Health Articles

Publication2

Volume 3, Issue 4
January 2010
Inside this
issue:
July 2010
Guide: Eliminate temporary hearing loss Guide: Eliminate Temporary Hearing Loss
Closed Captioning 2
When the hearing goes, it does not—luckily—have to be permanent. Blocked ears, sinuses or fever reducing medicine can also be the cause. Most people experience reduced hearing or tinnitus during their lives. For many the conditions is permanent, but in many cases their hearing can often return to Meeting Schedule Here is a guide to the three most common causes of temporary reduced hearing—and how the symptoms can be beaten. Blocked ears
Ear wax can block the ears and thereby reduce the ability to hear until the wax is removed. Blocked ears can also lead to dizziness and pain. People with blocked ears should not attempt to removed the wax. Instead, he or Learn about hear- she should consult a doctor. The doctor will typically remove the wax with something that can dissolve it, either through flushing the ear or manually. Blocked sinuses
Blocked sinuses as a result of a cold, sinus infection or allergies can result in temporary hearing loss. The blocked sinuses cause the Eustachian tube, which regulates the pressure within the inner ear, to swell up, so that the connection between the middle ear and throat is closed off. If this condition continues for more than 10 days and/or it is occurs more than three times a year, this could suggest an undiagnosed allergy. The pa- tient's doctor should them conduct an allergy evaluation. Fever reducing medicine
High doses of aspirin, ibuprofen and other so-called non-steroid anti-inflammatory preparations can cause tinnitus. A humming or ringing feeling in the ear can occur, if a person ingests either 10 aspirin or 800 milligrams of ibuprofen a day. From www.hear-it.org

Say What?
Page 2
Closed Captioning on the Lawn for UVA Graduation • By Larry Herbert, HLACVA The annual commencement exercises on the Lawn at the University of Vir- ginia were closed captioned for the first time this past May. Two large jumbotron TVs have been provided in recent years to provide attendees with a view of the proceedings - but this year closed captioning was added to both screens for the first time. This initiative was largely the result of lobbying by Kathleen (Kate) O'Varanese, the Coordinator of Services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) Students. She serves on the Graduation Committee which plans the exer- cises. Speakers do broadcast the ceremonies to the far reaches of the Lawn, but for those of us who are HoH, that is usually unsatisfactory. Captions are a great solution in a large gathering like this - particularly for proud family members who are HoH and are there to share in the festivities with the graduates. Since Kate was signing the services to a deaf student, she asked me to critique the closed captioning process. The picture on the next page shows President Casteen delivering his last commencement address with the cap-tioning at the bottom of the screen. I've recommended that the captioning be placed at the top of the screens or that the screens be elevated to increase visibility. My observation of the crowd was that the captioning was a wel- Kate and I have also met with officials of the UVA Athletic Department about adding captions at major sporting events. We've piqued their interest but I think we will have to continue our advocacy on this point before we see it come to fruition. Kudos to the University for this service, and thank you to Kate O'Varanese.

Volume 3, Issue 4
SOME WEBSITES FOR
HEARING LOSS -
Air Travel Complaint Form
for Disabled – print out and
take with you when you fly -
http://
www.hearingloss.org
/advocacy/
HLAA_DOT_Complai
nt_form908.rtf
Audiology Online - http://
www.audiologyonline.c
Baha System Aftercare - Caption You Tube Videos - University of Virginia President Casteen at Graduation being closed cap- tioned on the Jumbotron. Closed Caption Complaints to FCC – must be quick - For further information WE NEED YOUR HELP
on the FCC's televi-sion closed caption-ing please see our Your support is very important to us. We use your dues and donations for printing and mailing notices for each monthly meeting, quarterly newsletter and mailings, and for the June closedcap-
tion.html.The closed
and December get togethers. We also use it for equipment if captioning regula- absolutely necessary. tions are at http://
www.fcc.gov/cgb/
dro/
We need your support to continue our mission. Please Help. Send Dues and Donations to HLACVA, c/o Keeney & Co. Ar- ing_regs.html. The
complaint procedure
chitects, 1413 Sachem Pl, Suite One, Charlottesville, VA 22901 is in the regulations -2497. Application on back cover. at 47 CFR Part 79.1(g). Say What?
Page 4
Board of
How Loud Is Too Loud
Decibel levels of common sounds Ron Keeney, Pres Keeney & From Deafness and Hearing Aids PLC 434-978-2000 Noise is measured in units called decibels, on a scale from zero to 140. The higher the number in decibels, the louder the noise. The louder the noise, the greater the risk of hearing loss. Hearing loss can occur with regular ex- posure to noise levels of 110 decibels or more for periods longer than one minute. No more than 15 minutes of unprotected exposure to 100 decibels Poppy Lesti, is recommended. Long-term exposure to 80-85 decibels or over can cause News. Editor, Coord. 3875 Here is a list of common noises and their decibel levels: Whitetail Ln. Keswick VA Aircraft at take-off (180) -923-0378
PoppyL@aol.
Amplified music (110) Noisy office (90) Vacuum cleaner (80) Frank Shiflett, City traffic (80) Normal conversation (60) Treas. 434-985-2060 Refrigerator humming (40) Larry Herbert, Leaves rustling (10) Calm breathing (10) Tech.Advi. Noise levels of 130 decibels or over will be painful and are very likely to 434-981-3004 cause immediate hearing damage. Betty Bonvillian, Perceptions of increases in decibel level
The list below gives you an idea of how noticeable a change in decibel level Marjorie Boone, 1dB - Not noticeable Dir. 434-244-0461 3dB - Barely noticeable Lou Gibb, Dir. 5dB - Clearly noticeable change 10dB - About twice as loud Dot Clark, Dir. 20dB - About four times as loud Carolyn Newsome, Dir . 434-295-9094

Volume 3, Issue 4
Say What?
Is an erection worth a hearing loss? A US study shows a correlation between hearing loss and the use of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. We meet most months on the first Wednesday If you choose to take Viagra or similar medications to improve your sexual per- from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. formance you may at the same time be putting your hearing at risk. at the Senior Center, 1180 Pepsi Pl, This is the conclusion of a study from the University of Birmingham (UAB). Charlottesville, VA, 434
-974-7756. ALL
According to the study, drugs for erectile dysfunction may double the risk of long- PEOPLES AND
term hearing impairment. High doses of Viagra have been shown to damage hear- AGES WELCOME
ing in mice, but until now only a few anecdotal cases have been described in August—no meetings
One in three suffers from hearing loss
Sept 1. 2010— Linda
The study, based on a national sample of 11,525 American men over the age of 40, Swinson, Audiologist found that almost one in three who took the drug had hearing loss. Of those who from Wagner Hearing did not take the Viagra-like drugs, only slightly more than one in six were hard of Oct 6, 2010— TBA
"It appears from these findings that the current government warning regarding hearing loss and the use of these medications is warranted." says study author Gerals McGwin, PhD. And professor of epidemiology at UAB.
Nov 3, 2010—Brenda
M. Ryals, Ph.D. is an
Warnings are required
internationally recognized researcher Drug makers already include a "black box" warning about potential hearing loss in the areas of auditory on these products. But according to Dr. McGwin, the results expand on that con- plasticity and hair cell regeneration. She will be talking on "A look to "Though there are limitations to this study, it is prudent that patients using these the future: Will we be able to make new medications be warned about the signs and symptoms of hearing impairment and be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention to potentially forestall perma-nent damage," he says. According to the study, the relationship was strongest for men reporting use of sil-denafil (Viagra) over those who used tadalafil (Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra). The findings indicated an elevated but not statistically significant increase in hearing loss for users of tadalafil and vardenafil Source: Published in "Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery"
www.reuters.com
From www.hear-it.org

Volume 3, Issue 4
Learn About Hearing Loss: New Video Series
Get accurate information about hearing loss, its causes and what to do about it. The Hearing Loss Association of Amer-ica contracted with Knowlera Media to produced a series of seven, four-minute, captioned videos on hearing loss. Infor-mation you need to be adequately briefed on the topic is all in one place in an easy-to-access format. If you think you have a hearing loss or know someone who does, please point them to the videos where hearing health care profes-sionals and people with hearing loss talk about what you can do about it. Hearing Loss Basic Facts
2. Hearing Loss Symptoms
3. Hearing Loss Diagnosis
4. Hearing Loss Treatments
Living with Hearing Loss
6. Hearing Loss Causes and Prevention
7. Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants and Assistive
Listening
Thank You
May Meeting – Karla
Lesher from the Dept of Rehabilitation, gave a great slide presentation on Safety for people that are Deaf and HOH. She even signed while she talked FROM THE EDITOR
June Meeting— Eliza-
I want to thank everybody for this op- beth LeBarron from HLAA came with her beautiful portunity to get out our news. If you have any daughter Genevieve. Eliza- questions, comments, or articles for future beth talked about HLAA newsletters, please call me at 434-923-0378, national and all great work email me at [email protected], or write me at they are doing for us. Poppy Lesti, 3875 Whitetail Ln, Keswick, VA We had a wonderful lunch- eon courtesy of Ron Keeney in memory of his HOPE TO SEE YOU AT OUR NEXT mother Lois Keeney—our chapter's founding mem-ber. Say What?
Page 8
Sertoma and Hearing Charities of America
announce Campaign for Hearing Access - A
Sound Investment
The most important thing is to be whatever More Information: Steven Murphy816.333.8300 [email protected] Kansas City, MO.-Sertoma and Hearing Charities of America, nonprofit organizations committed to raising awareness on issues related to hearing health in America, today announced a new action campaign to address access to sound for the hard of hearing titled A Sound Investment. Nothing will ever be attempted if all The Silence is Deafening
A sometimes bitter healthcare debate has added to the silence experienced by 37 million objections must first be overcome. Americans dealing with hearing loss. Hearing health for many Americans, especially those near or below the poverty level, is considered a luxury item. Regardless of any new legislation on the horizon, hearing health education and access to hearing devices must have a new, louder voice. Enthusiasm finds the opportunities, According to Sertoma and Hearing Charities Executive Director Steven Murphy, the mission of the campaign is to assure equal access to a community often overlooked. makes the most of them. "Nobody is listening, literally and figuratively," said Murphy. "We have the means to address this issue, what we lack is a commitment to act. This campaign is one of many planned to create action – to expand the delivery of education, services and hearing de- vices to the public." Action springs not from thought, but A Sound Investment Campaign
from a readiness for responsibility. In many ways, we have made the world accessible to all people through the Americans with Disabilities Act and other efforts. However, in some ways we have failed to make that access complete. We have worked hard to remove the barriers that limit use of a public facility for those who cannot walk, but have done little for those who cannot hear. For the millions of Americans using hearing assistive devices, the ability to hear in public facilities is limited. Yet all those sounds can be made clear by the simple act of installing an available, easy, and cost effective technology – the induction loop.

Volume 3, Issue 4
The goal is to make the sounds through public address and amplified systems in public facilities readily accessible to those that use hearing assistive devices. We can achieve this goal by promoting and assisting in installing looping technology of public build- ings and facilities. This effort will not only provide access that should be available, but will promote the value and importance of hearing health services and technology. What is Looping?
Looping is a technology that allows hearing assistive devices to serve as wireless loudspeakers, delivering clear, sharp, customized sound right from inside the ears. It can be adapted to use in large public spaces, such as airports and auditoriums. But it can just as easily be installed in churches, drive-up business windows and even into a single room at home so the TV or stereo sound becomes a broadcast going directly through the hearing assistive device. The induction loop is to hearing aids, what Wi- Fi is to laptops. Sertoma, Inc.
Headquartered and founded in Kansas City, Mo. in 1912, Sertoma is a 501(c)3 not-for -profit national civic organization with community-minded members in our service clubs across North America. Sertoma's national focus is on assisting the more than 50 million people with hearing health issues and educating the public on the issues sur- rounding hearing health. For more information about Sertoma and its community clubs, visit www.sertoma.org or call (877) 737-8662.
Hearing Charities of America
Sertoma created this social enterprise as a means to expand its 50 years service in the area of speech and hearing concerns. The April 20, 2010 public launch of Hearing Charities begins its efforts to develop community engagement in communities not served by Sertoma members. Hearing Charities of America activities will connect Elizabeth LeBarron those who need information, education, hearing health services and assistive devices to those who can help meet their needs. The mission of Hearing Charities of America is to raise awareness and promote collaboration toward a hearing healthy world. (Cont page 10) Specializing in Audiometric Hearing Tests, Personal- ized Selection and Adjustment of Hearing Aids and Ancillary Products FREE HEARING TEST & 15% 0FF PURCHASE WITH THIS COUPON! Our HLACVA meeting room has an INDUCTION LOOP
Toll Free: 866-341-HEAR (4327)
Just turn on the telecoil in your hearing aid to hear clearly. Serotoma and Hearing Charities (continued from page 9)
Charlottesville, VA Serotomans will be available to do a presentation on A Sound Investment, for induction
looping in your community any time. The Hearing Loss Association of Central VA meets monthly Sept – June at 1-2:30 pm the first Wednesday of the month at the Senior Center on Pepsi Place in Charlottesville VA for more information about HLACVA's community service A Sound Investment or other hearing health or local programs, contact Larry Herbert at 434
-981-3004 or email at [email protected]. BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE
Having a hearing loss is really hard. It is insidious. It usually starts slowly and creeps up on us. We respond in kind. We ignore it and gradually start to limit our lives. We stay at home a lot more—social situations are just too hard to deal with. We don't go out with our friends as much—it is too hard to hear in restaurants. We don't go to the movies anymore—can't under-stand them. We alienate our families with the tv volume so loud. We frustrate our family with being able to hear them in the morning and afternoon but ignoring what they say in the eve-ning—convenient hearing. Almost all of this can be changed if you want it to be. First, hearing aids do not give you back your hearing 100% like glasses do your eyesight; that is very important for both you and your family and friends to know. (Cont. page 11) Advocate—cont. Second –Face facts, it is going to be harder to hear Most hearing aids can have a couple of programs. in social situations. There are things you can do to You have choices some of which they are— help yourself. Get hearing aids with directional mi- telecoils, front microphones, side microphones, crophones and telecoils; this enables you to block music program, and many more. Each hearing aid out some of the background noise and direct your is different as to what programs are available. Do hearing to just the front. Telecoils enable you to use not just rely on who you get your hearing aid from fm systems to talk one-on-one with others (like the to tell you. ASK. INSIST. It is up to you to get the Comfort Duet) with a neckloop. Sometimes it is most from these expensive devices. If they don't better to take your hearing aids out and speech work to your satisfaction in the first two weeks— read. You don't amplify all the surrounding noise insist on another type. If they reprogram—get the warranty extended. DO NOT REPROGRAM AND CONTINUE WEARING IF THE WARRANTY IS Third— Restaurants are usually very noisy. Ask for GOING TO EXPIRE. Return the aids and get an- a table that is in a corner. Sit with your back to the other type/brand. Hearing aids are like shoes. room and turn on your directional microphone for You can't put a AAA shoe on a WW foot and have just forward sound. That will eliminate sound from it fit correctly, even if it is on sale. It is not a bar- the rest of the room behind you. Get a table that is gain if you are not going to wear them. round if possible so that you can see everyone. Go to a restaurant with good lighting. You need to see to be able to hear well. We all speech read to some extent and it really helps to be able to see the other person when they talk. Fourth—Movies are possible for almost everyone. They all have devices for the hard of hearing. You just have to ask for them when you get your ticket at the window. In return they will ask for your driver's license to make sure that you return your device at the end of the movie. Most are like large earphones that you can wear over your ears or hearing aids. Make sure to turn on your telecoil in your hearing aids or cochlear implants (CI's) . Fifth—Television. This is a big one. So many fami-lies complain about the volume being so high when family members are hard of hearing. TURN ON THE CLOSED CAPTIONS! There are also loop sys-tems that are great to use with telecoils in hearing aids and CI's. You can loop the room, just loop the seat the hard of hearing (HOH) person is sitting in—under the cushion, put a device on the table in front of the person, etc. Lots of choices. With loop systems you can have the volume on the TV really low and yet the loop system can be at another vol-ume for the HOH person. Elizabeth Lebarron from HLAA Sixth—Yes, we hear better in the morning than the national and her daughter Genevieve night. We are fresher in the morning and concen-trate better. By evening we are tired. It takes a lot with Larry Herbert from HLACVA of concentration to hear and understand. We guess a lot from context and it is harder if we are tired. Give us a break. Don't repeat the same words if we don't hear them. Change the words, use other ones and see if we hear them better. Hearing Loss Association
Of Central VA
Membership Form
c/o Keeney & Co Architects, PLC 1413 Sachem Pl, Ste One Charlottesville, VA 22901-2497 HLAA opens the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, advocacy, and Membership is $35 per year and includes a Subscription: The Hearing Loss Journal $10 dues for membership to offset cost of news- letter, meeting notices, and 2 get togethers. www.hearingloss.org Background, experience, skills, interests: 7915 Woodmont Ave.
Bethesda MD 20814
(301) 657-2248 (Voice)
(301) 657-2249 (TTY)
Invite a friend to join the local chapter
as well as national!
Hearing Loss Association of Central Virginia c/o Keeney & Co., Architects 1413 Sachem Pl., Suite One Charlottesville, VA 22901-2497 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PLEASE confirm your address… and if this mailing is not of interest, Tell us at (434) 978-2000… or fax us at (434) 978-7438. YES, keep mailing.
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