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NewsletterSeptember 2006 |
Hello, everyone!
I hope you all have had a good summer—gone to the fairs, eaten your share of watermelons and enjoyed your family reunions, barbeques, and summer travels.
I'm so thankful that we live where we have a change of seasons. I love summer ... but I love fall and winter and spring, too! They all have their special attractions, memories, and activities to look forward to. |  | |
What We Offer
We have been providing hearing help in our community for many years. Sandy Downing, Jim's dad, started in the hearing care field in Eugene, OR in 1972. He founded Hearing Plus, Inc. in 1989. When he retired in 2000, his son, Jim, became President and owner and updated our name to Advanced Hearing Plus, Inc.
One thing we have learned throughout the years is that everyone is an individual; everyone hears differently because everyone's brain works differently. So, we have addressed this issue by providing a wide array of hearing aid products to be able to meet the individual needs of our patients. Every manufacturer has their niche. One manufacturer may not provide the features needed by everyone, so if one brand of hearing product doesn't quite meet the needs of an individual, we are able to try other brands that provide different features as needed. It's very rewarding to be able to meet someone's hearing needs.
In addition, we strive to keep our prices as affordable as possible. Our everyday prices are as low or lower than our competitors' sale prices. Besides this, we also strive to provide the very best service. If someone's aid needs to go to the lab for repair, we are happy to provide them a loaner to use in the meantime. We send the aid in for repair right away—not waiting two or three days as it is for some of our competitors. We are happy to service what we sell ... and also what we don't sell ... at reasonable prices.
In short, we believe that we offer the best package value—a wide variety of quality products with the latest technology, warranties, service, and up-to-date expertise at competitive prices.
Tinnitus: Hearing Aids as a Method of Treatment
Those who are afflicted with tinnitus want to know about a cure. At present, there is no "magic bullet" that will eradicate this debilitating condition. But, there are things that one can try. Because everyone's brain works differently, different methods of treatment may bring success to one person, but not to another. So, one must be willing to experiment and see what works for them.
Hearing aids are one approach to dealing with tinnitus. An easy test to determine if a hearing aid will be helpful is called "the faucet test." All one does is turn on a water faucet and see if this "masks" the tinnitus. If the sound of the water covers (or masks) the tinnitus noise, then a hearing aid may very well prove helpful.
According to Dr. Robert Sweetow, Director of Audiology, University of California, San Francisco, hearing aids have been known to help tinnitus for over 50 years. He outlines the reasons why this is so:
- Silence may exacerbate tinnitus. Lack of neural activity may cause the brain to try to "fill the void", as it were.
- Perhaps tinnitus is due to a lack of "neural inhibition." With hearing, the brain is capable of suppressing tinnitus. With a compromised auditory system, the brain is not able to. When a hearing aid is used, providing amplification in the missing frequencies, the brain is then again able to function in this manner.
- Hearing aids provide the amplification needed to at least partially "mask" the tinnitus noise.
- Reduce the fatigue and stress of having to strain to be able to hear, so the individual is better able to cope with the tinnitus.
Today, with the array of digital hearing instruments available, we are able to address the various missing frequencies that appear in a hearing loss. Dr. Sweetow lists some important things for a tinnitus sufferer to remember when considering hearing aids:
- Programmability. This is vital to be able to change the acoustic preferences.
- Multi-band compression. This increases amplification of soft sounds (in order to provide the required masking) and to also protect from loud sounds.
- Multiple programs. This allows for different programming in different situations: quiet, noisy environments, music, etc.
- Open-air technology. Many people prefer hearing aids that offer cosmetic appeal. They usually think of the tiniest canal aids. Today, we have tiny over-the-ear products that use a very fine filament tubing, making the aid virtually invisible. There is much to be said for this style of hearing product. It doesn't occlude the ear canal, which allows for much more natural sound, allowing natural resonance as well as amplification.
- Binaural amplification. Two ears are better than one, for localization and balance, even if the tinnitus is primarily perceived in just one ear. It's important to keep both sides of the brain stimulated.
Some of the latest information regarding tinnitus research was recently published in Vol. 13, No.9, August 2006 edition of The Hearing Review. On page 30-32, The Hearing Review published the findings of Luca Del Bo, MSc, Umberto Ambrosetti, MD, Matteo Bettinelli, MSc, Emanuela Domenichetti, MSc, Enrico Fagnani, MD, and Alberto Scotti, MD—all audiological researchers in Milan, Italy.
The results of their research showed that overall the tinnitus condition shifted from moderately severe/severe to mild. The patients involved in the
study also indicated that this improvement had a significant impact in their lives due to the fact that the tinnitus problem decreased significantly.
Their research focused on open-air technology and how it could benefit tinnitus patients along with TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy). Because
patients with tinnitus often have mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss, and tinnitus pitch is located in the high frequency hearing range, and
like we mentioned above, open-air instruments do not occlude the ear canal, therefore allowing for natural resonance in the canal, good amplification
can be achieved, aiding TRT.
While hearing aids may not be the answer for all tinnitus sufferers, they can be a significant help for those with certain hearing losses.
Remember, hearing aids are not a cure, but they can be a valuable tool in treating tinnitus. We will explore other methods of treatment in subsequent newsletters.
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As always, your questions and comments are welcome.
Beth Bell |
Quote of the Month
"When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane."
Author unknown |
Reminders |
| If you last had your hearing instruments cleaned in April, 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
Before or after hours, you are welcome to
call and leave a
message on our machine. | |
How to find us |
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