Archive for April, 2009

A recent article in the Mansfield News Journal suggests that parents of young children should know the signs of hearing loss. We’re all familiar with Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most brilliant musical minds in history, who was unable to hear his own work. The article also points out that Thomas Edison said that after he was 12 years old, he never heard a bird sing.

Hearing loss is the most common birth defect there is, affecting 12,000 U.S.-born children each year, according to the article. Since a child’s first years are such an important time for development and learning, early diagnosis of hearing loss is very important. The Mansfield News Journal article suggests that parents watch out for warning signs, as given by the Alexander Graham Bell Association, such as:

• When there’s a loud sound, do the baby’s eyes move toward it?
• When a parent speaks, does the baby react?
• Does the baby (six months to 10 months old) repeat sounds?
• Can the baby (18-24 months old) follow simple directions?
• Is the baby able to put sounds together that closely resemble speech?

These are just a few things to look out for. For more warning signs, you should speak with your doctor. You should also speak to your doctor if you think your child is experiencing hearing loss.

Hearing loss is something that affects not only the elderly, but also young people — even babies. No matter what the age is of a person suffering from hearing loss, there can be something done to help them. Getting help with hearing loss is very important to a person’s well being and can help improve their life. And in the case of very young children, it can help them be able to learn and develop properly.

If you believe you are suffering from hearing loss, don’t hesitate to stop by one of our locations in Houston, Austin or Dallas to find out more about hearing aids. You can also speak with your doctor or a hearing professional to get your hearing assessed.

We just loved what “Doctor! Doctor! I Can’t Hear a Thing,” a recent Times Online article, had to say about hearing loss and hearing aids. Written by the director of the Help in Hearing Clinic, the article talks about how listening to loud music and going to rock ‘n’ roll concerts has done damage to people, and today’s generation has to worry about hearing loss from listening to MP3 players with in-ear headphones at an unreasonable volume.

The article gives a few tips for protecting yourself from hearing loss, like listening to music played on a portable music device with headphones that block out environmental noise. Also noted is that “wearing a hearing aid can help and the sooner you start the more benefit it will give you.” When you ignore your hearing loss, says the article, the longer your brain will be deprived of auditory stimulus.

Since so many young people are experiencing hearing loss, the common misconception is that hearing aids are big, embarrassing and noticeable. Hearing aids today are small and discreet, and there are even some available that help clarify sounds for people who can’t hear high frequencies anymore.

Though it can be tough to admit your hearing is going, says the article, people over 50 years of age should have hearing tests on a regular basis.

Get Hearing Aids

Are you having trouble hearing? Do you find that you’re watching television with the volume turned up very high, or listening to the radio with the volume up very high? Having difficulty hearing people during conversations in person or even over the phone? Get help with hearing loss at Hearing Aid Express. Stop by or contact us for more information. We have several convenient locations in Dallas, Austin and Houston.

Portable music players, MP3 players, iPods — these things have been getting a lot of attention lately not just for being convenient and cool, but because they have the potential to cause hearing loss when the user listens to music too loudly for prolonged periods of time.

When music is listened to too loudly through earbuds, it’s especially dangerous. And that’s exactly how people primarily listen to their iPods and other portable MP3 players. Those who are listening to music too loudly for long periods of time are putting themselves at risk for hearing loss and tinnitus.

There’s a great recent article about this problem in the Sudbury Star. The story points out that The Who’s Pete Townshend has attributed his hearing loss and tinnitus to using loud headphones. It also mentions how the director of clinical education in audiology at Purdue University has seen a greater number of young people who have “old ears,” which means their hearing loss is on par with an older person.

Though the iPod, the current trendy portable music device, seems to dominate headlines, we can’t forget about the Walkman. Popular in the 1980s and 1990s, the Walkman affected the hearing of its users back then — people in their 30s and 40s who used the Walkman frequently, according to the article, are now being seen by hearing specialists for “intense tinnitus and a whooshing in the ears.”

What’s more is that today, iPod users are listening to music much longer than people who used the Walkman did. That spells trouble.

The suggestion here and in the Sudbury Star article isn’t to trash your favorite portable music device and stop listening to music. Rather, the suggestion is to listen to music at a level that won’t cause hearing loss. The article suggests keeping the volume to 50-60% of the device’s maximum volume. Another tip for preventing hearing loss from portable music players is to take frequent breaks to give your ears a rest.

If you think you may be suffering from hearing loss, feel free to take our hearing self-evaluation or stop by one of our Hearing Aid Express locations in Austin, Dallas or Houston to find out more about hearing aids.

If you have been trouble hearing lately, it might be time to look into getting hearing aids. Common misconceptions of hearing aids are that they’re big, way too expensive and embarrassing to wear. Well, today hearing aid technology is advanced — many hearing aids are so small and well-designed that it’s difficult to notice when someone is wearing one.

When  you have trouble hearing sounds, it can really affect your life and happiness. Getting hearing aids can help improve your life, enabling you to participate in conversations and hear sounds clearly and loudly.

So if you are wondering if it may be time to get your hearing checked and start looking into getting hearing aids, answer the following questions in this brief Hearing Self-Evaluation to get an idea of whether you are experiencing some hearing loss.

• Do you hear people talk but have difficulty understanding the words?Do people seem to mumble or speak more softly than they used to?
• Do you have trouble hearing at the movies, house of worship, concert halls or other public gathering places?
• Do you frequently need to ask people to repeat themselves?
• Have you had any significant noise exposure at work, during recreation or in military service?
• Do you experience ringing in the ears or other head noises (hissing, buzzing, crickets, etc.). Tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss, but not always, and as such, might be the ear’s way of saying “ouch”!

If your answer to two or more of those questions was “yes,” a more thorough hearing loss investigation may be needed in order to help you get on your way to hearing sounds more clearly and loudly. You can keep a journal near you for a few weeks to track each time you experience a difficulty keeping up with a conversation, or how many times you have to ask someone to repeat themselves. You may also want to ask a friend to turn your television’s volume to a comfortable listening level, then see if it’s loud enough for you to hear comfortably. Your answers should tell you whether you need to see a professional about your hearing loss.

Get Hearing Aids at Hearing Aid Express

With many locations in Austin, Dallas and Houston, Hearing Aid Express offers tremendous customer service, convenience and quality hearing aids. Contact us for more information, or stop by one of our locations. We even accept Medicare Hearing Aid Benefits.