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Bluetooth Technology in hearing Aids
Bluetooth is a wireless techonoly that is now built into wide range of decices. From enabling hands free mobile phone conversatons in the car, to printing a photo from your laptop while in a different room, to monitoring your blood pressure, its uses are vast. As Bluetooth works wirelessy, it's a quick and convenient way of connecting different devices without hassle of cables. It uses short wavelength radio transmission signals to send information anywhere from 1 to 100 meters away depending on the device. Since the signal used is a radio frequency, devices do not need to be in direct visual line of each other.
This technology has now been incorporated into hearing aids. Bluetooth compatible hearing aids can be connected via a streaming device to mobile phones that have Blootooth connectivity. Incoming phone conversations are sent wirelessly to your hearing aids, which are then amplified for direct and clearer sound. This system avoids any interfernece caused by holding the mobile phone up to your hearing aid. It also allows the use of two ears simultaneously, rather than just one, to help improve the clarity of phone conversations. Music from your mobile phone or MP3 player can also be played through your hearing aids in the same way. Other Bluetooth accessories are also available to connect your hearing aids to landline phones and televisions.
Merry Christmas from Everyone at MAC!
With the end of year fast approaching, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate with family and friends. However, for some, it can be quite challenging having to communicate in a noisy environment, like a Christmas party.
Here are some tips to improve communication at noisy celebrations:
- Choose a setting which is well lit with soft furnishings if possible
- Reduce any unwanted background noise if possible
- Select a seat where you can easily see those who you wish to speak with
- Try to have your back to the greatest noise source
- Find out the topic of conversation
- Ensure your hearing aids are working optimally
For more information, speak to your audiologist at Melbourne Audiology Centre. Our clinics re-open on Monday 10th January 2011. Until then, enjoy the festive season!
Ear Candling: Solution or Problem?
Ear candling is the technique of burning a hollow candle inside the ear canal. It is thought that a vacuum effect is created by the burning candle and this sucks wax and debris out from inside the ear. However, experiments where ear candling has been performed show that wax is NOT removed from the ear. In fact, studies show no negative pressure can be measured by the burning candle, let alone one which is strong enough to pull wax out from the ear. Furthermore, the debris that can be seen inside the candle after the procedure is not from inside the ear, but rather just impurities from within the candle itself.
Not only is ear candling an ineffective way to remove ear wax, but it can be dangerous too. There is a serious risk of burns injury to the ear, face, neck and hair. This can be caused by the candle’s flame; heat from the procedure; or from the melted, hot wax. In extreme cases there have been reports of hot wax dripping down the ear canal and onto the ear drum, requiring treatment and surgical removal.
Did you hear about?
Royal Auto Magazine
It's getting harder to get though to adolescents. Hearing loss in 12-19 year olds has jumped in the US by a third in the past 20 years, and it's likely to be the same in Australia. One in 20 of this age group has at least mild hearing loss, and in-ear headphones are considered to be a major contribution factor. Getting the message through can be difficult! Frequent loud noice damages hearing permanently, better to buy low power headphones.
Journal of the American Medical Association
New Product
PELTOR KID EAR MUFFS – Protection for little ears 
Who can wear them: Babies and Children aged from 6 months to 3 years
Why wear them: Children’s hearing is very sensitive and it is important to protect it from an early age so they have the best chance of healthy hearing throughout their lives.
Some places where earphones may be beneficial are:
- In the presences of loud music (i.e. Concerts and Festivals)
- Motor Racing Events
- Fireworks displays
- Around loud machinery
The Peltor kid’s earmuffs are light weight, comfortable to wear and durable. They also come in 2 fun colours: Pink and Neon Green.
These earmuffs of course comply with Australian safety standards and have an average attenuation across all frequencies of 24dB (High Frequency 32dB, Mid Frequency 25dB and Low Frequency 15dB).
Cost: $60 a pair 
Headphones blamed for rise in teen hearing loss
Thomas Maugh, Los Angeles
Reprinted in The Age August 19, 2010
TEENAGERS aren't necessarily tuning out adults; they simply might not be able to hear them.
The proportion of American teens with slight hearing loss rose by 30 per cent in the past 15 years, and the number with mild or worse hearing loss has increased by 70 per cent, researchers said this week.
One in every five teens now has at least slight hearing loss, which can affect learning, speech perception, social skills development and self-image; one in 20 has more severe loss. The authors of the report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, eliminated ear infections, gunshots and exposure to loud noises as causes of hearing loss, but could not identify a specific cause.A recent Australian study, however, found a 70 per cent increased risk of hearing loss associated with use of headphones in portable music, which many experts suspect of being the primary cause of hearing loss in teens.
''Personal stereos are the most important change in the culture in the last 15 to 20 years,'' said Dr Tommie Robinson, president of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Even the relatively low level of damage found in the study can create problems. ''Just because a hearing loss is slight does not mean it is insignificant, particularly when it is in the high frequencies,'' said Dr Alison Grimes, manager of the audiology clinic at Ronald Reagan- UCLA Medical Centre. In English, soft, high-frequency sounds such as s, f, th and sh ''are very important sounds to be able to discern,'' Dr Grimes said. But those are the first to be lost, especially in a noisy environment such as classrooms. ''We know children have more difficulty learning and keeping up academically'' when they can't hear well, she said.
In studying hearing problems in teens, Dr Josef Shargorodsky, an otolaryngologist at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and his colleagues used data from two National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, in 1988-94 and 2005-06. The studies tested 2928 and 1771 teensrespectively. The proportion of teens with any hearing loss rose from 14.9 per cent in the first survey to 19.5 per cent in the second, while mild or worse hearing loss rose from 3.8 per cent to 5.5 per cent. Males were much more likely to suffer loss, and teens living below the US-designated poverty level. There were no racial differences. Many factors can increase susceptibility to hearing loss, including genetics, medicines, head trauma and loud noises. One example of genetics in action: for unknown reasons, children with light-blue eyes are more likely to suffer hearing loss than those with other eye colours.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Hear the Latest at Work
“Peter, you need to greet the Managing Director at the airport on Monday at nine.”
“Sure, I’ll be there on Sunday at five.”
It may be one small sound that you haven’t heard clearly, but suddenly everyone’s looking at you like you’re dense. Perhaps it’s just an “s” instead of an “m” or an “f” instead of an “n” like in the above situation between Peter and his boss. However, just one, soft, misheard sound is all that you need to change the word you hear and in turn this is enough to completely change the meaning of what someone is trying to say.
A recent article in BRW reported on the effects of a hearing impairment in the workplace. It was found that people with a hearing loss were likely to make expensive mistakes; and avoid difficult listening environments like group meetings, conference calls and large functions. Often as a result people were under-promoted. For an individual with a hearing deficit it can be embarrassing, frustrating and draining at work. On the other hand, colleagues can be confused by why someone at work is unable to follow basic instructions, leading to misconceptions.
The advantages of hearing intervention are immense. When you hear better, you’re more relaxed and able to communicate effectively. This makes the work environment positive rather than tense. With hearing aids, someone with a hearing impairment is able to make better decisions, feels less stressed and becomes more sociable.
So contact Melbourne Audiology Centre and hear what they are saying behind your back at work!
www.BRW.com.au
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