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NEWS
7/24/06
Floyd Landis (Phonak Team) wins the Tour de France
Phonak Hearing Systems improves the quality of life of millions through its advanced hearing solutions. Phonak is convinced that hearing fosters communication among people around the globe and counts on its Cycling Team to draw attention to the topic of better hearing. For more information, please visit www.phonak-us.com
7/26/06
Blast Related Ear Injury in Iraq
From ASHA Leader (July 11, 2006)
Hazardous noise is the greatest that it has been in the U.S. military in over 35 years. About 68% of all wounded-in-action evacuations are for blast related injuries due to IED's (improvised explosive devices). Of those, 35% had traumatic injuries such as amputation or traumatic brain injury. Military audiologists at AASC evacuated 257 blast injured patients and noted 64% having ear and/or hearing loss. About 32% of blast injured patient had tympanic membrane perforation.
7/26/06
Hearing Aid Tax Credit Assistance Act (HR414 and S1060) at 105 sponsors
Both the House and Senate are considering a tax credit for persons 55 and older and families with dependents once eary 5 years. The credit is for $500.00 per hearing aid. The legislation is designed to enable more people with hearing impairment to seek help to improve their lives.
7/24/06
Study Shows Volume Controls Preferred by Majority of New Users
It has been reported about 50% of audiologists like their patients to have volume controls, and other 50% do not. For this reason, manufacturers of hearing aids went through a period of not including user-adjustable volume controls on many of their hearing aids. Now, a study by Meredith Mhys, MSc, reported in the July 2006 edition of the Hearing Journal indicates that when given a choice, more than 60% of new users actively used the volume controls.
7/24/06
Oticon Explains what is meant by OPEN EAR ACOUSTICS
Q: Please explain
the concept of Open Ear Acoustics?
A: Open-Ear Acoustics preserves the important
characteristics of more natural hearing, making it easier for first time
users to adapt to their new hearing aids. OpenEar Acoustics™ is made
possible by the patented Dynamic Feedback Cancellation system, short
processing time and low frequency gain compensation, permitting
substantially larger venting. Special horn shaped “collection vents”
further maximize the vent effectiveness. The result is an extremely
effective system for reducing occlusion, without annoying feedback. The
vent size in a hearing instrument makes a difference. According to a
recent study, a vent needs to be at least 2.4mm to be fully effective in
reducing occlusion for most people. In addition to OpenEar Acosutics
OpenEar Acoustics™ is ONLY available in Oticon hearing instruments
including: Syncro, Adapto, Gaia and Atlas Plus. These families provide
you with 4 different levels of technology to address the needs of your
users. You can learn about these product families more by visiting
www.oticonus.com.
Donald J. Schum, Ph.D./CCC-A
Vice President,
Audiology & Professional Relations
Oticon, New Jersey
(Modified from Original
Publication).
7/14/06
Energizer Releases Details of Their 2003
Baby Boomer Consumer Study
In 2003, Energizer embarked on a national campaign titled Energizer EZ
Change "It's Hip to H.E.A.R." to understand issues and demographics
related to "baby boomers," hearing, and hearing loss. Another goal was
to better understand how to protect "boomers" from hearing loss
secondary to noise exposure.
Energizer engaged Pragmatic Research, Inc. (PRI) of St. Louis, Missouri.
PRI conducted a survey of 1,010 respondents for Energizer EZ Change.
The survey consisted of 28 open-ended and closed-ended questions,
fielded through the use of a CATI (Computer Aided Telephone
Interviewing) system from September 15, 2003 through October 19, 2003.
Respondents were screened to ensure they were between 39 and 57 years of
age, as is the traditional definition of the "Baby Boomer" generation
(those born between 1946 and 1964).
| Medical or Health Condition | Ranked Concerns |
| Cancer - all forms combined (includes 14% for breast cancer) | 71% |
| Heart disease | 31% |
| Diabetes | 15% |
| High or low blood pressure | 8% |
| Alzheimer's | 5% |
| Arthritis | 5% |
| Hearing loss | 1% |
| None / Not worried about anything | 17% |
Almost half (45%) of all respondents said they were not at all concerned about hearing loss.
| Level of Concern | Response % |
| Not at all worried about hearing loss | 45% |
| Only slightly worried | 28% |
| Somewhat worrie | 20% |
| Extremely worried about hearing loss | 8% |
Thirty-five percent of the Boomers said they had experienced 'some'
hearing loss, although the majority have not had their hearing tested.
Additionally, nearly three-quarters (73%) of all respondents say they
have never seen a doctor or hearing specialist primarily to get their
hearing tested and two-thirds (65%) of all respondents say they did not
have their hearing tested the last time they had a routine medical
checkup on physical examination.
Among respondents with hearing loss, only 6% reported wearing hearing
aids. Over half (57%) of the respondents said they don't wear hearing
aids because they don't feel they need it yet, or they don't need it all
the time.
| Response Category | Response% |
| Don't need it yet | 48% |
| Can't afford a hearing aid | 13% |
| A hearing aid won't help | 11% |
| Don't need it all the time (slight need) | 9% |
| Need it but waiting (postponing) | 8% |
| Don't know/refused | 5% |
Over two-thirds of the Boomers were unaware that common everyday noises such as street traffic and hair dryers can cause hearing damage. Noises with an 85 decibel loudness level, or more, can cause hearing damage. Respondents were asked which of the following everyday noises can cause hearing damage.
| Activity | Decibel level | % who said activity causes damage |
| Rock Concerts | 130 dB | 96% |
| Power Tools | 110 dB | 87% |
| Headphones/music | 110 dB | 75% |
| Mowing the Lawn | 107 dB | 62% |
| Street Traffic | 85 dB | 36% |
| Hair Dryer | 90 dB | 33% |
7/14/06
Aspirin May Prevent Drug-Induced Hearing Loss
From Hearing Aid Journal, 59, 2006
Research from the University of Michigan and Fourth Military Medical University in Chjna have fround that aspirin may be effective in reventing the permanent hearing loss often resulting from using gentamicin, a type of antibiotic commonly used in developing countries. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
7/14/06
Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential Assessment
of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients. Insights in Practice (2004):
Clinical Topics in Otoneurology. Ackley, R.S., Tamaki, C.,
Oliszewski, C.N., Inverso, D. .
Clinical findings conducted at the Gallaudet Hearing
and Balance Center corroborate clinical findings reported in the
literature indicating that in subjects with vertigo or imbalance or
history of these disorders vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs)
tend to be abnormal with respect to amplitude, latency and/or augmented
calculations. Further, the findings suggest that subjects with vertigo
or imbalance may be tested accurately and without discomfort using this
procedure unlike other traditional test methods. However, there is a
dearth of literature regarding clinical application of this procedure to
Deaf and Hard of Hearing subjects. The test is a measure of the saccule,
inferior vestibular nerve branch of cranial nerve VIII, medulla, and
neck muscles and as such are independent of hearing. Although loud
acoustic signals are used to generate a response, the signal produces a
pressure wave which initiates hydrodynamic stimulation of vestibular
hair cells. Clinical applications of VEMP indicate that this test is
useful in assessing balance function in Deaf and Hard of Hearing
patients.