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

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!

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.

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.