What can you do?

Left untreated, hearing loss can affect a person’s quality of life in many ways.  Yet without even realizing it, you may be making it easier for someone not to seek help.  Well-intentioned efforts such as repeating yourself or “translating” what others are saying may be preventing your loved one from realizing how much communication they fail to understand or miss completely.

The following are some positive steps you can take in order to help them find the help they need:

-        Talk to your friend or loved one about their hearing concerns

-        Inform your friend of the latest advancements in hearing aid technology like The Invisible Hearing Aid

-        Tell your friend about your experience with Living Sounds Hearing Centre

-        Inform your friend that better hearing is a phone call away

Hearing clearly again will have a positive impact on everyone’s life, opening doors to new experiences and relationships.  Don’t let them put it off any longer.

You can refer a friend to be booked online today!

Greg Nedelec BC-HIS

The initial part of the hearing evaluation is an interview process that asks questions about the client’s hearing history, health history and communication concerns. Jack told me that he had no hearing problems but his employer had requested a hearing evaluation as he always spoke too loud at work.  He is on Aish working only a few hours a week washing dishes. He likes his job as it provides a little spending money and a social connection.

While doing Jack’s interview I note that he spoke with a speech impediment that indicated he had had cleft palate. Because the nose, mouth and ears are all connected I wanted to know the history behind the cleft palate. When I carefully asked Jack about the cleft palate, I was taken aback by his answer. “Ya, a few years ago I tried to kill myself with a gun and didn’t do a good job. I just blew half my face off.” He went on to explain that he had lost the right eye completely, that most of his nose was missing and that he had a false plate in the roof of his mouth. At this point I noted that I had been feeling sympathy for him because I thought he had been born with a disfigurement and now that it was self inflicted my sympathy had been replaced by frustration and anger.

Being a professional, personal feelings were put aside and we moved on to the second part of the hearing evaluation, assessing the hearing level. This includes pure tone air conduction, bone conduction and speech testing. The whole time that I was doing these tests I am usually observing the patient and noting how they react and their physical ability which helps me assess their individual needs. Jack had a very good attitude. He was friendly and happy. I also noticed that he often had to repeat things for me as I did not always understand him due to his speech impediment.

Once the testing procedure was over we returned back to my office to discuss the hearing evaluation. Jack had normal hearing and normal speech levels with good understanding. This meant that Jack was not speaking louder because he had hearing loss and was not hearing his own voice. He said “I told my boss that but he never wants to believe me”.

It was at this point that I mentioned to Jack that while doing the hearing evaluation I had notice that I had to ask him to repeat several times as I did not understand him. When he had repeated he spoke very loud assuming that he was not speaking loud enough for me to hear. The issue here was not a hearing problem but a communication problem. Due to the cleft palate Jack’s speech was not clear. If he slowed down and spoke clearer than it was easier to understand him. We also discussed the fact that when people asked him to repeat he needed to remember to repeat in a normal voice. We had solved Jack’s problem allowing him to keep is few hours of employment that added to his quality of life.

My personal reflection is that my job is more than just selling hearing aids. It is about taking the time to listen to each client’s need. Assess their hearing ability and try to find a solution that works for each person. For some client’s price of the hearing aid is very important. For others it is that they do not understand the benefits in the different levels of electronics. My job is to listen to each client and provide with information that assists them in moving forward.

The entire sum of existence is…. The magic of being needed…… By just one other person!

Cathy Robinson BC-HIS

Bands and Channels – These features refer to the ability to adjust hearing aid settings to best fit individual hearing loss needs. The more bands and channels a hearing aid has, the better it can be programmed to perform for the wearer.

Feedback Cancellation – Recent innovations in hearing aids over the last few years have aimed to eliminate some of the issues that make wearers unhappy with their hearing aids. One of the biggest of these problems has been annoying whistling called feedback, which can be caused by a number of things, such as hugging a loved one, having the hearing aid brushed by hair or simply being outside on a windy day. However, new technology has virtually eliminated buzzing and whistling caused by feedback in hearing aids without compromising performance.

Multi-Memory Settings – While a traditional hearing aid simply amplified all sounds, technology has adapted greatly to how the hearing aid should perform in many different environments. For instance, certain hearing aid settings may perform more appropriately in social settings as opposed to in the car or outside in the wind. By having multiple memories, hearing aids can switch into different programming settings for optimal performance.

Directional Microphone – The microphone component of a hearing aid amplifies incoming sounds for greater audibility. In recent years, advancements have been made with the microphone to help it focus on targeted sounds, such as conversations, and reduce background noises. This directional functionality has proved beneficial for helping ease the struggle of hearing speech in noisy environments.

Telephone Coil/Compatibility – Many hearing aids today have advanced telephone compatibility. With Automatic Telephone Solutions, these hearing aids virtually eliminate feedback while automatically adjusting for optimal communication on the telephone.

Wireless Technology – Allows the user to connect directly – and wirelessly – to most media devices. TV, radio and computer can be heard in stereo-quality sound directly through the hearing aid.

Contact us today to book your appointment and discuss all the features that may help you.

Tim Goshulak BC-HIS

Hearing loss in teenagers is on the rise, and recent reports about the increase in hearing problems among teenagers serve as a reminder that you can experience difficulty hearing at any age. Early hearing loss treatment is key to minimizing long-term impact for children, teens and seniors alike. However, hearing loss symptoms may vary greatly between different age groups, and it is helpful to know what to look for if you suspect a loved one has hearing loss.

Teenagers often seem to be in their own world, not paying attention to what’s happening at home or in school.  But when teens are truly having trouble hearing you, it’s time to take action.  Teens who have been exposed to loud music over a period of time may complain of ringing in the ears (also known as tinnitus) or of a sensation of fullness, as if their ears are plugged.  Hearing loss can also be caused by ear infections or trauma, and it’s important to get to the bottom of the problem quickly if you suspect your teen has a hearing problem.  For infants, children and teens, even minor hearing loss can make communication difficult, and can have long-lasting consequences.  A child’s self-image may be negatively affected by hearing loss, their ability to learn may be compromised, and children with hearing loss may experience difficulty developing social skills.

If you suspect this may be the case with your teen, book an appointment today and see how we can help with their total hearing health.

Greg Nedelec BC-HIS

Tinnitus is primarily caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises but also can stem from aging, head injuries or side effects from medications. For many of those afflicted, the impacts can be grave as the perpetual ringing can cause difficulties in concentration and sleeping. While there are no curable options, different treatments can be used to help ease the suffering from the condition or help reduce the degree to which it is prevalent.

These treatments include counseling to help in coping with the effects of tinnitus, sound therapy using subtle background noises to lessen the effects and, in some cases, hearing aids have been able to help provide relief though amplification of other sounds. If you or someone you know suffers from ringing in the ears, we want to help them evaluate their treatment options to possibly lessen the effects of tinnitus. We can readily supply more information or schedule a free hearing evaluation and consultation.

At Living Sounds we are committed to your total hearing health.

Tim Goshulak BC-HIS

The science of fitting hearing aids has certainly changed over the years. When I began, hearing aids were analog and could often only be adjusted by rotating a few dials on the faceplate of a hearing aid with a tiny screwdriver. For some models there was only one dial for low frequency and another for high frequency.

“All I want is to be able to hear people speak clearly!!!”

It’s an almost desperate request and I’ve heard it many times in the years that I have been dispensing hearing aids.

To be able to hear speech clearly in the presence of noise seems like such a simple request. Yet not one taken lightly by myself, the company I work for, or the manufacturers I represent.

Consider the size of a hearing aid microphone. It can be smaller than a kernel of corn, and still we expect it to pick up the sound of speech clearly and deliver it to the listener’s hearing impaired ear, at a distance of sometimes over twenty feet or more, and still not pick up unwanted sound or noise in the process. It can be a challenge.

We like challenges. The good news is that technology is only getting better and faster. Like all things electronic, the evolution of change is fast paced and innovation abounds.

The future is now!! From analog hearing aids with tiny dials, the next big step was in the mid ‘90s when digital sound processing was introduced. This allowed us to more accurately manipulate sound and shape frequencies for better understanding of speech.

Today new features include lightning fast Voice IQ technology, a leading noise reduction and speech preservation system that gives users the best opportunity to hear clearly. Today hearing aids are self-learning; gradually adjusting to a client’s volume control preferences. Hearing aids can even be adjusted via a touch-tone phone to enhance client convenience and can be made so small as to be completely invisible and beyond detection in the ear canal.

Today a powerful hearing aid doesn’t have to mean having a large, brown device attached to you. Power and accuracy can be packed into very compact and ergonomic shapes that disappear behind the ear.

As a hearing aid practitioner, I can’t bring back hearing that has been permanently diminished by time and noise exposure, but I can provide discreet, accurate and comfortable options to enhance the sounds of life and get you back into the world of great conversations. It all starts with a phone call. To have your hearing tested, please call or email us or click here to book an appointment.

Adele Collingwood BC-HIS

I first met Gisela for a hearing aid cleaning. She had gotten a behind-the-ear hearing aid about 2 years before from another supplier. She’s 80 years old and only has hearing on her right side.

For the last 2 years Gisela has only understood about 10% of what’s been said to her. Her family was losing hope and getting frustrated – they felt they were being abusive to her because they had to yell at her all the time. They couldn’t even go shopping with Gisela without getting nasty looks from people because they couldn’t communicate without raising their voices!

We decided to do a hearing test to see where she was at so we could make some adjustments to her current hearing aid. I did everything I could to try and help Gisela hear better and understand me. We spent a lot of time trying to fine-tune her hearing aid.

Finally, we decided to try a demo hearing aid. I put one in and asked Gisela a question – to her daughter’s amazement and Gisela’s shock, she was able to answer it right away! I was surprised, Gisela’s daughter was almost in tears and Gisela was just amazed. With such remarkable results with just a demo, we ordered Gisela a new hearing aid.

We custom fit the new hearing aid to Gisela when it came in and the success is incredible. I can’t believe the results we’ve had! For 2 years Gisela has been lost and alone. Her family has been frustrated and exhausted, and now, just like that, Gisela is back living and loving life with her family!

It’s days like this that make all the imperfect ones just disappear. It’s days like this that make me thankful I get to do what I do!

~Jackie Brosius, BC-HIS

My late father, Louis Nedelec, was one of the first Hearing Aid Audiologists in Edmonton and opened his first office in the downtown Hudson Bay store on Jasper and 101 Street. It was a small shared space with optometrist Dr. Donald Hamm.

We were the “Hudson Bay Hearing Center” and dad’s office was no larger than 12 feet by 12 feet with a shared receptionist and waiting room. Everything was in that small office, his audiometer, filing cabinet and desk. All faculties of the business were done in that room from consultations to fitting hearing aids to paying his invoices to manufactures for product and there were not many at that time. We dealt with Audiotone, Siemens, Phillips and Starkey.

Hearing aids were also not a thing of beauty. They were large ugly devices that either were hung behind your ear or worn in the temple of your eyeglasses (a nice supplement to Dr. Hamm’s business) and the big ol’ body worn device.

I often wonder what my father would think of today’s technology from invisible devices that hide deep in your ear canal to software in these devices that is faster than most computers.

Yes, the times they have been changing and I think my late father would be beside himself wondering how to fine tune one of these state of the art hearing aids without a screwdriver.