HearUSA Crystal Clear Vol 5 Issue 1 by DeWayne Thomas a Media Co.

HearUSA.com

CRYSTAL CLEAR VOL 5 • ISSUE 1

 Opening a Whole New World of Sound 

Honey, Can You Hear Me?" The Connection Between

IN THE LOOP

Retailers Hear You and Want to Help

Diabetes & Hearing Loss

IN THE LOOP Retailers Hear You and Want to Help

or folks with hearing loss, those unremarkable everyday errands – from picking up a prescription in a bustling pharmacy to paying for groceries at a busy check-out line – can occasionally be frustrating and challenging. And forget about the drive-thru; many people with hearing loss often forego that convenience. But some retailers, including supermarkets and pharmacies, and a handful of fast food restaurants, are working to help.

A century after it was founded, Rochester, NY-based Wegmans Food Markets is pioneering the next level of customer service for those with hearing loss. Beginning in January, Wegmans began installing induction hearing loop stations in its stores at pharmacy counters, customer service desks, and designated checkout lanes. Audio induction or hearing loop assisted-listening technology helps those

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with hearing aids hear what they need to clearly without distracting background and ambient noise, like when at a busy supermarket checkout line. “The beauty of induction loops is that they are so unobtrusive,” says Wegmans IT director Matt Sawyer. Wegmans stores are located in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia and in each of those

“Those with hearing loss do not have to ask others to speak up because the system helps them hear speech more clearly.” – Matt Sawyer

Now Available in our Stores!

Hearing Loop

Switch hearing aid to T-coil

states at least one store (and in many cases more than one) is already equipped. The company’s plan is to have hearing loop systems in all Wegmans stores by the end of 2016. “They help those who can benefit, while others in the area are usually unaware of the hearing loop’s presence,” Sawyer says. “Those with hearing loss do not have to ask others to speak up because the system helps them hear speech more clearly.” Another century-old retailer has stepped up, too. New York and Vermont-based Kinney Drugs has installed portable amplified loop systems in more than 75 of their stores. And for customers who use devices without a telecoil, or those without hearing aids or cochlear implants, a portable headset receiver can be requested to access the hearing loop technology. Kinney Drugs also has in-store iPads available upon request for customers to access online sign language interpreter service called Video Remote Interpreting. The pharmacy chain, which opened its doors in 1903, says it is “committed to providing the highest quality pharmacy services to our patients who have a hearing loss or who are deaf.” Supermarket chain Publix has also embraced hearing loop technology. Publix first began testing the hearing loop technology, which turns hearing-aids into wireless receivers via an electromagnetic signal at the push of a button, in 2012. Initial success informed the company's decision to begin a pilot program in three of its Central Florida stores: Lakeland, Sun City Center and The Villages. The loops are located in pharmacy drop off and pick up locations in the stores as well as at the customer service desk and one dedicated check-out line.

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), several of its Florida chapters supported and indeed advocated for the loop program. Following strong support for the technology by customers and groups and agencies that advocate for those with hearing loss, Publix committed to extending its program. By winter of 2015, Publix announced it was expanding the pilot to include stores in other locations in Florida including Longboat Key (Sarasota) and Venice, Florida. Publix will make the loop technology available at stores based on need as decided by individual store managers. The Central and Southwest Florida store locations that currently have the technology were chosen based on identified customer needs. Given the loop’s short range, between three and five feet, the technology is efficient in that the pharmacist or check-out person and the customer may converse privately.

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Crystal Clear with Audio Induction Hearing Loops Audio induction or hearing loops are changing lives. The assisted-listening technology allows the deaf, hearingimpaired and those with some hearing loss using hearing aids to listen to what they need to hear clearly, without ambient noise, like when at the checkout line in the grocery store or at a pharmacy pick up window. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, induction hearing loop systems work “seamlessly to help people wearing a hearing aid or cochlear implant equipped with a telecoil (T-coil), to hear speech more clearly.”

Like the loop systems already in place in Wegmans and other retailers, the hearing loops at Publix Supermarkets allow people with hearing loss to hear and be heard. And since the addition of hearing loops to stores across the South is at the discretion of each store manager, people living in communities where Publix is their supermarket should consider informing managers about the benefits of the hearing loop and request that the pioneering technology be implemented in their neighborhood Publix store.

In some pioneering supermarkets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, for example, a condenser microphone built into a checkout lane captures an employee’s voice and a ‘smart’ amplifier gets rid of background noise and sends the clear sound to an induction loop, which converts it into a wireless electromagnetic field. The T-coil in a hearing aid or cochlear implant acts like an antenna, picking up the signal and “takes sound straight from the source and delivers it right into the listener's ear.”

The HLAA and the American Academy of Audiology advocated for hearing loops several years ago with their 2010 collaborative public education campaign “Get in the Hearing Loop.” The campaign was designed to “enlighten and excite hearing aid users, as well as audiologists and other professionals who dispense hearing aids, about telecoils and hearing loops and their unique benefits.”

It is a straightforward technology that turns hearing aids with telecoils into wireless receivers; customized loudspeakers for the user’s ears. Hearing loops require just the push of a button for distinct and clear sound to be delivered directly to the person with hearing loss.

 Opening a Whole New World of Sound | HearUSA.com

“I think that for older people, there’s a stigma, stubbornness and a denial of growing older. People fear that when younger people see us wearing hearing aids they pity us. That’s not what we want in life.” – Alfred. 4

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“Honey, Can You Hear Me?” by Ellyn Santiago

orma Jean and Alfred have spent more than a half century together. The couple has had their share of ups and downs, joys and tragedies and has weathered every storm that’s blown in because they are united. “Our togetherness is so important. We’ve always been very, very close. We’ve always seemed to work out everything,” Alfred says of the marriage of more than 50 years. “But about four years ago, Norma started saying, ‘Honey you’re ignoring me.’ I’d say, ‘I’m here. I’m not anywhere else.’ But she’d tell me, ‘Well, I just asked you something.’ I'd say, ‘Well, I didn’t hear you.’ And this went on for years,” Alfred explains. And then there was the concern he heard from his grandchildren; Alfred, 86, and Norma Jean, 88, have 22 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 3 great, great-grandchildren. “They said, ‘Papa and Nana don’t understand that when we go to bed, the TV is on all night and turned way up,’” Alfred remembers. “It never dawned on me that I had a hearing problem. On the job, we just talked loudly. But my wife and I never really talked loudly to each other in the house. Still, she kept saying that I wasn’t hearing her. Then, I saw an ad on TV that said $20 for a hearing aid. I said, ‘Hey, $20! What do I have to lose?’ I said, ‘Honey, I’m going to try this.’ Well, I tried it and it broke in a month.” Then he saw a HearUSA ad. “I told her, ‘Honey, I love you so much, I’m going to go there,’” Alfred recalled. Fitted with his new hearing aids at HearUSA in Hollywood, Florida, Alfred was thrilled. HearUSA Audiologist Robin Siff says she clearly remembers the day she met Alfred and Norma Jean. “Alfred came to us in October of 2014,” Robin recalls, “because he was concerned that he was missing out on his wife’s conversations.” Norma Jean, Robin says, was not only very supportive but came to every appointment with her husband. With Robin’s expertise, caring and compassion, Alfred was hearing Norma beautifully. But at Alfred’s follow-up visit about six months later, something interesting happened.

“Norma was sitting there. I’m talking to my wife and Robin is there and my wife did not answer me. Robin looked at me and I looked at her and I said, ‘Robin, do we have a problem here?’” Norma Jean explains what happens next: “My children used to laugh after Papa got his hearing aids saying, ‘Nana I think you’re the one who needs a hearing aid.’ I didn’t think anything about it. I was hearing him so well and he was hearing me now.” “In April 2015, we tested and ordered Norma binaural hearing aids exactly like her husband,” Robin explains. “She was hesitant to believe she had a problem but was willing to try.” And Robin says, two weeks later, at a follow-up appointment, Norma was surprised at how well she was hearing. “I was very happy that she helped me out that day. I can hear everything. They’re very comfortable,” Norma Jean says. “If you think you might have a problem go see Robin.” Alfred and Norma Jean have advice for other elderly couples in similar situations. “I think that for older people, there’s a stigma, stubbornness and a denial of getting old. People fear that when younger people see us wearing hearing aids they pity us. That’s not want we want in life,” he says But Alfred cautions that ignoring hearing loss will not make it go away. “This can divide your relationship,” he warns. “My wife and I really care and love each other and when it seems like when one of us doesn’t understand or doesn’t sympathize with the other, right or wrong, that’s a big problem and that was beginning to happen. I was stubborn enough to think I was right. And my wife was kind enough not to throw me out of the house. But it hurt when she’d say, ‘You don’t care enough to pay attention to me.’” Alfred was paying attention; he just could not hear her.

 Opening a Whole New World of Sound | HearUSA.com

“I’m so thankful that I can hear my children and all my grandchildren,” Norma Jean says. “I enjoy sitting with them and talking to them about our family history. It’s delightful that we can all hear each other.” “We found out the hard way; maybe because of our age. But the younger folks, maybe 20 years younger need to accept it. It is a life-saving decision to keep your family together,” Alfred says. Norma’s advice is simply this: “When you notice your husband (or your wife) says several times, ‘I can’t hear you.’ You better talk about it. Don’t wait. Sit down and discuss it before it creates a problem. You care about each other so you need to talk about it because that makes a big difference.” Now, the long and loving life the happy couple have had together has a soundtrack that each can hear beautifully. And they can watch TV together! Robin says the couple shares a Bluetooth television system that is compatible to their hearing aids.

Patient Profile

Jann Adrian, Michigan

usician Jann, 65, who has been involved in musical theater for the past 46 years, also taught music to elementary school children for 32 years. After decades in an orchestra pit and music classroom, she began to notice pronounced hearing loss. “And in my final five years of teaching, I couldn’t hear the children,” she says. “They have high pitched voices that I couldn’t hear and I was constantly asking children to repeat themselves. You start pretending to hear and with children that’s not a good thing.” About 5 years ago, Jann decided it was time for hearing aids, but her initial experience was not what she hoped. The first pair she tried did not have volume control on one hand she could not hear the children clearly when they spoke to her and on the other, when kids were playing recorders in class: “That sound was deafening.” So she never wore them, she admits. To make matters worse, as a musician trained to hear pitch, the devices made live concert-hall music sound “very tinny.” “So when I heard myself play, I didn’t have a good idea of how I fit in with the group; how my timbre matched theirs because it all sounded tinny,” she explains. So Jann went to HearUSA and after working with providers there and being fitted for a binax hearing aid, her life changed. She says hearing music clearly had a “strong emotional impact” on her. “I can maintain the musical life that I had as a 20-year-old,” she says. “When you lose that, such an integral part of your life, it is a significant loss. When you talk about something as important as your hearing, don’t go to Costco and buy a $100 pair of hearing aids. It’s not worth it.” Jann says people invest money in TVs, cars and the like and she believes, to be able to hear is the best investment.

“I want to hear the birds. I want to go out and hear the waves lapping on a lake. It’s very important to me,” she says. “I think it is for most people but people seem so willing to compromise with that.”

Alfred and Norma Jean have become experts at adjusting their hearing aids for the environment they are in: a restaurant or the living room. And they have nothing but praise for Robin, who they both describe as kind, caring and patient.

Of her HearUSA experience?

“They are some of my favorite and sweetest patients. They are so positive and supportive of each other,” Robin says. “They always giggle and laugh when we are together. They are my role models.” And their final word of advice to couples who find themselves in a similar situation? “Do what we did,” Alfred says. “It’ll change your life.” 6

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“Everyone is very well-trained and they all really go out of their way to make sure you’re satisfied, to make sure your hearing aids are finedtuned to the fullest extent possible,” Jann says. “I cannot express how wonderful they are. I want everyone to know.” Jann’s provider at the Adrian, Michigan HearUSA location, Laura Costa says that Jann tells everyone about her HearUSA hearing aids. “As a musician, it’s critical that she hears sound correctly. Now with her new hearing aids, finally she can,” Laura says, adding Jann is so thrilled, “If she could take out an ad for us, she would!”

Kellyann New Port Richey, Florida

ellyann, 42, was born with hearing loss that progressively worsened as she got older.

“When I was little, my teachers never really gave me the attention that I could have probably benefitted from because I was a smart kid. Instead they just sat me in front of the class,” Kellyann remembers. “I coasted my way through school without proper help or diagnosis until I was in my teens.” At 17 she began to wear hearing aids and she says, by the time she was 24, she could not function without them.

Kellyann always wanted to be a teacher but did not think she would be able to achieve that goal. At age 16, she began studying cosmetology in high school and before graduating, found herself working as a hairstylist behind a chair. She was a gifted cosmetologist and, as she says, “Hearing aids have always helped me because I am in close proximity with my clients.” But when the opportunity to teach at the cosmetology school, she was concerned about how she would fare in a classroom setting. Fitted with the correct HearUSA hearing aids, she is able to communicate with students and be the best teacher possible. “Being hard-of-hearing has also allowed me to teach students about the hearing disabled community,” Kellyann says. “Some learn a few signs, how to lip read and how to articulate with hard of hearing individuals. This also helps them when they are out working in the cosmetology industry.”

Kevin Ocala, Florida

or the past eight years, Kevin, 61, struggled to hear and understand the world around him but not because he was not willing to wear hearing aids, he was. The problem was the provider in his area, that advertised locally, was focused on profit and not focused on fitting Kevin properly. For a month he tried to live with a substandard hearing aid until he finally gave up and went without. “When I told them I wasn’t buying the hearing aids because it was such a bad situation, they couldn’t show me the door fast enough,” Kevin says.

So for years now, he just lived with the hearing loss.

A former pilot accustomed to using the aeronautic vernacular ‘say again,’ Kevin found himself constantly asking that of everyone, when he was not flying, “Say again?” Living with hearing loss for so many years was difficult and, now given that he cares for his girlfriend’s special needs son, problematic. “Hearing and understanding him was often really hard,” Kevin says. Especially when a child is talking to you and you’re not hearing right, you have a tendency to think the child is wrong. But it wasn’t him. It was me.” In the winter of 2016, Kevin discovered a mailer addressed to his mother who had recently passed away. It was a HearUSA brochure inviting his mother to visit the new HearUSA Ocala, Florida location. “I looked at it and saw (HearUSA audiologist) Thomas Mitchell’s picture and said to myself, ‘This guy knows what he is doing.’”

Kellyann took what she thought was a possible determent to her being able to be an effective educator and created a positive teaching environment where her students would not just learn the cosmetic arts, but would learn to have a greater and deeper understanding of people with hearing loss. “I have tried to not look as my hearing disability as a challenge, but instead as an opportunity,” she says. Kellyann says her 25-year experience with HearUSA has been a blessing. In particular, working with provider Lydia Gladwin who, Kellyann says, gave her hope when other doctors could not. “Lydia encouraged me to pursue my dreams. She has now since advanced in the HearUSA family and I have seen a new audiologist with HearUSA, but I still receive the same professional level of service that I have always had,” Kellyann says.

Kevin did not hesitate to go to HearUSA. While there, he says, he received quality care by caring professionals and that blew him away. “They were the difference between night and day compared to this other outfit I went to,” Kevin says. “For so long I didn’t know who to turn to.” And when Kevin met with the HearUSA staff and was fitted with hearing aids in March of 2016, “My face just lit up.” “When Thomas put the hearing aids in my ears and I could hear again … hear my own voice, hear sound, richer, deeper, clearer ….to hear the difference between the ‘th’ sound and an ‘s’ sound, all of it was like, ‘Whoa! Whoa!’” Kevin says of the experience. And for his part, HearUSA audiologist Thomas Mitchell says Kevin’s reaction was pretty great. “He just lit up. You could see a change,” Mitchell says. “Kevin was really thrilled with his overall experience here.” Kevin concurs and adds that he would urge people with hearing loss not to hesitate and visit a HearUSA location.

And Kellyann says that the technology has evolved so much over the years that she is thrilled with her lighter, tubeless and smaller hearing aids worn behind the ear. “It looks like I am not wearing any …they can barely be seen. It’s amazing they can now put that much power into a little aid. Years ago that was impossible,” she says. “Thank you HearUSA!”

“In my case, thank God I waited because I ended up with great people,” Kevin says. “They are very, very professional and they treat you with respect. Honestly, they’re fabulous. But people shouldn’t wait. Go to HearUSA.”

 Opening a Whole New World of Sound | HearUSA.com

primax Breakthrough

Revolution for Hearing Aid Wearers by Ellyn Santiago

elcome the latest breakthrough in high-quality binaural hearing: the brand new primax™ hearing aid, developed by Signia, formerly known as Seimens.

“It’s revolutionary in the industry,” says Kerryn Lehman, HearUSA Director of Products and Services. With primax™, Lehman says, “People with hearing loss will hear better than people with normal hearing.” By combining the optimal balance of sound quality and audibility tailored to the wearer’s individual preferences, primax™ is clinically proven to make hearing effortless, thus redefining the ease of listening. With stunning technological advancements, primax™ hearing aids deliver unparalleled ease of listening, enhanced speech understanding, maximized music enjoyment, and reduced echoing in noisy, open environments. primax™ hearing aids also have advanced features for wearers with single-sided hearing loss and even the ability to hear a mobile phone conversation in both ears via a wireless transmitter.

Ace primax. 8

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primax™ builds on the binax platform by providing a “true binaural experience that redefines ease of listening.” Signia says primax™ hearing aids are the world’s first technology clinically proven by independent studies to reduce listening effort throughout the day while providing better than normal hearing in challenging listening environments like busy restaurants and cocktail settings. An independent clinical study employing a methodology using objective brain behavior measures with electroencephalographic (EEG) data, showed a significant reduction in listening effort for mild to moderate hearing impaired people using primax™. And primax™ provided a significant improvement in ease of listening in demanding listening environments. “We’ve always done subjective (testing) using client feedback,” Lehman says. “This technology is backed up with research and proven scientifically.” Indeed, Signia says, “Previously, hearing effort has been primarily measured using questionnaires, rating scales and individual mea-

Insio primax.

Effortless hearing across the range. surements recorded after the hearing test. They were often found to be inaccurate because these methods are subjective. Therefore, a new method was developed to obtain an objective measurement of listening effort based on measured brain activity.”

primax™ hearing aids feature:

SpeechMaster was designed to create an effortless hearing environment. It reduces background noise, focuses on the direction of the target speaker and elevates the target speaker over all other sounds in the environment by analyzing the acoustic environment and employing the first technology that is clinically-proven to isolate the target speaker from unwanted surrounding noise and other speech much like a conductor orchestrating digital noise reduction, directionality, and amplification to reduce listening effort. This is achieved by reducing noise and highlighting the dominant speaker’s voice in speech environments throughout the day. For hearing aid wearers, a day filled is at once demanding and draining. Lehman says with primax, “By the end of the day, wearers are not as tired.”

Motion SX and SA primax.

The HD Music feature, which maximizes enjoyment for music fans and musicians, was especially created to deliver outstanding music fidelity whether the wearer is listening to recorded music, attending a live concert, or even performing music. Lehman described it as a “big wow” for music lovers. EchoShield, which softens echoes for reduced listening effort, lessens the effects of reverberation in places like large shopping malls, atriums, busy hallways, lecture halls, and places of worship, for example. EasyTek™ connects to primax™ hearing aids, turning them into a headset and offering wireless, hands-free operation that transmits phone calls to both hearing aids for effortless hearing. And for those using mobiles not Bluetooth-enabled, the TwinPhone feature improves phone conversations by automatically activating by a magnetic signal so the wearer hears the caller in both ears. Primax™ is available for testing and demonstrations at HearUSA centers.

Pure primax.

 Opening a Whole New World of Sound | HearUSA.com

by Ellyn Santiago

The Connection Between Diabetes & Hearing Loss

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iabetes and hearing loss are among the most common and widespread national health concerns especially among an aging Baby Boomer population.

According to the American Diabetes Association, almost 30 million Americans have diabetes, and roughly 34.5 million have some type of hearing loss. What researchers agree on is that there is a lot of overlap between the two groups. In fact, according to Diabetes.org, a recent study found that hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who do not have the disease. Also, of the 86 million adults in the U.S. who have pre-diabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30 percent higher than in those with normal blood glucose. It is not clear to scientists how the two conditions are related, but there is no shortage of educated guesses. One theory is that the high blood glucose levels associated with diabetes may cause damage to the small blood vessels that are located within the inner ear, the ADA says. This conjecture is akin to the manner in which diabetes can damage the eyes and the kidneys. However, the ADA says, additional research is required in an effort to find the nexus between the two conditions and why people with diabetes have a higher rate of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be a gradual process. And given it can happen slowly and over time, the symptoms may be either missed or overlooked. Research and subjective feedback suggest that others, including friends, family, and co-workers sometimes notice the hearing loss before the person experiencing it does. And

in the case of hearing loss associated with diabetes, and unlike profound deafness, this type of hearing loss is less obvious and often is mild enough that it can go largely undetected for a period of time. That is until some symptoms are too obvious to ignore. For example, and this is a common refrain for people with hearing loss, one often asks, ‘Could you repeat that?’ Hearing Loss Signs and Symptoms in People With Diabetes

Often ask people to repeat themselves

The TV or radio is far too loud

Difficulty hearing in crowded or busy places

The perception that people speaking to you are mumbling

Difficulty following conversations with multiple speakers

What to Do if You Suspect Hearing Loss First, it is important to consult with the primary care physician that is treating your diabetes. S/he will likely do diagnostic tests and refer you to a hearing specialist. An audiologist is the best first stop. At HearUSA, an audiologist will perform a hearing exam where you will learn more about your level of hearing loss if any and if needed, you will receive information on treatment including the best type of hearing aid for your hearing loss.

 Opening a Whole New World of Sound | HearUSA.com

he National Institutes of Health have conducted and supported a number of studies about how to prevent hearing loss by employing nutrient-based solutions including a 2011 study that concluded nutrient combinations of omega-3s, anti-oxidants, beta-carotenes, vitamins A, C and E as well as zinc, magnesium and other nutrients may hold promise for benefit to the human ear.

You Hear What You Eat by Ellyn Santiago

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There are so many foods to eat that are at once delicious and rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can slow down or prevent hearing loss.

Oh my, Omega-3s! Consuming omega-3 foods may help prevent or delay hearing loss. Lucky for us, the foods that are the richest in omega-3 are abundant and fresh in the spring and summer months, not to mention delicious. Salmon, tuna, shellfish including crab, scallops, shrimp and lobster as well as myriad other seafood to include trout, cod, tilapia, anchovies and sardines.

But for non-seafood lovers, there are many other options including all types of beans from kidney to pinto, vegetables from broccoli and cauliflower to spinach and winter squash, and nuts and seeds including flaxseed and walnuts. Oils such as soybean and canola also provide this necessary nutrient that may dramatically reduce the risk of hearing loss.

Get Your Vitamins C and E

Keep that immune system strong and corral free-radicals with lots of vitamin C and E by incorporating citrus, which is loaded in vitamin C, and the E-loaded almonds, hazelnuts and leafy greens.

A to Zinc

Anti-oxidant Vitamin A is found in liver, sweet potatoes, peppers, leafy greens and many other fruits and vegetables. Daily doses of zinc-rich foods, which include dark chocolate, can help the inner ear’s resistance to aging. Zinc is also found in beef, pork and dark-meat chicken not to mention a plethora of nuts and seeds including cashews, almonds, peanuts, beans, split peas, and lentils. And then there are oysters!

B-12 to the Rescue

B-12. It does a body good. Go for sunflower seeds, spinach and almonds.

Marvelous Magnesium

Research shows that magnesium can sometimes protect a person from noise-induced hearing loss, so stock up on bananas and artichokes.

Do Not Forget Folic Acid

There is a lot of recent evidence that suggests folic acid is essential to inner ear health. Stock up on the B-9 rich folate found in foods including green leafy vegetables. Salads, salads, salads.

 Opening a Whole New World of Sound | HearUSA.com

10 Tips For People who hear well

People with hearing loss

Hearing is a two-way street. For those that hear well, communicating with loved ones with hearing loss can be a challenge. And for those with hearing loss, communicating with friends and family can be difficult. Here are tips on how to better hear each other. ❶ Face each other directly. ❷ Make sure there is no distracting or loud background noise. ❸ Speak clearly. ❹ Speak at a moderate speed. ❺ Do not over-emphasize words. ❻ Do not shout. ❼ Use hand gestures, when possible.

❶ Choose your stage: Where is the best place to talk to you? A well-lit area or a quiet location, for example. ❷ Face the person directly. ❸ Focus and concentrate on the person with whom you are speaking. ❹ Remain calm and relaxed. Do not assume the worst will happen; that you will not hear what they are saying to you. ❺ Be alert for visual clues like hand gestures.

❽ Be patient.

❻ Wait. Be patient. Do not interrupt; conversations have a natural flow and often the blank spaces are filled.

❾ Maintain a calm and relaxed posture.

❼ Be positive and confident.

❿ Display respect for the person with hearing loss; that positivity can help build confidence.

❽ Do not fake it: If you do not understand something, say it. ❾ Let the person know how well s/he is doing in communicating with you.

~With information from National Institutes of Health and HearingLoss.org

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❿ Communicate as best you can with humor and joy. If you are having repeated difficulty understanding, rather than let frustration get the better of you, consider taking a break.

Q A

ASK

Q: Can hearing aids help my tinnitus?

A: Yes, Hearing aids are effective for several reasons:

asking and Attentional Effects Hearing aids can augment the volume of external noise to the point that it covers (masks) the sound of tinnitus. This makes it more difficult to consciously perceive tinnitus and helps the brain focus on outside, ambient noises. The masking impact of hearing aids is particularly strong for patients who have hearing loss in the same frequency range as their tinnitus. Auditory Stimulation Increasing the volume of external noise also increases the amount of auditory stimulation received by the brain. There may be benefits to stimulating the brain’s auditory pathways with soft background sounds that might not otherwise be heard. Improved Communication Loud tinnitus can make it difficult — or even impossible — for patients to participate in regular communicative and social activities: follow a conversation, talk on the phone,

watch television, listen to the radio, etc. Hearing aids help by augmenting the external volume of these activities above the perceived volume. Most patients develop tinnitus as a symptom of hearing loss, caused either by age, long-term hearing damage, or acute trauma to the auditory system. According to the general scientific consensus, hearing loss causes less external sound stimuli to reach the brain. In response, the brain undergoes neuroplastic changes in how it processes different sound frequencies. Tinnitus is the product of these maladaptive neuroplastic changes.

A large percentage of patients with hearing loss and tinnitus find relief from the use of hearing aids.

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