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NewsletterFebruary 2007 |
Hello, everyone! |
This new year is already going by at a fast clip. Our office here has been very busy indeed. We appreciate having a new year with new opportunities to use the skills and technology we have available to help people hear better. |
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If you or a loved one needs hearing help, please don't wait until sometime later to do something about it. Start this new year out by getting the hearing help you need in order to be a full-participant in life. Communication is so vital to everything associated with living. Being able to participate in family gatherings, watching movies, playing with the kids, attending lectures, eating at your favorite restaurant with your loved ones ... all these activities that make life so much more interesting and fulfilling cannot be enjoyed to the fullest when we aren't able to participate in conversations. |  | |
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| Today, there is such a large variety of hearing help available in a wide range of prices. Like Jim likes to say, "You need to make the rest of your life, the best of your life!" |
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Keeping you up-to-date
Later this month, Jim will be attending the annual Tri-State Hearing Convention in Seattle, participating in continuing education classes and seminars. This convention also provides the opportunity to meet with various manufacturer's reps in order to learn about the latest technologies becoming available this year. It's always a very informative convention. As new products become available, we'll provide you that information!
Two Ears Are Better Than One
According to an American study, you hear 6-7 dB better when listening with both ears as compared to one, when in a room full of a variety of sounds. The researchers studied what they call 'the cocktail party problem'. This problem typically arises at a party when you are surrounded by voices and noise from all directions and you have trouble hearing what others are saying to you.
The participants in the study had normal hearing in both ears. Their hearing was tested, one ear at a time, and both ears together, while in noisy conditions with voices and sounds simulating a party. The results showed the significance of hearing with both ears. When the room was full of interfering voices, the participants recorded improvements of 6-7 dB in hearing with two ears over just one. When the interfering sounds were noise or when the interference was one low sound of either speech or noise, the recorded improvements were 2-4 dB when listening with both ears.
Earlier studies of people with hearing loss in both ears showed that they hear significantly better when they wear two hearing aids rather than one. Like the subjects in the new study, they found that they were better able to hear and determine the direction of sounds when listening with two ears.
Source: The benefit of binaural hearing in a cocktail party: Effect of location and type of interferer. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
Tinnitus: Helpful Tips
This month, we're providing you with a list of helpful tips developed by the Twin Cities Tinnitus Self-Help Group in Minnesota. This list was printed in the March 2006 edition of Tinnitus Today.
- Do not panic. Tinnitus is rarely a sign of any serious ongoing pathological condition.
- See a competent doctor who can rule out any condition that may cause tinnitus.
- Review your current medications with your physician for possible tinnitus side effect.
- Do not draw any negative conclusions about your condition at first.
- In most cases, people who experience tinnitus will "habituate" it, and after a period of adjustment, will go on with their lives as well as before.
- Seek out reliable, helpful information from sources, such as the American Tinnitus Association; 800-634-8978; www.ata.org; or tinnitus at ata.org.
- Be wary of dire diagnoses and negative information.
- Find a support group. They can help you sort out the useful from the useless, and can offer you compassionate companionship and coping strategies.
- Discuss the problem with those around you. Inform them about the conditions that are difficult for you.
- Be involved in your recovery. Tinnitus may not resolve on its own.
- Be kind to yourself. You have undergone an entire physical and mental change.
- Examine your lifestyle and make changes if stress is a part of your environment.
- Be a detective. Find out what "lights up" your tinnitus.
- Examine your diet, and eliminate possible sources of irritation such as salt, artificial sweeteners, excess sugar, alcohol, some over-the-counter medications, tobacco, and caffeine. If these do not cause you discomfort and you enjoy them, after a proper trial, feel free to resume their use.
- Do not give up if a therapy or treatment doesn't produce immediate relief.
- Do not waste time blaming yourself for your tinnitus. The causes of tinnitus are numerous and nearly impossible to determine.
- You will learn that the real difficulty with tinnitus is created outside of the auditory system. Our negative thoughts may be more damaging than the sounds themselves.
- The sounds you hear may in fact be the normal sounds created by our body or brain at work.
- Keep informed about tinnitus. Learn what tinnitus is, and more importantly, what it is not. There is a great deal of research being conducted in the search for tinnitus relief. This alone can act as positive reinforcement
- You will not fear tinnitus once you are correctly informed
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We welcome comments and suggestions
If you would like to comment or offer suggestions for topics to be covered in our Newsletter, please feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you! Also, if our Newsletter has been helpful to you, please forward your friends and loved ones to our web site address: www.advancedhearingplus.com .
Beth Bell |
Quote of the Month
"Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time—you won't have a leg to stand on"
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Reminders |
| If you last had your hearing instruments cleaned in August, it is time to get them cleaned this month! |
Assisted Listening Devices |
| For Assisted Listening Devices, please visit our online store. We offer many products, including TV Ears, at competitive prices and shipped directly to your door. Satisfaction guaranteed. |
Referrals |
If you know someone who has been thinking about getting some new hearing aids and benefiting from newer technology, please send them our way. If they purchase a set of premium digital instruments, we will gladly supply you with 2 free boxes of batteries. If they purchase a set of basic or advanced digital hearing instruments, we will supply you with 1 free box of batteries.
We appreciate your referrals! As you know, we do not use telemarketing to acquire new customers. We rely upon word-of-mouth and media advertising. Not only will they receive the best care, but we can save them money, too! |
Questions? Comments? |
| Do you have a question, comment, or concern? Do you have a testimonial that you would like us to include in a future newsletter? Please don't hesitate to contact Jim or contact me. |
How to receive our newsletter |
| If you have friends or loved ones who would like to receive our newsletter via email, we will be happy to add them to our email list. All you need to do is have them contact me to provide me with their name and email address. We also have copies of the newsletter in our office if you would like to pick them up here. |
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How to contact us
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Office Hours
Monday thru Friday 9-5
Saturday by appointment only
Address and Phone
816 Beltline Rd
Springfield, OR 97477
Telephone: 541-746-7671
Toll Free: 800-230-1953
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