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NewsletterMarch 2006 |
Hello, everyone! |
I think we're all ready for the weather to settle down and spring to show up! I haven't figured out if March is coming in like a lion or like a lamb! Hard to believe that two months of this new year are already past! Last month was a very busy month here--that always makes time fly. This month looks to be just as busy. |
 This week, Jim is at the annual Tri-State Hearing Convention. He'll be attending continuing education classes from morning to evening every day. Also, he will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from various manufacturers and learn what new products are coming down the pike. As a matter of fact, Jim and I were recently treated to a demonstration, here in our office, of some new technology that processes sound unlike any other hearing aid on the market. We were very impressed with how it managed background noise, and made speech in noise very clear and crisp. It was likened to sharpening a photograph.
You know how sometimes a digitalized photo looks fuzzy---you can see the pixels? But as you change the resolution of the photo, it comes into sharper focus and the pixels disappear? This is similar to how this new circuit handles speech in noise. It really is unlike anything we've seen before. Jim has fit this product on his dad who has a severe hearing loss and has had difficulty hearing speech in noise. His dad, a retired board-certified hearing instrument specialist, was very impressed. He found that he could hear and participate in conversation with friends at a busy restaurant; he can also hear the TV clearly. It's exciting to see how the hearing instrument technology keeps improving! |
Another new product that appears to be very helpful for hearing aid users is the Sahara DryEar ear dryer. Developed by a surgeon, DryEar is a compact, portable device that gently dries out the ear canal. This device is especially helpful for swimmers, but also claims to improve hearing aid fit and performance. For those hearing aid users who suffer from chronic ear infections and/or moisture problems, this device seems to provide the answer. You can learn more about it by accessing their website at http://www.dryear.net . |
In past Newsletters, we have explained the relationship between the brain and hearing---that we hear with our brain. In this new century, scientists have discovered more details regarding the hearing mechanism and how it functions. The results of some new research were reported in the Sept. 10 edition of Science.
Dr. Yvonne Sininger, Ph.D., visiting professor of head and neck surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Dr. Barbara Cone-Wesson, Ph.D., associate professor of speech and hearing sciences at the University of Arizona, conducted research on the tiny amplifiers in the outer hair cells of the inner ear. This six-year study conducted by the UCLA/UA team evaluated the hearing ability of more than 3000 newborns by measuring their otoacoustic emission (OAE) using rapid clicks, then sustained sounds. What they found surprised them. Their testing proved that each ear works differently than the other!
Dr. Sininger commented, "We always assumed that our left and right ears worked exactly the same way. As a result, we tended to think it didn't matter which ear was impaired in a person. Now we see that it may have profound implications for the individual's speech and language development." Drs. Sininger and Cone-Wesson discovered that the right ear is important for hearing speech because it provides extra amplification for rapid sounds that are timed like speech sounds. The left ear was found to provide extra amplification for music-like tones. Dr. Sininger noted, "This parallels how the brain processes speech and music, except the sides are reversed due to the brain's cross connections." Though Dr. Sininger looked for anatomical differences between the right and left ears, she could find none!
"Our findings demonstrate that auditory processing starts in the ear before it is ever seen in the brain. Even at birth, the ear is structured to distinguish between different types of sound and to send it to the right place in the brain," said Dr. Cone-Wesson.
How true it is that we are fearfully and wondrously made! |
Interesting Fact:
Scientists have identified the earwax gene, and have found that it comes in two varieties: wet or dry! Do tell!! Wonders never cease----but fear not, it wasn't your hard-earned tax dollars at work this time. A Japanese team at the Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is to be credited with this find. They have deduced that the the dry earwax gene is recessive, which means that both parents must pass along a copy of this gene to their children for them to produce the dry kind. Seems that they have determined that those of Asian descent have the dry earwax, and all others have the sticky variety. Just what you all wanted to know, huh?
Seriously, thanks to Penny, my NH cousin, for passing along this note of interest. If any of you have any interesting pieces of information regarding hearing that you would like to pass along to me, please feel free to do so. I will be happy to include appropriate notes of interest in the Newsletter. |
As always, your questions and comments are welcome.
Beth Bell |
Quote of the Month
"You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself."
Sam Levinson |
Reminders |
| If you last had your hearing instruments cleaned in October, it is time to get them cleaned this month! |
Assistive Listening Devices |
| For Assistive 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 |
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How to contact us
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Office Hours
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Saturday by appointment only
Address and Phone
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Springfield, OR 97477
Telephone: 541-746-7671
Toll Free: 800-230-1953
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