Friday, April 1, 2016

Best Thing to Do in West Orange Today: Care for Your Hearing



Best Thing to Do in West Orange Today: Care for Your Hearing 

 

One of the many things to do in West Orange today is to be aware as to how they can have healthy hearing since more and more people are changing their lifestyles and start leading a healthy one.  While others think that hearing is a minor concern, there is nothing better than being informed about things concerning oneself like myths and facts about hearing loss.  If caring for one’s hearing is on top of the to-do list, it is best to see an audiologist.
Here are things to do in West Orange FL that will help you be informed on how to care for your hearing health!
Audiologist versus Hearing Aid Specialist
It is true that an audiologist and a hearing aid specialist both require certification.  However, the former requires years of schooling and intensive training.  Audiologists have a much wider scope in terms of skills, knowledge, and services offered to patients.  They are licensed to do comprehensive audiological evaluations to infants, children, and adults.  They also do rehabilitation therapies for different hearing disorders, patient-family counseling as the whole family deal with hearing loss, and conduct diagnostic test for balance or dizziness disorders.

What’s happening in West Orange FL is to see a great audiologist for the evaluation of one’s hearing is Dr. Kristen Weinbaum at Harmony Hearing Centers Clermont.  Kristen, who is based in Winter Garden, can empathize with patients and families who are challenged with hearing loss.  Kristen and her family found out about her hearing loss in her left ear when she was still in kindergarten.  This was the time when the school conducted all other medical check-ups such as eye checks and vaccines.  Hearing loss has been a part of Kristen’s medical family history.  There are several relatives on her mother side who carry on with their everyday routine with hearing aids.

Inspiration to Care
When Kristen’s parents found out about her hearing loss, they made sure that an audiologist would see her every year to make sure that her condition was monitored.  Sometime in middle school, Kristen had to volunteer at a science-related facility because of a science project.  Kristen’s mother recommended that Kristen complete her 40-hour requirement working as a volunteer for an audiologist.

The audiologist that Kristen worked for was very compassionate towards her patients and passionate about mentoring Kristen that Kristen didn’t just do minor tasks.  Kristen was busy with major tasks.  In addition to that, she was also made to sit down and observe during patient consultations.  This was the time when Kristen finally decided that she wanted to be an audiologist when she’s older.

At present, Kristen is in the same position as her mentor was.  She is also doing her best to help her patients and their families.  On one occasion, the mother of one of her patients cried several times and even commented that what Kristen was doing was amazing.  More importantly, Kristen is changing people’s lives.

Dementia or Hearing Loss
People who have celebrated their 50th birthday should start seeing an audiologist even if they are still hearing just fine.  There are certain medical conditions like diabetes and dementia that lead to hearing loss.  With this said, people who have these conditions should consider seeing their audiologist more often.

People with a major hearing loss who are not wearing hearing aids would have a really tough time following a conversation.  At times, it would be easier for them to just sit and carry on with whatever they are doing than to stress themselves out trying to engage in a conversation they have a difficult time to understand.  Some people could interpret this lack of interest or engagement as “losing it”.  Others might think that the uninterested person has dementia when it is just hearing loss.

Remarkable Aid
Audiologists use an audiogram to assess hearing loss.  It works like a piano with low to high pitches.  The result of this diagnosis helps in choosing the right kind of hearing aid needed by the patient.  It must be noted though that not every hearing disorder can be resolved by a hearing aid.  Kristen is thankful to technological innovations that invented digital, smaller, and more sophisticated present-day hearing aids compared to the big ugly ones in the past.  Inventors even created a way to connect these aids wirelessly to phones and computers.  It is like wearing headphones minus the background noise.

Debunking Hearing Myths
As the community gets to know more about hearing loss, it would also be good thing to know the facts about how to deal with people who have them.  Below is a list of myths that Kristen debunked for the community’s benefit.

Myth 1:  “Shouting louder will enable people with hearing issues to hear others.”
Louder is not synonymous with clearer.  Kristen said yelling does not help.  Speaking slowly does.

Myth 2:  “Closing the eyes would allow people to hear others better.”
According to Kristen, one of the most important things in conversing with people with hearing issues is face-to-face communication.  The first thing to do is to catch the other person’s attention.  A lot of Kristen’s patients complain about their family trying to talk with them but facing the other way.

Myth 3:  “Repeating the words to people with hearing issues will help them understand the point.”
Kristen said that repeating the same words does not benefit those with hearing loss.  A better approach would be to use different words and rephrase what was said.

Myth 4:  “It is a must to get the earwax with a cotton swab.”
Kristen clarified that people are supposed to have wax in their ears because it serves several purposes.  The earwax prevents the ear from getting itchy and dry as it keeps the ear lubricated.  She also pointed out that as people use a cotton swab to try and get the earwax out, they actually push some in.  When people do not put anything in the ear, the earwax will eventually come out because of the skin in the ear canal that grows outward.

Although there are many West Orange events today, being educated about how to care for one’s hearing is a great advantage to all members of the community.  Just like what this popular actor Jude Law said, “Most people take their hearing for granted.  That is, until they lose it.”  Why wait to lose one’s hearing?  There are many ways to care for it and continue appreciating wonderful music and sound.

Enjoy the amazing sound of nature, soothing music, and the voices of your loved ones by caring for your hearing.  If you want to learn more about West Orange events, visit   http://www.Explore407.com.

If you would like your business featured or to gain community exposure, or if you have an event to submit, email me at info@explore407.com or call (407) 230-6836.

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