The Family Hearing Center Fall 2023 E-Newsletter

THE TREATMENT AND LEARNING CENTERS

for Fall Hearing Protection Tips

As the leaves begin to change, we encourage you to consider changing your hearing health care habits, too. Several autumn activities can cause noise-induced hearing loss without proper hearing protection, but you may not even be aware of the risks. People of all ages should take extra precautions to protect their ears from damage during fun fall activities.

Prolonged exposure to the sounds of leaf blowers, power tools, motorized vehicles, sporting events and concerts can all lead to irreversible hearing damage. Fortunately, you can take steps to keep your ears safe and prevent permanent hearing loss.

Leave the leaf blowing to the professionals

Leaf blowers become a necessity once fall is in full swing, but they represent an extreme noise hazard. The sound produced by some leaf blowers at close range can cause permanent hearing damage in fewer than 15 minutes. If you aren’t willing to hire a professional landscaper to do the work, consider replacing older models of leaf blowers with newer models that offer reduced decibel output. Even the quietest leaf blowers available will gradually damage your ears, so always wear quality or custom earplugs during yard work.

Talk to your audiologist about hearing protection

Your audiologist can help you find a solution for protecting your hearing that fits your lifestyle. Options for protecting your hearing without compromising your performance are available for a wide range of activities. From specialty musician’s plugs that let you hear the notes risk-free to hunter’s plugs that enhance ambient noise while protecting your hearing from gunshots and explosions, a solution exists for all activities and lifestyles.

DID YOU KNOW

Individuals with untreated hearing loss have a faster rate of cognitive decline than people with treated hearing loss or normal hearing?*

Stay on top of your cognitive skills with this audiology-themed word search puzzle—a fun, scienceapproved way to directly combat age-related neurological disorders!

WORD LIST

audiogram

captioning

cochlea

ear

hearing

sensorineural

tinnitus

tympanic

HAVE YOU HEARD?

The Oticon Real™ is a brand-new hearing device from one of the nation’s leading hearing aid manufacturers, available exclusively from hearing health professionals.

THE NEW TECHNOLOGY FEATURES:

BrainHearing™ technology: Helps your brain recognize and balance all types of sounds, allowing you to remain focused, engaged and sharp

More choices: Both rechargeable and disposable battery options, plus nine colors, so you can choose the style that best fits you

Connectivity to your digital world: High-quality streaming from iPhone®, iPad® and select Android™ devices—helping you stay connected to your favorite devices

*Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25-Year Study, 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

Easy Apple Crisps

This easy apple crisp is made the oldfashioned way, just like Grandma used to make it. It’s perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce!

Ingredients

• 6 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)

• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

• pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then transfer to a prepared baking dish.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt and diced cold butter). Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.

4. Spread the topping over the apples in the baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

5. Serve warm, and enjoy!

The Link Between

Chronic Kidney Disease and Hearing Loss

Approximately 37 million U.S. adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD), with many unaware that they have it until it reaches an advanced stage.1

Patients with CKD are at a greater risk of developing other health issues, including hearing loss, than those without CKD. Evidence shows that approximately 54% of patients with moderate CKD also have some degree of hearing loss, while only 28% of those without CKD have hearing loss. 2

What’s CKD?

A gradual loss of kidney function over time is known as chronic kidney disease. The kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste. When they stop working, waste can build up in an individual’s blood and make them sick.

Chronic kidney disease can develop slowly over time and can be caused by other disorders, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. If left untreated, CKD can lead to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.

What’s the Connection?

The relationship between CKD and hearing loss may be due to several factors:

1. There are similarities in the structure and function of the ears and the kidneys. If something is harming one of these organs, it’s likely affecting the other since their structure and function are similar.

2. The toxins that accumulate in the body during kidney failure may also damage the nerves in the inner ear, leading to hearing loss.

3. CKD and hearing loss share common risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and advanced age.

4. Certain medications used to treat CKD are ototoxic and can affect hearing. Patients with CKD can take steps to reduce their risk of hearing loss or prevent it from worsening—they should have regular hearing evaluations, be fitted with hearing devices if needed and better manage underlying conditions.

1 CDC. (2021). Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/ kidneydisease/publications-resources/ckd-national-facts.html?utm_source=hearingtracker.com

2 Vilayur, E. (2010). The association between reduced GFR and hearing loss: a cross-sectional population-based study. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/20673695/

Much like CKD, hearing loss is best treated when caught early. If you have patients with CKD, please refer them to our audiology team for a comprehensive hearing evaluation.

Cancer Patients Need a Hearing Test Before and After Treatment

Chemotherapy can be a life-saving treatment for people with certain types of cancer. But like all treatments, it comes with side effects—and hearing loss is one of them.

Experiencing hearing loss due to chemotherapy is more likely in patients who have chemotherapy with platinumbased drugs, such as cisplatin or carboplatin. Cisplatin therapy is used to treat several types of cancer, including ovarian, bladder, testicular, head and neck cancers.

Cisplatin Therapy Can Lead to Hearing Loss

Research shows that cisplatin damages the cochlea in the inner ear, causing permanent hearing loss in 40% to 80% of adults and 50% of children who take the drug.1 Most organs in the body eliminate cisplatin within days or weeks, but scientists have found cisplatin in the cochlea months or even years after treatment.1 This prolonged exposure to the drug in the cochlea is likely leading to hearing loss for these patients.

Getting a hearing test before chemotherapy is crucial because it helps establish a patient’s baseline hearing status. Since cisplatin sticks around in the cochlea for so long, scheduling a hearing evaluation right after treatment— and regularly after that—is also a smart idea. And if a chemotherapy patient notices changes in their hearing at any point, they should see their audiologist as soon as possible.

If you or someone you love is about to go through chemotherapy or has completed their treatment, please schedule a hearing evaluation with The Family Hearing Center today.

1 National Cancer Institute. (2018). Study identifies potential cause of hearing loss from cisplatin. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currentsblog/2018/cisplatin-hearing-loss

FALL Into Savings!

As a special offer to help you enjoy the sounds that the Fall season brings, we want to offer a limited-time savings of $400 off* per set (2) of hearing aids at Premium level technology.