Tax Credit for Hearing Aids

As an audiologist, we are always looking at ways to provide help to patients with hearing loss in a more affordable manner. There is now legislation that I'd like all my friends to consider supporting. Please consider clicking on this link and enter your information. It will generate a letter to your politician encouraging them to support a hearing aid tax credit. All you need to do is follow the directions and slightly edit the letter to be appropriate from a non audiologist.

http://18x18.org/congressional-connect

You will notice that when you follow this link there are 3 letters that you can generate:
1. Tax credit letter to Senate
2. Tax credit letter to House of Representatives
3. Letter supporting direct access to audiology care. This initiative gives audiologists the same standing as an optometrist in the eyes of insurance. The end result would be a signficant money savings in health care costs. Why? Because currently Medicare requries a referral for patients to see an audiologist. Requiring multiple visits in order to obtain a hearing tests dramatically increases the cost of healthcare. Medicare does not currently require a referral to obtain a vision test or a dental exam. It would be logical that patients should be allowed to also see an Audiologist without a referral.

Please consider supporting these important issues.

Dr. Scott Marquardt
Audiologist

Love, Marriage and Hearing Loss

Healthy communication is the biggest factor for couples who plan on ‘living happily ever after.’ This simple secret to a successful marriage allows both partners to convey their thoughts and emotions openly to each other. Take away this ability to talk, hear, and respond and the relationship is bound to crumble. Unfortunately, if one or both partners have undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss, it can prove fatal to the relationship.

A U.S. study of baby boomers by Energizer Battery Inc. in 2007 demonstrated that relationships are failing and marriages are ending in divorce because of unmanaged hearing loss. The researchers revealed that:

Nearly half (48%) of those surveyed said their marriages have suffered because of their spouses' hearing loss.

More than half (57%) feel their spouse is reluctant to get their hearing checked, and 46% believe that denial is the main reason.

Even more respondents (65%) indicated they feel annoyed when their significant other cannot hear them.

There is a fairly simple solution to ensure that communication with your sweetheart doesn’t suffer.

 

Hear and be heard

 

The best way to treat hearing loss is with hearing aids. With the wide availability of many technologically advanced digital hearing aids currently on the market – and new ones being developed all the time ‐ there is no excuse not to get tested and fit. New open‐fit hearing aids are sleek, tiny and allow for natural sound amplification.

If you’re worried that wearing hearing aids will make you look old and unattractive, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Hearing loss has no age group. Children as young as infants, teenagers and able‐bodied folks of all ages have hearing loss.

It’s tough to acknowledge that you have difficulty hearing. The I‐can‐hear‐just‐fine argument can only go so far when it is obvious that you have to strain to hear a conversation. Denial is a powerful deterrent, and you should never give in to it, especially when your health, well‐being, and more importantly, your relationships are concerned. Indeed, your overall quality of life is vastly improved as hearing aids allow you to interact socially and emotionally with those around you.

 

Being able to communicate with your spouse and be supported is certainly worth getting your hearing tested. Just remember, a happy marriage, good quality of life, and hearing aids go hand in hand!

Hearing Loss & Tinnitus Treatment

Received this note from a very nice man that I've been fortunate to help:
When we first met, about a year ago I said that I had been looking for a company that addressed Tinnitus and Hearing together and "Clarity Hearing" did.
Your hearing test proved that my hearing ability rolls of drastically above approximately 2 kHz.
I am 73 years old and my Tinnitus started about 15 years ago.  I complained a lot to my wife because I missed many things, that is when I contacted Clarity Hearing.
You explained to me that a Resound hearing aid with a sound generator over time would re-program my brain to the point that I would ignore the Tinnitus and also hear better.  I have not used Resound hearing aid and the noise generator for about a year and I can say that without a doubt, IT WORKS!
I walk about a half an hour most mornings and usually with nothing in my ear and I do not think about my Tinnitus.  My wife says that I have stopped complaining altogether,

Regards,

Nils

If you suffer from "ringing" in your ears, contact an audiologist to see if something can be done.  In many cases there is a treatment available. 

May is Better Hearing Month

Most of you probably didn't know that there was such a thing as Better Hearing Month. Some of you might be thinking; "wow there's a month for everything" I think that's true. Most things have "months" that they use to draw awareness to a topic. I believe this month is also Veteran Appreciation Month. Because this is Better Hearing Month, I'd like everyone to focus on their hearing health for a minute.

Do you are someone you know:

• Work around loud noise?
• Play in a band?
• Wear headphones to listen to music?
• Use firearms?
• Have difficulty with background noise?
• Have ringing in the ears that is causing problems?
• Turn the TV up too loud?
• Have trouble with hearing on the phone?
• Have been told that you need hearing devices, but have not done anything about it?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions go see an audiologist and talk to them about things that can be done to protect your hearing or improve your hearing. There are simple, relatively inexpensive things that can be done to protect your hearing. If you need hearing devices, the technology in the last year is so much better than previous technology. There is almost always something that can be done to help.  The bottom line is:  the more we protect our hearing the longer it lasts and when our hearing acuity changes, the sooner we do something about it the better hearing devices work.   

So hear's wishing each of you "Better Hearing"

Dr. Scott Marquardt

Kidz Safe Ear Phones

Check out these ear phones! Hearing loss in children has doubled in the last 10 years primarily because of noise exposure. How many kids do you see that are listening to their Ipods and MP3 players for hours. These headphones keep sound from reaching dangerous levels even if the volume on the device is maxed out. These are available from Clarity Hearing (936-273-4437). They retail for $18 and come in many colors.

Glasses, Braces, Hearing Aids - Fashion Statements?

I was watching an #NBA press conference the other night and was amazed at the number of NBA players who are wearing glasses. Apparently it's the latest thing and a lot of them are wearing contacts underneath and the glasses are just for fashion. When did wearing glasses become cool! This is exciting to me. I also heard from a parent who has a child with braces and that braces are now a cool thing. His child wanted crazy colors for the braces. Next thing you know #hearingaids will be a fashion statement. We just need to get a famous person to be fit with bright red devices to start the trend! If any of you are famous or know someone that is, send them my way. Let's change the world.

Local Audiologist Celebrates the Gift of Hearing with Members of the National Basketball Retired Players Association in Houston

Dr. Scott Marquardt and former players worked to spread hearing loss education and awareness during NBA All-Star Weekend

 

Shenandoah, TX (February 26, 2013)—During the events at NBA All-Star 2013 Weekend in Houston, Dr. Scott Marquardt of Clarity Hearing in Shenandoah, TX and members of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA)-- the only alumni association comprised of former NBA, ABA and Harlem Globetrotters players--worked with representatives from The HearStrong Foundation to advocate the importance of spreading hearing health awareness and helped present the gift of hearing to deserving children.

Robert Horry, seven-time NBA World Champion, joined Dr. Marquardt and representatives from the NBRPA and The HearStrong Foundation on February 15^th at Peck Elementary School (Houston ISD).  There, Horry presented certificates for state-of-the-art EarQ hearing devices to two local children with hearing loss, whose families could not otherwise afford hearing technology.

 “Seeing the looks of joy and gratitude on the children’s faces was a truly moving and humbling experience for all involved,” said Dr. Marquardt. “I was so proud to be involved in the weekend’s activities and to help educate the former players, as well as the public, about their hearing health.”

Dr. Marquardt also helped the foundation honor one of its first HearStrong Champions, Rev. Johnnie Mathis, in an official naming ceremony at The Hotel Derek in Houston. On February 14^th, former NBA All-Star Cedric Ceballos helped present Mathis with his official HearStrong medal. Mathis, a hospital chaplain from Hempstead, TX, dealt with life-long hearing loss that worsened when he received radiation treatments for vocal cord cancer in 2006. But thanks to hearing devices and hard work, Mathis is now able to fully experience his life.