How to treat ringing in your ears

Editor’s Note: Chuck Smith is a licensed hearing care practitioner and owner of Affordable Hearing, with offices in Rochester and Logansport. He specializes in testing and fitting hearing aids, tinnitus therapy, hearing conservation and cerumen management (earwax removal). This is the second of a twopart series on tinnitus.

The good news for people with tinnitus and hearing loss is that treatment options are available.

If a person’s tinnitus is caused by hearing loss, treating the hearing loss can lead to a reduction in tinnitus symptoms. This can be done through the use of hearing aids, which amplify sound and make it easier for the ear to hear. In some cases, a hearing care practitioner may recommend a cochlear implant, a small electronic device surgically implanted into the ear to help improve hearing.

Another approach is tinnitus masking therapy, which can help people with tinnitus learn to manage their symptoms. Tinnitus masking therapy is a treatment that involves the use of external sounds to mask or cover up the phantom noises associated with tinnitus.

The goal of tinnitus masking therapy is to reduce the perceived loudness of tinnitus and make it less noticeable. This can be done through the use of various sound therapy devices, such as white noise machines, tinnitus maskers and hearing aids with tinnitus masking features.

White noise machines produce a constant, neutral sound, such as the sound of a fan or a waterfall, which can be used to mask tinnitus. Tinnitus maskers are similar to white noise machines, but they are specifically designed for tinnitus and can be worn in the ear like a

What goes on back in the lab, anyway?

Editor’s Note: Emily Schouten is the laboratory director at Woodlawn Hospital, Rochester.

Did you ever wonder what happens to your blood sample after you leave the lab?

I recently asked my teenagers what they thought happened to samples in a lab and my daughter asked, “Do you have vampires in the lab?” Fortunately, we do not have any vampires in the lab. We do have staff who want to give the best possible care to our patients.

What happens to a blood sample in the lab after a phlebotomist draws your blood?

At Woodlawn Hospital, a blood sample’s first stop is the chemistry department. A lab technologist, who has extensive training, reviews the doctor’s order to make sure the correct samples are collected by the phlebotomist.

Next, the sample is processed so it is ready to be tested on one of the many machines in the lab, called an analyzer. There are many analyzers with cutting-edge technology in the lab and each analyzer tests for very specific items in your blood. Some analyzers measure material in your blood such as glucose or cholesterol. Other analyzers count the red blood cells that carry oxygen and the white blood cells that fight infections.

Not every blood sample is tested on an analyzer. Many samples are handled by the lab technologists, stained with special dyes and looked at under a microscope to help identify unusual cells in the blood or bacteria growing inside the body. A lab technologist is trained to identify common problems such as bacteria from a person with a urinary tract infection to unusual parasites like malaria. hearing aid. They produce a sound that is specifically tailored to the individual’s tinnitus and can be adjusted to match the pitch and loudness of the tinnitus.

Woodlawn Hospital has a microbiology department on site inside the lab. Microbiology is a specialized department where samples from the human body are placed in petri dishes to grow the bacteria that are causing infections. Once the bacteria grow, the lab technologist places the bacteria in an analyzer that can determine which antibiotic is best to treat the infection.

Most lab tests are completed the same day they are collected. All results are reviewed by the lab technologists before the report is sent to your doctor. Sometimes there are tests not finished at Woodlawn Hospital. These tests are sent to a reference lab for more testing.

The next time you are in the lab at Woodlawn Hospital, ask the phlebotomist about what happens to your blood sample, but please do not expect to find any vampires.

Hearing aids with tinnitus masking features can also be used to reduce the effects of tinnitus. These hearing aids are designed to amplify external sounds, making them easier to hear, while also producing a masking sound to cover up tinnitus. The masking sound is typically a low-level noise specifically tailored to the individual’s tinnitus.

Tinnitus masking therapy can be effective in reducing the perceived loudness of tinnitus and making it less noticeable. This can help improve the quality of life for people with tinnitus by reducing the impact of the condition on their daily lives.

It’s important to note that tinnitus masking therapy is not a cure for tinnitus, but it can help to alleviate the symptoms. It’s important to consult with an audiologist or a hearing professional to evaluate the best treatment options for you.

As a trained tinnitus therapy professional, I have helped hundreds of people address their needs through the use of hearing aids and tinnitus masking devices. Hopefully we will be able to help even more people once our Logansport office is up and running.

In conclusion, undiagnosed hearing loss could be a significant con- tributing factor to tinnitus. If you are experiencing tinnitus, it is important to have your hearing evaluated by a licensed hearing health care provider.

If hearing loss is identified, treatment options such as hearing aids or cochlear implants can be considered to help reduce tinnitus symptoms and improve your quality of life. Additionally, cognitive-behavioral therapy can also be helpful in managing tinnitus symptoms. By addressing hearing loss, we can improve the lives of millions of people who are struggling with the debilitating effects of tinnitus.

Tractor drive-in

Continued from page 9 related to agriculture or something else altogether.

“The skills students gain through FFA can help them in any career,” said teacher Justin Pearson, the Rochester FFA faculty adviser.

Keegan Reinhold is a 16-year-old junior who serves as reporter for the Rochester FFA Chapter. “You don’t have to grow up on a farm,” he said, “to be in FFA.”

Rochester’s FFA Week kicks off Monday, Feb. 20, with an annual ski trip. Members will be taking to the slopes at Bittersweet Resort in Michigan. The ski trip is a “big ticket” event that by itself draws students to join FFA, Lowe said.

After the ski trip and the trac- tor drive-in Wednesday, the week is capped on Friday with a cornhole tournament, a dunk tank with teachers on the hot seat, and a teacher kiss-the-pig contest.

Friday will also see the final chug-off of the milk chugging contests that take place throughout the week during lunch. Additionally throughout the week will be lunchtime contests for corn shelling and nail driving; dress-up days; and a different live animal to visit each day in the ag shop, including a horse, dog, goats and pig.

FFA members’ school year tends to revolve around February’s FFA Week.

“This is our week,” Lowe said. “It’s like a sectional game for us.”

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Work

D and N Auction

574-780-2768 or 574-780-2640

Sunday, February 26

Carl Brock Estate from Argos, Indiana

AUTOS: 2001 Chevy 1500, 4 wheel drive, (very, very, clean truck), 154k miles; 1989 Lincoln Town Car – again very clean, not sure of mileage at this time, putting new battery in at the time of this listing.

LAWN AND GARDEN: (1) Raider 10 w/rear tiller - non running; (1)

Wheel Horse 308-8 - again non running; 1 huge Hydrostat Wheel Horse 518-H - non running; (1) Wheel Horse snow blade; (1) John Deere GT 242 – non running; large wheel barrow; rakes; shovels; (2) Stihl weed eaters - non running; 12 gal. Craftsman wet dry vac; (2) live traps; pull behind seeders; lawn/leaf sweeper; ladders and more.

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BARN BEAMS FOR SALE. 40 (12’x13’) $125 ea. 1 (32’) $325. Call 574-835-8846.

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DRY, SEASONED FIREWOOD for sale, no deliveries. 574-835-6820 FOR SALE WOOD, $50 a load, picked up. 574-223-6937

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Note: The mowers are complete and barn fresh!!!!!!! We have not tried to start any at this time.

GLASSWARE: Holland Mold Company, Fenton, Mr. Peanut bottle, oil lamps.

HOUSEHOLD AND MISC.: (1) davenport; recliner; dining room table; China hutch; queen box spring and bed frame; (1) full size bed frame; (2) full size mattresses; dressers; small roll top desk; piano bench; rocking chair; dry sink; infrared heater; lamps; end tables; 32” flat screenTV; Griswold frying pan and others; (6) vintage metal lawn chaird; vintage corn sheller; barn lamps; misc. fishing lures, rods and reels; minnow trap; lanterns; minnow bucket; vintage outside hand pump; metal wood rack; vintage steel wheel; hand plow; hand tools; hardware; pipe wrenches; milk can; BBQ grills; porch swing; metal car ramps; handicap potty; nice walker; wood porch swing; clean microwave; several ceramic small Christmas trees; luggage; steamer trunk; small enamel top table and much more.

This is a very short listing. We are still digging!!! This is just a sample!!!!!!!!

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Terms on Vehicles: Cash and or Credit – Debit Cards. Vehicles can be taken day of sale. Indiana personal check and or bank notes, cashier checks must clear banks before removed. All taxes will be paid at BMV. You will be provided with paperwork for the BMV once everything is cleared via these terms.

Note: All statements day of sale will take precedence over all written matter.

Terms: CASH, Ind. state check w/good ID and Phone # only, Debit and Credit with 4% Service Fee!!!! NO OUT OF STATE CHECKS!!! ALL items sold as is!

Col. Darrell Pitts AC31400033 Col. Ted Annis AU10300102 AU08900148

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