The Family Hearing Center
The Family Hearing Center
TLC
TLC
The Treatment and Learning Centers
The Treatment and Learning Centers
Rockville 2092 Gaither Rd., Suite 100 Rockville, MD 20850
SUMMER 2022
Phone: (301) 738-1415
Interview with Joanna Kolker, Audiology Assistant
How Did You Become Interested in Audiology?
FATHER’S DAY
IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! Give something special to the fathers in your life with our special Father’s Day offer. Now through June 19, get 20% off hearing aid cleaning kits and assistive listening devices. Contact us today to learn more. (301) 738-1415 The Family Hearing Center
TLC
The Treatment and Learning Centers
Audiology combines three of my interests: music, science and helping others. I was first introduced to the field of audiology as an undergrad when my academic advisor suggested I take a few introductory classes. I was fascinated by the information and quickly became more immersed in the field. I began working as a research assistant in a Speech Mechanisms lab where we worked with ALS and Parkinson’s patients. In this role, I was able to work directly with data supporting early intervention for patients with communication disorders. My desire to work in the field of audiology was made stronger following my work with a child with bilateral hearing loss. I worked in combination with an advisor from the Central Institute for the Deaf to provide listening and spoken language therapy. When I
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completed my therapy sessions with her, I could see a measurable change in the way she interacted with the world. It was observing her resilience and fortitude despite the challenges she faced that solidified my desire to pursue a career in audiology. What Do You Like About Working at The Family Hearing Center? My favorite part of the Family Hearing Center is working with the clients and staff members each day. Whether I am speaking with patients to schedule an appointment, making daily reminder phone calls or helping troubleshoot a hearing aid problem, our clients are truly a pleasure to work with. In my role as an audiology assistant, I have been able to build my knowledge and understanding of the field of audiology. The outstanding audiologists here have become my invaluable mentors. I am proud to be a part of such a welcoming family of patients and staff members.
Do you remember the last time you updated your hearing aid? Manufacturers release updates regularly, which can help you hear better and enjoy your listening experience more. If you see a reminder from your hearing aid app, consider updating it to get more of a benefit from your hearing aids. Questions? Call our office to find out if there is an update you might be missing for your devices.
What is Hidden Hearing Loss? What Is Hidden Hearing Loss? If you can pass a hearing test with flying colors but have trouble making out what your friends say in a noisy restaurant, you could have hidden hearing loss. Hidden hearing loss often goes undiagnosed because a standard audiogram, which measures your ability to hear varying volumes and pitches in a quiet room, won’t detect it.
The Future of Hearing Loss INNOVATIONS Hearing loss is a common condition, affecting approximately 48 million people across the nation.1 But despite its prevalence, until recently, there were few options available to help people living with it hear and communicate better, aside from hearing devices. Here we review some of the latest innovations that will soon benefit people with hearing loss. Apps That Resolve the ‘Cocktail Party Problem’ The ‘cocktail party problem’ describes difficulty filtering speech from background noise, a phenomenon many people with hearing loss experience. To help combat this, companies are developing apps compatible with hearing aids, cochlear implants and earbuds that will be able to help you select and amplify the sounds in front of you that you want to hear and subdue the ones you don’t. These apps are expected to be available within the next five years or so. Glasses That Convert Talk to Text For people with both hearing and vision loss, glasses that provide amplification, as well as
subtitles, are the perfect solution. Fortunately, there are some in development. They work by pairing with a smartphone app, which listens to conversations and transcribes speech into written text, then the text is delivered to your eyeglasses, thus creating live subtitles. These could potentially be on the market within the next two to three years. Drug Therapy That Regrows Sensory Cells Sensorineural hearing loss refers to hearing loss caused by damage to the tiny hair cells within the inner ears that convert sound waves into electrical impulses. As of now, this type of hearing loss is incurable; however, this may soon change. There are currently several human trials that are working on drug therapies to signal the body to regrow these cells. Wherever technology may take us, our expert audiologists are here to help strategize a treatment plan that works for you. Call (301) 738-1415 today. 1 Hearing Loss Association of America. (n.d.). Hearing Loss Facts and Statistics. https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/HLAA_ HearingLoss_Facts_Statistics.pdf?pdf=FactStats
In the study, mice were exposed to 100-decibel noise for two hours. The hair cells in their ears remained intact, but 50% of their synapses were missing.3 The loss of these synapses prevents the nerve cells from sending complete sound signals to the brain. As a result, the brain receives incomplete information and struggles to understand speech in background noise. Take Steps to Protect Your Hearing
Deciphering speech in background noise is one of the Hidden hearing loss is often the result of noise most significant exposure, which means issues for people you can prevent it. with ordinary hearing If you use portable Deciphering speech in background noise is loss, and it’s often music players with one of the most significant issues for people the most common headphones, turn down with ordinary hearing loss sign of hidden the volume and take hearing loss. listening breaks. Try to position yourself It’s not clear exactly how many people have the away from the speaker system at concerts. And when condition. Studies show that 10 to 15% of patients who operating a leaf blower or lawnmower, always wear think they have hearing difficulties end up with normal hearing protection. scores on their audiogram.1,2 Researchers believe that these patients may suffer from hidden hearing loss. Suspect you may have hidden hearing loss? Contact Family Hearing Center’s expert audiology team today A Likely Cause of Hidden Hearing Loss for help: (301) 738-1415 For years, scientists have known that damage to tiny hair cells in our ears causes ordinary hearing loss. However, researchers discovered in 2009 that loud noise could damage the synapses that connect those hair cells with nerve cells in the inner ear, leading to hidden hearing loss.
1 Parthasarathy, A. et al. (2020, January 21). Bottom-up and top-down neural signatures of disordered multi-talker speech perception in adults with normal hearing. https:// elifesciences.org/articles/51419 2 Spankovich, C. et al. (2018, February). Self-reported hearing difficulty, tinnitus, and normal audiometric thresholds, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29254853/ 3 The Hearing Review. (2020, January 22). 'popular science' article explores causes of hidden hearing loss. https://hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/hearing-disorders/mixed/ hidden-hearing-loss