Chronicles of a deaf Audiologist
Rehabilitation beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants: lipreading instruction, brain/auditory training and communication strategies.
Success for Hearing Better
HEARa is dedicated to the idea that people need the right information, at the right times, to be successful with hearing loss. HEARa’s mission is to reach out to adults with hearing loss and say—keep going. Learning about your hearing loss should be a lifelong process.
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From the chronicles
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 […]
Introverts More Impacted by Hearing Loss
At the Saskatchewan Hearing Health Conference this year, a group of women were enjoying a fine dinner at Golf’s Steakhouse. All of us live with hearing loss: three of us have hearing loss, and the fourth is a mother of two young children with hearing loss. Among other things, we talked about our differences as […]
Upside-Down Thinking
I recently spent two weeks at Yasodara ashram, a Yoga Retreat and Study Centre. While I was there, I used an FM system in classes and satsangs. Unexpectedly, I ran into some technology glitches. I had programmed my FM transmitter to hold six different FM channels. Normally, in a city, with all the accompanying sources […]
Second Chances
On my way to the Saskatchewan Hearing Health Conference, I picked up Louise Penny’s latest book to read on the plane. The dedication took my breath away: “This book is dedicated to second chances— Those who give them And those who take them.” I put the book down and thought of second chances. How precious […]
Ear Candles and Cotton Swabs to Manage Ear Wax: No, No, No!
As we all know, our ear canals produce wax. For some people, ear wax builds up much faster than others. If there is a large amount of wax build up, a temporary hearing loss can result. What should you do? In the vast majority of cases, the ear canal does not need to be cleaned. […]
Trouble Understanding?
How to Ask For Help So Others Will “Hear” You Susan Binzer, an audiologist, identified five keys to success for people with hearing loss when they ask others for help. Use “I” statements. Do not blame others. Example: Instead of “Your hand is in the way!” try “Excuse me—I will understand you better if […]