Bloomington, MN, May 8, 2013 – http://www.gnresound.com – ReSound, a technology leader in hearing aid solutions, has launched the “Moments Movement” as a way to recognize Hearing Healthcare Professionals and elevate the patient “Moments” that inspire and motivate them daily.

Moments are the extra ordinary things that HHPs do to make the lives of their patients better. Every time a patient’s face lights up because they can hear again – that’s a Moment.  Moments make being a professional in hearing healthcare rewarding.

Through the Moments Movement, ReSound supports the professionals who counsel, coach and connect with their patients to find solutions to restore the joy of hearing. It’s a way to share these inspiring Moments and celebrate the contributions, efforts and energy that professionals bring to the work they do. ReSound is reaching out to the Hearing Health Community, inviting them to share the Moments that have inspired them the most.

To create awareness and support for the Moments Movement, ReSound is awarding a monthly Moment Maker Grant. For every Moment shared on ReSound’s Moments Web page, ReSound will add funds to the Moment Maker Grant. The Grant can be used by HHPs for continuing education, as a scholarship, or for charitable events or mission trips. Through the Moment Maker Grant, ReSound aspires to support professionals as they continue to create Moments with their patients.

 
Jennifer McGlothlin of Elite Audiology & Hearing Care was the first recipient of ReSound’s Moment Maker Grant. McGlothlin, a private practice owner in Mt. Juliet, TN, will use the grant to attend the Tinnitus Practitioners Association – Associate Course in December.

“I feel so blessed to have been awarded the first Moment Maker Grant,” said Jennifer McGlothlin, Au.D. “I have been wanting to attend the TPA course for a while now, but as a start-up practice owner, the funds just weren’t there. Now, I look forward to being able to help tinnitus sufferers with the knowledge I am sure to gain in this course. Thank you, ReSound, for helping us make special Moments with our patients.”

It sure is nice to see the manufacturer step up to make a difference!

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

Lipreading and speech-reading are strategies that hearing impaired people use to help decipher and decode speech.  Most all of us do it to an extent, whether or not we have hearing loss!  Our brains are very adept at using facial cues and mouth and eye movements to help us determine what someone is saying and how they are saying it.  However, lip reading can be studied and practiced to help a person with (or without) hearing aids to maximize his or her use of the devices and to help them assimilate language more wholly.

Every spoken sound has a place of articulation, a manner of articulation, and a mouth position.  However, some sounds are made in the back of the mouth or with the tongue and can be hard to see (like the “K” sound and the “G” sound), while other sounds look identical to one another and the only difference is that one uses a voice and one doesn’t (like “B” versus “P”, or “D” versus “T”).

If you see someone lipreading when you’re speaking, or you know someone has a hearing impairment or hearing aids, there are some things you can do to help them lipread more successfully.

·       Do not cover your mouth when you speak…many people do this without even noticing that they do so, but you are directly impeding the listener’s view of your mouth

·       Try to make sure the listener understands the subject matter.  That means not suddenly switching topics randomly…the lip reader’s brain is working overtime to assimilate all the cues from the conversation, what they are picking up from the hearing aids, and integrating in what his or her brain is “reading” on your lips

·       Sit facing the listener and try not to turn your head/face

·       Stay in a well-lit environment.  Beware sitting in front of windows or light sources as it can cast shadows on and around you, making it more difficult for the listener to see your face.

While lipreading takes much patience and practice, there are things that can help you.  Many community centers and colleges offer Lipreading courses, so it is worthwhile to check and see if anything is available in your immediate area.  Some hearing aid offices offer Lipreading as a type of Aural Rehabilitation with the purchase of certain hearing aids, so that is also something to check into, or to see if your local office offers classes on the side.  There are online tutorials as well as DVD/videos available for purchase that can help to hone skills.  Sometimes watching television (especially the news) or a favorite, oft-quoted movie with the sound off can be useful for practice as well.  After some practice, you may be able to more easily decipher what your loved ones are saying.  Give it a try!

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

ReSound has come out with a new Phone Clip for the Verso and Alera lines of hearing aids.  I blogged about it briefly a couple of months ago, but now that it has been on the market for a bit I am happy to share some more information about it!  Both Apple and Android systems have FREE apps that can be downloaded to work with your smart phone so that you can adjust your hearing aids for volume or programs directly from your mobile device.

Purchase a Unite Phone Clip+ and have your hearing healthcare professional pair it with your hearing aids via the ReSound fitting software.  After that has been completed, you can go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “ReSound Control”…this can be done on either your mobile device or your PC/laptop.  Download the app, then use Bluetooth pairing to pair your hearing aids with your mobile device or computer.

The white bars you see when you open up the ReSound app are used to indicate the hearing aid volume.  There are blue bars in the middle of the white bars if you are streaming information from another device, and they indicate the volume of the streaming information.  At the bottom, the green microphone is a mute button (it should be noted that the mute function is available for the Verso line of instruments but not for the Alera line of instruments).

The “Link” button in the lower right corner is where you can manage whether or not the Phone Clip+ is linked to anything, and also whether or not it is streaming to the right ear, the left ear, or both ears.

The button in the upper right corner (not pictured here) is a square with three small white lines across it.  That is the menu button; it will show you the program your instruments are currently in as well as what other listening programs are set on your hearing aids.  You can also view the devices that are paired to your aids.

If you are a technologically savvy individual, or you like gadgets, or you just plain think this sounds like a great idea, you are NOT alone.  People are raving about the Phone Clip+ and so pleased that technology is advancing to a place where you can use one device to control others.  I’m sure other manufacturers will follow suit!  Call Hearing Revolution to find out more about the Phone Clip+ today! For only $155, how could you go wrong?

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

Patients are always asking me if anything can be done to bring back the hearing they have lost without using hearing aids.  In the past, my answer was always a, “No, but wouldn’t that be wonderful?”  Now, my answer is, “Not yet, but scientists are getting closer all the time and it won’t be more than a handful of years and it may be possible.”  While sometimes controversial, stem cell research is making this a possibility in the not-so-distant future.

What is Stem Cell Research?

At a most basic level, stem cell research is the practice of taking human cells and developing them into other varieties of cells in the body.  Many scientists and researchers are very hopeful that this will someday give us the ability to find treatments and cures for diseases like heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes.  Stem cell research may also hold the key for helping to rebuild the inner hair cells in the cochlear, the site of hearing loss for many people.

This blog will not address any of the legal or moral issues of Stem Cell Research, nor will it address the ethics of cloning.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants have done wonders to help recover some hearing function, but they are not the same as hearing like a person with normal cochlear/hair cell function.  Stem cell treatment may be able to repair the damaged cochlea and has the potential to restore hearing.  Per Stanford School of Medicine, “One approach to restore hearing might be to surgically place stem cells within the cochlea in such a way that they would fuse with the remaining cochlear structures and develop and function as hair cells. Scientists believe this is a viable approach because, unlike most organs that are destroyed by disease, the inner ear remains structurally intact—only the hair cells are lost.”  The potential stem cells are taken from the patient’s own skin cells and have been genetically reprogrammed to revert back to stem cells.  Patients are able to be treated with their own cells!

Scientists in multiple countries have been able to regenerate hair cells in multiple animals, but trials and tests will need to be done on human ears.  The good news is that there is hope to help repair hearing in the future!

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

Back in the day, even a few drops of water could kill a hearing aid in short order.  Today we have water resistant and waterproof hearing aids to help people who have active lifestyles or who enjoy certain activities that have been off limits for hearing aid users in the past.

Some companies, like ReSound, offer a nanotech coating on their products.  That means that the case of the instrument and/or the components inside is protected by chemical compounds resistant to water and oils, which are the substances that do the most damage to hearing aid components.

Nanotech iSolate by ReSound is able to coat all interior and exterior surfaces of the hearing aids, lessening the number of repairs per instrument…damage and corrosion from moisture is one of the major things that cause hearing instruments to fail and need repair.  The material used to do this is hydrophobic and oleophobic (aka water resistant and oil resistant).  This coating shows resistance to mechanical wear and tear, so it is not going to break down over time leaving your instrument unprotected.  Nanotech makes hearing aids water resistant but not entirely waterproof, so it is great for people who play athletics, sweat profusely, or live and/or work in humid conditions.

For a fully waterproof hearing aid, we offer the Siemens Aquaris.  It can be fully submerged into water repeatedly.  The Aquaris can be worn while swimming or showering, or even a day at the beach (although you may want to be cautious in the waves because one could easily take your hearing aid out to sea!)  The Aquaris is only available in a behind-the-ear model, but it is great for kids and adults alike!

Call Hearing Revolution today to learn more about these products!

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

ReSound Mini Mic

In the past, I’ve blogged about the many accessories that ReSound has built to work with their Alera line of hearing instruments and their Verso line of instruments.  To refer to that blog, click HERE.  Today I’d like to focus mainly on just one of the accessories: the Mini Mic.

The ReSound Mini Mic and a hearing aid

First of all, your hearing aid needs to be able to use a Bluetooth signal…that means that CIC (Completely-in-the-Canal) styles and IIC (Invisible-in-the-Canal) styles will not be able to use the Mini Mic.

The Mini Mic uses 2.4 GHz technology to stream sound directly to your hearing aids from many different sources.  Patients have come up with some really creative ways to use the Mini Mic, and they have shared them with me.  In turn, I will share with you:

• Use the Mini Mic in a meeting at work…place it in the middle of the table or have the talkers pass it back and forth.  That way, you always get a clean and concise signal into the hearing aids and you will not miss out on what is being said.
• Place the Mini Mic next to the speakers on your television.  The sound will be picked up and transported directly into your hearing aids.
• Take the Mini Mic to a restaurant or group setting where you difficulty hearing…whomever is talking can speak directly into it and the sound will stream directly to your hearing aids.
• If you are the driver of a car and have backseat passengers, give them the Mini Mic so you can have a conversation while you drive.
• Pair the Mini Mic with your laptop or iPod to stream music directly to your hearing aids.
• At a conference or convention, place the Mini Mic up at the speaker’s podium or stand to be sure you get a clear, comfortable signal.

The Mini Mic is portable and small…and the battery lasts more than 8 hours before needing to be recharged.  Recharging to full charge takes about 3 hours, and it is possible for a talker to wear the Mini Mic on a lanyard.

You can activate the Mini Mic by using the Remote Control or by pushing the button on your hearing aids, just ask your hearing healthcare professional to configure your settings so that you can have control.  The Mini Mic also has a volume control on it, as well as a low battery setting to let you know when you are losing power.

If you are looking for a versatile hearing solution for multiple situations, check out the ReSound Mini Mic!  You won’t be disappointed!

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

Hearing aids are electronic devices that are worn in or right next to the body, so they are bound to have issues crop up from time to time.  Here are some quick, easy, do-it-yourself troubleshooting tips for the most common hearing aid problems.

Problem: Feedback or Whistling that is new or more severe than before

Suggestions: 

1) Check the insertion of the hearing aid to be sure that it is fitting correctly and has been fully inserted.  If the instrument is not correctly

2)  If your instrument has a volume control on it, check it to see if it is where it is normally set or if it has been turned on to full volume.  If it has been accidentally cranked up, it will be more likely to feedback and squeal at you.  Return volume control to normal spot.

3)  If you are wearing a behind-the-ear (BTE) instrument that is connected to an earmold and tubing, check the tubing on the earmold as well as the hook where the earmold joins the hearing aid for any holes or tears, as this will cause feedback.

BTE with Earmold

4)  Have your ENT doctor or your PCP doctor check your ears for excess wax.  Having wax occluding your ears can cause feedback.

Problem:  Hearing Aid is Dead

Suggestions:

1)  Check your battery to be sure it is not dead.  You can try it in your other hearing aid or purchase a battery tester.  If you put the battery in the other hearing aid and it works, the problem is your hearing aid.  If you put the battery in the other hearing aid and it does NOT work, the problem is most likely the battery.

2)  Does your hearing aid have an on/off switch?  If so, be sure that the aid is actually switched to the ON position.  For some people, that means just putting the battery in the battery door and closing it…wait 10-15 seconds in case there is a start up delay and hold the hearing aid in your hand to see if it will squeal when you cup it in your hand.

3) Look at the part of your hearing aid where the sound comes out in your ear canal; this is called the receiver.  Can you see inside of it, or do you notice that it is clogged with dirt or debris or wax?  If sound cannot come out because the receiver is blocked, the hearing aid will appear to be dead.  Your Hearing Healthcare Professional has most likely given you a cleaning tool to help remove the wax.  If not, go on into the office and have them take a look at it…you want to be very careful when removing wax so as not to damage the receiver.

This is the receiver on an In-the-Ear hearing aid

Problem:  Hearing Aid is Weak

Suggestions: 

1) Check the receiver for wax to see if it is partially blocked.  If you see wax in the receiver, try to remove it or see your HHP for them to clean and service your hearing aid.

2)  If your hearing aid is a BTE or Open Fit style, check the tube.  Do you see any droplets of moisture or debris?  If so, that is probably causing the problem.  Does the tubing feel soft and compliant or stiff/hard?  It should be soft; if the tubes are hardened then they need to be changed out.

3)  Look at the microphone port on the hearing aid…does it look 100% open and clear?  Dust, debris, hairspray, oils from our hands and fingers can get into the microphones on the hearing aid and make it more difficult (or impossible!) for sounds to get in…and if sound can’t get in, then sound can’t get out.  Your HHP has probably provided you with a brush tool; use the brush on the microphone ports but turn the hearing aid upside down so that if your brushing loosens the debris, it doesn’t fall INTO the microphone which can make things worse.

Problem:  Battery Life is Decreased

Suggestions: 

1) Is the problem in one ear or both ears?  If the problem is only occurring on one hearing aid, the problem is likely the hearing aid.  If the problem is occurring on both sides, the issues is likely the batteries you are using and you will probably want to try a new package of batteries.
2)  Open your battery doors at night, or remove the batteries completely from the hearing aids
3)  If the problem persists, see your HHP for assistance.

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

During this difficult economic time, many people cannot afford to pay top dollar for a high-end hearing aid.  Thus, manufacturers have risen to the challenge to provide the industry with more budget-friendly options to meet the increasing need for more affordable hearing health care.  Sonic is no exception; they have developed their Pep 20 hearing aids with this in mind!

The Sonic Pep 20 is an affordable $1195 through Hearing Revolution.  It comes in several different styles: Power BTE, BTE, directional ITC, non-directional ITC, and a CIC.  The Pep uses Sonic’s patented Speech Variable Processing to help maximize the speech signal, even in noise.  It also has Noise Reduction in all models, for both adaptive noise and soft noise.  The feedback canceller stops the problem of pesky, squealing, annoying feedback before it even occurs.  The Power BTE and BTE can be used with FM or DAI devices as well.

Sonic Pep 20

As Sonic says, “Pep is ideal for the first-time user and for patients with basic hearing needs.  All the essential features are designed to improve listening comfort and to improve overall hearing ability are included, along with standard features for patient convenience”, which sums up Pep in a nutshell.  Not a lot of bells and whistles, but enough features for the instrument to work well in basic listening environments.   If you are looking for great value for your money, check out the Sonic Pep 20 today!

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

Remember a few years ago when Rush Limbaugh lost his hearing overnight and came public about it?  Limbaugh was suffering from a Sudden Hearing Loss, which is not nearly as uncommon as one might think.  I’m not referring to ears blocked with wax or middle ear/Eustachian tube problems that make hearing temporarily be muffled.  I’m talking about Sudden Hearing Loss, which refers to a rapid loss of hearing that occurs over 1-3 days and is characterized by a shift in frequency threshold of 30dB or more at 3 consecutive frequencies.  According to the National Institute of Health, about 4,000 new cases occur each year in the United States, and it is most likely to affect people between the ages of 30 and 60.

Rush Limbaugh and his Cochlear Implant

During my years as a clinician, I have seen many cases of SHL.  Some have successfully recovered, others have not recovered and stayed the same, and yet others (a very small number) have gone on to lose the hearing in the other ear, too.  Many of them just woke up one morning and realized they couldn’t hear out of one ear, others hear a loud pop just before their hearing disappears, and even others did not notice it until they went to use a phone or device.
While some patients do recover completely without medical intervention, it is highly advisable to seek emergency medical attention immediately.  Go to your ER and tell them you have sudden hearing loss; if you go through the proper channels and see your primary care doctor, then your Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor, and then your audiologist, too much time elapses and there is much less of a chance that you will recover.  It is imperative to seek medical treatment as soon as possible; the most common treatment for sudden hearing loss is treatment with steroids, especially if the cause is unknown (usually the case).  With steroidal or antibiotic treatment, some people will regain their hearing over weeks or months.

What causes Sudden Hearing Loss?
There are more than 100 possible causes of Sudden Hearing Loss, so it can be difficult to identify specifically what causes it in each person.  We base our diagnosis on the patient’s medical history, but the most common causes are: infectious diseases, trauma (head injury), abnormal tissue growth, immunologic diseases, toxic causes, ototoxic drugs, circulatory problems, neurologic problems, and relation to disorders such as Meniere’s disease.  It is thought that a percentage of SHL cases are most likely autoimmune in nature; that means the hearing loss is caused by antibodies or immune cells attacking the inner ear.

The thing that makes Sudden Hearing Loss so scary is that there is no warning and it is not necessarily consistent.  There aren’t signs and symptoms leading up to it; you just wake up one morning and you are deaf in one ear.  While hearing aids can sometimes be used to treat SHL, other people have to turn to Cochlear Implants, like Rush Limbaugh did.  The severity of his hearing loss was so profound that traditional hearing aids wouldn’t help More about Cochlear Implants HERE.

What can you do?
You can help spread awareness.  If you see or hear of anyone who complains of Sudden Hearing Loss, encourage them to seek medical attention immediately; do NOT put it off or go through a lengthy referral process.  A person with SHL needs to be treated within the first couple days of symptoms for him or her to have any likelihood of improvement.  Talk to your friends, family, and doctors about this.

If you or someone you know has suffered from Sudden Hearing Loss, contact an audiologist to see if there is anything that can be done to help!  Maybe a hearing aid or a CROS system, or even a Cochlear Implant referral.  Just know you are not alone, and although we don’t know what causes Sudden Hearing Loss and that makes it hard to treat it, more advances are being made all the time.

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin

In the past year or two, we have seen an influx of a new type of hearing aid on the market: the tinnitus masking hearing aid.  The tinnitus masking hearing aids look like regular hearing aids but have two functions: to improve hearing as a hearing aid would, and to put out another signal to help distract the brain from the sound of tinnitus.  To read more about tinnitus, click HERE.  About 80-85% of people who suffer from tinnitus also have hearing loss that is severe enough to benefit from use of a hearing aid.

Tinnitus masking hearing aids look like regular hearing aids

Hearing Revolution recognizes that many patients suffer with tinnitus daily, and we have included a couple of different options in our product offerings.

The ReSound Alera series has the ability to be ordered as the TS form, meaning a “Tinnitus Solution”, in most styles of aids at the Alera 9 level, in the RIC and BTE styles of the ALera 7 level, and just in the BTE at the Alera 5 level.  The hearing aids function like normal hearing aids, but have the additional ability to play a white noise sound (set as softly or loudly as you would like, at the frequency appropriate for you) to help alleviate the tinnitus.  The Alera TS is highly customizable for both your hearing and tinnitus needs, whatever they may be.  Like the standard Alera hearing aids, the Alera 9 and 7 have 17 channels while the Alera 5 has 9 channels.

The Audifon Switch 8 is another product available as solely a tinnitus masker or can be used as a hearing aid + tinnitus masker.  The Switch 8 has the option of using white noise masking or a tinnitus noise generator, as well as being able to be used as a hearing aid or not.  That leaves the wearer with much flexibility and many options/combinations to find the exactly right one.  The Switch 8 TRT model is available in a BTE, RIC, or custom style of instrument.

Tinnitus masking hearing aids or hearing systems with sound generators are used in tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), with the goal being to habituate the wearer to the tinnitus until it is no longer perceived as a problem.  The masking noise/generator distracts the brain, especially when the person with the tinnitus is somewhere quiet, which is a time when the perception of tinnitus would normally be more severe than usual.

While many people who have hearing loss and who suffer from tinnitus experience relief from traditional hearing aids, this is another option for people with more severe tinnitus, or for people who have tried regular hearing aids and are still suffering.  For more questions or comments, please contact Hearing Revolution at info@hearingrevolution.com or call us at 877-426-0687 to schedule an appointment today!

Until next time,

Dr. Kristin