More Than Just Hearing Aids

My family doctor would know if I had a hearing loss

If you suspect that a loved one has a hearing loss, do not assume that the family physician will let you know. Less than 12% of physicians refer their patients to audiology. Physicians do not notice hearing loss because they typically see their patients in an ideal listening situation (small quiet room with no background noise).

If you believe that your loved one has a hearing loss, do not wait for the family physician to recommend a hearing test. You do not need a referral to see an audiologist, we are like dentists, you just need to call and make an appointment. Our clinic has been serving the residents of Amherstburg, LaSalle, McGregor, Essex, Harrow and Windsor since 2010.

I Think I’ll Wait Until My Hearing Gets Really Bad

“I Think I’ll Wait Until My Hearing Gets Really Bad”
Laurie Bornstein, MS, CCC/A
Executive Hearing LLC

What is your reason to postpone an investment in better hearing? While cost may certainly be a concern, it has also been shown that even when hearing aids are free, many still balk at wearing them. What’s worse is when physicians tell their patients that they are “too young” to wear hearing aids, or “not bad enough yet,” or that “hearing aids only make things louder.”

Physicians who are not Ear, Nose and Throat specialists get very little education about hearing in medical school. Even ENTs who are quite knowledgeable about ears are seldom educated about hearing aids, but because they are medical doctors, patients listen to them and accept as fact statements that might only be opinions. Hearing aid technology changes so frequently that audiologists can barely keep up, but that’s precisely what makes audiology a specialty that requires several years of schooling and constant updating!

When your physician (or anyone!) tells you to skip getting hearing aids for now, ask if s/he knows of a medical or surgical intervention that will make you hear better or make your tinnitus subside. If the answer is no, then get out of there and head to an audiologist for another opinion.

If you have trouble hearing – even “sometimes” – please don’t postpone taking care of it. Today’s hearing solutions range from simple amplifiers that are useful for those who truly might not benefit much from “real” hearing aids, yet report some difficulties, to high-tech devices that will even interact with some electronic devices in the home.
Many people don’t realize how much they miss and how much added stress and fatigue results from straining to hear. Life is not only safer and experiences richer when one can hear, people report having energy that they thought was only available to the young.

Now that there has been shown to be a relationship between untreated hearing loss and early onset of dementia, it is more important than ever to retain your hearing as long as possible. If that means wearing hearing aids, wear them proudly in the realization that you are taking care of yourself so that you can interact fully for as long as you walk this earth. Friends and loved ones are counting on you!

You are a Doctor but I can’t call you Doctor?

Our audiologist is a Doctor of Audiology. She was part of the first graduating class of Doctors of Audiology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Prior to her official graduation the was practicing in Livonia and was referred to as “Dr. McKenzie”, then after she graduated she returned to Ontario where she could no longer use her title.

In the United States, audiologists who hold a doctorate degree are able to address themselves as Doctor to their patients. In Mexico, audiologists who hold a doctorate degree are able to address themselves as Doctor to their patients.In the U.K., audiologists who hold a doctorate degree are able to address themselves as Doctor to their patients. In other provinces of Canada, audiologists who hold a doctorate degree are able to address themselves as Doctor to their patients. Unfortunately, audiologists who hold a doctorate degree in audiology are unable to address themselves as doctor in in Ontario.

There is a list of several health care professions that are allowed to use the title doctor while treating patients in Ontario. This list includes physicians, chiropractors, optometrists, dentists and psychologists. Patient’s who go to a dentist, are not confused when they see “Dr. Smith”. Patient’s who go to an optometrist, are not confused when they see “Dr. Brown”. Patient’s who bring their dog to a vet are not confused when they see “Dr. White”. Yet, for some reason it is believed that patients who make an appointment to see an audiologist will be confused when they see “Dr. Green”.

Our audiologist is Dr.McKenzie when she goes to the bank. She is Dr. McKenzie when she renews her drivers license or passport. She is Dr. McKenzie in every situation but one: when she treats her patients. She has to actually correct her patients when they refer to her as Dr. McKenzie.

In June 2016, audiologist Dr. Brenda Berge launched a constitutional challenge to use the title doctorwhen treating patients. It’ll be interesting to see what will happen next. We will update this post once a decision has been made.

Sudden Hearing Loss

A few times a year I will get a phone call from a patients wanting to be seen right away because they woke up and could not hear out of one ear. Sometimes these people will complain about tinnitus, dizziness or a plugged up feeling. Sometimes the only symptom is hearing loss.

Sudden hearing loss is something you want to get checked right away. Here are some steps for you to follow:

(1) You will want to have your ears checked for wax by either your local independent audiologist, your family physician or nurse practitioner.

(2) If wax is not the culprit, you will want a full audiometric evaluation performed by an audiologist.

(3) Your audiologist will determine the degree and type of hearing loss that you have and then recommend the appropriate next steps. You may have to see an Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon (Otolaryngologist), and having a hearing test will help the audiologist come up with recommendations.

 If you woke up with decreased vision you would book an eye exam right away. Do not ignore sudden hearing loss, book a test with our local independent audiologist. Residents of Amherstburg, Harrow, LaSalle, McGregor, Essex and Windsor can call our office to be tested by our Doctor of Audiology.

Understanding Hearing Loss

A hearing loss, or hearing impairment, is when your hearing is not within the normal predisposed range. In order to understand this, it might be helpful to understand a hearing test and what it measures.

An audiogram is a graphical representation of what you hear. There will be two axes: one represents the different frequencies tested in Hertz (Hz) and the other represents the level/volume in decibel (dB). Based on the test results, we will plot the softest sound that you hear at each specific frequency, which is called the threshold. Responses obtained from the right ear are plotted by using an “O” while responses obtained from the left ear are plotted with an “X”. To make sure you understand this concept, let us look at the audiogram below. The threshold for the right ear at 250Hz is 25dB, at 2000Hz it is 40dB and at 8000Hz it is 65dB.

Normal hearing is 0dB for all the frequencies, but we take the range between -10dB to 25dB as an acceptable one. That means that any threshold where the number is 25dB or greater is considered to be a hearing loss.

To give you an idea of how loud things are, below is a list of various sounds and their corresponding decibel levels.

audiogram0 dB – Threshold of hearing
20dB – Rustling Leaves
30 dB – Quiet Whisper 3 feet away
40dB – A Quiet Home
50dB – A Quiet Street
60dB – Normal Conversation
70dB – Inside a Car
75dB – Loud Singing 3 feet away
80dB – A Car 25 feet away
88dB – Motorcycle 30 feet away
90dB – Foodblender 3 feet away
94dB – A Subway (inside)
100dB – A Diesel Truck 30 feet away
107dB – A Power Mower 3 feet away
115dB – Pneumatic Riveter 3 feet away
117dB – A Cain Saw 3 feet away
130dB – A Jet Plane 100 feet away

“Throughout the years, I have had many patients tell me that their hearing is normal for their age. There are no age specific values for normal hearing. You either have hearing loss or you don’t.”
Bernice A. McKenzie, Au.D.

Why are there no testimonials on your website

We get asked that question at least once a day.

Our clinic is owned and operated by an audiologist and registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). As such, we are governed by the Regulated Health Professions Act of 1991. Regulated health care professionals in Ontario are not permitted to publish testimonials.

You will not see testimonials for dentists, optometrists, physicians, pharmacists, psychologists or any other regulated health care provider in Ontario. The Ministry of Health does not allow their use.

If you visit a website for hearing health care and notice that there are testimonials, it is highly likely that you are not dealing with a regulated health care provider.

Regulation is important. The colleges are there to protect the public. Health regulatory colleges are responsible for ensuring that regulated health professionals provide health services in a safe, professional and ethical manner. This includes, among other things, setting standards of practice for the profession and investigating complaints about members of the profession and, where appropriate, disciplining them.

As a patient, if you have a complaint about services provided by a regulated health care provider, you can complain to their respective college. If you were treated by an unregulated provider, then you have no recourse whatsoever.

To learn more about regulated health care providers visit the Ministry of Health website here.

To learn more about the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) visit their website here.

Why are some hearing aids so cheap?

We’ve all seen them, those adverts advertising a hearing aid for a very cheap price. Ever wonder why certain chains offer such low prices? There are many reasons at play:

  • It could be really old technology
  • It could be that they have already discounted the government grant from the price listed
  • It could be that the chain or clinic is owned by a hearing aid manufacturer company and they are trying to get rid of stock
  • It could be a device that other audiologists will not prescribe due to quality issues
  • It may not even be a hearing aid, you may be looking at a simple amplifier

Regardless of the price, if you are considering getting one of these hearing aids for an unbelievable price you should ask the audiologist (if you are even dealing with an audiologist) to tell you why you are getting such a “great deal”. As with all things in life, you get what you pay for. If you are looking at a hearing aid as a commodity instead of a medical device then you may do well with something that is sub-par. My suggestion to you: get a second opinion from an independent audiologist in private practice. You can always call and make an appointment with our Doctor of Audiology. She’s been giving second opinions to local residents in Amherstburg, Harrow, LaSalle, McGregor, Essex and Windsor for years.

A blood test for your hearing loss or vertigo?

I recently came across this article: Detecting Hearing Loss, Vertigo Via Blood Tests

University of Connecticut Health physician-scientist Dr. Kourosh Parham has discovered two ear proteins that circulate in the blood whose presence and quantities correlate with ear disorders. As a result he has developed the first blood test to identify ear disorders. 

Does that mean the end of hearing tests? NOPE! This means that one day your Doctor may be able to accurately run a blood test that shows you have an ear disorder to expedite a referral to an audiologist or otolaryngologist!

So while this isn’t the end of sitting in a sound proof booth, this is scientific progress!

 

 

Can I be frank about something?

I’ve recently had the worst summer cold ever, which started as a sore throat (for which my doctor gave me antibiotics), which worsened and then proceeded to make me bed ridden the entire long weekend +1. In this midst of all the this fun and excitement (ugh I felt like a bag of sand) both of my eardrums perforated. Ruptured. Tore.

I’ve now been without a significant portion of my hearing for 3 days. This is what’s called a conductive hearing loss.

con·duc·tive
kənˈdəktiv/
adjective
adjective: conductive
  1. having the property of conducting something (especially heat or electricity or sound).
    “to induce currents in conductive coils”
    • of or relating to conduction.

My hearing will gradually find its way back to me with the help of my Doctor’s magic drops and time, as my eardrums heal I should get my hearing back. It can take 8+ weeks to heal on its own. If it doesn’t, I need a referral to see an Otolaryngologist if my ear drums don’t heal on their own and I still have a significant hearing loss.

Here are the things that I have noticed since I’ve been for all tense and purposes placed in a sound proof bubble:

  1. Everything makes noise. My pen on the desk, my dogs’ nails on the floor. The neighbor’s car door, my car, my phone. I never really noticed how noisy the world was before – now that its gone the silence is deafening. Poof. Gone. The most bizarre sensation in the world is standing in the shower (with my ears protected from water) and not hearing the water fall. Bizarre. Like, I laughed out loud about it. I can’t hear the keys right now as I type, but I know they are making noise. So if a tree falls in a forest, it does make a sound.
  2. People suck at communication skills. I like to think that because of where I work, I may be an exception… But in general, when you tell people that you can’t hear them, they continue talking at the same volume and pitch they were speaking before, they make no greater effort for you to hear them out. i.e. my Doctor yesterday kept turning away from me when she was talking. And I would have to ask her repeat herself. Over. And Over. And Over. Look at me, because the pieces of the puzzle that I can’t hear can be filled in by my looking at your beautiful face!
  3. There’s a lot of noise in my head. Every inhale, every exhale. Every bite I chew. Every hair I comb, every time I move my head or jaw. Clearing my throat is loud. My stomach growling woke me out of a cold and sinus drug addled sleep. This is all a symptom of conductive hearing loss, and it is obnoxious that I can’t hear much that goes on on the outside of my own head. Everything on the inside… LOUD. Part of it of course is because I don’t hear anything else, its not drowning out the sound of my swallowing.
  4. I’m exhausted. Now that the general malaise is gone from my illness and it took some hearing with it, everything I do is a struggle and I’m exhausted trying to read people, struggle on the phone with all the fantastic people who call me (that’s you!) and it makes me tired. My brain is working too hard to compensate.
  5. Tinnitus is real. My particular tinnitus is pulsatile tinnitus, I can hear my heartbeat. Its not a sound that anyone else can hear, every heartbeat I hear loud and clear in my head. Every last one. Over. And Over. And Over. I wake up and its there. I try to sleep and its there. I can’t mask this with another sound, because I can’t hear that either. This will go away when my hearing comes back and I hear other things than what is happening in my head. I hope.

So that’s that. The first thing I said to Bernice and Paige when my hearing hopped a train was ‘I can’t understand why hearing aids don’t sell themselves’. So if I might be frank, this not hearing all the sounds is no joke. My hearing loss happened suddenly and traumatically so of course, I noticed all the sounds gone at once, not gradually like everyone else. None the less, this has been a real eye opener. I can’t imagine why anyone would not want to hear the sounds of life.

I’m frantic to get a piece of those sounds back. 8+ weeks seems so far away.

~melissa

 

Protect your ears this summer

The summer season is fast upon us, and so are all the fun summer activities! We’d like to take a minute to remind you of how important it is to remember that some of the fun things you do could have an irreversible effect of your hearing.

  1. Yard Work: A well groomed yard shouldn’t lead to hearing loss as you age. Protect your hearing from lawn mowers, weed whippers, chain saws and leaf blowers!
  2. Fireworks: The beautiful displays of fireworks can damage your hearing. Ringing in at up to 125dB, that’s enough to permanently cause a threshold shift. Remember your children’s ears as well at fireworks time.
  3. Sporting Events & Concerts: The loud cheers at your favorite ballpark (Go Tigers!) and summer concerts can last up to 3 hours. On average, the sound levels can reach 95dB+. That duration and intensity of sound may result in tinnitus the next day – that’s your ears’ way of telling you they were overexposed to sound.
  4. Boats and Motorcycles: Its not just the engine noise that can harm your hearing – wind noise can be the culprit! Consult our audiologists for custom hearing protection that will still allow you to hear the important sounds around you while riding and boating safely.

Make sure you get outside and enjoy all of the super activities that are part of summer traditions, but please – PROTECT THOSE EARS! If you are experiencing ringing, buzzing or fullness in your ears this summer, consult our Doctors of Audiology, Audiologists!

 

If Kate Spade and Tom Ford made hearing aids…

Would you want them? Would you wear them?

I’m typing this blog post looking through my Coach glasses in my comfy Michael Kors sweater feeling a little… miffed. I think miffed is the right word. (Miffed: put into an irritable mood, especially by an offending incident.) I feel like what I get up and do every day, what I love to do – isn’t cool.  

Welcome to 2016. A profound era where everything and everyone is trying to make us feel inadequate at every turn. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s we had fads of course, i.e. Starter Jackets, Reebok Pump and HyperColor Shirts. But we didn’t have The Kardashian’s telling us what’s cool and what’s not.

This got me thinking. If Tom Ford had his own brand of hearing aid, would it be cool to have them? Would hearing aids becomes sexy then?

If Apple created an iHear hearing aid, would you sleep outside my office to be the first of your friends to have one?

I get this profound feeling that YES! People would actually want to do something about their hearing loss and wear a hearing aid. I wouldn’t have to try to convince you that your quality of life would be improved significantly by hearing your loved ones loud and clear. You would want to wear hearing aids because its cool. Its trendy. Your friend Jill already has them and wears them at the gym, and they sync with her iPhone and let her know her heart rate.

Those with hearing loss would seek them out and that those without hearing loss would want to wear them anyways (just like its fun, personal and stylish to wear designer eyeglass frames without a need for vision correction).

Many people are under the understanding that hearing aids are the big squealing ugly beige machines that their grandpa keeps in the kitchen junk drawer. Hearing aids may just be the last ‘un-cool’ piece of technology out there. And there’s no reason for that really. Hearing loss is something that happens to a great many people, many of whom are infants, children, teenagers, young adults. Yet when you think of how hearing aids are perceived in our society, you think of Alma in the Sister Act movies (a la ‘Hey Alma! Check your battery!’). Hearing aids are a pain in the butt. I mean, you actually have to put them in your ears and that’s such a hassle. Ugh, the tiny batteries need to be changed once a week – who has time to do that when you also have to plug in your phone every night?

A quick Google search on simply ‘Hearing Aids’ brings us the webpages of AARP and The Mayo Clinic. Do another Google Search for eyeglasses and this comes up:

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See what I’m talking about there? Vision correction is stylish, fashionable. There is no perceived stigma associated with vision correction anymore like Steve Urkel on Family Matters. It’s personalized. Hearing correction? It’s certainly not perceived that way – YET! The numbers are kind of astounding: 60% of the population has a treatable vision loss, while 20% of the population admits freely to hearing difficulty.

However, there’s another stat in here that you can’t see: The average person who has a hearing loss waits 7 years to treat it, i.e. those with hearing loss who are in denial and pretending to hear perfectly well are not a part of the aforementioned 20%. Grandpa, that’s you. I don’t mumble at all!

Again, the question begs… what do eyeglasses have that hearing aids do not? Why do Oakley, Nike and Calvin Klein not have a piece of the hearing aid pie? (Other than because there’s a technology involved, and an adjustment period to hearing aids at the brain level)

Because (despite it being very untrue) hearing aids are for old people and no one wants to accept that they are aging. Hearing aids are a nuisance. Hearing aids are ugly. Hearing loss carries a ‘less than’ stigma. No one deemed ‘cool’ by society wears hearing aids and if they do, they are beige and blend in, because – for shame! other people should see them!

Well, hear this! A Denmark based company with a Canadian presence called GN Resound is going where no hearing aid manufacturer has gone before. They’re trying to cap into that ‘allure’ of technology with the Linx²… they work with your iPhone and have an app, they are nano-coated and water resistant. The product is cool and hip and stylish. Except it isn’t. Because its still taking people 7 years to admit to their hearing loss and come in to see for themselves how the technology has improved.

Now, all that Resound needs is a George Clooney walking the red carpet with an Ocean Blue (see what I did there?) piece of technology sitting snugly behind his ears for all the word to see. For an Anderson Cooper to declare the Linx² the greatest in all the land. For a Taylor Swift to state unequivocally that hers were the inspiration for writing a new hit song.

Until that happens: You don’t want hearing aids. Heck – you don’t need them. You’re perfectly fine with society telling you that hearing loss makes you look old, feel old, that you lack in something because your hearing isn’t perfect. You don’t need to see the audiologist because you already know what he or she will say and you don’t think hearing aids can help you.

May is Better Speech & Hearing Month. Don’t be the statistic who waits 7 years to look seek improved communication with your loved ones. Come visit our Doctors of Audiology and finally turn that TV down. Imagine all the experiences that you’ll miss out on in those 7 years. It’s a long time. You wouldn’t go 7 years without seeing your loved ones properly, would you?

Why choose Audiology?

[av_video src=’https://youtu.be/6dBeDTBnHw0′ format=’16-9′ width=’16’ height=’9′]

May is “Better Speech & Hearing Month”. Throughout the month of May, audiologists put in extra effort to highlight the importance of hearing health within our communities. Every year, thousands of professionals involved with the treatment of speech, language and hearing disorders come together to participate in a public awareness campaign that encourages early detection and prevention of communication disorders, and seeks to increase the public’s sensitivity to the challenges faced by individuals experiencing them.

Have questions about your hearing or speech? We’re happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have about your hearing. Contact us today to arrange a consultation or your annual hearing test with our Doctor of Audiology! (519) 961-9285.

Hearing is important, but is it THAT important?

Hearing empowers us and enriches our lives. Hearing enables us to socialize, work, interact, communicate and even relax. Good hearing also helps to keep us safe, warning us of potential danger or alerting us to someone else’s distress.

Hearing is essential for us to be able to live and participate in life more fully. Problems with our hearing may lead to feelings of isolation and even depression. Our hearing provides us with an enormous source of information, some of it obvious and some we barely notice but when combined, this information forms the bridge between the world and how we interact with it.

Hearing helps us lead our everyday lives without limitations.

Hearing is important…

… at work

  • Participating in group meetings.
  • Talking on the telephone.
  • Following a conversation in a busy office.

… at social occasions

  • Chatting to friends.
  • Participating in dinner conversation at a restaurant.
  • Interacting with grandchildren.
  • Talking on the telephone.
  • Watching TV together with others.

… for our own safety

  • When walking near busy roads.
  • To be able to hear sounds that alert us to danger like sirens and other traffic signals.
  • So we can be alert to a cry for help.

… when we learn

  • Allowing us to maintain a high level of concentration with little effort.
  • So we are able to communicate with instructors.
  • So we are able to register information accurately.

Read more: here

Hearing Loss: No, it’s not just you.

You’re experiencing hearing loss, and you assume it’s just you. But it’s not just you. One out of every nine of us have hearing loss, that’s nearly 4 million Canadians.

That’s important for you to know if you are experiencing hearing issues. It can help to know that you are not alone. 

Hearing loss occurs naturally as people get older, but it’s not just seniors who are affected. Changes to your hearing can begin to occur for many when they reach their 20s, 30s and 40s, and while approximately 30 percent of people over the age of 65 have some degree of hearing loss, more than 65 percent of those who experience hearing loss do so before retirement age.

About 15 percent of Baby Boomers (ages 41-59) and 7 percent of Generation Xers (ages 29-34) already have significant issues with their hearing.

Because hearing loss occurs gradually, its effects are sometimes not immediately obvious, especially when it comes to recognizing a change in one’s own hearing. Often it’s a friend, family member or co-worker that points it out, and even then it can be hard to believe that it’s happening to you.

Taking care of your hearing is your responsibility. It’s up to you to be alert to the signs and have your hearing checked if you suspect that your hearing may be changing.

These signs may include: Turning the TV louder, requiring others to repeat themselves, thinking that others are mumbling, having ringing (tinnitus) in your ears, feeling tired or exhausted after strenuous listening activities or have a family history of hearing loss.

For a limited time, there is no cost to have your hearing assessed by our Doctors of Audiology if you are an adult aged 18+. We simply ask for a donation to the Essex Area Food Bank. A hearing assessment takes but an hour and will help alleviate your concerns. We are able to arrange an appointment for you Monday through Friday, from 9am until 5pm. Call today to arrange your appointment! (519) 961-9285.

Vertigo and “Ear Crystals”

We have a large number of patients who call us to inform us that their Doctor has told them that they have “Ear Crystals” and that they should come to see us; that we may be able to help them. Everyone has ear crystals, but when they migrate or move away from where they are supposed to be, most often, YES, we can help them! But how?

Trouble with “Ear Crystals’ is another way of describing BPPV, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Benign: the condition almost always goes away with proper treatment Paroxysmal: the condition may return causing vertigo without warning Positional: it is brought on by specific type of head movement Vertigo: the sensation is that of spinning that may be mild or violent.

These crystals normally lie in a gel layer inside the utricle in our vestibular systems. A common symptom of migrated crystals is that there is dizziness or vertigo when you wake up, nausea and vomiting. The vertigo may stop when the position of your head is held still. The common reasons that these crystals migrate can be: head injury, aging, or idiopathic (the cause is not known). Some studies show there may be a correlation between allergies and respiratory infections and BPPV.

Whatever the reason that caused those crystals to migrate, the treatment is same: Particle or crystal re-positioning – getting those crystals back into the utricle. Our Doctors of Audiology are well versed in this. We often hear that people have tried these maneuvers at home, without success – we do not recommend this, as if completed improperly may cause more harm than good.

So what should you expect of your appointment with us? Well, we always ask you to fill out a case history and those documents will be reviewed with the audiologist. Then a few very precise head and body maneuvers will determine if you could be helped by the crystal re-positioning. The entire appointment takes but 1 hour and symptoms may disappear entirely with one treatment.

If you are tired of feeling dizzy or imbalanced when changing positions, simply call us to arrange an appointment with the audiologist at The Hearing & Dizziness Clinic.

Startling Statistics About BPPV

At The Hearing & Dizziness Clinic, we understand how debilitating BPPV or  Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo can be.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is the most common form of positional vertigo and is probably the most common disorder involving vertigo. It’s an affliction of the inner ear. In the most common clinical scenario, when the patient changes the position of the head, he or she feels that the room is spinning. The person may experience significant nausea as well.┘

According to The University of California, BPPV will affect nearly 40 percent of people over 40 at least once in their lifetime.

The good news about BPPV is that in most cases, it is entirely treatable.

The bad news about BPPV is that studies show, it can take an absurdly very long time from presentation of symptoms to treatment.

 

Two recent studies explored the time period from initial presentation of symptoms of BPPV to correct diagnosis. Fife and Fitzgerald report that in the United Kingdom, the mean wait time from initial presentation to correct diagnosis was 92 weeks. A more recent study out of China found the delay to be longer than 70 months.

We have witnessed this very same phenomenon in our practice, when people have seen multiple specialties and undergone several tests over the course of months and even years. Patients have altered their lives to accommodate their BPPV, changed their habits, disturbed their activities, family lives and working responsibilities. BPPV is easily diagnosed and easily treated.

In both studies mentioned above, the subjects were treated with Canalith repositioning (CRP) once the diagnosis of BPPV was made. In the Chinese study over 80% were successfully treated with one CRP, while the Fife and Fitzgerald study reports 85% were successfully treated.

Perhaps this is the most disturbing reality of these studies. 8/10 people who had suffered for years from Vertigo were cured of their BPPV in one treatment. Just one. 

At least 85% of cases had classical symptoms of BPPV and could have been easily identified by Primary Care Physicians at first referral, had they been trained to recognize and diagnose the condition.┌

It’s amazing to me that once someone is affected by BPPV and they tell their family and friends about it, they are shocked to realize how many people they know have experienced the very same thing! Further, they are shocked at just how easy it is to treat.

We are happy to test and manage your BPPV for you and your loved ones right in the heart of Essex County. If you have questions or concerns in regards to who we are and how we can help, please never hesitate to contact us. We are here to help!

Don’t be a statistic! 

Read More

New Physician Guidelines for Treating Children’s Ear Infections

The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians released their new treatment recommendations for children who suffer from Otitis Media with Effusion or OME (commonly known as ‘fluid’ or an ear infection).

New recommendations include

  • additional information on pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry to improve diagnostic certainty;
  • expanded information on speech and language assessment for children with OME;
  • new recommendations for managing OME in children who fail a newborn hearing screen and for evaluating at-risk children;
  • a new recommendation against using topical intranasal steroids;
  • a new recommendation against adenoidectomy for a primary indication of OME in children under 4 years of age;
  • a new recommendation for assessing OME outcomes.

Clinicians should continue to avoid antibiotics and myringotomy (tube) surgery (under aged 4).

More information can be found here.

 

The Holidays & Hearing Loss

For many people with hearing loss, the holidays can be especially challenging. While large family gatherings offer a great chance to catch up with friends and family, holiday parties can lead to challenging listening situations for people with hearing loss.

Here are some tips for people with hearing loss to better enjoy holiday gatherings from our friends at Widex.

Holidays and hearing loss: The tips

  1. Find a quiet corner – Stand away from loudspeakers and noisy kitchens and position yourself in the quietest area of the room. This way you can hear conversation rather than noise.
  2. Pick your seat – If you’re having a sit-down dinner, pick a seat at the center of the table nearest to a close friend or relative. This way you have a better chance of hearing conversation and enjoying your meal.
  3. Pick your drink – A glass of wine can make you more relaxed – or it can confuse you and make your level of understanding worse. Be aware of what you are drinking and your own level of tolerance.
  4. Buddy up – Find a friend or relative with whom you can hang out at the party. This person can help you to feel more included in conversation and can repeat things you may not understand.

Holidays and hearing aids

If you have hearing aids, it’s important that you wear them to holiday events. You may think that with so much noise at a party or family dinner, hearing aids would just make things louder, but modern digital hearing aids aren’t simple sound amplifiers. They are designed to filter out all the unwanted noise – like the clanging of dishes in the kitchen or the background music – and help you focus on speech.

Two hearing aid features in particular are put to work in crowds:

  • The Speech Enhancer – Widex hearing aids reduce noise by using a speech enhancer. This technology works to reduce background noise and helps you focus on what you need to hear.
  • Directional Microphones – Directional microphones work to reduce the amount of noise allowed to enter your hearing aids. In noisy environments, like at a holiday party, the system will work to pick up the least amount of noise.If the noise is located behind you, your directional microphones will adapt to pick up sound from in front of you and dampen noise from behind you. According to a 2004 study, directional microphones are proven to improve speech understanding in noise.

Have the “hearing loss” conversation

Holiday gatherings are a good time to have “the conversation” with friends and loved ones. We’re talking about the conversation about hearing loss and getting hearing aids. If you think your loved one is unable to hear correctly, take out your phone or tablet and encourage them to take an online hearing test. This is a great first step to help someone realize he has a hearing loss. And don’t forget, our complimentary hearing screening continues until January 15, 2016. 

Help guests with hearing loss

You might not have hearing loss – but one of your guests might. Here are some tips on helping your guests with hearing loss enjoy your party”

  • Background music – Everyone loves a good Christmas carol, but when those carols are in the background of the conversations of 20+ people, no one can hear them anyways. Consider turning down the background music – or turning it off completely when several guests are socializing at once. People tend to speak louder to be heard over the music, so your music may in fact make the party louder.
  • Dish Duty – Hold off on cleaning the dishes until after your guests have left. For people with hearing loss, the clatter of kitchen dishes can distract from dinnertime conversation. Take time to enjoy your guests rather than worrying about the clean-up!
  • Seating – If you know that one of your guests has a hearing loss, seat that person at the center of the table closest to those with the quietest voices. It may also help if you sit next to that person, so you can help him or her to better understand the conversation.

Please note that we are OPEN every day except Christmas Eve, Closed Christmas Day and on Monday December 28 for Boxing Day. Should you need our services this holiday, please do not hesitate to come on in or call us! 

We wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ~Paige, Bernice & Melissa

How to shop for hearing aids – the smart way!

We had the privilege of meeting a younger gentleman a while back who’s approach to hearing aid shopping was novel to us. We thought that it was ingenious – and thus, with his permission we are going to share a bit of his story with you.

Mr. X is a 12 year hearing aid wearer who called us to arrange a consultation. Not a hearing test. He simply wanted to meet our Doctors of Audiology and see our facilities. It seems that 12 years ago at his initial purchase he bought hearing aids where his family doctor was, and was never very happy with those services he received. The product he purchased and subsequent products he purchased over the years worked just fine, but the services he had received, to him, seemed lacking. He told us that he bought his hearing aids there because he felt his family doctor would be upset if he bought a set elsewhere – closer to home.

Mr. X visited us on a Tuesday, along with his wife and brought a copy of his most recent hearing test. He was open and honest that we were not the first clinic that he visited. He asked about our education, experience and what we recommended for him and his hearing loss. It would be a 25 minute drive from his home for him to visit us, but he’d been further.

Mr. X was not price shopping. He was Audiologist shopping: and we loved it. 

In Mr. X’s reasoning, only a few hundred dollars separate the costs of the hearing aids. But the quality of service is where he perceives his value. Cost and value: two very different concepts but often interchanged ideas.

COST: the price of something, the amount of money that is needed to pay for or buy something.

VALUE: the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. One’s judgment of what is important.

We want to encourage each and every reader to consider shopping for an Audiologist rather than a hearing aid. The right Audiologist will very often lead you to the right hearing aid for you. This day and age, we tend to get wrapped up in the cost of things, getting a good sale etc., but we don’t think so much of the value of the services that we receive along with those products. Don’t be tempted to price shop so much as to value shop. And when all else fails; we price match.

(Don’t forget! We are once again performing complimentary hearing screenings with our Doctors of Audiology in exchange for canned food donations!  Call Melissa today to arrange your appointment! (519) 961-9285!)

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