Hearing Aids Springfield, MO

08/15/2012

Rock concerts may put teens' hearing at risk;
Exposure to loud music at a rock concert often results in temporary hearing loss for teenagers, researchers say.

A small study by the House Research Institute revealed that 72% of teens reported reduced hearing after attending a three-hour show. This type of hearing loss typically disappears within 48 hours, but if it occurs repeatedly, permanent hearing loss can develop, the study authors noted.

"Teenagers need to understand a single exposure to loud noise either from a concert or personal listening device can lead to hearing loss," study lead author Dr. M. Jennifer Derebery, physician at the House Clinic, said in an institute news release. "With multiple exposures to noise over 85 decibels, the tiny hair cells may stop functioning and the hearing loss may be permanent ."

How the study was done

For the study, researchers offered 29 teenagers free tickets to a rock concert. All of the seats were about 15 to 18 rows away from the stage.

Beforehand, the kids were told how they could protect their hearing and were encouraged to use foam ear plugs during the performance. Only three chose to use them, the study authors noted.

Using a calibrated sound pressure metre, researchers seated with the teens found that sound decibel levels (dBA) ranged from 82 to 110 dBA and averaged 98.5 dBA. The average was greater than 100 dBA for 10 of the 26 songs played.

Derebery and colleagues noted that these levels exceeded the workplace safety standards of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which sets time limits on exposure to sound levels of 85 dB or greater.

Following the concert, most of the teens had a significant reduction in the Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions test, which checks the function of cells in the inner ear. These cells are critical to normal hearing and most vulnerable to damage from prolonged noise exposure.

Specifically, 53.6% of the teens said they were not hearing as well as they did before the concert, and 25% reported tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears.

Although these cells usually recover, the researchers cautioned that repeated exposure to loud noise could permanently damage hearing.

More research needed

The authors said more research is needed to determine if teenage ears are more sensitive than adult ears. Guidelines for noise exposure among teenagers may need to be updated, they added.

"It also means we definitely need to be doing more to ensure the sound levels at concerts are not so loud as to cause hearing loss and neurological damage in teenagers, as well as adults," said Derebery. "Only three of our 29 teens chose to use ear protection, even when it was given to them and they were encouraged to do so. We have to assume this is typical behaviour for most teen listeners, so we have the responsibility to get the sound levels down to safer levels."

The researchers pointed out that teenagers should take advantage of sound meter "apps" available for smartphones, which provide an estimate of surrounding noise level, and use ear protection when appropriate.

The study, recently presented at an American Otologic Society meeting, will be published in a future issue of Otology & Neurotology.
http://www.betterhearing.org/press/news/Rock_concerts_put_youth_at_risk_for_hearing_loss_pr05312012.cfm

Not-for-profit organization with the mission of educating the public and medical profession on hearing loss, its treatment and prevention.

04/18/2012

Medical professionals who are wearers of hearing instruments often experience challenges performing auscultation since the hearing instruments often preclude the use of standard acoustic or electronic stethoscopes. Until recently, viable options were limited to the use of aesthetically unappealing oversized-headphones, uncomfortable adapters (stethomate tips) associated with limited success, or the need to concede to forgoing the use of hearing instruments during auscultation. Audiologists finally have a solution in the form of the Audiologist’s Choice Amplified Stethoscope for patients employed in the medical field.

Medical professionals who are wearers of hearing instruments often experience challenges performing auscultation since the hearing instruments often preclude the use of standard acoustic or elect...

04/14/2012

All Pure instruments can connect wirelessly to a cell phone, stereo, mp3 player, TV or other audio devices with Tek® or miniTek™ wireless enhancement technology systems.

It hides, you shine. Designed for utmost discretion, Pure packs the most advanced hearing technology into a super-small size. Available in four performance levels, Pure is perfect for those who don't want to be defined by their hearing loss.

Pure Individuality
Pure gives you exactly the strength you need, whether your hearing loss is mild or moderately severe. Available in an array of natural hair colors and skin tones, Pure blends in so you can stand out. With a choice of configurations, program options, fits, and colors, Pure puts you in control.

All Pure instruments can connect wirelessly to a cell phone, stereo, mp3 player, TV or other audio devices with Tek® or miniTek™ wireless enhancement technol...

04/12/2012

Awkward battery changes, tiny controls and uncertainty over how much power is left are all things of the past as AQ 2G hearing systems can be charged conveniently in their designer station overnight when you do not need them. Cutting-edge technology, excellent sound, optimal understanding of speech and maximum comfort -- what more can you ask from a modern hearing system?

Freedom without borders, -hearing without batteries: AQ 2G Time for new hearing awareness: cutting-edge battery technology from the modern manufacturer HANSA...

03/29/2012

Hearing Aid Wearers Tell Us Their Stories Before and After Hearing Aids;
Hearing aids can change lives. They improve the life of the wearer and the relationships of those around them. From family and friends, to colleagues at work, hearing aids can create a positive influence. We’ve captured several patients’ experiences with hearing aids to help you discover the beauty of sound again. Experience the change first hand in their stories. No two experiences are alike, because everyone’s hearing loss and lifestyle needs are unique.

This page has the testimonial stories of patients who overcame their hearing loss with Siemens hearing aids.

03/18/2012

A Rocket Scientist Chooses Siemens Pure;

At 59 years of age, Stephen Franklin has led an extra ordinary life. He was a navigator in the US Air Force for 20 years, he’s driven race cars, and now he is literally a rocket scientist.

Stephen works for a company that launches satellites into orbit so they build rockets and all the cool stuff that goes with rockets. Stephen is an engineer who makes sure projects are designed properly before launch.

A few year ago, Stephen found himself asking his co-workers to repeat themselves. He had tried hearing aids before but rejected them for several reasons. When he decide to have his hearing tested again he found that he had moderate hearing loss across all frequencies.

Stephen decided on the Siemens Pure® digital hearing aids. Here’s what he has to say about Siemens Pure:

“They are lighter, and smaller than the previous behind-the-ear model I was wearing. The technology has really changed a lot.” Says Stephen.

It’s always interesting when a rocket scientist is impressed with technology.

His advice to people suffering from hearing loss, even mild hearing loss?

“Get help. A lot of guys are vain,” says Franklin. “It’s not a sign of weakness at all. That’s the message I want to tell guys. It’s not a sign of weakness and It makes your life better.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Shawnae Jebbia, former Miss USA, talks about Pure, her Siemens hearing instrument.

03/08/2012

While open fit, in-the-ear, and behind-the-ear hearing aids each offer pros and cons, the bottom line is that it is important to find the product that is best suited for your type of hearing loss. Make sure that any type of hearing aid you purchase leaves you with room for adjustment if your hearing changes over the next few years.
http://www.preferredhearing.com/

We specialize in hearing loss and hearing aids in Springfield, Missouri. Our office is a dedicated hearing healthcare facility. It is vital that you know all of your hearing treatment options and the results which are to be expected.

03/01/2012

Johns Hopkins: Hearing Loss Triples Risk for Falling in Middle Aged-adults and Elderly

Baltimore — A new study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher suggests that having hearing loss triples the risk of falling down for people in their 40s and later. The findings are regardless of whether the hearing loss is moderate or severe.

The finding could help researchers develop new ways to prevent falls, especially in the elderly, and their resulting injuries that generate billions in health care costs in the United States each year, by some estimates.

To determine whether hearing loss and falling are connected, Frank Lin, MD, PhD, at Johns Hopkins, and his colleague Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD, of the National Institute on Aging, used data from the 2001 to 2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

During those years, 2,017 participants ages 40 to 69 had their hearing tested and answered questions about whether they had fallen over the past year. Researchers also collected demographic information, including age, s*x, and race, and tested participants’ vestibular function.

Lin, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Ferrucci found that people with mild (25 dB) hearing loss were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling.

Every additional 10 dB of hearing loss increased the chances of falling by 1.4 fold. This finding still held true, even when researchers accounted for other factors linked with falling, including age, s*x, race, cardiovascular disease, and vestibular function. Even excluding participants with moderate to severe hearing loss from the analysis didn’t change the results.

Lin, an otologist and epidemiologist, says among the possible explanations for the link is that people who can’t hear well might not have good awareness of their overall environment, making tripping and falling more likely.

Another reason hearing loss might increase the risk of falls, Lin adds, is cognitive load, in which the brain is overwhelmed with demands on its limited resources.

“Gait and balance are things most people take for granted, but they are actually very cognitively demanding,” Lin says. “If hearing loss imposes a cognitive load, there may be fewer cognitive resources to help with maintaining balance and gait.”

Baltimore — A new study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher suggests that having hearing loss triples the risk of falling down for people in their 40s and later. The findings are regardless of whether the hearing loss is moderate or severe.

02/26/2012

THE ACADEMY OF DOCTORS OF AUDIOLOGY WARNS CONSUMERS AGAINST OBTAINING HEARING AIDS WITHOUT PROPER DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COUNSELING

(Lexington, Ky.)--The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) urges consumers who suspect that they have hearing loss to seek treatment from a licensed audiologist or other hearing healthcare professional to ensure the proper diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss, and to identify potentially serious underlying medical conditions. Further, ADA reminds consumers that hearing aids are not always the recommended course of treatment for hearing loss.

“Even when hearing loss is detected through a comprehensive examination, hearing aids are not always a recommended course of treatment,” said ADA President Eric Hagberg, Au.D., “The purchase and use of a hearing aid without a proper examination, diagnosis and counseling is a recipe for poor treatment outcomes and increased risks.”

Key risks of omitting an evaluation and treatment by a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional include the missed diagnosis of a serious underlying health condition that requires medical intervention and subsequent hearing loss as a result of improper fitting and/or programming of hearing aids.

According to the ADA, there are many possible causes of hearing loss including:
Aging– Hair cell loss from the nerve endings in the cochlea, stiffening of the cochlear structure, or loss of nerve endings on the acoustic nerve, may be age-related causes of diminished hearing.
Blockages in the outer ear– Almost anything can block the ear canal and cause hearing loss. Common blockages include earwax, foreign bodies, swelling from allergies or infections, injuries, and birth defects.
Ear infections– Generally, ear infections cause swelling in the middle ear, which in turn causes a build up of fluid behind the eardrum .
Fistula– A fistula is an abnormal opening between the middle and inner ear that causes fluid to leak from the inner ear. Symptoms include dizziness, as well as hearing loss.
Head injury– A head injury can damage nerves in the hearing centers of the brain.
Medication– Some medications have been identified as ototoxic and can cause hearing loss.
Meniere’s Disease – Pressure in the inner ear may cause fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing sensation), dizziness and nausea.
Noise– The single most common cause of hearing loss is exposure to loud noise.
Otosclerosis– This is a hereditary disease. New bone grows around one of the small bones that transmits sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. This new growth of bone disrupts sound transmission.
Tumors– Tumors can be benign or malignant. Depending on where the tumor is located, the resulting hearing loss may be either conductive or sensorineural.
Many of these conditions cannot be treated with a hearing aid—and several require immediate medical intervention for treatment.

United Healthcare (UHC), the largest U.S. insurer by revenue, announced on October 3, 2011, that it will provide subscribers and the general public with online hearing testing and allow the purchase/obtainment of hearing aids via the Internet through its subsidiary hi Health Innovations.

This announcement came on the same day that UHC’s parent company, United Health Group, introduced its 2012 Medicare Plans and began marketing to elderly subscribers. The announcement also ironically coincided with United Health Group’s (United Health Foundation) announcement that it would provide a $50,000 grant to the National Council on Aging (NCOA) so that NCOA can “expand outreach efforts to seniors and aging services organizations, reminding them to work with health care professionals for appropriate (hearing) screening.”

The announcement by United Healthcare to offer an online diagnostic, treatment and distribution model for hearing healthcare has prompted growing concerns within the health community.

“This undermines every good practice with regard to hearing healthcare as this diagnosis and delivery model is unsound, unsafe and unreliable,” said Dr. Hagberg. “Without the proper diagnosis, counseling, hearing aid fitting and follow-up evaluations, successful treatment for hearing loss cannot be achieved.”

On October 26, 2011, the Minnesota Department of Health released a statement stressing the importance of seeing a hearing health practitioner for hearing loss and advising that failure to do so “skirts state and federal legal protections and could result in harm.” Read the full release here: http://www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressrel/2011/hearing102611.html. United Healthcare, UnitedHealth Group, and hi Health Innovations are all based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

On October 12, 2011, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) released a press release warning consumers against “Do it Yourself Hearing Care.” Read the full release here: http://www.betterhearing.org/press/news/Internet_direct_mail_hearing_aids_pr10122011.cfm

On October 26, 2011, an attorney retained by the International Hearing Society (IHS) sent a letter to hi Health Innovations requesting that the company cease and desist selling hearing aids through its website. Read the full letter here:http://ihsinfo.org/pdf/IHS_Letter_to_HealthInnovations.pdf

On October 31, 2011, ADA and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) sent joint letters to Lisa Tseng, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of hi Health Innovations and Rhonda Medows, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of United Health Group, expressing concerns and requesting additional information regarding the insurer’s plans for an online hearing healthcare delivery system. Read the letters here:
http://www.audiologist.org/_resources/documents/UHC%20letter%20Oct%2011%20Tseng.pdf
http://www.audiologist.org/_resources/documents/UHC%20letter%20Oct%2011%20Medows.pdf

Intricon Corporation, headquartered in Arden Hills, Minnesota, has been contracted to manufacture the hearing aids sold by hi Health Innovations, whose parent company is UnitedHealth Group. This goes against the common practice within the hearing aid manufacturing community. In fact, most hearing aid manufacturers have made public statements that they will not allow their hearing aids to be sold online.

“Thankfully most hearing aid manufacturers will not allow their hearing aids to be sold or purchased without a face-to-face consultation with a licensed practitioner, because they too recognize the inherent risks associated with the purchase and use of hearing aids without the proper counseling and fitting that only a licensed hearing healthcare professional can provide.”

Hearing aids are medical devices regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and must be recommended, sold and fit by qualified health professionals. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=801.420

Further, all 50 states require licensure for the dispensing of hearing aids. http://www.audiologist.org/resources/state-licensure.html

The ADA urges consumers to seek proper diagnosis, treatment and counseling for suspected hearing loss. To find a licensed ADA member in your area, visit http://www.audiologist.org/audiologist-directory.html.

Other Useful Resources
Consumer Reports Hearing Aid Checklist: http://www.consumerreports.org/health/healthy-living/home-medical-supplies/hearing/hearing-aids/buying-tips-a-checklist/hearing-aids-before-you-buy.htm
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD):http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/hearingaid.aspx
Better Hearing Institute (BHI): http://www.betterhearing.org/
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Position Statement on Hearing Aids for People with Hearing Loss:http://hlaaleaderswiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/Position+Statement+on+Hearing+Aids+for+People+with+Hearing+Loss.pdf

About ADA
The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) is a leading national organization of practicing audiologists. ADA is dedicated to the advancement of practitioner excellence, high ethical standards, professional autonomy and sound business practices in the provision of quality audiologic care. For more information, visit www.audiologist.org.

Officials from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) are stressing the importance of seeing a hearing health practitioner if consumers have concerns about hearing loss. A hearing health practitioner will take a case history, visually inspect the ear, conduct hearing tests, recommend a hearing aid...

12/30/2011

"For workers, noise induced hearing loss is the most common occupational disease and the second most self-reported occupational injury. Studies estimate a 50-70% reduction of income received for workers with untreated hearing loss as compared to that received by their non-hearing impaired peers." -Hearing Loss Association of America. 10 Sept. 2007.

11/09/2011

Find local business information about Preferred Hearing Care in Springfield, MO including contact information, hours of operation and more.

11/09/2011

Link between Depression and Untreated Hearing Loss Highlighted by BHI during Mental Illness Awareness Week

Washington, DC, September 13, 2011 — The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) announced today that in recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 2-8); National Depression Screening Day (October 6); and World Mental Health Day (October 10), it is educating the public on the link between hearing loss and depression.

A growing body of research indicates that people with untreated hearing loss may be at an increased risk of depression. Studies also show that when these individuals use hearing aids, they experience significant improvements in quality of life and decreased depressive symptoms; have significantly higher self-concepts compared to individuals with hearing loss who do not wear hearing aids; and experience significant improvement in their functional health status.

“When left unaddressed, hearing loss can lead to isolation and other emotional conditions that can affect both qualify of life and mental health,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI’s Executive Director. “BHI therefore is encouraging people to take a free, quick, and confidential online hearing test at www.hearingcheck.org to determine if they need a comprehensive hearing check by a hearing professional.”

Depression is a serious, common, and complex illness that affects an estimated 121 million people worldwide, according to the World Federation for Mental Health. In the United States alone, major depression affects 15 million American adults, or approximately 5 to 8 percent of the adult population in a given year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports. What’s more, depression frequently co-occurs with a variety of other physical illnesses.

The link between unaddressed hearing loss and depression is compelling. For example, a large-scale study by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) found that people 50 and older with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, anger and frustration, emotional instability and paranoia, and were less likely to participate in organized social activities than those who wore hearing aids. The degree of depression and other emotional or mental health issues also increased with the severity of hearing loss.

An Italian study, published in Acta Otorhinolaryngologica Italica, involved working adults aged 35 to 55 who were affected by mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears. In this study, those with hearing loss reported higher levels of disability and psychological distress—and lower levels of social functioning—than a well-matched normal control population. The hearing-impaired individuals experienced reduced ordinary social activities, increased relational problems with family and friends, and greater emotional difficulties at work. They also showed higher levels of anxiety, depression, phobic anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility.

Another survey, released by Australian Hearing, also found that people who suffer from hearing loss may be at increased risk of developing the debilitating effects of depression. The survey found that 60 per cent of those with hearing loss had displayed symptoms associated with depression. And almost 20 per cent demonstrated at least three key symptoms of depression. Specifically, 52 per cent had displayed increased irritability and frustration; 22 per cent had trouble sleeping or experienced restlessness; and 18 per cent showed a loss of interest or pleasure in most activities.

The good news is that research also indicates that hearing aids can help. A study published in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics examined the effects of hearing aids on cognitive function and depressive signs in people 65 and older. Researchers found that after three months of using a hearing aid, all patients showed significant improvement in their psychosocial and cognitive conditions.

Not-for-profit organization with the mission of educating the public and medical profession on hearing loss, its treatment and prevention.