship with
it most certainly will not. Why not
give them the opportunity to
enjoy it for a lifetime, by giving
them the education and tools
they deserve to maintain
their optimum
hearing health?
After all, music—
much like our
hearing and
communication—
is a gift that we
can share across
generations.
Your AudigyCertified™
professionals would love to ensure that your
family’s enjoyment of these gifts is anything but lacking.
Source: JAMA, August 18, 2010— Vol. 304, No. 7
“Change of Prevalence in Hearing Loss in US Adolescents”
The Speed of Sound
Have you ever thought about why inhaling from a
helium balloon gives your voice that temporarily
goofy Donald Duck voice? It can be explained by
understanding how fast sound moves through
different objects. The speed of sound is measured
by the velocity of a sound through a medium,
such as a gas or solid. For example, the speed of
sound in air is 768.095 mph at a temperature of
68°F. At sea level, this means sound moves faster
than 750 miles per hour.
In general, the denser the medium, the faster
sound travels. Sound travels faster through steel
than through wood, and it travels four times faster
through water than through air. That’s why your
voice sounds so much higher when you inhale
helium. Since helium is much denser than air, it
travels at a much higher rate causing it to sound
high-pitched.
The Big Boom Theory
A sonic boom is the sound of an object moving
faster than the speed of sound. This means the
sound is moving faster than 750 mph (at sea
level). As a jet flies through the air, it creates a
wave of pressure in front. If the jet travels less
than the speed of sound, air particles have
enough time to part in front of it, much like
waves part in front of a ship.
However, when the jet flies faster than the speed
of sound, also referred to as Mach 1, the pressure
waves are compressed and overlap, resulting
in what’s known as a sonic boom. The loudest
sonic boom every recorded was 144 pounds of
overpressure– created by an F-4 fighter jet flying
just over Mach 1 at an altitude of 100 feet. There
were no injuries, which is amazing, since just five
pounds of overpressure can cause minor damage
to buildings. Recently, an experimental jet set a
record for hypersonic flight, traveling at
Mach 6—six times the speed of sound!
Amy T. Packer, Au.D.
John H. Voss, Au.D.
Sara K. Downs, Au.D.
Jonathan P. Gervais, Au.D.
Denise A. Hove, Au.D.
4905 Matterhorn Dr
Duluth, MN 55811
www.hearbettertoday.com
a member of
SOUNDNEWS
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 • winter 2010
We hear with our ears, we listen with our brains
Why a Sound Experience Journal is an important tool in regaining hearing
Once you start using a listening device, you’ll
begin to hear forgotten sounds like the birds
chirping, the wind, and even traffic. These
sounds can be startling and exciting as you
get acclimated to your surroundings.
Watch our educational video on hearing at
www.hearbettertoday.com
Cook up a Storm
$25 certificate
GIFT
to a local restaurant when you refer a friend or family
member for a Hearing Evaluation Appointment.
Referral must mention your name.
3 3 3
Years free
batteries
Years loss
& damage
INSURANCE
Year
warranty
on AGX5, 7 & 9 two-device hearing systems.
Guaranteed in writing.
Duluth • 4905 Matterhorn Dr • 218.206.8929
Grand Rapids • 303 SE First St • 218.206.8888
Natural remedies for hearing loss have been
linked back to intakes of honey and cinnamon
consumed every day. Although the best remedy
for hearing loss is visiting your AudigyCertified
professional, you can still enjoy this recipe for
the holidays:
Baked Apples w/Honey and Cinnamon
Ingredients
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup water
6 apples
1/3 cup honey
Few drops red food coloring,
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
optional
Preparation
In a large kettle or Dutch oven, combine the sugar, water, honey,
cinnamon, food coloring, and raisins; bring to a boil. Peel and core
the apples and add to pan. Cover and simmer in the hot syrup until
tender, about 20 minutes. Place each apple in a dish for serving, using
a slotted spoon to place raisins in center of each apple. Pour syrup
over all. Serve immediately.
Superior • Mariner Clinic
Cloquet • Raiter Clinic
Two Harbors • Lakeview Clinic
Hayward • Northwoods Comm Health Ctr
The good news is you’ve already taken the
first steps. You had an initial audiogram,
which determined for each ear, your degree
of hearing loss. The audiogram measured the
lowest volume or decibel that you could hear
pure tone signals at different frequencies.
The softest sounds you heard at each pitch
at least 50 percent of the time (your hearing
threshold) was considered your hearing level.
The results of an audiogram can be clarified
when combined with other tests, such
as the ability to recognize or understand
words, as well as hearing capability in noisy
environments.
Keeping a Journal
One of the better tools that can help you
and your audiologist ensure you reach your
hearing goal is a Sound Experience Journal, as
provided by your AudigyCertified™ expert.
When creating your journal, you first
defined what three hearing situations
you wanted to track and the expected
sound environment for each situation
(loud, moderate, or quiet). We recommend
you keep up on your journal, so you’ll
maximize your hearing experiences within
your selected lifestyle. You can do this
by following through the journal and
listing the specific activity performed (e.g.,
dining in a restaurant) and describing the
experience. We encourage you to list any
new sounds heard and the quality of those
sounds.
“Noon, Room, Pool”
In addition to keeping a journal, you’ll be
asked to perform sound comprehension
tests with a companion at home. The test
consists of a list of like-sounding words,
such as “noon, room, pool.” Your companion
reads each word aloud to you, while
you repeat the word aloud
4 Tips on Retraining Your Brain to Hear
1. Practice listening to words with a companion.
2. Concentrate on similar-sounding words
(Bow/Bowl, Noon/Prune, Pull/Pool, etc.).
3. Focus on your companion’s lips.
4. Be patient; the process gets easier.
to verify your comprehension (pay close
attention to your companion’s lips when he
or she is talking).
Remember to keep your Sound Experience
Journal up-to-date and bring it to your next
hearing appointment. The combination of
your journal entries, sound comprehension
tests and audiogram results will help your
AudigyCertified professional determine
what adjustments should be made to
your listening device.
Patient Corner
How has your life changed since
receiving a hearing system? We would
love to hear from you! Send us your
success story and we may publish it in a
future newsletter.
Please send your information to
[email protected].