Chronicles of a deaf Audiologist
Rehabilitation beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants: lipreading instruction, brain/auditory training and communication strategies.
Success for Hearing Better
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From the chronicles
Customer Service Stories: What Are Yours?
Mr. Dan Fleisch, a physics professor at Wittenberg University, travelled over 600 miles to hand-deliver a copy of his book. He wanted his customer to get it in time for Christmas. While reading reviews of his book, “A Student’s Guide to Maxwell’s Equations,” on Amazon.com on Christmas Eve, he discovered that Michel Cuhaci’s copy of […]
Sir Winston Churchill Was More Open About Depression Than Hearing Loss
Mr. Chartwell, a book by Rebecca Hunt, was listed on the prestigious Top 100 books by the Globe and Mail for 2011. I picked it for my holiday reading list. Mr. Chartwell is actually the Black Dog, which is how Sir Winston Churchill referred to his depression. In Hunt’s novel, Churchill’s Black Dog is also […]
Musicians Offset The Effects of Aging
It is challenging to have a conversation with noise in the background. For anyone. It is more challenging as we age—even for people with normal hearing. A research study conducted by scientists at Northwestern University asked the following question: do musicians who are older adults have an advantage? Does musical experience offset the effects of […]
Not ready for hearing aids yet? Overcome noise with auditory training
Do you have trouble hearing when there is background noise—such as in a restaurant, at a party, or in a crowd of people? Join the club. Difficulty with hearing in noise is a sign of hearing loss. In fact, it is a major reason that people get hearing aids. Hearing aids undoubtedly improve our ability […]
Start With Small Changes
Over a third of people over the age of 65 have hearing loss. And yet, 60% of people who need hearing aids don’t get them. Why? The short answer: it’s complicated. The long answer: read the research study. I am struck by a recurring theme of indecision, feeling overwhelmed, and procrastinating. This theme is reflected […]
Diet and Hearing Loss: Is there a Connection?
Can your diet protect you from hearing loss? Good question. It turns out that diet is one of the few modifiable risk factors for age-related hearing loss. The Blue Mountains Hearing Study, conducted in Australia, looked at whether diet can prevent or slow the development of age-related hearing loss. Researchers found that people who had […]
Which are the best hearing aids?
People often ask me, “Which are the best hearing aids for my hearing loss?” This is the wrong question to ask, in my opinion. Let me explain why, and then I’ll suggest a better question. There are websites that compare the major brands of hearing aids. Hearing Mojo has an excellent brand comparison chart. The […]
Communication is a Two-Way Street
Have you ever thought about your hearing loss as “not your concern?” You are partly right, if so. Everyone you communicate with shares this concern. Communication is a two-way street. In a conversation, both people need to take responsibility. The fact that you have hearing loss doesn’t make it your “fault” when the conversation breaks […]
To Hear the Stars Sing
In the movie Revolutionary Road, the last scene is powerful and apt—a man turns down his hearing aid while pretending to listen to his wife. He is doing more than just ignoring. He is escaping from her. In A Screaming Kind of Day, a beautifully illustrated children’s book by Rachna Gilmore, a young hearing impaired […]
Selective Hearing Versus Hearing Loss
Have you ever accused someone with hearing loss of having selective hearing? I’ve heard this accusation at times from significant others. This may be an unfair accusation when applied to someone with hearing loss. By its very nature, hearing loss results in selective hearing. First of all, people with hearing loss have to pay attention […]