The Latest Updates from Our Hearts to Yours
I’m fond of February. My husband and I were married on February 28, 1981. Then there is Valentines Day, which is fun for all ages! I like that February reminds us of love.
Our world faces many challenges. It always has and always will. Stress is real. Life can be a roller-coaster ride. One of my goals has always been to have MAFH be a safe-haven through the storm; a place you can count on for help when you need it; a place where the true spirit of love and friendship live. Walk into our office and breathe deeply, because you are welcome and… you belong.
TV Streamers
Patient’s have been singing the praises of our Unite TV Streamers.
Sometimes hearing aids are not enough. TV is it’s own unique listening environment. It can be difficult for a person with normal hearing to catch all the words. Add to that a hearing impairment, your distance from the TV and any room noises that can interfere with listening.
A TV streamer brings the signal directly from the television to your hearing aids, wirelessly. You get the benefit of your own hearing aid prescription and the clarity of moving the sound source up close and personal. If you try it, you’ll like it- no you’ll LOVE it! If you purchase a TV device and don’t love it, you can return it within one week for a full refund!
They are plug-and-play simple!
Insurance Plans for 2020
A new year brings new insurance benefits. In case you haven’t already done so, do check your 2020 insurance plan benefits to see if any new benefits have been added for you. More and more plans are providing hearing aid benefits!
Whether insurance covers what you need or not, please take good care of yourself, because only you can! I say spend the money to eat right, join a gym, get hearing aids and/or good eyeglasses- whatever it is that makes your body and mind function optimally. Just because it’s not a covered benefit doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it!
Be healthier in 2020!
Tinnitus
Did you know that we can work with people who suffer from tinnitus? We can!
Tinnitus is an annoying sound that only the tinnitus sufferer can hear. It might be a high-pitched tone, a buzz, squealing, a mechanical sound, a hum… so many possibilities. It signals that something is temporarily or permanently wrong with your auditory system.
One common cause of tinnitus is noise exposure. Amanda and I see many veterans who suffer tinnitus from their artillery experience.
There are tinnitus therapies we can try to help relieve the frustration of tinnitus. First, let me say that if you have tinnitus, and it doesn’t bother you, then you are already doing great! The best thing to do for the condition is to ignore it. By concentrating on it you can actually cause a stronger neural pathway for making the condition more and more noticeable and problematic. I have a “floater” in my left eye that was so annoying when it first occurred. My eye doctor said that I would simply get used to it, and he was right. It’s still there, but I only notice it when I speak or think of it. Tinnitus can be like that. So if you’ve gotten used to it, you’re ahead of the game!
Some tinnitus conditions are harder to get used to. Some people are more bothered by their tinnitus than others. For these people, we can help them “habituate” to their tinnitus by introducing a new sound that almost covers the sound of their tinnitus.
Ear Love
Tip: Don’t forget to wash behind your ears. The area behind your ears is “out of sight” and can easily be “out of mind”, so I’m reminding you. Shampoos, conditioners and hair sprays/gels can leave residue, which may blend with dirt and body’s oils, all of which can transfer to your hearing aids. Especially worrisome is when debris of any kind enter the microphone ports. Tend to those beautiful ears of yours!
Behind-the-Scenes
Amanda and I had a great visit at Audigy headquarters in December. We audiologists are taught clinical skills, not business skills. Audigy knows this, and fills that gap. I joined Audigy for various reasons, but mostly for Amanda’s sake. When the torch is passed, she will have me, her own experience, and Audigy all backing her!
One of the things I learned is that I’ve done pretty well at running a business on my own all these years! MAFH is healthy and well managed with no red flags to our name. OK, so I knew this going in to the meetings, but it was still nice to receive confirmation from such a knowing source.
Empowering Ourselves and Others
Since you are reading this, you know your numbers as they relate to hearing loss. You may not remember them, but you came to us, were tested, and we let you know your scores. You have that knowledge.
Most people know their normal blood pressure, their visual acuity, their cholesterol- but not as many people have investigated their hearing threshold levels. So here are the numbers:
- 0-20 Normal Hearing
- 25-40 Mild Hearing Loss
- 45-55 Moderate Hearing Loss
- 60-65 Moderately-Severe Hearing Loss
- 70-90 Severe Hearing Loss
- 91+ Profound Hearing Loss
Ask your friends and family members if they know their hearing numbers. If they don’t, they should look into it. KNOWLEDGE is POWER. Empower them!
Happy Valentines Day!
Most Sincerely,
MaryAnn
MaryAnn Bencin, Audiologist
(440) 210-4885
[email protected]