Importance of Hearing Protection
Throughout the month of May we have been handing out earplugsat our three offices and at numerous events throughout the Puget Sound. While some people jump with excitement to receive the multicolored foam plugs, others have been disinterested and are unsure when they may need such protection.
We here at ESHC take hearing care and protection very seriously! If you tell us “I don’t need ear protection” be prepared for a few questions from our staff and doctors of audiology;
- Do you ever do yard work with lawnmowers or leaf blowers? (85-100dB)
- Do you ever attend concerts or play an instrument? (100-120dB)
- Do you use machinery such as chainsaws or work on projects that use other power-tools? (100-110dB)
- Do you drive a motorcycle or convertible? (85-130dB)
- Do you work around loud noises such as machinery, airplanes or cars? (100-140dB)
If you’ve answered yes to any of the above items, you DO need ear protection. Using foam earplugs you reduce the sound level by at least 20 decibels (dB), and by increasing your protection with custom molded earplugs or earmuffs you can reduce the sound level up to 40dB. When it comes to loud sounds this reduction in dB can be the difference between healthy hearing and damage. Hearing damage has been noted to occur when sounds exceed 85 decibels (dB).
This BHSM we encourage you to take a second look at the potential dangerous noises around you, and think of when you might benefit from using ear protection! Check out our special BHSM site that highlights the importance of hearing protection.
The Power of Play
No one ever said that flashcards were the only way to improve your child’s speech and language skills. In fact, motivating play activites are often more effective contexts to incorporate practice of your child’s newly developed skills.
Play is how children naturally explore and develop new skills in infancy. Because it is so natural for children, play eliminates the pressure associated with performing well for their parents during drill practice, promoting increased confidence and success with communication. Another reason that play is a superior context for practicing new skills is that children enjoy play activities and find the interaction rewarding.
Kirkland Half Marathon and 5K
This past weekend our staff laced up their running shoes and hit the pavement for our fifth annual Kirkland Half Marathon and 5K! Our booth hosted a “chEAR” station where friends and family could make signs to cheer on their loved ones as they crossed the finish line. We also handed out earplugs and other goodies in celebration of Better Hearing and Speech Month!
Thank you to all our wonderful staff and their friends and family for coming out to celebrate BHSM on the beautiful sunny Seattle day. Check out photos from the weekend event on our facebook page.
Is my child autistic?
With increasing incidence of autism, parents are often alarmed when their child is not developing in the same way as other children his/her age. When parents bring their child in for an evaluation at our clinic, there are times when I can see that question or worry in their faces. Well, as clinicians, we always look for “the red flags” in any child who is showing delays or differences in his/her communication skills. Identifying a few signs doesn’t mean a diagnosis, but it will mean that the child may need a more comprehensive evaluation. Usually, for a child to be diagnosed with autism, he/she will need to be evaluated by a team of professionals often including a pediatrician, pediatric neurologist or neuropsychologist, a speech-language pathologist, an audiologist, an occupational therapist, etc.
The following is a list of behaviors that are considered “red flags” for autism (www.autismspeaks.com).
- No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
- No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
- No babbling by 12 months
- No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
- No words by 16 months
- No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
- Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
If you see any of the above signs please consult your pediatrician and see a speech-language pathologist for speech and langauge evaluation. Remember, early intervention can make a big difference!
HLA and Loop Seattle
Let’s Loop Seattle is a public education and access advocacy campaign we’ve talked about in the past here on our blog. It was launched by the Hearing Loss Association of Washington, in cooperation with the national “Get in the Hearing Loop” campaign, launched by the American Academy of Audiology and the Hearing Loss Association of America. The “Let’s Loop Seattle” campaign builds knowledge about hearing loops, provides information, resources and support to users, and most importantly, strives to bring hearing loop technology to the PNW region!
While hearing loops have been widely used in England and Northern Europe, they are less common in the U.S., however many local organizations are getting behind the system and are installing loop systems in their facilities. Examples of places that have been looped in Washington include many churches, Virginia Mason Hospital’s Volney Auditorium, Green River Community College, Grays Harbor Community Hospital, Spokane County Commissioner’s Boardroom and Wesley Terrance Retirement Center in Des Moines.
Founder of the “Let’s Loop Seattle” campaign Cheri Perazzoli will present this Saturday, May 12th at HLA-Bellevue’s monthly meeting on the status of the awareness campaign.
National Stuttering Awareness Week
On top of the month long celebration of Better Hearing and Speech, this week also marks that National week of Stuttering Awareness. The awareness week was established in 1988, with a proclamation by President Reagan in response to the advocacy of the members of the National Stuttering Association.
During the week get to know the facts, join your local NSA chapter support group or sign-up to learn more at our “Smooth Sailing” event May 22nd. The week is about getting out and educating those around you!
Did you know…Nicholas Brendon, John Stossel, James Earl Jones, Carly Simon, Mel Tillis, Alan Rabinowitz, Robert Merrill, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Ken Venturi, Bob Love, John Updike, King George VI, Frank Wolf, Lewis Carroll, Bill Walton, Annie Glenn… all famous and successful. And all stuttered. They share something else: they didn’t let their stuttering stop them. And if you’re one of over three million Americans who stutter, don’t let it stop you.
Kirkland Half Marathon and 5K
Join us this weekend as we lace up our running shoes for the Kirkland Half Marathon and 5K, Sunday, May 13th starting at Juanita Beach in Kirkland. Our staff will be on site to answer questions and help spread awareness of Better Hearing and Speech Month by running and walking in the 5K and half marathon races. We’re even sponsoring a “chEAR” station to make posters for your loved ones running or walking in the race.
We hope to see you at the race!
Sleep and Tinnitus
New research finds that people with tinnitus (perception of chronic ringing, buzzing, hissing or clicking in the head and ears) have more difficulty coping with the conditions with poor sleep.
The study included 117 tinnitus patients treated at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit between 2009 and 2011. The findings showed, the more severe the patients’ insomnia, the greater their complaints about their tinnitus symptoms and the worse their emotional distress.
More than 36 million Americans have tinnitus. The exact cause is not known, but several conditions have been found to trigger or worsen tinnitus, including exposure to loud noises, wax build-up in the ears, sinus or ear infections, head and neck injuries, and disorders such as Lyme disease, fibromyalgia and hypo- or hyperthyroidism.
For more information on Tinnitus visit the Tinnitus section on our website.
New Help and New Hope for Tinnitus
Doctor Terry Limb was interviewed this past week by Northwest Primetime to help explain exactly what Tinnitus is, and how our new program can help aleviate the pain and irritation of the condition. Below is an exert from the article, and we encourage you to read the entire story at northwestprimetime.com.
“The impact of tinnitus is wide-ranging,” says Terence Limb, Doctor of Audiology at Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic. Tinnitus can be so annoying that it leads to anxiety, frustration, fear, and depression. “It can also affect concentration and focus – even impacting memory,” he adds. “Tinnitus can profoundly affect people’s lives.”
“Diagnostics is crucial and will tell us where the damage is,” says Dr. Limb. If you think you have tinnitus, start by being evaluated by an audiologist. An audiologist can help you determine the best options for managing the condition. If there are no specific medical issues involved, there are still several steps you can take to help reduce the severity of your tinnitus or help you cope better with the noise.
A Night of Learning
Last night we hosted the second annual “Advanced Communication Workshop” in partnership with the University of Washington’s Audiology Department and Oticon Hearing Instruments. Presenters from the University of Washington and Oticon spoke to nearly 50 guests as they traveled from room to room learning about the latest advancements in technology and aural rehabilitation.
Educational presentations included; Lip Reading, How we Hear, It Takes Two to Communicate, Advanced Hearing Tehcnology, Understanding Your Audiogram and Connectivity.
It was a joy to see the future of our profession present to our patients and members of the community! A special thank you to all of our presenters and staff who helped make this evening possible. We are already looking forward to next May’s event.
See photos from the evening on our facebook page.