Counselling

Tinnitus counselling is a first step in the management of tinnitus. Counselling will provide information on tinnitus and de-emphasize fear or any negative feelings associated with tinnitus.

Sound Therapy

Sound therapy uses background sounds to decrease the prominence of tinnitus. Soft sounds around the house such as a fan, radio, TV or music can help to manage tinnitus.

• Hearing Aids
  • If hearing loss accompanies tinnitus hearing aids can be used both as a means to treat the hearing loss as well as manage your tinnitus.  Hearing aids will amplify environmental sounds and in turn provide your brain with new sounds to process instead of constantly alerting you to the sound of your tinnitus.
  • Widex is a manufacturer of hearing aids and have a product called Zen which can be used for tinnitus management. The hearing aid is able to play soft music or produce white noise to help manage tinnitus, in addition to being a hearing aid.
• Sound Machines
  • Sound machines are small devices that produce a variety of nature sounds. Some models can be used with a pillow speaker to help patients with tinnitus fall asleep.  

He said,

“Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem. I wish I’d thought about it earlier.”

http://www.breakingnews.ie/entertainment/coldplay-singer-reveals-hearing-loss-trouble-550216.html

The outcome of experiencing tinnitus and/or hearing loss is often associated with feelings of embarrassment, irritability, stress, depression, low self-esteem, frustration, impaired memory and isolation, just to name a few. Tinnitus can also affect a person’s concentration and sleep patterns negatively affecting one’s physical and psychological wellbeing.

There are those of us who experience tinnitus and those of us who suffer from tinnitus. This distinction is of great importance and should be diagnosed by a certified Audiologist. An audiologist will also be able to provide tinnitus counselling and management strategies.  If hearing loss is present and hearing aids are used as a sound therapy method, an Audiologist or Hearing Instrument Specialist can contribute by fitting the hearing aid, managing maintenance and repair and make appropriate programming changes based on the individual’s needs.

Hearing Loss and Tinnitus can be devastating to one’s overall wellbeing and if suspected should not be ignored. There is help available.

Designed to keep your hearing loss out of sight and out of mind.

Hearing Institute Atlantic is excited to launch the newest “invisible” hearing solution from Oticon.

Stay connected with your world. If you’ve ever considered trying out a hearing device, now’s the time! Call today and book a free consultation to learn if this hearing aid is right for you.

Special Promotional Offer

• Enjoy special savings during Spring
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]]> http://hearinginstitute.ca/2012/02/23/stay-connected-to-your-world-watch-our-new-video/feed/ 0 http://hearinginstitute.ca/2012/02/14/refer-a-friend-and-you-will-be-rewarded/ http://hearinginstitute.ca/2012/02/14/refer-a-friend-and-you-will-be-rewarded/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:07:55 +0000 katelyn http://hearinginstitute.ca/?p=761 Continue reading →]]> Do you have a loved one affected by hearing loss?

Great hearing has its own rewards, but now you too can be rewarded when you refer a friend or family member to Hearing Institute Atlantic.

How it works:

1. Click here to download the referral form.
2. Print the form and fill out the required information.
3. Give the completed form to a friend or family member who could benefit from our services.
4. Have them bring in the form when they come in for their FREE hearing evaluation.

We strive to provide the best quality care and products. If you were happy with the service you received, your referrals of friends and family is the highest compliment we can get. Thank you!

We’ve opened our 5th Metro location just off Spring Garden Road, in Garden Park Terrace at 1464 Martello Street, just down from Smitty’s. This truly is our flagship facility, with both Nona Fuller and Sarah Williams practicing from the new location. Drop in and see us or, better yet, call 482-2222 to book a free hearing test with Nona or Sarah.

We all need to hear to stay competitive in the work force. Boomers are remaining in the workforce longer and in different capacities such as through phased retirement, part time work or consulting. Conventional wisdom is that retirement is a time to scale back and take life as it comes. Today, boomers are instead accepting new challenges later in life. It follows that, the more active and outgoing the person, the more demands are placed on their hearing.

It has been estimated that today’s boomers will experience more hearing loss, and at an earlier age, compared to their parents. Not only did a large number of boomers grow up enjoying the louder music of the 1950′s and 1960′s, today’s world has much more invasive noise such as music, industrial workplace noise, urban noise, etc. Our ears are constantly being assaulted by noise and noise can contribute to hearing loss.

The typical hearing loss of a boomer may be a difficulty hearing speech in the presence of background noise, such as in a restaurant or car. Another example is one’s ability to hear speech in a quiet room or setting, but at the same time experiencing some difficulty hearing a soft or high pitched voice, such as many children’s or women’s voices. Hearing loss will gradually worsen as the years progress, and may first be recognized as a hearing problem by someone else, such as a spouse or colleague. Research has shown that, when a hearing loss is present or suspected it takes the average person 7 years to seek hearing help. Sadly, only 25% of those with a diagnosed hearing loss will actually acquire the technology that will help them to hear better.

Today’s Open Ear hearing aid has quite a trendy look and it is available in many colors, from silver to champagne to a racy leopard print. For the more discrete person, the aid practically “disappears” into the ear canal and with all the color choices it can blend in with a person’s hair or skin tones. If desired, an Open Ear hearing aid can look more like “ear gear”, fitting in nicely with today’s popular trend of wearing something in, or connected to, the ear. Think of iPods, MP3 players, cell phones with blue tooth technology, or blackberries. All of these popular items are worn uncovered and unhidden and they are treated as stylish by a very youthful generation. No longer do hearing aids have a negative stigma, as many people wear their aids proudly and are delighted by the benefits of better hearing. Like wearing eye glasses to help with reading, a hearing aid is a mainstream way of dealing with an age-related hearing loss.

Not only does an Open Ear hearing aid look good but it works great too. Due to the open fit design which does not block the ear canal, there is no feeling of being “plugged up” and the sound of one’s own voice is natural and not hollow. Open fittings allow environmental sounds to pass naturally through your ear canal, as if hearing aids are not being worn. The advanced digital models of Open Ear hearing aids use DSP or Digital Sound Processing. This DSP feature continuously processes incoming sounds and provides clear, distortion-free hearing. Thanks also to sophisticated feedback cancellation technology the squealing hearing aid is also a thing of the past.

Hearing aid manufacturers are making the choice of hearing aids more convenient for today’s boomers by including a wide range of available features. Hearing aids may be equipped with multiple programs for different listening environments such as a program for hearing in the car, at a restaurant or on a cell phone. Directional microphones help to filter out unwanted background noise and to enhance speech. Many models come with a remote control that helps the hearing aid user have even more precise control over what they want to hear. Blue tooth technology makes possible, communication between a hearing aid and other devices, such as an iPod or cell phone.

The more progressive boomers are viewing themselves and others who wear hearing aids as more able to embrace change and adapt to their changing bodies. It is not appropriate behaviour to look passively in response to something that was said but not heard, or even worse, to routinely misinterpret what was said. A good hearing aid allows for normal social interaction. We all live in a competitive world where a slight reduction in hearing acuity can diminish our chances for success, can affect how we are perceived by others, can affect our quality of life and can impact our emotions. If any group in history understands the many pressures of living in such a competitive world, it’s the boomers. They will provoke many changes, and in the hearing aid industry, they already have.

At the ripe young age of 63, I have begun hearing properly. For the first time in a decade, I can take part in conversations or go to the theatre and symphony without missing a large part of what is being said or played. For the last 12 years, I have had my hearing checked annually and it has been progressively deteriorating. The need for corrective action lost out to vanity and pride.

This all changed in June 2006 when I met with Nona Fuller at Hearing Institute Atlantic s Gladstone location for this years Hearing Test. As expected the results were not good, rather than leaving it at that, Nona convinced me to try a pair of behind the ear hearing aids and, get this, a remote control to make adjustments or change settings. The improvement was instant and to some extent, shocking. I was a convert from day one!!

The biggest improvement is at home. I was missing so much dialogue that I can only begin to understand how difficult it must have been for my family to communicate with me. They are saints!!

Louise’s Perspective:

After Jim s Audiological Exam, Nona said,  Jim, you have a hearing impairment. Louise, you have a hearing problem. She acknowledged how difficult it is to live with someone who cannot hear well. It is both a relief and a pleasure to now be able to converse with ease in a variety of settings. Now that Jim has his aids, I do not have to repeat, restate, clarify or explain what I or others say. Our family and friends are very impressed with Jim s communication improvements.