Summer season is here, and that means trips to the lake, the swimming pool down the block, or grandma’s backyard. Do your kids love the inflatable pool you bought last summer, or enjoy running through the sprinkler? It’s time to talk about swim ear plugs, and how to protect your children’s hearing in or out of the pool.

Why Wear Swim Ear Plugs

Hold on. Aren’t ear plugs just to protect your hearing from loud noises? What’s that got to do with swimming? Swim ear plugs aren’t designed to protect your child from sound, but from ear infections. As a parent, it’s a struggle to watch your child in pain, and you would do anything to save them from experiencing discomfort. A common source of ear infections is your local community pool, and a pair of swim ear plugs is a simple solution to this painful problem, saving you days of worry and trips to the doctor’s office. Does your child suffer from recurrent ear infections like swimmer’s ear, or other infections that target the outer or middle ear? Then a pair of swim ear plugs is your ticket to an infection-free summer.If your child is currently fighting an ear infection, they should not be swimming without ear protection. Water will further aggravate the condition, leading to a worse infection and greater pain. Even the changes in pressure, as your child swims and dives in the deep end, can cause severe pain for a child with an ear infection, and will make the infection worse. If your child has an infection or has recently recovered from an ear infection, talk to the doctor about swimming, and don’t allow your child in the water if the doctor says it’s not a good idea. The doctor will tell you that swim ear plugs are the best way to protect your child’s ears.

How Swim Ear Plugs Work

Swim Ear Plugs are designed to keep your child’s ears dry and clean, blocking water from entering the ear, and minimizing changes in pressure in the inner ear. The pool down the street or in your backyard can often contain harmful bacteria that cause ear infections, so keeping the ear dry stops the infection before it even starts. Since they have to be completely sealed to keep all the water out, swim ear plugs are often custom made to fit.

Which Swim Ear Plugs are Right for Your Child?

Custom Swim Ear Plugs

Custom fit swim plugs are designed to provide ultimate protection for your child’s ears. Made to fit perfectly, your child can wear these swim ear plugs for hours on end with no discomfort or irritation. The high-quality plugs last a long time, and are easily cleaned for the best in hygiene and safety. For custom swim ear plugs, we’ll take a mold of your child’s ear, and special order unique plugs made specifically for your child. We recommend a swim head band be worn along with the ear plugs. Custom ear plugs are hard to replace, so a head band can be used to secure the earplugs and prevent loss.

One Size Fits All Swim Ear Plugs

As the name implies, one size fits all plugs aren’t designed to fit one particular child. Instead, these swim ear plugs, available at your local drugstore, can fit into any ear and are easy for the kids to put in themselves. They’re made of silicone or putty, and often come in bright colors your children will love. They’re readily available and quite inexpensive, so you don’t have to stress about losing them. The downside is that they’re not washable, and therefore not very sanitary. Most parents treat them as disposable ear plugs, and throw them out after just one or two uses since the buildup of wax and dirt can’t be cleaned off.

Visit Us for More

Parenting is stressful enough without wondering if you’re doing the right thing to protect your child from ear infections. For advice you can trust, visit us at Arizona Balance and Hearing to get all the information you need to make good decisions for your child’s hearing health. Use swim ear plugs this pool season to keep your child’s ears dry, clean, and free of infections to enjoy a hassle-free summer!

Hearing loss is the third most common medical condition in the US. As with other medical conditions, hearing loss occurs with comorbidities. A comorbidity is the simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases, or the presence of one or more additional disorders occurring simultaneously with a primary disorder.Researchers have found links between hearing loss and diabetes, and hearing loss and dementia. A growing body of research revolves around circulatory health and hearing loss. For example, smoking cigarettes has been linked to hearing loss, as smoking increases your blood pressure. This could lead to the constriction of the small veins in your head and neck area, inevitably affecting your auditory system.Today, we take a look at the link between high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) and hearing loss. From the Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure is defined as “a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease. Blood pressure is determined both by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.”The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 70 million adults in the US experience high blood pressure, or hypertension. People with elevated blood pressure are categorized as prehypertension. A new study from Mumbai shows that “people suffering from high blood pressure could also suffer from hearing loss as a result of their medical condition. However, if high blood pressure is controlled with the right medication, an additional loss of hearing can be prevented.” Link Between High Blood Pressure and Hearing Loss At JJ Hospital in Mumbai, Dr. Mohan Jagade and team conducted a study on a group of randomly selected patients between the ages of 45 and 64 years. In this group of 150 participants, Dr. Jagade found that “in subjects presenting elevated blood pressure, there was a significant increase in the presence of hearing loss.” From this study, “researchers surmised that hypertension is an accelerating factor in the degeneration of the auditory system and hearing as people age.”It must also be noted that high blood pressure has been linked to other medical conditions, such as strokes and heart disease. A healthy circulatory system is crucial in the hearing process, as parts of your ear receive sound waves, translate them into neural signals, and process them in the auditory cortex of your brain. The inner ear environment is a sophisticated system of hair cells, fed by adequate blood flow. Limited blood flow in this process may have adverse effects on your hearing.Raymond Hull, professor of communication sciences and disorders at Wichita State University has compiled 84 years of research that specifically concerns hearing and cardiovascular health. Hull and his co-researcher Stacy Kerschen, a doctorate in audiology, found overwhelming data indicating the link between auditory function and cardiovascular health. With the understanding that all parts of the body, especially the nervous system, which houses the auditory sensory system, require healthy blood flow to function property, this link appears a logical conclusion.According to Hull, “The auditory function impacted by cardiovascular health is problematic because our entire central nervous system needs oxygen-rich nutrient supply. If it doesn’t get it due to cardiovascular health, then it can be affected.”While recognizing there are many cause for hearing damage and hearing loss, Hull and Kerschen suggest that this process is further hindered by poor blood flow caused from cardiovascular problems. Cardiovascular conditions include coronary blockage, heart attacks, vascular hypertension (high blood pressure), and congenital heart problems. These conditions impact the flow of blood in our bodies and thus, inevitably affect the auditory process centralized in the head and neck area.

Ensuring Your Hearing Health

If you experience high blood pressure and feel that it is affecting your hearing, the first step is to take a hearing test. Hearing specialists recommend an annual hearing test for US adults age 50 and older. Just as you would schedule a regular physical checkup with your physician, contact us to schedule a hearing test at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids. We provide comprehensive hearing tests, as well as state-of-the-art hearing aid solutions. Call us at: (602) 265-9000

May is a very special month at Arizona Balance & Hearing Aids – it’s officially Better Speech and Hearing Month! Better Speech and Hearing Month was established by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and it is the perfect time to raise awareness around hearing and speech health issues, and to help people access care for their concerns.This year, the theme of Better Speech and Hearing Month is Communication: The Key to Connection, focusing on the role communication plays in our overall wellbeing. Here at Arizona Balance & Hearing Aids, helping you understand your hearing wellness and offering you expert care each step of the way go hand-in-hand, every day of the year, so we’re thrilled to be part of this month of education and action.

A Far-Reaching Health Concern

It’s important to understand how serious hearing loss is and why early detection and treatment are optimal. Hearing loss affects over 40 million Americans but the impact hearing impairment has on a person’s overall wellbeing is often misunderstood. Untreated hearing loss doesn’t just make it harder to hear, it is associated with social isolation and depression, anxiety, and its effects can compound into increased risk for heart disease, falling, and dementia.When we can’t hear correctly, it begins to cut us off from the people, places and activities we care most about. However, avoiding places and situations that are difficult to navigate isn’t the solution, in fact, avoidance feeds into isolation and anxiety. Instead, taking a hearing exam and working with an audiologist is the best course of action. For many, this can be a difficult step. There’s a seven-year gap, on average, between when people first notice hearing issues and when they seek treatment.

Knowing the Signs of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is often gradual in nature, and it can be hard to recognize the signs. However, there are some common indicators to watch for. If you recognize these situations in your own life, set up a hearing exam to see if you have any hearing issues that need to be addressed.Common signs of hearing loss include:• Having the impression that voices are muffled or unintelligible• Consistently needing to turn up the volume on television or radio• Having trouble following conversations with multiple people• Being unable to distinguish sounds in noisy environments like restaurants or parties• Withdrawing socially because of hearing issues• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)• Needing to have things repeated in order to understand themSometimes, especially with hearing, it can be hard to detect how much or how little we are able to perceive. If you notice these signs in a friend, relative or loved one you may be recognizing their hearing impairment before they do. Remember, communication is key, so reach out to them about hearing issues. Be supportive and help them seek care. Much hearing loss is permanent, but treating hearing impairment with hearing aids and listening devices is incredibly effective and enriches a person’s social life and quality of life.

Awareness at Every Age

Understanding hearing damage and hearing protection is especially necessary as the everyday world gets noisier. Hearing loss has started to skew to younger and younger demographics showing early signs of hearing impairment. Environmental noise from lawn mowers to subways to hair dryers surround us, and portable devices with earbuds have normalized prolonged exposure to music played at unhealthy levels. Concerts, movies and sporting events have also dangerously pumped up their volume. Even if we don’t face exposure to noise at our workplaces, our leisure time may be even more riddled with hazards to our hearing.It’s a smart idea to carry earplugs or other hearing protection with you, especially to noisy events. Always be aware of the volume levels you’re using with headphones or earbuds. Smart phone apps like Decibel 10 or TooLoud? can help you track the sound levels you’re being exposed to. If you have concerns about your hearing, err on the side of caution and schedule a hearing exam.

We’re Here for You

At Arizona Balance & Hearing Aids we’re always ready to help you understand your hearing and find solutions to any issues you may face. If it is time to choose a hearing aid, we are able to offer you the latest models from all major brands and walk you through options that fit your lifestyle and needs. Our professional staff is always happy to help you set up an appointment or exam and our hearing specialists have been helping Arizona for over two decades.Remember that communication is key to all the connections that inspire us, and we’re here to help you hear your best, all throughout this Better Speech and Hearing Month- and every other month as well!

Iron Deficiency and Hearing Loss

It has long been understood that iron plays a critical role in how the human body functions. Now, researchers have found a distinct link between iron deficiency and hearing loss.Late last year, a team from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine published their findings in the JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. Examining data from over 305,000 adult participants, the researchers found that adults with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) were 82% more likely to have permanent, sensorineural hearing loss than subjects without iron deficiency. IDA subjects were even more likely to have combined hearing loss – where indicators of both sensorineural and conductive hearing problems are found.

Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss works differently depending on where it is found in the ear. Conductive hearing loss indicates blockages, allergies or infection in the outer ear or ear canal. Hearing impairment that is determined to be conductive can oftentimes be repaired through medication, cleaning, or surgery.Sensorineural hearing loss, by contrast, is irreversible hearing loss that occurs when the delicate apparatus of the inner ear or auditory nerve pathways are damaged, permanently disrupting the process of hearing. The inner ear contains delicate hair cells that detect the specific vibrations of sound. Auditory nerve pathways connect the perceived sound vibrations to the brain, where they are interpreted. Damage to nerve pathways disconnects the brain and the ear in fundamental ways.Combined hearing loss is impairment that is caused by factors that are both conductive and sensorineural. The onset of all types of hearing loss often occurs gradually and can be hard to detect. The risk of experiencing hearing loss increases as we age, when damage to our hearing becomes more frequent and the mechanisms of the ear become more fragile.

Why Iron Matters

Iron deficiency anemia is a common condition where iron levels in the blood are too low to properly facilitate oxygen transportation throughout the body. The most common symptom of IDA is fatigue, as well as weakness, short breath and loss of appetite. Most symptoms of IDA are temporary and disappear when iron levels in the blood are increased but now contemporary medicine is starting to build a picture of lasting damage iron deficiency can do to our bodies.Iron is responsible for the amount of hemoglobin in our blood, which is responsible for distributing oxygen throughout the body. A lack of iron consequently results in our bodies being starved for oxygen, and manifests as physical exhaustion.

What Links Anemia and Hearing Loss

The Penn State research team has proposed a hypothesis on what connects iron deficiency anemia to hearing loss. When hemoglobin levels drop, insufficient oxygen can damage sensitive tissue in the body, a condition called “ischemia”. Ischemia related to IDA has been shown to affect the muscles of the heart. The Penn State study reflects that ischemia may also be affecting the inner ear, corroding its delicate nerves and hair cells.

Iron and You

Iron deficiency anemia is very common and can happen to anyone. If you think you are experiencing the symptoms of anemia, your first step is to consult with your physician. Anemia can usually be treated with iron supplements; however, supplements should not be taken without a doctor’s recommendation. Just as too little iron can cause damage, too much iron in the body can harm organs that filter blood, like the liver and kidneys. Taking excessive iron without a diagnosed deficiency can be detrimental to your overall health.Most people receive a balanced amount of iron through their food. Iron is found in leafy green vegetables, all types of meat and seafood, fortified cereals, dried fruits, and legumes, like peas and beans. To maintain healthy iron levels, be sure to include iron-rich foods in your diet when planning meals.Understanding your iron level and recognizing the signs of iron deficiency anemia can potentially help reduce your risk of hearing loss. Supplemental iron does not have the power to restore hearing that has already been damaged, but if you experience IDA, supplemental iron taken with a physician’s guidance, can be an important preventative step in preventing conditions like ischemia.The Penn State study concludes that finding the connection is the first step in a medical process. Further study will be needed to deepen an understanding of the causes and connections between iron deficiency anemia and hearing loss.

Your Hearing Health

If you have questions or have noticed issues with your hearing, connect with us at Arizona Balance & Hearing Aids. Our hearing specialists are here to help you on the path to better hearing health.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing, but have put off getting a hearing test, you are not alone. Hearing impairment is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions worldwide, yet it takes an average of seven years for people experiencing hearing loss to seek treatment.Why do people wait so long? Seeking help for your hearing can help you reclaim the conversations, music, and sounds you used to hear. Treatment also helps minimize the negative effects of hearing loss - problems like depression, social isolation and even the development of dementia have been linked to untreated hearing loss.On top of it all, the earlier hearing loss is detected, the easier it is to adapt to assisted hearing. With so much to gain from seeking treatment, hearing loss and hearing aids still carry an undeserved stigma that stands in the way of better hearing.

Unwarranted Stigma and Incredible Strides

There’s good news though: that stigma is breaking down. Now more than ever, modern adults are learning to understand and appreciate their bodies as they age. Respecting our own aging processes and recognizing the benefits of treatment helps us confront hearing loss when we notice it.Also, the general image of hearing aids as clunky, difficult devices is quite simply outdated. Over the past fifty years, huge advances have been made in the form and function of hearing aids, going from awkward (and highly noticeable) full ear shells to tiny, discrete micro computers that can boast not just improved hearing but user-friendly features like digital integration and rechargeable batteries.Part of the lingering hearing aid stigma may be that as hearing technology became more sophisticated, it made changes that no one could see. While functionality improved exponentially, hearing aid components shrunk dramatically, allowing the physical devices to become nearly invisible.Popular hearing aid styles today hide the device completely in the ear canal, or rely on a tiny receiver in the ear and a small processor behind the ear. Sleek and stylish, hearing aids today have become miniature marvels of engineering and design.

Smart and Efficient

Ever since the first digital hearing aids were introduced in the mid-1980s, digital sound technology has been transforming the industry. Digital sound revolutionized how hearing aids work, being able to offer a more nuanced sound palette for users. In the past few years, digital sound has able to integrate with smart devices to offer users streaming sound and location-based environmental adjustment.Starkey’s acclaimed Halo 2 hearing device is specifically designed for use with the Apple iPhone. Halo2 just won a prestigious 2017 SXSW Interactive Innovation Award for life-changing wearable tech. Halo2 connects to your smart phone via Starkey’s TruLink app for sound and media streaming to your device. Halo2 offers smart phone integrated tinnitus solutions and a range of customizable options.ReSound’s Linx2 was the first hearing aid built specially for use with Apple devices. Linx2 can stream calls, video and other audio media from your iPhone, iPod and iPad directly to your hearing aid. The accompanying ReSound Smart App lets users quickly and easily adjust their hearing aid settings and can store location-based adjustments to automatically adapt your hearing aid when you revisit your favorite spots. Additionally, Linx2 is designed for long battery life so it’s responsiveness doesn't drain the battery of your hearing aid or your smart device.

Sleek and Green

With the movement towards green efficiency and renewable energy, hearing aids companies are bringing more rechargeable options to the public. With the advancement of silver-zinc and lithium-ion battery technology, modern rechargeables are smaller, charge up faster, and can run hearing aids longer than ever before.Phonak’s Audéo B features built-in lithium ion batteries that can run for 24 hours off of 3 hours of charging time. They’ve also made the charging process easier with a simple snap-in case. Similarly, Signia Cellion primax is powered by lithium-ion batteries which provide a reliable quick charge and long-lasting battery life.

Small and Chic

Hearing aids today are both inconspicuous and incorporate easily into active lifestyles.Unitron’s Moxi Now is the smallest ever receiver-in-canal hearing device, pushing the size of hearing aids smaller and lighter with improved micro components. Compared to the size of “two blueberries,” Moxi hides completely behind the ear. As an added plus, Moxi models have rechargeable options.For those who like bold statements, Oticon offers many of its hearing aid models and cutting edge BrainHearing technology in striking, vivid colors. With streamlined design and stylish curves, color options like violet, mother-of-pearl or orange can make your hearing aid part of a style statement.

Ready to Explore Your Options?

Your hearing is an integral part of how you understand the world, so why not make sure it’s at its best? Hearing aids today incorporate technology and design to suit any lifestyle. If you’d like to learn more about your options, contact us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids, we’re happy to help you discover the right custom solutions for your hearing needs!

Summer is right around the corner, and we’re excited at the prospect of vacations and travel. It may seem daunting to travel with hearing aids, amidst the activity in airports and the unknown of a new city, but we are here to provide some tips to alleviate the stress.Here at AZ Balance and Hearing Aids, we believe that hearing aids keep us active and connected to the world around us. Whether you are new to hearing aids, or a seasoned wearer, we’ve put together a handy guide for traveling with hearing aids.

Visit Us at AZ Balance and Hearing Aids

We know you take good care of your hearing aids – but before you head off on your trip, come to visit us at our conveniently located practice for a check.We’ll make sure that your hearing aids are in proper working order and make any necessary repairs. We also provide hearing aid cleanings. If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing aids, we will also check to make sure that your hearing aids are meeting your hearing needs and fit properly.

Remember Your Recharging Station

Rechargeable batteries are one of the best features available with some modern hearing aids. With rechargeable hearing aids, you don’t have to worry with packing a supply of batteries to last your trip.However, remember to pack your recharging station! If you are traveling abroad, be sure to check the electrical outlets used. You will be able to find cheap electrical adaptors for your plugs to ensure that your recharging station gets the right amount of power it needs.

Pack Your Hearing Aid Supplies

When packing, don’t forget to include your hearing aid cleaning supplies. You may want to bring a secure carrying case for your hearing aids, especially if you plan on taking them out to go swimming.Remember that moisture is an enemy of your hearing aids! If you are traveling to a warm, humid climate, you may want to invest in a dehumidifying unit for your hearing aids. These units remove moisture and ensure that your hearing aids will function properly.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

As you travel, you’ve noticed how loud certain spaces can be. Airports, train stations, bus stations – these spaces are always noisy with travelers and announcements over the speakers. If you feel like you’ll need an extra boost, consider investing in portable assistive listening devices.Most new hearing aids are equipped with telecoils, which comes in handy if you are traveling through or visiting spaces that have hearing loops installed. Simply switch your hearing aids to the telecoil option and loop into clear, amplified sounds. You may find telecoil options at ticket windows or counters.We also recommend that you sign up for text or email notifications in case of change in a flight schedule. In the hubbub of the airport, it may be easy to miss an announcement. These notifications will make sure you make it to your gate in time!

Preparations to Make Beforehand

If you are staying at a resort or hotel, contact the customer service department and inquire about accessibility options for the hard of hearing. Most places will offer wake up calls, lit-up security systems for fire, or vibrating alarm clocks. There are also options to amplify sound with the TV and telephone.If you are staying with your family or friends, be sure to communicate with your loved ones about your hearing needs. For example, if you are attending a family reunion that may be busy, tell your family to come look for you – rather than calling out your name.

Hearing Loss Rates Rising in Younger Generations

One may not be surprised to learn that hearing loss is the third most common medical condition in the US, or that it effects one in three Americans over 65. However, what may come as a surprise to many is the alarming number of young adults who have hearing loss. According to new data collected by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a staggering 20% of people in their 20’s suffer some degree of hearing loss, and most of them don’t even know it. Of the 20-somethings with some degree of hearing loss, about one-fourth of them incorrectly rated themselves as having good to excellent hearing.Think about it. This means that one out of every five people you meet in their 20s are suffering from hearing loss – and many believe their hearing is excellent. That’s a pretty hefty statistic.Are you one of the 20%?Meet Zach HubbardZach Hubbard is a 17-year old senior at Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Washington. Like many teenagers in Kennewick, Zach enjoys target shooting with his friends in his free time. Zach also suffers from lifelong hearing damage caused by inadequate hearing protection during a shooting session. Zach explains that he didn’t have time to put his hearing protection on, before those around him began shooting. He states, “it really dulled my hearing, I couldn’t hear out of it for two weeks.”Although Zach was sure he had suffered some type of hearing damage, it still came as a shock for him to learn that he had lost some of his hearing for life, and there was nothing that could bring it back.Based on the CDC’s findings, Zach is far from alone in this journey. Dr. Aiello at Columbia Basin Hearing Center explains that although hearing loss is the number one most commonly reported workplace injury – more often than not people are losing their hearing because of the everyday noises in their lives – not while on the job. Leisure activities such as going to concerts and listening to music through ear buds are some of the most common causes of hearing loss among younger Americans.Zach warns others of the dangers of noise induced hearing loss by saying, "make sure that you definitely have adequate hearing protection. Always over compensate because once it's gone, it's gone,". (http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/34535083/hearing-loss-on-the-rise-for-younger-generations).Meet Anna Pulley33-year-old Anna Pulley recently wrote a hilarious article outlining the struggles of being young and hearing impaired for the New York Times titled, “My Ridiculous, Romantic, Painful Adventures in Deafness”. Contrary to Zach Hubbard’s noise induced hearing loss, Anna’s is genetic, however, she had no idea she was hearing impaired until she was about 19 – much like many of 20-somethings interviewed by the CDC.In her essay, Anna pokes fun at the very real tussles of being hearing impaired while dating – and struggling to follow along in group conversations – while managing to keep readers laughing along the way. She shares with readers how she got her first hearing aid at 19, was disappointed, and tried again at 22. Anna warns other young people with hearing loss that unlike eye-glasses for a visual impairment – hearing aids actually take time to adjust to, and take time to work. Hang in there –she urges – because things do get better for those who experience “adventures in deafness” like Anna. To read Anna’s entire engaging essay, visit http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/07/my-adventures-in-deafness.htmlProtect Yourself, and Get a Hearing TestNo matter your age, it is important to know how and when to protect your hearing, and that there are very simple ways to do so. For example, limiting headphone or ear bud usage to 60 minutes per day at 60% volume will help to prevent noise induced hearing loss. Also, using custom hearing protection faithfully when you engage in noisy activities such as hunting, going to a concert or sporting event, attending a flight show or even mowing the lawn will help to protect your precious hearing.If you think you may be experiencing some changes in your hearing, or frequently engage in noisy leisure activities, reach out to us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids to scheduled your complimentary hearing screen (or learn more tips on healthy hearing protection). We look forward to hearing from you.

In a fairly short period of time, YouTube has gone from a relatively unknown website for watching funny cat videos to a regular household name. In fact, a day rarely goes by that we don’t tune in. Whether we’re enjoying a friend’s vacation video, learning how to tie sailor’s knots or recapping a presidential speech, YouTube is most likely the place we would turn.

Not convinced of YouTube’s relevance? YouTube currently reports over 300 hours of video uploaded each minute, 4,950,000,000 videos watched on the site each day, and 900 million unique visits to the website each month. It is clear that YouTube has become an integral part of the lives of people throughout the world. (For more fun facts on YouTube, visit statisticbrain.com).

Closed Captions Haven’t Always Been the Norm

Viewing YouTube videos is not always easy for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, unless of course, the video has closed captions. Closed captions have not always been as readily available as they are today. Liat Kaver – product manager at YouTube remembers his childhood in a world without closed captions. “I felt I was missing out because I often had to guess at what was happening on the screen or make up my own version of the story in my head” (googleblog.com). Liat grew up in Costa Rica and finding captions in Spanish were an even bigger obstacle for him to overcome. Since childhood, Liat has dreamt of making closed captions more readily available to the 300 million people living with hearing loss across the globe.

Today, Liat describes himself as lucky to be following his dream, as part of the YouTube development team.

Advanced Technology to the Rescue!

Back in 2006, Google introduced captions for it’s video sharing site: YouTube. Three short years later, they introduced automated speech recognition (ASR) technology. At first, the technology did not always go as planned, sometimes making hilarious mistakes, as can be seen in this silly “Caption Fails” video. While the technology was no where near perfect, it still helped millions of deaf or hearing impaired people around the globe to enjoy videos they would otherwise not be able to.

Since it’s inception, YouTube has had a goal of improving the accuracy of it’s automatic closed captioning capabilities. Luckily for viewers, the automated speech recognition technology has come leaps and bounds from 2009. By improving machine learning algorithms and expanding training data the technology has improved its accuracy by 50%. The technology is now one step closer to the typical rate of human error.

That’s not all. Currently, Google provides automatic closed captioning in the following languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Google is working to improve accuracy in each of these languages, to help ensure children and adults with hearing loss, like Liat, across the globe can enjoy their content – regardless of their spoken language.

1,000,000,000 Videos and Counting

Last month, YouTube announced that they have now officially captioned over 1 billion videos – including those automatically captioned and those captioned by their creators. That is a whopping number for a project only about 11 years old! It is estimated that about 15 million videos with closed captions are streamed on the website daily. The service is clearly bringing vast benefits to millions of people throughout the world.

A History of Diversity at Google

At Google (the parent company of YouTube), diversity has always been one of their core values. Google has invested in high quality unconscious bias trainings for it’s employees. These trainings aim to help Google employees or “Googlers”, to recognize their own unconscious biases and make conscious decisions to combat them. Google has also been on the forefront of efforts to creating an inclusive workplace for Googlers with disabilities by creating the Disability Alliance.

AZ Balance and Hearing Aids

At AZ Balance and Hearing Aids, we care about you and your hearing health – and this extends further than your ability to enjoy videos on websites like YouTube. Reach out to us today to schedule your hearing test. We look forward to helping you through your journey to better and healthier hearing. How could healthy hearing benefit your life?

No matter which way one looks at it, hearing loss is simply a fact of aging for most people, and has continued to be on the rise. It has been estimated that one in three people have hearing loss by age 60 (33%), two in three by age 70 (66%) and a whopping 4 out of five people over the age of 80 experience hearing loss (80%). According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, hearing loss is also the third most common physical ailment facing Americans today, behind arthritis and heart disease (hearingloss.org). As if these statistics weren’t shocking enough, hearing loss is also the #1 most commonly reported workplace injury in the United States.With this wealth of information on the prevalence of hearing loss, one would suspect treatment to be equally common. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It is estimated that only about 28% of hearing impaired Americans who could benefit from hearing aids actually use them.

Why Don’t People Treat Their Hearing Loss?

There is a vast array of scientific studies and surveys, conducted on an international scale that continue to outline the many positive benefits of hearing aid use. These types of studies and articles continue to be published over, and over, and over again – however people continue to let their hearing loss go untreated.Why?There are many theories to explain why people don’t seek treatment for their hearing loss. Perhaps a loved one – or even you yourself – have used one or more of these excuses to avoid getting a hearing test.

1. “I hear just fine!”

If someone you love has untreated hearing loss, you’ve probably heard them spout this a time or two. Most often, hearing loss (especially age related hearing loss) is a gradual condition happening over the course of many years. Many people don’t notice changes in their hearing until others point it out to them, and even then try to deny or ignore their hearing loss for years.

2. “I can’t afford a hearing aid”

It is easy to become overwhelmed with the initial costs of hearing aids. Although there are many payment plan options, and some insurance companies do cover costs, hearing aids are still a financial investment for many. When thinking about whether or not to spend the money on hearing aids – try thinking about it this way. How much is your untreated hearing loss actually costing you? It may be more than you think. According to a National Family Opinion Panel conduced by the Better Hearing Institute, it was found that untreated hearing loss cost individual households an average of $12,000 per year.

3. “Hearing aids will make me look old”

Manufacturers have revolutionized the hearing aid industry – making hearing aids more discreet than ever before. There are even many entirely invisible aids available on the market that fit directly into your ear canal and are completely undetectable. On the contrary, older adults in the workplace who use hearing aids are seen as more competent and better at their jobs by their co-workers than their peers with untreated hearing loss. Therefore, using hearing aids can actually many you appear younger and more able.

4. “It’s just part of getting older”

Hearing loss is definitely correlated with getting older, and most people will experience some degree of hearing loss as they age. However, you don’t have to “just deal with it”. Just as age related near-sightedness can be easily treated with reading glasses, so can age related hearing loss be treated with hearing aids.

Why Get a Hearing Test?

Don’t let any of the above excuses keep you from experiencing the many benefits associated with treating your hearing loss. It is important for adults over the age of 50 to get an annual hearing assessment. Staying attuned to your hearing abilities will help you better recognize any changes in your hearing – and will also give you peace of mind if your hearing has not changed.If changes are detected, get ready for some amazing benefits. Treating hearing loss has been proven to help improve relationships with family and friends, improve productivity at work and slow or negate cognitive decline and depression. What could treating your hearing loss do for you?Reach out to our friendly team at AZ Balance and Hearing Aids today to schedule your free hearing exam. We look forward to working with you.

Could Hearing Tests Help to Identify Concussions? Over the past few years, concussions have made an appearance in popular and sports culture in a major way. There has been quite a bit of new research regarding true and lasting damage undiagnosed concussions can leave, which has caused quite a stir in the world of sports. Even Hollywood has weighed in on the conversation. “Concussion”, a blockbuster film released in 2015, starring Will Smith, chronicles a pathologist’s discovery of brain damage caused by football related concussions. So, what do concussions have to do with hearing tests? According to research conducted by Dr. Nina Kraus at Northwestern University – quite a bit.

What actually happens during a concussion?

While we’ve all heard of them, many people may not know what a concussion actually is. According to WebMD, “a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull” (webmd.com). No matter the type of injury that caused the concussion, the damage is the same. Our brains are soft organs that are surrounded by spinal fluid and protected by our hard skull. Most of the time, the spinal fluid protects our brain from bumping up against the skull by acting as a cushion. During a dramatic impact, however, your brain can jar so quickly that it crashes into your skull – thus causing a concussion.Concussions often leave no visible signs, and don’t always cause a person to become unconscious. Ironically, some concussed people don’t feel any physical or intellectual symptoms whatsoever. On the other hand, some people feel symptoms such as not thinking clearly, nausea, or blurry vision. Because of these factors, diagnosing concussions is extremely difficult, and not always an exact science.

Current diagnostic practices

Currently, diagnostic practices are quite subjective. A doctor may ask you questions or show you pictures and then conceal them to assess your thinking abilities and memory. They may also test your reflexes, coordination, balance, and strength. Some neuropsychological assessments are also used to test changes in mood or emotion. However, without a baseline of one’s normal level of functioning in these areas, these types of diagnosis can be difficult (webmd.com).

How do hearing tests help?

Based on Dr. Kraus’ research, hearing assessments that measure speech intelligibility can help to identify concussions in children. While the sample size of only 40 children was quite small, the results of the research are astounding. The researchers were able to correctly identify children who had suffered concussion with 90% accuracy and those who hadn’t with 95% accuracy. It was found that children who had suffered concussions showed shorter and slower responses to speech sounds and pitch than the control group. It’s no wonder auditory processing is a good biomarker for brain injury. As Dr. Kraus explains, “it is the most precise, most complicated computational work the brain has to do… Sometimes the power of sound is understated. But we know the brain has to do extremely fast, precise processing of sound that’s just not required of us when we process other information.”This exciting research has gained praise from other notable doctors as well, such as from Dr. Daniel Corwin, a pediatric emergency surgeon in Philadelphia. Dr. Corwin points out the need for more objective diagnostic criteria in determining concussions in children, and he praises the research as “very exciting… and a potentially very useful, objective marker of injury” (washingtonpost.com).If you’re interested in reading the full publication of this study, it is available for free here.

What’s next?

Klaus hopes to eventually commercialize her research, after more extensive studies with larger and more varied study groups have been carried out. She is working with colleagues to eventually make the equipment more affordable and portable. Klaus hopes to have the equipment easily available on the sports field, court, or rink as handy concussion diagnostic kits in the near future. (itechpost.com).

What about you?

While you may not need a hearing assessment to determine a concussion, there are many other benefits of taking a hearing test. Reach out to us today at AZ Balance and Hearing Aids to schedule yours, and start your journey towards better relationships, higher work productivity, and more enjoyment out of the beautiful sounds of life!

A Prince Edward Island-based research team, led by P.E.I. native Justin Pater, has uncovered an important clue in the rapidly expanding field of genetic hearing loss. Pater and his team have, through exhaustive research, confirmed a link between a unique gene mutation and hearing loss in children, a discovery which has the potential to increase early intervention and prevent problems with speech development for children with hearing loss.Early childhood hearing loss can have severe effects on a child’s mental, social and educational development, so this announcement has caused excitement among audiologists and other hearing care specialists. According to Pater, the genetic mutation is rare but exists in various countries across the globe, with the condition being more prevalent in Newfoundland.Justin Pater was a student of biology at the University of Prince Edward Island and is currently a year away from completing his PhD at Memorial University in St. John’s. In a news release from the university, Pater said that despite the fact that this gene has been identified in The Netherlands, Iceland and Denmark, this is the first time a proven link has been found between the gene, known as CLDN14, and early onset hearing loss.

CLDN14 Gene Mutation Leads To Profound Hearing Loss in Children

The gene mutation appears to be more common among children in Newfoundland than elsewhere, occurring in just over one percent of the population, though it has been detected in other countries as well.Children born with CLDN14 mutation can hear normally at birth and pass their newborn hearing screenings, but lose their ability to hear higher frequencies, such as the chirping of a bird, around the age of three or four. The gene plays an essential role in hearing: it helps to maintain the structures of the inner ear by creating “tight junctions” which allow cells to stick together and effectively transmit sound signals to the brain. When this gene mutates, the ability to hear in the middle and high frequencies is often profoundly disrupted, although low frequencies are not affected.Ages three and four are critical for a child’s acquisition of language, and the loss of certain frequencies at this stage can lead to serious speech-language problems and developmental delays. The research team hopes that their findings will be useful in a clinical setting for detecting early hearing loss, and identifying and helping at-risk children.

A Year of Painstaking Research Pays Off

Pater and his partners, based at the Craig L. Dobbin Genetics Research Centre at Memorial, sequenced the genome to determine how it was unique in people with the mutation.Pater thanked Newfoundland’s large family trees for helping him observe how a mutation can separate or travel within family lines. After a year of tireless research the team was able to present powerful evidence that the mutation causes early onset hearing loss. Their findings were recently published in the academic journal Human Genetics, a major accomplishment for Pater and his colleagues. Pater believes that their discovery will help speech language pathologists and health-care professionals to intervene in cases of hearing loss earlier and more effectively.“I am proud to be a part of a larger team that came together to discover this mutation,” Pater said. “Approximately 10 per cent of Canadian adults are affected by hearing loss and 50 per cent of these cases are caused by genetic mutations. It is these overwhelming statistics that drew me into hearing loss research. Not only can these discoveries have a big impact right here in Newfoundland and Labrador, but so, too, can they be extended to the national and international level.”

A Lifelong Interest in Genetics

So what’s next for Justin Pater? The researcher said that after finishing his PhD, he would like to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship in Boston. He hopes to focus on cancer genetics, and believes that gene sequencing could help doctors to deliver tailored treatment for many different types of cancers and personalized medicine, while continuing to research one of the world’s most common conditions: hearing loss.

Ensuring Your Child’s Healthy Hearing

Do you suspect your child may be experiencing hearing loss? Contact Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids. We provide pediatric hearing services: comprehensive hearing tests and fittings. A hearing test will reveal if a hearing loss is present – and early detection is of utmost importance to childhood verbal and socio-emotional development. Give us a call today!

Did you know that your hearing and balance are connected? The vestibular system, which contributes to your balance and spatial orientation, helps you coordinate movement. The vestibular system and auditory system are an interconnected network of labyrinths in your inner ear.In a new study, Professor Kathleen Cullen of Johns Hopkins University’s Biomedical Engineering department, finds that our vestibular system owes something to our evolutionary past – which means that our auditory and vestibular systems can be traced back hundreds of millions of years!

From the Primordial Soup to Land: How Our Vestibular System Evolved

In an interview for Quirks and Quarks (LINK: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/canadian-broadcasting-corporation/quirks-and-quarks-segmented-show-from-cbc-radio/e/part-of-your-ear-is-millions-of-years-old-20161119-48294647?autoplay=true), a science-based show on CBC Radio of Canada, Dr. Cullen traced our vestibular systems back to 300 million years ago, when terrestrial habitats (including plants and trees) began to emerge from the primordial oceans flooding continents. During this time, life began to emerge on land; this includes insects, spiders, and lizards. From that period until now, many changes happened evolutionarily for us to become the intricate life-forms we are today!Dr. Cullen conducted balance research at the Department of Physiology at McGill University in Montreal. Our vestibular system, which gives us our balance, can be found in the inner ear. As Dr. Cullen explains, “If you look in the inner ear, there are two components: one that we’re all very familiar with – the auditory component that we use to hear and the cochlea, which is a sensory organ and auditory component. Within the inner ear, there are five other sensors which people are generally less familiar with. We have three looping canal structures called the semi-circular canals, and they tell us how your head is moving, rotating through space, organized at right angles to each other and represent all different rotational motions you could generate.”In addition to these sensory organs, Dr. Cullen tells us that “there are two otolithic organs on each side of the head, and they sense linear motion. So, if you’re driving away from a stoplight or stop sign, you’d be activating the otoliths. This is a system that is very important for us to keep sense of how we move through space in terms of our rotation and translation, and we use it to keep our gaze stable as we walk through our environment.”The vestibular system plays a huge role in our ability to maintain balance, and it is very closely tied to our ocular system – in other words, how we see. “If you didn’t have a vestibular system, your eyes would sort of bounce around like a GoPro on your head,” says Dr. Cullen. “But because we have this vestibular system as we walk through the world, for every head movement we generate, there’s a very short reflex of three neurons that move our eyes in an equal and opposite direction. If we are walking down the street and slip on ice, or any other unexpected head motion, our vestibular spinal pathways make compensatory head and body motions to keep us upright.”

How the Vestibular System Evolved the Way It Did

Consider the way that life was lived in the “primordial soup” and how it had to adapt to life on land. Dr. Cullen tells us that in the vestibular system, “there are two types of receptor cells, one which is conserved in animals such as fish who lived in the primordial soup and ones in animals that came out, like reptiles, and ultimately primates and humans. So, there’s more recently evolved receptor cell is preferentially hooked up to a type of wire – in the nerve – and what we found is that the nerves hooked up to the recent-type of receptor cells encode head motion in an unexpected way.”Dr. Cullen’s specific interest lies in how the vestibular system “takes a sensory input that it generates and performs these reflexes and gives us our sense of balance, and how does the brain take that information and determine the appropriate way to activate your muscles.”In her study at McGill University, Dr. Cullen looked at “the very precise timing of the action potentials – the way neurons encode information, an all or nothing event. We found that if you look at the normal movements that people or animals generate, most of the frequency of our movements is below 20 hertz. But if you look at the way neurons in the new pathway are encoding information, they are encoding at up to 100 hertz.”This means that “the slower channel is the old channel – great for representing the actual stimulus you’ve been experiencing (shaking your head back and forth),” while the new channel was “good at the precision of when you start to move – a very precise channel that extracts the transient feature.” These two channels work together as a by-product of evolution 300 million years ago, when animals left the sea and moved onto land. Dr. Cullen points to the vast differences between life in the sea and life on land, and the different requirements to adapt.“In water, there is a viscous environment. As animals moved onto land, the air is much less viscous, and the development of long necks,” says Dr. Cullen. “Between these two more recent developments among animals - humans and monkeys – there are much different mechanical abilities to generate much more transient high acceleration head movement. Evolution of the nervous system needed to come up with a new way to come with the most optimal way for our vestibular system to tell the brain that we have some sort of movement we’ve experienced.”In other words, a fish does not have to worry about tripping or falling over – but it still does require a clean communication channel between its suspension in the water and its ocular system! As a result, Dr. Cullen says, “The bigger surprise? “It’s fascinating that these two channels evolved so cleanly to represent the information in such different and distinct ways.”

Here at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids, we treat vestibular disorders. If you have any questions about the vestibular system, or if you believe you’ve been experiencing difficulties in balance, contact us today!

The new year is upon us, which means it’s time to break out the champagne--and also a pen and paper for making our annual list of resolutions. Exercise more, eat a healthier diet, make new friends, start saving for that trip...some of our goals will be kept, and some will be broken, as always seems to be the case.But one resolution that you should keep--particularly if you are age 50 or older--is to schedule an annual hearing exam. If you suffer from undiagnosed hearing loss, this single step has the potential to make a significant positive impact on your life, and even prevent future illness and injury.

How common is hearing loss?

]Many people postpone having their hearing checked, often for years after first noticing a decline in their hearing. Perhaps they are afraid to receive confirmation that their hearing is not what it used to be, or they think that they are alone with this condition. But they needn’t feel this way--hearing loss is not only treatable, but also incredibly common. Let’s take a look at some surprising facts about hearing loss in America:-The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) estimates that 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 suffer from noise-induced hearing loss.-Age-related hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults: 1 in 3 people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing.-Work-related hearing loss is also incredibly common: according to the CDC, four million workers go to work each day in damaging noise, ten million people in the U.S. have a noise-related hearing loss, and twenty-two million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise each year.So, whether your hearing loss is related to noise exposure, age or another cause, the facts speak for themselves: you are not alone.

What if hearing loss goes untreated?

]While there are numerous benefits that come from treating hearing loss, the opposite is also true. Research shows that letting hearing loss go untreated can have serious consequences, on both the body and the mind.One of the most compelling reasons to seek help with hearing loss is the fact that this condition, when untreated, has been linked to diminished cognitive function. A study at Johns Hopkins recently found that cognitive diminishment was 41 percent greater in seniors with hearing loss. There are two primary reasons for this: the first is that hearing loss can cause increased isolation and loneliness, which in turn increases the risk factors for Alzheimer’s and dementia. The second is that the brain, as it works to understand degraded speech signals, has less energy to put towards other tasks, so things like memory and comprehension begin to suffer.Untreated hearing loss can also have damaging effects on personal relationships. As communication between the hard of hearing person and their friends and family becomes increasingly frustrating, many people with hearing loss react by withdrawing from social activities, which can put even more space between themselves and those around them.Finally, hearing damage that goes untreated has been shown to have a negative effect on general health and well-being, and contributes to the risk of falls and injuries.

Schedule your hearing exam today!

]Fortunately, hearing loss is treatable, and research shows that individuals who treat their hearing loss early with hearing aids have shown significant benefits. Hearing aids, by making it easier for your brain to process and understand sounds, can: reduce mental fatigue, decrease one’s feelings of social isolation and depression, improve memory, attention and focus, and also improve social relationships by greatly aiding in communication.The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine recommends you have your hearing checked at least once a year, so even if you don’t currently notice any signs of hearing loss, an annual exam should be on your to-do list. If you feel tentative about going on your own, ask a friend or family member to go with you for support. With all of the substantial benefits that go along with treating your hearing loss, there’s no reason to delay.Ready to schedule your annual hearing test? Contact us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids today!

At home tips for common hearing aid issues

As a hearing aid wearer, you don’t want to rush to your hearing instrument specialist every time something isn’t quite right. Surely you can fix some simple problems on your own? Absolutely! Here’s how to easily fix the most common hearing aid problems from the comfort and convenience of your own home.

My Hearing Aids Seem to be Dead

If your hearing aids aren’t producing any sound, there’s clearly something very wrong. Check to see if your hearing aid is turned on and adjust the settings. Still not working? It’s time to check the battery. It’s a common mistake to insert the battery upside down, or fail to close the door properly, so it could just be a matter of flipping the battery or double checking the battery door to get your hearing aid back to turn on.

My Hearing Aids Are Too Quiet

If your hearing aids are working but the sound seems to be muffled or too soft, there is likely a buildup of wax on the microphone or earmold. Try thoroughly cleaning your hearing aid. It’s surprising how many problems a good cleaning will fix. Your ears are constantly exposed to dirt, dust, debris, and moisture, which cause damage to your hearing aids. To keep your hearing aids in good working order, consider adding a quick cleaning to your daily morning routine.Use a soft, dry cloth, wipe your hearing aids carefully to remove any dirt. Check for earwax so it never has a chance to build up or cause problems. This can greatly prolong the life of your hearing aid. If your ears produce a lot of wax and you’re wearing a behind-the-ear model, you can remove the earmolds and wash them in warm water with a mild soap. Rinse very thoroughly, and make sure they’re completely dry before you reattaching them! Never get your hearing aids wet.Another possible explanation for the low volume is damage or moisture in the tubing. Check them carefully for cracks or fraying that could be diverting your volume away from your ears. If you find damage, come visit us for repairs.If you’ve tried all these tricks for making your hearing aid louder and nothing’s working, it’s possible your hearing has changed. It’s time for a hearing test. We’ll advise you on the next steps, and see if it’s time to upgrade your hearing aids.

The Sound is Distorted

If the sound coming from your hearing aid is distorted, check the battery. Distortions are often caused by corroded or damaged battery contacts. This is the part of the hearing aid that connects to the battery, allowing power to flow to the hearing aid. When the contacts are damaged, the power flow is uneven and the sound will often be distorted.Located inside the battery door, the contacts are easily damaged by dust, debris, moisture or earwax. Remove the battery from the case and clean the contacts thoroughly with a soft, dry cloth. Replace the battery and try again. The sound should have improved. You can also try a new battery, as the battery you’re using may be faulty.

My Hearing Aid Whistles or Has Feedback

If you’re experiencing a lot of whistling or feedback from your hearing aids, the first thing to try is to reduce the volume. Feedback happens when the sound your hearing aid has amplified is picked up again by the microphone. This is often enough to stop the whistling, and leave you hearing clearly in any environment.If that’s not working, take your hearing aids out and put them back in. It’s possible they weren’t inserted properly, and that was causing the feedback. If the feedback persists, your hearing aid or earmolds might not fit you properly. When the hearing aids aren’t sealing your ear, sounds sneak in past the hearing aids and create feedback. Visit us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids to check the fit of your hearing aid, and stop that annoying whistling.

Hearing Aid Maintenance and Care

You rely on your hearing aids to make your everyday life a breeze. If they aren’t functioning properly, we know it’s not just an irritation, but a problem that affects your whole day.If you’re having trouble with your hearing aids and these simple fixes aren’t working, we’re always here to help. Drop in anytime with us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids, and we’ll take a look at your hearing aids, repair any damage, perform a thorough cleaning, and make sure your devices are in great working order.