With any kind of chance in the senses, in this case hearing, the brain often has to adjust to this change.  With hearing loss, the brain loses part of its density in the auditory section. The study examined the relationship between hearing and brain function by first, measuring the brains response to complex sentences. Next, the brain volume in the auditory cortex was measured. People ages 60-77 that experienced some form of age related hearing loss were also tested to show if people with hearing loss had less of a response to the complex sentences. The results showed that those with hearing loss had less brain activity when listening to the complex sentences.

When thinking about hearing loss prevention, remember to protect your hearing means you will also be protecting the auditory part of your brain. Now there is an entirely new level of importance to protecting your hearing. HearFlorida is here to help; we carry a huge selection of Hearing Aids, including the new Starkey Xino!

A national study was conducted that tested newborns’ saliva for a cytomegalovirus infection, which can have serious hearing loss consequences. Cytomegalovirus is one of the most common infections passed from mother to child; roughly 20,000 to 30,000 babies are born infected with it. Up to 50 percent of the newborns infected with cytomegalovirus end up with hearing loss as a consequence. When babies are born, they very rarely show any clinical signs of cytomegalovirus infection, making it hard to detect. With the ability to now simply screen a newborn by taking a swab sample of their saliva, the odds of serious hearing loss are reduced. If a newborn tests positive, doctors can immediately monitor the newborn to see if there is any hearing loss and then if need be, treat them as soon as possible.

To keep your hearing at its best, remember to always keep yourself informed on hearing loss prevention tips. HearFlorida offers advice on how to keep your hearing at its best and also welcomes anyone with questions about hearing loss to make an appointment with one of our experienced audiologists. Don’t wait for hearing loss problems to start, educate yourself on the best ways to keep your ears healthy!

The Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2011 or H.R. 2140 will allow patients to go straight to their audiologist without the need to go to the physician for a referral first. Currently, federal and congressional employees have direct access to an audiologist. Hopefully, this bill will cut out the middle man and allow patients to directly get to the doctor they need.  The bill will need help from audiologist to promote it to gain awareness by lawmakers. The more this information is shared and the louder the people are about their desire for this bill to be passed the better chance it will have.

If you or someone you know falls into the benefits of this bill, make sure you and your friends are aware of what this bill means. HearFlorida is devoted to helping this bill gain awareness. You can help by making sure audiologists in your area are aware of The Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2011.

Audiology since the 1940’s has become an extremely important profession and arguably one of the most important jobs in the medical field. They work to figure out what hearing loss issue a patient may have and what the cause of it is. They must be sensitive to their patients as hearing loss is often cause for low confidence; counseling is also a part of their profession for this reason.  Audiologists work with any age patient, from birth to elderly. An audiologist is not limited to practicing in a private office; they are also part of hospital teams, university research, public schools, speech centers, nursing homes, etc. Research can be an extremely important part of an audiologist’s profession. They have a huge role in hearing aid research, and the ability to create the best of the best when it comes to hearing technology.

Audiology has a rich history that is important to anyone who suffers from hearing loss. Thankfully, with their help technology keeps getting better and better.

At HearFlorida, we offer multiple lines of custom-fit in-ear headphones (Custom Molded Earphones) which are great for all listening needs.  Custom fit earphones are molded to your individual ear so that they do not fall out, do not cause discomfort.  They provide incredible sound quality while blocking out much of the background environment allowing you to enjoy your music to the fullest.  Whether you are a runner, workout at the gym, frequent flyer, public commuter, professional musician, DJ, athlete, audiophile, or for those who simply want custom fitted earphones for the best audio quality, using custom fitted earphones will significantly help reduce unwanted noises, while preserving the intended sound quality. Let HearFlorida help you avoid the dangers of hearing loss, and enhance your listening experience. Look for HearFlorida at the grand opening of CrossFit HardCore!

Not only is Dr. Locker an extremely qualified audiologist, but he currently serves on the National Committee for Coding and Reimbursement with the American Academy of Audiology. HearFlorida is not just an ordinary Audiology group. We strive to help their patients on a more personal level, we believe in treating every patient like family. “Hearing loss treatment simply isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ situation” says healthyhearing.com. The HearFlorida Audiology Group firmly believes that philosophy, and they assure the best hearing care treatment to their patients. The group works with patients of all ages who suffer with hearing loss issues. The HearFlorida Audiology Group is extremely qualified to treat their patients. They are deserving of their spot on healthyhearing.com because of their achievements and qualifications. Click here to read the article and learn more about HearFlorida.

Dot2 by Resound is the first instrument that provides all the benefits of a full-sized model in the smallest hearing aid available. Today, you can enjoy high performance and the best digital technology packed into one of the smallest hearing aids on the market. Different from others hearing aid devices, Dot2 by Resound does not sacrifice sound quality for cosmetics.  Its sound quality is powerful, thanks to its unique Surround Sound Processor, which offers clear sound quality even in the most difficult listening situations.

Benefits

Dot2 by Resound has many excellent features designed to help you hear more clearly and naturally. 

• Surround Sound – An innovative technology that helps the hearing aids mimics the ear and improves your hearing in noise.  It also helps you to know where sounds are coming from when you hear them. 
• Dual Feedback Cancellation – two feedback cancellation systems that work together to provide a more whistle or background noise free listening experience
• Multi Focus Adaptive Directional Microphones – An advanced directional microphone system with three different settings: 120 and 180 degrees to provide more precise hearing when you need it.  The narrower the setting, the less background noise interferes. 
• Acceptance Manager – Your hearing professional can set the hearing aids so that they automatically increase in volume over time.  This is to give your brain time to get used to the amplified sound.
• Wind Manager – When wind blows on the microphone, the hearing aids will reduce the sound after a few seconds.
• Echo Control – It helps reduce the bothersome effects of echoes in rooms.
• Automatic programming - This means it is at home in any environment, and requires no manual adjustments from you.  Dot2 adjusts to your preferences; you enjoy optimal hearing without having to do anything. This hearing aid really shines in difficult situations like restaurants or parties because of the unique personalized programming and sophisticated directional microphones.
• Out of sight design – Its unique ergonomic design also makes it lightweight and comfortable to wear. It hides behind the ear so nobody else sees it.

Dot2 by resound  gives you the opportunity to choose a combination of technology level, color and even an option to custom-mold to the ear’s shape, for a device that matches the wearer perfectly. It is available in 14 colors to fully express your individuality

For more information about our hearing aids, or to see if the Dot2 by ReSound may be right for you, Contact our hearing care professionals at one of our south Florida hearing care centers.

Analog hearing aids are types of circuitry which are set by the manufacturer and give little adjustment for the audiologist to control.  Analog hearing aids were used for many years until the manufacturers stopped requesting and making parts for these devices.  Because of the lack of parts available for these hearing aid devices, analog hearing aids are not repairable and need to be replaced.

Programmable hearing aids were the beginning of the revolution to allow the audiologist to change the settings of the hearing aid device to better suit his/her patient’s specific needs.  These were used in the 1990’s primarily and now are virtually unavailable for any repair issues because these parts are also not made anymore.

Digital devices began and started to be used more commonly in the 1970-1980’s but became more popular in the late 1990’s.  Now all hearing aid devices are digital.  But do not be fooled by sales people telling you that all digital hearing aids are the same because they are not.  Digital hearing aids could have as few as 10 individually adjustments to around 100 separate adjustments that your audiologist can effectively control. Many hearing aid users do not realize that hearing aid devices can be modified to accommodate any lifestyle according to the type of hearing loss a person has.

We all hear sounds we do not wish to hear, such as a yelling child in a restaurant, but we all still have to deal with this problem.  What can be fixed is the comfort of that noise to make it not exceed your ability to tolerate that sound and hurt your ear.

Manufacturers are creating new hearing aid devices every year to accommodate the difficult lifestyles of people with hearing loss. With all the newly developed hearing aid technology, hearing aid users are now able to buy a hearing aid that can reduce environment noise, whistling and other unwanted sounds. 

At Hear Florida, we offer a variety of hearing aids from different manufacturers including: Lyric, Oticon, Unitron, Phonak, Starkey, and more. Contact us at one of our south Florida hearing care centers and ask our audiologists what new hearing aid technology might be available for you or your loved one.

Children often find only one other person in their school or neighborhood who is deaf or hard of hearing. The same goes for adults with hearing loss. Joining a hearing loss support group and attending meetings ensures that you have a community of peers who understand what you’re going through.

At certain hearing loss support group, you can get information on the latest hearing aid technology. Technology in the hearing industry advances quite rapidly. Support group members can share knowledge about hearing devices they’ve tried and recommend hearing professionals like audiologists, otolaryngologists, cochlear implant surgeons, speech pathologists, etc – which they’ve dealt with. Support groups often offer speakers, panels and programs on a wide range of hearing loss related topics. Ideally, support groups can provide an information base which can help you make important decisions about your hearing care.

Also, kids going through the teenage years can use a friend who really understands what it is like to have hearing loss. The same can be said of adults and parents. People need friends for support at various times in their lives.

Looking for a hearing loss support group in your area? Two top national organizations offer local chapters. Check out the state chapters available nationwide from the Hearing Loss Association of America. The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has chapters in 32 states. Online support groups can serve as friendship, support and networking sites for people who are unable to attend or unable to locate local programs.

Here are a few other hearing loss support groups:

• Listen Up
• CI Hear
• Hands and Voices
• National Association of the Deaf
• Dangerous Decibels
• EAR Foundation
• H.E.A.R.
• League for the Hard of Hearing

In my opinion, there are several reasons for this including:

• The ear without the hearing aid is not being “exercised” very much
• The area of the brain involved in hearing is not being used and becomes less effective at processing speech information

This gradual decline in speech recognition ability usually reverses itself once the ear gets more stimulation, through the use of a hearing aid instrument. Research suggests this process of gradual improvement in speech understanding may take four to six weeks after the hearing aid fitting, and may continue for up to 12 weeks.

What does this mean to someone with hearing loss?

Over the past 10 years, the results of a number of studies suggests the following:

• The longer a hearing loss is ignored, the greater effect
• The sooner a hearing loss is treated, the easier the adjustment
• In almost all cases, two hearing aids are better than one. Two hearing aids will keep both ears and both sides of the brain actively involved in hearing
• Improved hearing may take a little time and patience.

If you have hearing loss, get a professional evaluation from a qualified Florida audiologist from Hear Florida. Our hearing care professionals can help you get the right hearing aid that is best for you.