Let Texas Hear

This year Texas is attempting to mandate health insurance plans cover hearing aids for children up to age 18.  For years hearing aids have been seen as a cosmetic device.  This bill in both the house and senate will change that. 

Please join the fight and speak up for these kids who don't have a voice in the system. 

You can click the link below to send your local politician a letter in support of this bill.



Click Here to Send Letter

Giving Tuesday

It seems like there is a "day" for everything, doesn't it?  Well today is no different.  It is #GivingTuesday.  No doubt you've already received many emails or seen several Facebook posts asking you to give to charity.  This blog, which will be posted to Google, Facebook, Twitter and our website will be no different.  Before I ask for donations I want to give you an idea of who you would be donating too.
Several years ago, Kim and I created The Marquardt Hearing Foundation.  I tried to have a better name, but The Secretary of State didn't like my creativity.  The reason we created the foundation was because we were seeing patients who needed better hearing, but because of cost, had no access to hearing aids.  Our goal was primarily to help kids to receive hearing aids, but over the years we have helped several adults as well. 

The big question you should always ask before donating to any charity:  Where does my money go?  With our foundation, we decided from the beginning that we would donate our time.  Therefore, 100% of the money we raise goes to purchasing equipment for people with hearing loss.  So there is no funneling of money, or get rich proposition for us.  We just want to never turn away a patient because of money. 
Here's the ask:  If you've been blessed this year with having a little extra money and are looking for a way to have a major impact in someone's life.  Consider a donation to The Marquardt Hearing Foundation.  The gift of hearing for a child will change the trajectory of their life. 

Checks can be made to:

The Marquardt Hearing Foundation

17450 St. Luke's Way, Ste 150

The Woodlands, TX 77384

God Bless you and your family during this Christmas season.

Scott & Kim Marquardt, Jamie Hawkins



Help For Deaf and Hard of Hearing Drivers in Texas

You might have read the story today about a young man who was shot by a police officer in Charlotte, NC. http://abcnews.go.com/US/north-carolina-police-kill-deaf-man-chase/story?id=41580922   I'm not sure all the details of what happened are clear at this point.  One thing I do know is that it is a very difficult situation for both drivers who are hearing impaired and police officers.  An inability to communicate can very easily lead to an unwanted outcome. 

In Texas if you are hearing impaired, you can register with DARS and obtain an official placard that goes in your visor.  This allows you to show this placard to the police officer before things have a chance to escalate.  I've included the link to the application here.  http://www.dars.state.tx.us/dhhs/servicesmanual/ch8.htm

Our prayers go out to both the family of the man who lost his life and the police officer. 

My Hearing Aids Talk To The Coffee Maker?????

Yes they can!  If you want them to.  The newest thing in electronics is that they can connect to the internet.  Your coffee maker, the door bell, the TV, the lights and even new hearing aids.    Almost anything you think of can connect through The Internet Of Things using the IF (if this then that) app on your phone. 

Imagine waking up in the morning, closing the battery doors on your hearing aids and the coffee maker turns on and makes you a cup of coffee.  Or the doorbell rings and you get notification in your hearing aids.  The possibilities are endless.  For more information on this technology, call our office at 936-273-4437 or email at info@hearingwithclarity.com

Giving Thanks For The People Around Me

July is a pretty important month at Clarity Hearing.  Exciting things seem to happen to us in July so today I wanted to take a moment and give thanks.

1.  Krissy, Our amazing office manager came to work in July 4 years ago.  I could list all the things she does at the office, but the list would be incredibly long.  I am thankful every day that she has hung in there with me.

2.  Dr. Jamie Hawkins.  Dr. Hawkins joined me one year ago and has been a blessing.  She's done an outstanding job keeping the office going when I couldn't be there.  She's been a wonderful addition.

Both Krissy and Dr. Jamie are great people, always trying to do the right thing for the patients they come in contact with.    We aren't perfect, but we try every day to get it right.  I'm blessed to be surrounded by people who share that vision.

Earbuds & Noise Awareness

DID YOU KNOW?

In the U.S., an estimated 12.5% of 6-19 year old children and adolescents (5.2 million) and 17% of 20-69 year old adults (26 million) have permanent hearing damage from excessive exposure to noise.

On a global scale, 1.1 billion young people are at risk for hearing loss due to their misuse of personal audio devices, such as smart phones.

Earbuds worn directly in the ear canals produce 7-9 decibels higher sound and increase the risk of permanent damage in as few as 8 minutes of listening.

Experience safe hearing and keep the 60/60 rule top of mind:
To minimize hearing loss damage, listen to music with earbuds for no more than 60 minutes per day and at no more than 60% of the maximum volume.

Noise induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.  If you have questions about your child's hearing, consult an audiologist.  www.hearingwithclarity.com

Depression Risk Awareness

DID YOU KNOW?

In the U.S. it is estimated that 37 million adults have some decree of hearing loss, while 22 million suffer from some form of depression.

Your ears can be a "window to your mind" and hearing loss may increase depression risk, especially for those younger than 70 years.

Research indicates:

1. Those with sensory loss, especially both hearing and vision, experience depression symptoms more than the general population
2. There is a more acute need for timely healthcare intervention when increased sensory loss constrains daily functionality.
3. Hearing health providers can play a key role in referring those with Depressions symptoms to mental and vision health experts.

To learn more, please visit:  www.nimh.nih.gov

Untreated hearing loss has been linked to depression, cognitive decline, and lower pay at work.  If you or someone you know is having difficulty hearing, seek help from an audiologist.

Kidney Disease Awareness

DID YOU KNOW?

It is estimated that for 26 million American adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD), 54% have some hearing loss. 

These 5 health habits can help prevent or delay CKD's progression:
1.  Don't smoke
2.  Control your blood pressure
3.  Eat a nutritious diet
4.  Exercise frequently and maintain a proper weight
5.  Have your doctor test for kidney and heart disease

Research indicates possible relationship between kidney disease and hearing loss.

• There are structural and functional similarities between kidney and inner ear tissue.
• Inner ear nerve damage can be cause by toxins related to kidney failure.
• There are shared risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and aging.

Talk to your doctor:  Share feedback with your health care professional about daily hearing problems as well as family and medical history.

Get annual evaluations to discover:

• If you have a hearing loss or are at risk
• The type of hearing loss you may have
• How your hearing health and quality of life can be improved.

For more information visit:  www.kidney.org

We Have Opened a Second Location

We now have 2 locations to serve patients:

The Woodlands

17450 St. Luke's Way, Ste 150

The Woodlands, Tx. 77384

Willowbrook

13323 Dotson Rd, Ste 200

Houston, Tx 77070

Dr Hawkins and Dr Marquardt are both seeing patients in The Woodlands and Dr Marquardt will see patients at the Willowbrook office.  For directions go to www.hearingwithclarity.com.  

We've Moved!

On January 13th, we will now be seeing patients at:
17450 St. Luke's Way, Suite 200
The Woodlands, Texas 77384
Our phone number is still the same:  936-273-4437

Our office is located in professional building #3 in the St. Luke's Complex. 

We hope this is a positive change for our patients and us and look forward to this exciting opportunity.

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.

How loud is your world?

Did you know;

• A typical motorcycle produces 95dB of noise which means you can ride for just 4 hrs before risking damage to your ears.
• Most people listen to their headphones at 100dB which can effect hearing after just 2 hrs of use.
• A jet ski can be 115dB which can damage hearing in 15 minutes
• The volume of many concerts can reach 120dB which can damage hearing after just 7 minutes.
• A firecracker puts out 125dB of noise causing damage to the ears in 3 minutes.
• A single gunshot is approximately 140dB and can do immediate damage to your hearing. 

Help promote #hearing health for all ages.  Encourage your friends and family to use ear plugs when around loud noise.  The incidence of childhood hearing loss has doubled because of noise exposure.  Ask your friendly #audiologist to help you find ways to protect your hearing and the the hearing of the ones you love.  Or, email me at info@hearingwithclarity.com with questions. 

Why not always hear your best!

The following are questions regarding hearing that you may or may not have thought of.

When should I get my hearing checked?  Routinely.  It's important to have periodic checks of our hearing throughout life.  Having a baseline allows us to know where we are and then when changes begin to occur so we can act quickly to maintain our level of hearing. 

How can I notice a change in my hearing range?  In most cases you can't.  Without regular check ups, it is very difficult to catch changes in hearing.  Periodic checks allow you to catch changes in hearing before others do.  Waiting to have a check til your hearing is "bad" causes signficant stress on relationships.  Why not always maintain your hearing health as we do with vision and dental exams. 

Who uses hearing technology and does that apply to me?  People who want to hearing their best take advantage of today's hearing technology.  With today's technology, we've reached a time where the technology and cosmetics of hearing devices make is so the people around will not know you are wearing a hearing system.  This is similar to contacts.  Just because you don't see glasses, doesn't mean the person has perfect vision.  New technology in hearing can give that same result.  People around you may never know you have hearing difficulties.

When should you use hearing technology?  Whenever the situation demands it so you can be yourself?

I encourage each of you to treat your hearing as we do our eyes and teeth.  Find a hearing professional (preferrable a doctor of audiology) that you can build a relationship with.  They can help you determine ways to protect your hearing health, monitor your hearing health and provide hearing systems that will keep you functioning at the level you deserve. 

The following questions were taken from a recent class I attended.  The speaker was Curtis Alcock. 

Clarity Hearing Christmas Party 2012

We are the true definition of a family owned small business. It's been a great year. I'm thankful for the ability to do something I love with the support of family and friends.