Hear In Private Practice

Jul. 09, 2013

Monitor Hearing after Preeclampsia

Hearing Health & Technology Matters
By: Diana Holan, MS Preeclampsia is a condition that causes blood pressure to rise suddenly and can occur anytime during pregnancy, delivery, and up to six weeks after delivery.  It can result in a host of medical problems, including stroke or other blood clotting problems, reduced kidney and liver function, pulmonary edema, seizures, and maternal or infant mortality.  It is
Jul. 03, 2013

Successful Hearing Aid Use, Part 13: A safe and easy guide to earwax removal

Bob Martin
Important note: The information in this article is for patients who have been checked by a medical doctor and told that it is all right for them to clean their ears. If you have any ear pain, drainage from your ear, a hole (perforation) in your eardrum, or any other type of ear problem, do not attempt to clean your
Jun. 25, 2013

Neuroma or Schwannoma – Either Way it’s a Tumor

Hearing Health & Technology Matters
As an audiologist I was taught about the hearing test early on. Though I do have to keep my eye out for many disorders (as you have seen in my past blogs), there is one condition that always seems to be on the top of my mind, Acoustic Neuroma, or Vestibular Schwannoma.  This is a slow-growing, (1.5 mm a year)
Jun. 18, 2013

What a difference a mother makes

Bob Martin
Today I want to tell you a story about two little boys who were born two weeks apart. Their mothers were sisters so they were first cousins. Their names were Billy and Joe. I first saw them when they about a year-and-a-half old. We saw these babies/boys in our clinic many times. We did hearing tests and fitted them with
Featured image for “Welding Fumes and Hearing Loss, Here’s the Connection!”
Jun. 11, 2013

Welding Fumes and Hearing Loss, Here’s the Connection!

Hearing Health & Technology Matters
My brother took welding in high school and he loved to scare me with the mask the students used to protect their face and eyes.  We would also use the mask to see astronomical phenomena when we could not look directly at the sun.  That was the extent of my exposure to welding. Welding is the joining of two or
Jun. 05, 2013

Successful Hearing Aid Use, Part 12: What is a “Special Listening Program”?

Bob Martin
A few months ago on this blog, I discussed using a “special listening program” to reduce unwanted noise. Such programs help you hear better in various situations, including when you’re in a crowd or on the telephone. Not all hearing aids come with multiple listening programs, so if you think you would benefit from this capacity, check to see if
May. 28, 2013

Is There a Link Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hearing Loss?

Hearing Health & Technology Matters
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) can be a very painful and debilitating form of Arthritis.  It occurs when the tissue lining the joints becomes inflamed and bumps form in pressure points (knees, elbows, shoulders), which distort the joints. Areas that are most likely to become painful are the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders and feet.  This condition can disturb a person’s sleep due
May. 22, 2013

Successful Hearing Aid Use, Part 11: Captioned Telephones Are Great!

Bob Martin
Most people are familiar with closed captioning on their television. The words are printed on the bottom of the television screen so you see them and hear them at the same time. Captioning technology is now also available on telephones. Telephones with captions work the same way as any other phone except they have a screen that displays the words
May. 14, 2013

$8.3 Million Awarded in DePuy Cobalt/Chromium Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Lawsuit

Hearing Health & Technology Matters
By: Diana Holan, MS There are currently more than 250,000 hip replacements performed in the US annually.  This procedure was relatively uncommon before the late 1990s, but with the development of titanium and cobalt/chromium metal-on-metal (MoM) bearing surfaces, sales rapidly increased and a highly competitive market was born.  But new health concerns soon arose because the cobalt ions easily pass
May. 07, 2013

My Fair Lady: My favorite hearing aid story

Bob Martin
Audiology is a wonderful profession! We get many opportunities to help people hear better, and, once in a while, we get to work miracles. My story today is about a miracle. To appreciate the beauty and depth of this story, it helps if you have seen My Fair Lady, the Lerner and Loewe Broadway musical that was made into an