Are your kids' toys causing hearing damage?

Came across an article in this month's Parents Magazine that raises an excellent point about toy safety:

Hear This
Toys that beep or play music may pose a serious health hazard to your child, say researchers at University of California, Irvine.  They measured ten of the loudest most popular toys and found that all can exceed 90 decibels, a level that can lead to hearing damage over time.  Several were as loud as a chain saw when held close to the ear.  "Children are more sensitive to loud high pitched noises," says physician and researcher Hamid Djalilian, MD, director of the university's Hearing and Balance Center.  Toys with sound should be less than 85 decibels when held 20 inches away from the ear - but kids rarely hold them that far away.  Put non-toxic glue or heavy-duty masking tape (with glued down edges) over a toy's speaker to muffle the sound.  When shopping for toys place them against your ear: If it hurts, it's too loud. 

For more information visit the Sight & Hearing Association's list of noisy toys, updated annually to include the worst offenders, or the World Against Toys Causing Harm website: toysafety.org.

Captioned Telephone - a free, easy solution for those struggling to hear on the phone

Having hearing loss shouldn't mean losing touch!  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently funding a program that allows individuals with hearing loss to obtain a FREE CaptionCall telephone.

Who needs CaptionCall? 
CaptionCall can help people of all ages with hearing loss to stay connected to friends and family, work confidently and maintain business relationships, or preserve independence.  If you have trouble hearing on the phone then CaptionCall is for you!  

How does it work?
It works just like a regular telephone – simply dial and answer calls as usual – speak and listen using a phone handset like always with the added benefit of easy to read text of everything that is said.  Never worry about missing a word again!
 

View free, nearly instant captions of what your callers are saying on the large, easy-to-read display screen of your CaptionCall Phone. With the CaptionCall Service, you get captioning that is:

• Free—No new bills and no monthly charges; captioning is fully funded by the FCC.
• Automatic—No need to dial through the Captioning Service.
• Secure—Safe, encrypted, FCC-regulated transcription.

What do I need to get it set-up?
The basic requirements to get the phone set up in your home are:

• High speed internet connection
• Standard home phone connection
• Ordinary home electrical outlet

For more information call J Waligora Audiology at 315-463-1724 to schedule a demo and get started or visit CaptionCall's website.

Do I need hearing aids for both ears?

Our patients often ask us: "Do I have to have hearing aids for both ears?"  Most of the time the answer is YES for several important reasons: 

1) You have to use both ears equally in order to tell where sounds are coming from.
Did you know that you don't just hear with your ears?  The ears are responsible for picking up sounds around you and sending them to the brain where they are processed.  Having the ears balanced by wearing 2 hearing aids allows your brain to sort out where sounds are happening in the environment. 

2) Things will sound clearer when listening with 2 hearing aids.
 Here's an easy experiment you can conduct to demonstrate the importance of balance between the two ears: Tune your car radio to your favorite station.  First adjust the speaker balance to one side alone, then try both sides balanced equally - notice the improvement in sound quality?  

3) You will hear better in background noise with 2 hearing aids.
Listening in background noise is challenging for everyone - even individuals with normal hearing - but it is especially tough for those with hearing loss to hear in a noisy place like a restaurant or party.  Wearing 2 hearing aids can help your brain sort out the speech you want to hear from the background noise much more effectively than only 1 hearing aid.  

However, it is important to know that 2 hearing aids may not be necessary if:

• There is only hearing loss in 1 ear
• The hearing loss is too severe to benefit from conventional amplification
• The word understanding is too poor
• There are certain ear conditions / medical issues that prevent use of a hearing aid 

That's why it is so crucial to have a full hearing evaluation conducted by a licensed audiologist if you are considering hearing aids.  Call J Waligora Audiology at 315-463-1724 to further discuss the process of obtaining hearing aids or to schedule an appointment today!