Woo Hoo its 2021!!

It’s 2021, a new year! I, along with many of you, will reflect on the year gone by and set resolutions to be the best version of me in the new year. The definition of a resolution: a resolve; a decision or determination. I look at areas of my life where I want to see improvements and become resolved or determined to implement positive changes in order to reach my goals.

High on the list of resolutions every year is to be the healthiest person we can be! That includes our mental, physical and emotional health. Addressing hearing loss addresses all of the above. Hearing isn’t just about our ears, hearing affects our whole being. When hearing loss is present, your brain has to work harder to sort out and make sense of speech and sounds around you while trying to block out background noise. This effort can be exhausting and is correlated with cognitive decline (mental). Hearing loss can be related to reduced balance (physical). It can also lead to social withdrawal or isolation because the effort is too great (emotional). Especially after the last many months of forced withdrawal from family, friends and the world outside we need to do everything we can to be present and truly engaged.

Because we care about all of those parts of you, we are very excited to be introducing Cognivue Thrive in each of our seven clinics. This is a personalized way to receive a screening of your cognitive health. The research about the correlation between hearing loss and dementia is clear, but so far the tools for tracking it have been sparse. Cognivue Thrive will allow us to get a baseline of your cognitive function as well as track if treatment of hearing loss improves it. Stay tuned for more information about this!

In this issue, Dr. Kacy Hooten has shared some valuable information about achieving goals through better hearing and Dr. Lilly has written a wonderful article on Tinnitus management strategies. And again, we have highlighted two of our staff members to get to know them a little better. Learn about Dr. Lilly's skills with the alphabet and Michelle Blair’s skills in all kinds of trades!

As an option we continue to offer drop box services so you can get your hearing devices cleaned and serviced without having to come into the office. Call or click the 'schedule now' button below to schedule on-line.

In this new year we at Hearing HeathCare Centers renew our commitment to you and your hearing health. I wish for you and your family a wonderful, hopeful and healthy new year!

Ch’ears'!
Whitney Swander, Au.D.
Owner, Doctor of Audiology

Hello 2021! I think the year of 2020 will soon become referred to as ‘the year that must not be named.’ If you’re anything like me, I was happy to ring in a fresh start and say sayonara to 2020! Every year, we find ourselves setting New Year’s Resolutions. Many of us particularly like to focus on ways to live a happier, healthier life. Maybe improving your hearing is one of those healthier lifestyle goals you have set… or maybe it’s one you should consider. If you have hearing loss, whether you are actively treating it with amplification or have decided not to seek treatment just yet, ask yourself this… are you truly happy with how you are hearing?

Research has shown that the treatment of hearing loss must meet specific standards and prescriptions, just like your vision, to effectively lower risks of comorbidities of hearing loss. Essentially, doing something is not better than doing nothing. The treatment of hearing loss needs to be not only subjectively tested (i.e. how does that sound?) but more importantly, objectively tested to ensure it is meeting the needs of the diagnosis. We want to make sure we are doing everything we should be doing to treat the medical issue. As hearing device technology improves, our standards for patient treatment changes. What we as audiologists could do five years ago versus now is very, very different.

If you are currently treating your hearing loss with hearing devices that are five years or older, you may be happy with how you are hearing – however, are you actually hearing how you should be? Many patients like to compare how they hear with their hearing devices to how they hear without their hearing devices. Sure, of course you hear better than without! However, in many cases, there is this large imaginary cloud of what you could be hearing. It’s very possible that with newer technology the hearing cloud expands. When those hearing devices were recommended, they were probably the best recommendation we could offer and now with newer technology, we are accomplishing what we never thought would be possible.

You may be thinking, “I hear more than I’ve ever wanted, my cloud is fine!” Do you ever feel like you work harder than you need to just to hear? New hearing technology has put a strong emphasis on making speech easier to understand. A recommendation for newer technology is not necessarily to incorporate more sounds but more importantly to reduce listening effort by improving the clarity of speech. Putting effort into hearing is the one of the largest factors that leads to earlier signs of of hearing loss, including cognitive decline. I know many of you have heard it before but, remember... we hear with our ears but they are just sensors for our brains! If the auditory pathway is not being stimulated normally, those pathways begin to deteriorate and atrophy just like a muscle. With optimized treatment, we can keep those pathways happy and providing a clear signal.

On occasion, patients experiencing newer technology or hearing devices for the first time describe their benefit as minimal. They often report hearing better than they did before but it doesn’t warrant the cost or the hassle of making that big step. An important tip to keep in mind is hearing treatment is a lifelong journey. Once you make that first step, it becomes a commitment forever. Our goal as audiologists is not to determine the benefit now but the benefit over the years over the loss of treatment. We don’t want you to wait until it’s “that bad” or wait until it is affecting many areas of your life to finally do something. You will have a far more successful and enjoyable journey the earlier the hearing loss is addressed.

If you are experiencing tinnitus, the first step is to see an audiologist. The audiologist will check your ear canals to see if there are any obstructions (like wax or a foreign body) or any abnormalities with the middle ear that could be the cause of the tinnitus. If not, the audiologist will the perform a hearing test. About 90% of people who have tinnitus have a hearing loss that is associated. Most think that the tinnitus is what is causing them to not hear well, but in fact the tinnitus is caused by the hearing loss. One of the theories behind this is that when your brain is missing something when it comes to its stimulation (like when there is a hearing loss) it is going to create a phantom sound in order to fill the void. Often, when individuals with hearing loss and tinnitus are appropriately fit with hearing aids, they notice a decrease in the level of the tinnitus when they are wearing their devices. Some even notice that the tinnitus is better when they take their hearing aids out at night.

Tinnitus maskers can also help people find relief. If you are having trouble sleeping or concentrating, try using a noise machine. It does not have to be loud but having a low level of noise such as white noise, rain, or ocean waves in the background will give your brain something else to listen to other than the ringing in your ears. You can purchase a noise machine or if you have a smart phone there are many tinnitus masking apps that you can download, most of which are free! Relax Melodies and Widex Zen Tinnitus Management are some of my favorites. You can also try meditation and different breathing exercises to help decrease stress levels which in turn can help the tinnitus.

Sometimes just speaking with a professional to get more information about tinnitus can be a great help. If you have any questions, call Hearing HealthCare Centers!

Here are a couple of fun questions to get to know Dr. Lilly better.

Who is your hero?

When I was in graduate school I aspired to be one of my professors; she was an Au.D and a Ph.D. She was so smart and fluent in sign language. I was always in her office and wanted to learn as much as I possibly could from her. We went on a mission trip to Kenya, Africa towards the end of my first year and it was incredible to work with her as well as the others that were there with us.

What makes you laugh the most?

Friends (the TV show) bloopers. I have seen the series more times than I can count and no matter how many times I watch the bloopers I always crack up!

What is the favorite thing about your career?

The joy I see in people when they describe the sounds that they haven't heard in a long time (or ever!). I remember one patient I had a long time ago - she had hearing loss since childhood and got her first pair of hearing ads as a 40 year old. We went outside to test the hearing aids and she started crying because she heard a bird in the tree and she had never heard a bird chirp before. It's so special and I love being a part of that experience with them.

Here are a couple of fun questions to get to know Michelle better.

Who is your hero?

My parents are my heroes. They raised six kids without a lot of money. They instilled in us to work hard and care for others. They showed me the importance of a strong work ethic and drive. My parents were married for 63 years and throughout all those years they acted like teenagers in love. They were truly an inspiration.

What makes you laugh the most?

A baby's belly laugh! There is nothing like it. If I ever need cheering up watching videos of children laughing and animals always does the trick.

What is the favorite part of your career?

My favorite part of my job is helping and getting to know my patients. I really take the time to talk to and get to know my patients. They know we care because we remember details about their lives.

Ring Out, Wild Bells (from In Memoriam)
By Lord Alfred Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light:

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bels, across the snow:

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind

For those that ere we see no more;

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ringo out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride and place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.