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SW Connecticut's Voice for People with Hearing Loss! |
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Current NewsThe following topics are on this page:
Past Events Dr. Andrew Parker, Audiology and Hearing Aid Services of Fairfield County, February 20th Dr. Andrew Parker discussed a wide-range of hearing aid innovations, hearing disorders and the Lyric hearing aid, in particular. He said the latter was a new approach that was not for everyone. The aid is totally invisible since it sits deep in the ear canal. At $1750 per ear for a year's service no matter how many aids one needs (at least 3), no one can argue with Dr. Parker. In the informative talk, he discussed some of the principles of volume amplification and achieving clarity in hearing. Our questions and answers covered such diverse subjects as brain fog, bi-cross aids, new noise filters, and lipoflavoids, which aid Tinnitus sufferers. City of Norwalk Emergency and Disaster for Those with Special Needs Roundtable – January 26th Barbara and Jonathan attended this roundtable with about 60 other agency and social services representatives. We discussed the special needs of vulnerable groups during emergencies and disasters. The roundtable breakout sessions that were organized into the Preparation, Response and Recovery phases brainstormed and discussed needs for Communications, Sheltering and Evacuation, and Maintaining Independence. The leaders asked each group present to complete a plan focusing on these issues. Jonathan volunteered to participate on their Communications subcommittee and some of our SC members are drafting our plan and framework, to be presented, in part, at our June meeting. January Chapter Meeting Roundtable –
January 16th Recap About 35 members volunteered topics and discussion points on the following topics: Restaurants, specifically: How to Turn the Music Down, Where to Sit, and How to Hear the Names of Specials. Other discussion topics included: New ALD Developments, Public Meeting Protocols, CaptionMax Equipment (Voice Captioning), Induction Loops and T-Coils. Jonathan and Barbara moderated the meeting. Pat Bailey found mention of the “Acoustic Cloud” baffling device especially useful for her community. Alice Bianco, from Darien, mentioned Mark Hall as a potential speaker.
Holiday Party – December 5th Recap About 40 members, spouses and guests attended our annual holiday party at the Four Points Sheraton in Norwalk. Vendors donated great door prizes that were greatly appreciated. After a sumptuous meal, we were treated to an entertaining magic show. Good camaraderie and fun for everyone. Thanks to Mary, Barbara, Peg and others for this great way to kick-off the holiday season. Barbara Nagot - Cablevision's "12 on Health" November 21st and 22nd Barbara Nagot, appeared on Cablevision's "12 on Health" this weekend in our outreach effort. Gillian Neff interviewed Barbara on topics pertaining to hearing loss, and our www.hearez.org web page was displayed to inform viewers where to get additional information. Erica Nair, November 21st Recap Erica Nair, Au.D., Territiory Outreach Specialist, Cochlear America, made a return visit to our chapter and presented the latest developments in cochlear implants (CIs). Cochlear America is the smallest of three companies in the U.S. to make these devices. With 32 million people having hearing loss, just over 1 million benefit from a cochlear implants. A typical correction improves a person's hearing from a severe-profound loss level to 20 dB with excellent speech recognition. In fact, CIs do a much better job than hearing aids at the high-pitch frequencies where speech recognition occurs. The oldest person to receive an implant in Connecticut was 101 years old, and babies are being implanted as young as 6 months. Erica discussed many aspects of CIs and the implanting procedure. We had five chapter members with CIs in the audience, so it was an exceptionally informative session. Dr. Natan Bauman, October 17th Recap Dr. Natan Bauman, Ed. D., M.S., Eng., FAAA and is Founder/Director of the Hearing Balance and Speech Center, with locations in Norwalk, Branford, Bristol and Hamden CT. His presentation included a very understandable description of the ear parts and their functions. He talked about different types of hearing loss and what he looks for when giving a hearing evaluation to better match a hearing aid to each individual. Also, he talked about his newest innovation called the N&V Earpieces that are custom made receivers for each individual. Using high fidelity electronics, N&V Earpieces can produce sound that is "tru to life," clearer, and give the wearer the ability to hear different sound pitches that standard hearing aid receivers cannot do. He also had a hands on display that included the N&V Earpiece and ALD's. Many asked if they could have a personal consultation in his office to discuss some of the devices. Elaine Abrams, Safe Steps, September 12th Recap The September 12th Chapter Meeting welcomed Elaine Abrams, RN, MPH in a return visit. She discussed "Safe Steps," a program backed up by Yale research that described hands-on ways to prevent falls and create a safer home environment. Risks include difficulty in walking, getting up or sitting down, losing your balance; taking four or more medications on a regular basis; drops in blood pressure, dizziness; problems with vision, hearing, numbness in feet, memory, confusion; foot pain and ill-fitting shoes; and hazards at home including lighting, slippery surfaces, etc. She offered many strategies and resources including www.fallprevention.org. Outreaches -- Workshops -- June Activities -- Recap On May 26th, Barbara Nagot and Jonathan Brown presented at the Connecticut PC Users Group in Norwalk. They discussed the early signs of hearing loss and what options one has, Assistive Listening Devices, and Induction Loop systems. As a result, we gained one prospective member and had lively discussion with others. Our June 20th Chapter Meeting blessed us with a marvelous puppet show by Dick Smith. He performed this show earlier for kindergartners in Wilton, New Canaan and upstate Connecticut. It focused on how to communicate with folks who are hard of hearing and how to conserve their ears. In addition, Jonathan Brown and Barbara Nagot summarized and showed samples of our other outreach efforts that were mostly spear-headed by Alan Gould. These outreach efforts recently won us a National recognition award. Joshua Gendel -- May 16th Recap Joshua Gendel, Director - Assistive Technology Center, Center for Hearing and Communication (Formerly the League for the Hard of Hearing) spoke to our chapter about Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs), that is, primarily alerting and communication devices and systems that extend the hearing aid. He discussed specific principles, applications and manufacturers for door bells, smoke alarms, etc., then elaborated on in-home and cell phones, including the Captel phone. He covered theater and conferencing devices and systems, and he concluded with a description of the Center's services. It was very informative, and the breadth of services the CHC provides are impressive. DRCFC The Disability Resource Center of Fairfield County (DRCFC) has started a special department for those with hearing loss. Fran Sinish, SFTP Transition Coordinator for the Center, who recently attended our chapter meeting, announced this as an extension of the reconditioned, used medical equipment used to assist those with a physical handicap. The DRCFC is located at 80 Ferry Blvd, Suite 210 in Stratford and can be reached at 203-378-6977. Consider discussing your needs with Barbara before visiting. Patients with Hearing Loss - A Medical Facility Awareness Program Recap Our April 18th chapter meeting was a terrific success! Complements to Alan Gould, Barbara Nagot, and other team members who worked hard to make this session happen! During the meeting we discussed issues the hearing impaired have when admitted to medical facilities. Our Steering Committee had created, printed and distributed two very professional brochures for the occasion – a tips brochure to help chapter members prepare for a hospital stay, and a hospital administrator’s guide for rolling-out a hard-of-hearing patient awareness program in the hospital. After introductions, Jonathan summarized two relevant case studies from the Internet. Alan shared some member survey results on their hospital stays. Then Debbie Anderson and Chastity Boykin outlined what a hard-of-hearing person could expect at no charge if they were a patient in their respective hospitals. Elaine Abrams described the benefits from earlier HLAA CT SW workshops she attended, mentioned the hearing assessment that her case workers do, and described her father’s experience in the hospital. Dr. Weiss discussed the realities, myths and general guidelines of ototoxicity on the balance and the hearing systems. Dick Smith then presented the Hard of Hearing Advocates' (HOHA) Hospital Patient Awareness Kit that he found invaluable a couple years ago. (See www.hearez.org Links page for details of where to get the kit.) We wrapped up with a lively question and answer session. In summary, we found the following were the primary issues that surfaced during the session:
A notable suggestion by a chapter member: redesign the masks worn by medical personnel so that
HOH folks can see the doctors', etc. mouths when communicating with
patients.
On March 21st, Betty Johnson, Bigelow Tea, presented the Health Benefits of Tea. Her enlightening presentation covered the history of tea, types and components, benefits, and how to make tea. The most noteworthy: special flavinoids (catakins) are antioxidants that have proven effective with breast cancer, skin cancer and boosting the antibiotic impact of certain drugs. Ototoxic Medicatons Pamphlet At the meeting Barbara distributed two hand-outs on autotoxic drugs. One was a September 2000 article by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. "Ototoxic Drugs and Hearing Loss." The second was a brochure produced by the League for the Hard of Hearing "Ototoxic Medications -- Drugs that can cause hearing loss and tinnitus. It is suggested that each of us check whether our current or newly prescribed medications are ototoxic or not. Here is a link to the list of ototoxic medications that was distributed at the meeting: http://www.lhh.org/about_hearing_loss/understanding/OtotoxicBrochure.pdf On Saturday, February 21st, Erika Nair, a student at Yale University, currently completing her fourth year placement in the Department of Surgery there, spoke. Her interest in audiology began while teaching in California. Her presentation highlighted the outcomes from the Dynamic Assessment of Hearing Aids (DAHA) project, which included participants from our own HLAA chapter. Sponsored as
a cooperative UConn and Erika discussed the survey results at a high level and offered to send the presentation to Barbara for distribution to the membership. Topics covered aspects of communications, comfort issues, personal reactions, cost considerations. Erika then fielded questions about ototoxic drugs, disposable hearing aides, hospital stays, anti-oxidants, and tinnitus. We hope to have her return for our April meeting. New Jersey
Governor Signs “Grace’s Law” to Provide Insurance
Coverage for Children’s Hearing Aids – January 12, 2009 Noting that
health insurers have a responsibility to provide coverage for necessary health
care expenses, “With today’s
bill signing, we are making sure that the gift of hearing is not out-of-reach
for The bill, S-467
/ A-1571, known as “Grace’s Law,” will require all health insurers in New
Jersey to provide coverage for medically-necessary hearing aids for children 15
years of age and younger. The bill requires insurers to provide this coverage
every two years, and provides up to $1,000 per hearing aid. Under the bill, a
covered individual could opt for a hearing aid priced higher than the maximum
payable benefit, but would have to pay the difference. Roundtable Discussion At our January 17th chapter meeting, we held a round table discussion on a variety of subjects. One was how to be more assertive for hospital stays and other medical interventions. We discussed listening techniques for social situations including the benefit and applications of Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs). Marsha and Barbara provided some on-the-spot troubleshooting for members ALDs. Barbara summarize the school workshops that we recently conducted and previewed upcoming chapter meetings. Jonathan and Alan briefly covered some misleading local advertising by a hearing aid dispenser. Fran Sinish, SFTP Transition Coordinator for the Disability Resource Center of Fairfield County (DRCFC), spoke briefly about the services the center provides. She asked if anyone knew of funding opportunities for hearing aids and provided information on the Starkey Hearing Foundation and other resources (see links on this website.) Below is an excerpt from “Sounding a Warning on Earbuds,” an article reprinted in the Norwalk Hour on December 1, 2008, written by Julie Deardorff of the Chicago Tribune. “Parents and kids really need to watch the everyday use of earbuds that come with iPods and MP3 players. Not only do earbuds send sound directly into the delicate ear canal, but they boost the volume by as much as 9 decibels. And because today’s devices can hold and play music for longer periods, kids are wearing them more than the recommended one hour a day, putting them at risk for permanent hearing loss after just five years. More than half of high schools students in the U.S. report having at least one symptom of hearing loss, according to a 2006 poll commissioned by ASHA. Another survey showed that 5.2 million 6- to 19- year-olds have some degree of hearing loss directly related to noise exposure. The damage is based on two variables: the decibel level and duration of exposure. Conversation measures 60 decibels on a sound meter: At 70 percent volume, an MP3 player can pump our 85 decibels, the recommended safe listening level. But the gadgets are often played at 100 or even 120 decibels – the equivalent of a gunshot or a jet engine – which is enough to cause permanent damage.” New Canaan School Workshops Recap On November 5th, Marcia, Alan, Barbara, and Jonathan presented Helpful Communication Tips  Dick Smith and his alias educating South School first graders on hearing loss.  And, our reception afterwards.  Finally, another member of Dick's entourage. Barbara, Bill Huber, and Jonathan actively participated in a Pound Ridge Public Forum on airspace noise on November 6th. The purpose of the meeting was to determine the process that Pound Ridge would use to place two airspace noise monitors. Pound Ridge wants to establish an airspace noise baseline in order to deal with the FAA going forward. However, lots of noise management issues were discussed. The Westchester Airport Noise Monitoring System Peter Harckham, Legislator from Westchester County, introduced the Westchester County Airport presenters. Peter said one reason this measurement project was launched was to answer the question, “How loud is loud?” County leaders needed a system to establish a baseline that was quantifiable. Peter summarized the water pollution and noise monitoring Environmental Management System that is in-place at the Westchester County Airport. The noise monitoring system manages information concerning aircraft noise, community noise levels, aircraft operational data, and citizen complaint data. Twenty noise monitors collect data continually. Once a day each of the 20 monitors in the system scattered throughout Westchester County downloads its data to the ANOMS system. A recorder captures all pilot and controller radio and audio communications from the noise monitoring sites. A computer combines this noise data with a passive radar system’s flight track information, operations data, and weather data. ANOMS cross references noise and radar and time data to create a detailed profile of each plane’s noise footprint. As a result, the noise system captures a profile of all planes flying in that restricted airspace. Geographically, northern meters will soon be located in Ossining and Pound Ridge. They cost $30k each to purchase, install and maintain. We have a map showing all the monitor locations. Robert Funicello, Environmental Director Westchester County Airport, supported by his associate, John Inserra, Noise Abatement Officer at the Airport, further described the history, setting, and rationale for the noise monitoring system. It was expanded in 2000 and again in 2004, it is certified by ISO, and it is paid for by passengers who use the airport. Westchester County studied the FAA Redesign Proposal at the end of 2006 and concluded that it provided an inadequate analysis for many reasons. They continued to complain. At the meeting we all saw the noise-impact-change maps that targeted Pound Ridge and sections of Fairfield County in a noisy way. Output from the Noise Monitoring System Currently, the ANOMS system filters (, averages ???) and releases noise data above 93 dB to the public through its website, www.westchestergov.com See the details at: http://www.westchestergov.com/airport/noise_abatement/Airport%20Noise%20and%20Operations%20Monitoring%20System%203.pdf Robert claims that this 93 dB threshold and filtering is prescribed by law, and the FAA uses this law to restrict its release in a different format. The raw data is available on ANOMS and potentially could be released to the public with a more reasonable threshold of 80 dB without filtering and averaging. We discussed briefly the difference between a single impulse spike of an aircraft over 93 dB and prolonged and/or continuous noise below that level caused by an armada of aircraft day after day. Bill Huber (HLAA) asked about whether the monitors capture sound power or loudness. He mentioned the importance of handling peak noise versus average noise stress differently. Robert, who is a lawyer by background and not a noise engineer, didn’t want to discuss technical aspects of the system. However, everyone in the audience, including Robert, seemed to agree that continuous noise over 80 dB is a health risk. (Note: some members of the audience perhaps expect to get the monitors in place, then deal with the problem of proper data being made available from the system. Others in the audience see this whole issue as an annoyance issue, and not a serious health issue. Perhaps they don’t realize that at least 10% of 22 million Americans suffer from Noise Induced Hearing Loss due to aircraft noise. Robert and others in the audience were not familiar with 10-year old studies proving that cumulative exposure to loud noise (over 70 dB) causes hearing loss in people who are genetically susceptible.) Vertigo, Balance, and Equilibrium Presentation Recap On November 15th Dr. Robert L. Weiss, MD, FACS, Board Certified, American Board of Otolaryngology, presented this topic at our chapter meeting. His practice focuses on ear, nose, throat, nasal and sinus, plus pediatric ENT in Norwalk, and he is a partner in the Hearing and Balance Associates of Fairfield County. This recap is a simplified summary of his highly informative slide and video presentation, which focused on dizziness and vertigo in Part I and on balance, vestibular, and the equilibrium system in Part II. Dr. Weiss commenced his talk by outlining the approach other doctors use to diagnose and treat these conditions. “Patients should never be told they have to live with it,” he said. He outlined his approach to evaluation, treatment and rehab, which he has refined over the last four years. Dizziness and vertigo are not specific diseases, but are conditions, much like a headache. MRIs and CTs will not reveal them, though they will reveal much less common brain tumors and other abnormalities. He covered three inner ear problems and differentiated them by the duration of the vertigo condition:
Meniere's Disease and Vestibular Neuritis, when properly diagnosed, can be successfully treated, he said. He admitted that researchers are uncertain of the various root causes of Meniere's Disease. He cautioned that Antivert products should only be used for a couple hours, not for the long-term. In the second part of his presentation, Dr. Weiss described our balance system as an integration of three systems: the vestibular component of our ears, our eyes, and our muscles – all connected and processed by the brain. He mentioned that diabetes contributes to balance problems because there is limited sensory sensation going from the feet to the brain when a diabetic walks. Elaborating on the BPPV condition (see above), Dr. Weiss said it was the easiest of the three vertigo conditions to diagnose and fix. It is where “rocks in one's head” get loose and flow to another location in the vestibular system. He showed a brief video of a patient who suffered from BPPV wearing VNG goggles connected to a computer and physical therapists performing the treatment procedure. Assuming a good diagnosis, one BPPV treatment is successful 85-90% of the time. Dr. Weiss also described Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, which uses a set of exercises to sharpen one's balance. In one exercise the person sits on a large exercise ball and reads. In a second exercise, the person walks barefoot on a mat, then repeats the exercise with eyes closed. The purpose of each is to eliminate the “mismatches” of the brain's processing of nerve signals from the eyes, the vestibular system, and sensors on the feet. There was an informative question and answer session at the end. It is encouraging to know that there are such effective solutions to equilibrium problems in our community. Noise Presentation October 18 RecapOn October 18th, Jonathan Brown presented “Noise and Its Effect on Us.” Jonathan’s presentation discussed the causes of potentially damaging noise, its effects on our hearing and our cognitive and physical health. As a group, we discussed sources of noise that bother us or are potentially dangerous and what can we do about them. Four types of noise cause Noise Induced Hearing Loss, or
NIHL. These types include: impulse,
prolonged, ambient, and cumulative noise. New findings show that cumulative
exposure to noise can be dangerous to those with high susceptibility to hearing
loss. Twenty-two million Americans suffer from NIHL – over 18,000 in A 1986 The good news is that NIHL can be prevented. Individually we can turn it down, walk away, or protect our ears. Locally we can work to take action. For example, Bill Huber has written many letters to reduce the impact of RR whistles near his home. Noise pollution is a serious world-wide problem. NIHL is a huge consequence to everyone including children. Let’s get involved to reduce it! |
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