Most Likely symptoms detected in Babies and Children having hearing loss.

Hearing loss can affect people of all ages, from newborns to the elderly. In older children and adults, hearing loss is often easier to identify. But in infants and young children, it may be more difficult to recognize.

Below are some of the common signs associated with hearing loss in both babies and toddlers/young children.

Babies:

• ​Did not pass newborn hearing screening
• Does not startle or react to loud sounds
• Does not babble, or starts babbling at a young age and then stops
• Does not respond to familiar voices
• Does not say any words by 12 months of age (even “mama” or “papa”)
• 
  

Toddlers/Young Children:

• Has delayed or unclear speech
• Does not respond to voices or sounds when they cannot see you
• Asks for repetitions or says “huh” a lot
• Does not follow directions
• Needs the television turned up louder than normal
• Misses soft sounds or distant sounds

If you suspect your child may have hearing loss, contact the child’s pediatrician or a pediatric audiologist (hearing specialist) immediately for a hearing evaluation.

Now Understand Speech In Most Difficult Noisy Places With ALPS Hearing Aids

ALPS High Resolution Hearing Aids focus on speech understanding, comfort , ease-of-use & are created to give you the listening experiences you desire.

ALPS H.R.H Hearing Aids automatically adjust to your specific listening environment, letting you enjoy life, wherever you might find yourself.

Every day you move between many different listening situations. The ALPS H.R.H Hearing Aids will adapt to your precise environment & deliver unmatched sound quality with minimal interaction.

ALPS Digital Hearing Aids help you to hear & understand in even the toughest listening situations.

ALPS state of the art Hearing Aids were developed to suit your individual lifestyle & hearing needs.

They are designed to balance comfort & speech understanding.

ALPS Super Power Hearing Aids provide enhanced power & performance for clients with severe to profound hearing loss.

Imagine a totally new listening experience, while wearing a smaller & lighter device.

The World’s Fastest Rapid Fit BTE Digital Hearing Aid ideal for quick fit requirements & also for places where PC/Laptop is not available.

ALPS Rapid Fit high-tech digital hearing aids with excellent sound quality at a remarkably affordable price.

New Ear Cleaning "How-To" Rules

(Source: HealthyHearing.com) Regular readers of Healthy Hearing know we've covered the problem of cerumen - commonly called ear wax - in previous editions. Why? Well, we all have it and ear wax can cause temporary hearing problems. Also, for persons with hearing aids, cerumen can be more common and wreak havoc on your hearing aids.
So despite the inherent "ewww factor" associated with ear wax, let's take a look down your ear canal and provide the latest on ear care.

It's Natural

Cerumen builds up in our ear canals

Cerumen isn't a sign of poor hygiene or an oversight. The production of cerumen is natural and it serves a beneficial purpose.
Cerumen is produced by glands that line the outer third of the ear canal and it isn't wax at all. It's water-soluble (it dissolves in water) and it's there to collect dust, debris, dead skin cells, hair spray and all the other gunk that would, otherwise, work its way down the ear canal to the tympanic membrane or ear drum.
So, by capturing this gunk before it collects deeper in the ear, the delicate workings of the inner ear are protected. By reaming out ear wax with a cotton swab, toothpick or some other "entrenching tool," you're actually hurting yourself. Stop cleaning your ears - at least stop reaming out your ear canal with whatever's close at hand.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation

The AAO-HNSF (yes it's a mouthful) has issued new cerumen removal guidelines for hearing care professionals; however, the guidelines contain information that is useful for all to take home and stick inside their medicine cabinet.
"Approximately 12 million people a year in the U.S. seek medical care for impacted or excessive cerumen," said Richard Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, Chair of the AAO-HNSF Guideline Development Task Force. "This leads to nearly 8 million cerumen removal procedures by health care professionals. Developing practical clinical guidelines for physicians to understand the harm vs. benefit profile of the intervention was essential."
You bet. And it's just as important that we all understand these new guidelines. It's a universal bodily function, but one that can cause problems, especially among special groups of people:

• 10% of children have problems with cerumen that require medical attention.
• 5% of adults have a problem serious enough for a visit to the doctor.
• 33% of the elderly have hearing issues associated with cerumen
• 33% of cognitively impaired men and women have problems.

What is so sticky about wax?

Well, the one most of us think about is cosmetic. No one wants to walk around with wax sitting in the outer ear. But a simple wash with warm water and soap will remove visible cerumen. Cosmetic problem solved, as long as the wash cloth stays outside the ear canal. If you use a wash cloth and stick to the pina - the outer ear - you'll look spiffy. And well groomed.
Serious problems occur when cerumen builds up within the ear canal and becomes impacted or compressed. This can lead to a variety of problems: • ear pain • sound distortion (your own voice sounds different)

• a feeling of stuffiness or fullness in the ear canal
• persistent itching • an unpleasant odor
• ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• discharge (an oozing substance that keeps appearing)
• persistent cough
• hearing loss

If you experience these symptoms in combination with an excess amount of cerumen production, it's time to make an appointment with a qualified hearing care professional to see what's up (or down) in there. These professionals can quickly diagnose ear wax impaction and have the tools and techniques to remove the impacted ear wax safely.
Let's put this in bold type because it's that important: if you experience any of the symptoms listed above and you know that you have ear wax build up, do NOT try to fix the problem yourself. REPEAT: Do not try to fix the problem yourself.
To put it simple, don't stick anything down your ear canal. The chances of pushing deeper the impacted cerumen are simply too great and worse, puncturing your eardrum (ouch!). And besides, you can't even see what you're doing in there so see a professional who can handle the problem safely.

The AAO-HNSF Cerumen Guidelines

So, what do the medical practitioners recommend for handling ear wax. Well, here are the new guidelines published by the AAO-HNSF:

1. Cerumen is beneficial. It is self-cleaning, protects the inner ear, moisturizes the ear canal and has anti-biotic properties, i.e. germs don't get through.
2. People who wear hearing aids should be examined regularly for impaction that can cause feedback, limit hearing and cause further damage to the ear.
3. Ear wax can cause reversible hearing loss even when 80% of the ear canal's diameter is blocked. (That's good news, so make an appointment today.)
4. Removal techniques include:

At home:

• wax-dissolving agents (some o-t-c products are available for home maintenance)

Water irrigation is one cerumen removal option

By a hearing care professional:

• irrigation - removing the impacted ear wax with water under mild pressure
• manual removal with special instruments
• suction, carefully controlled and monitored by the hearing professional

Home care should NOT include: cleaning the ear with a cotton swab, oral jet irrigators or ear candling. These practices invariably do more harm than good.
Take the advice of your physician or audiologist who may recommend regular visits for a safe ear cleaning.
Bottom line?
Cleaning your ears is not a do-it-yourself project like brushing your teeth. Your ears will take care of themselves under normal circumstances - no maintenance needed.
However, if you experience symptoms associated with ear wax impaction, or if you wear a hearing aid, the AAO-HNSF recommends seeing your hearing care professional every 6 - 12 months.
Dr. Peter Roland, MD, who led the team that developed these new hearing health guidelines put it this way. "The complications from cerumen impaction can be painful and ongoing, including infections and hearing loss. It is hoped that these guidelines will give clinicians the tools they need to spot an issue early and avoid serious outcomes."
Dr. Roland's point should be taken to heart, not only by hearing professionals but by individuals with cerumen problems. You know first when there's a problem with your hearing.
You're the best, strongest advocate for good hearing health. So, if ear wax is anything more unusual than "icky," make an appointment so see a hearing care professional today.

Iodine Cures Cancers

We are about to upset the $50 Billion Cancer Industry.

Author Lynne Farrow asked me to post my research on how Iodine cures cancer.

First the real life stories from little Westport, Tn. I have been heavily promoting iodine to my friends & neighbors by handing out free books that I bought from Amazon to get the ball rolling. I am even shocked at the amazing results I have seen in such short times.

1) Kay was suffering terminal cancer & was sent to home hospice to die when doctors gave up on her rapidly spreading cancer. She was given a 3 month death sustenance. Cancer had taken over her uterus & vagina, and spread out from there. Kay's best friend had cured her own fibrocystic breast disease in less than a month with iodine (her doctor wanted to do mastectomy), and was enthusiastic when I showed her my research on iodine curing cancer. Kay started the Dr. Brownstein iodine protocol, and was totally cured within 9 months. X-Rays proved all cancer was gone. She called us this week to tell us how well she is doing.

2) Our neighbor Glenda was suffering from Breast Cancer that was getting larger each month. Her sister, our mail lady, had also cured her own fibrocystic breast disease with iodine in less than 1 month, and so started Glenda on the Dr. Brownstein Iodine Protocol, and now just one month later, Glenda stopped over for a visit to tell us that her breast cancer had shrunk by 90% -

So just in our little community, we have cured 2 cases of fibrocystic breast disease, 1 terminal cancer & a 90% reduction in a breast cancer. The word is spreading like wildfire and over 30 people in this little community have jumped on the iodine bandwagon. Lynne Farrow's book is being passed around from one neighbor to the next, and my own file, "Iodine References" has become very popular.
http://tinyurl.com/Iodine-Handout.
I've heard these people want their own book and have been ordering it.

Now this was to be expected because of reports from leading doctors that iodine cures cancers. Too bad that mainstream medicine is ignoring them.

Dr. Derry says,”One drop (6.5 mg per drop) of Lugol's daily in water, orange juice or milk will gradually eliminate the first phase of the cancer development called fibrocystic disease of the breast so no new cancers can start.”
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fthyroid.about.com%2Flibrary%2Fderry%...


Dr, Derry - How Iodine kills Cancer Cells
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fiodine4health.com%2Fbody%2Fbreast%2F...


Dr. Dach, photos of tumors shrinking with 50mg Iodine
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fjeffreydach.com%2F2009%2F11%2F13%2Fi...


Iodine & Breast Cancer, Dr. Dach
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drdach.com%2FIodine_and_Breast_C...


There is much more in our "Iodine Recommended Reading," chapter Cancer.
http://goo.gl/G4dLP


Iodine is clearly a Miracle From God !

Grizz

How To Prevent Hearing Loss?

Causes of Hearing Loss

There are many causes of hearing loss that are beyond our control, such as those caused by heredity. We can’t pick our parents and our genetic make-up - though with continuing advances in gene research , clinical applications, this may be changing. But for now, we have to deal with the hand that heredity has dealt us.

In Some Cases, Hearing Loss Can be Prevented

Ototoxic Drugs

These are medications that are toxic to the ears and can cause hearing loss, sometimes accompanied by tinnitus. We may have some options; however, about the medications we take. It is always a good idea to ask a physician if a hearing loss is one of the possible side-effects. If it is, and there is a substitute medication that would work just as well, then that would be the one to take.

Examples of Otoxic Drugs

·                 some over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin in high doses

·                 some antibiotics

·                 some chemotherapy drugs

·                 loop diuretics

·                 some anti-inflammatory drugs

Signs of Ototoxicity (in order of frequency)

·                 Development of tinnitus in one or both ears

·                 Intensification of existing tinnitus or the appearance of a new sound

·                 Fullness or pressure in the ears other than being caused by infection

·                 Hearing loss in an unaffected ear or the progression o an existing loss.

·                 Development of vertigo or a spinning sensation usually aggravated by motion which may or may not be     accompanied by nausea

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss – Completely Preventable

·                 A major cause of hearing loss in our society is noise exposure. Tiny hair cells in the ear are damaged when     assaulted by loud noise. Once those hair cells are destroyed they cannot be replaced.

·                 A noise-induced hearing loss is the most common cause for its occurrence in our society and it’s              completely preventable.

·                 Repeated and lengthy exposure to loud sound – whether is it music or a jackhammer - will eventually    produce a sensorineural hearing loss.

• 
  

Damage Risk Criterion

As the sound level increases, the time span one can be exposed to it is reduced. Each day we create more hearing losses in our society with our tolerance of the ear-shattering cacophony that surrounds us.

One in Five Adolescents Has Hearing Loss: Ear Buds May Be to Blame

·                 According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, August 17, 2010, “Listening to loud music though ear buds – the tiny electronic speakers that fit into ears – is probably the main reason that more adolescents are losing some of their hearing.”

·                 “Once you have a hearing loss, there’s a greater risk of that hearing loss progressing as you get older.” (Dr. Slattery, USC, Los Angeles)

·                 “Hearing loss may affect teens’ social development and education.” (Gary Curhan, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School)

·                 Parents can begin monitoring use of personal listening devices by their children. A good rule of thumb is that if the child is wearing ear buds and the parent is able to hear the sound while standing next to them, then the music is too loud.

Musicians

Musicians are particularly at risk. It is their job to listen to the sounds that they and their group are producing, and these may be as high as 135 dB. They have no choice to do this as often as daily; this is their career and their livelihood.

Musicians earplugs are available that can help. The newest and best version reduce the sound equally all across the spectrum, from low to high frequencies. Everything sounds just as good as it did before, only softer.

How to Reduce the Damage to Hearing from Noise

Your ears can be your warning system for potentially dangerous noises. The noise is too loud when:

·                 You have to raise your voice to be understood by someone standing nearby

·                 The noise hurts your ears

·                 You develop a buzzing or ringing sound in your ears, even temporarily (indicates some hair cells have died)

·                 You don't hear as well as you normally do until several hours after you get away from the noise.

How to Protect Yourself When Around Loud Noise

·                 Block the noise (wear earplugs or earmuffs)

·                 Avoid the noise (put hands over ears if you can’t walk away)

·                 Turn down the volume

Decibel Loudness Comparison Chart

Painful

·                 150 dB = fireworks at 3 feet

·                 140 dB = firearms, jet engine

·                 130 dB = jackhammer

·                 120 dB = jet plane takeoff, siren

Extremely Loud

·                 110 dB = maximum output of some MP3 players, model airplane, chain saw

·                 106 dB = gas lawn mower, snow blower

·                 100 dB = hand drill, pneumatic drill

·                 90 dB = subway, passing motorcycle

Very Loud

·                 80–90 dB = blow-dryer, kitchen blender, food processor

·                 70 dB = busy traffic, vacuum cleaner, alarm clock

Moderate

·                 60 dB = typical conversation, dishwasher, clothes dryer

·                 50 dB = moderate rainfall

·                 40 dB = quiet room

Faint

·                 30 dB = whisper, quiet library

PROBLEMS HAVING EARWAX.

Earwax Obstruction

Another leading cause of hearing aid failure is wax blockage. The technical name for common earwax is cerumen. It’s produced by a gland in the outer ear roughly one-third of the way down the ear canal. The
product of this gland is a pasty substance, usually light brown or tan in color and bitter in taste. (Take our word on this one!) Cerumen is believed to exist in the ear canal to discourage flies and insects from entering this opening.The degree of wax generated in the canal varies greatly from one person to the other. On average, men experience more wax buildup than women. Some women, however, can produce large amounts of cerumen, as can children. For reasons not clearly understood, some individuals generate little or no wax. If you’re presently unaware of the wax condition in your ears, your physician or hearing healthcare professional can readily inform you of this after examination with an otoscope (ear light).
Hearing aid wearers must continually be on the lookout for adverse effects of earwax. When hearing aids
are inserted into the ear canals, (or earmolds in the case of BTE hearing aids), they can slide alongside or
directly into accumulated wax. The fresher the wax, the softer and more easily it can get pushed into the
sound bore (receiver) of an aid. A thin smear of earwax over the receiver (sound) tube will shut the hearing
aid down instantly.

Preventing Wax Build-up

The first defense against wax build-up is regular cleaning of your ear canals by a physician or audiologist, or
as simple as it sounds, in a shower by direct spray into the canals. The cautions here are to be careful of the
water pressure, and be certain you don’t have a hole in your eardrum, or any other condition which might
prevent such easy management of earwax.
Hearing instrument specialists are generally not trained to remove earwax, and while wax removal is within the scope of practice for audiologists, many prefer not to provide this service. In any case, you are well-advised to locate a person or office that will provide this service as needed. Attempting to control build-up of earwax by regular use of cotton swabs is not recommended. Aside from the possibility of doing physical damage to the ear canal or drum (the “don’t put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow” concept), cotton swabs will usually only serve to pack the wax deeper with each attempt. By looking into the ear, professionals can readily discern the cotton swab users, as the wax shows a nicely formed concave surface down in the ear canal.
Some hearing aid wearers with chronic wax problems may find regular use of “ear lavage” effective. Equipment along with instructions for home use are available in many hearing care offices and drug stores. Wax softeners for use prior to cleaning can also be purchased. Some people may be uncomfortable
squirting water into the ear canal. A discussion with your physician would be advisable before attempting it. The main problem with this type of treatment is the difficulty knowing when the wax is all out.
The second defense against wax blockage is utilization of some type of wax guard for your hearing aid. There are a number of commercially available products which suit this purpose.

Many manufacturers now provide such a device on their hearing aids. Directly, or under magnification,
you can look into the sound opening of the hearing aid to see if a wax guard is there. These common devices
include “spring,” “Band-Aid” or “trap-door” style guards. All such devices should be discussed with
your hearing health care provider who can explain service requirements.

Responsibility for Wax Maintenance

Whomever dispensed your hearing aids does not have the primary responsibility to keep them free of earwax.You need to develop a daily habit of inspecting the end of the hearing aid where the sound comes out and looking for wax blockage. If accumulation is noticed, this wax can be readily removed in most cases

by the hearing aid wearer with tools provided by the hearing healthcare professional. Remember, periodic
check-ups (every 3-6 months) with your hearing health care professional are recommended.After you have been fit with hearing aids, be sure your hearing healthcare professional demonstrates how to clean your hearing aids using tools which normally come with the purchase of hearing aids.

When and How to Remove Wax

The best time to inspect hearing aids for wax is at the end of the day. At this time, any accumulated wax will still be soft and more easily removed. If you use the Band-Aid style guard, you can wipe across it gently. After a few days if you observe the cushion separating from the adhesive backing, remove it altogether and replace. If used properly, you’ll never need to clean out the receiver (loud speaker) which is the rubber
housing hole at the tip of an aid.
If your hearing aids have the wire coil in them, you may use a device known as a wax loop. This is merely
a wire looped around the end of a piece of plastic. Gently insert it into the receiver tube, turn it one full
rotation, then remove. Avoid picking or poking. Clean any debris from the loop. Nightly cleaning has the
added advantage of keeping the receiver tube open for more adequate ventilation and drying. Review this
procedure carefully and thoroughly with your hearing healthcare provider so that inadvertently you don’t
damage your hearing aids by cramming the wax loop into the wrong opening (such as the microphone port
on the face of the hearing aid) or too deeply into the receiver port which can damage the speaker diaphragm.
Additionally, a wax tool that is a little too large to fit readily into the receiver tube can push the tube itself down into the shell of the hearing aid. This will damage the aid, often causing it to squeal, resulting in needed repairs.Wax should also be removed from hearing aid vents. This is the other port in the hearing aid next to the receiver (loud speaker) port. It can be identified because vents are longer, they do not have a rubber housing through the channel, and often run the length of the earpiece or ear mold. This also means they’re not as easily cleaned. Some people have resorted to the use of wires of various gauges to ream out vents. Wire should be used with caution as it can crack the shell. Large vents are less likely to get plugged up and much easier to clean. Pipe cleaners work extremely well for large vents, such as ITE's, and light gauge fishing line for vents in CICs. Your provider will have suggestions for obtaining these and other suitable tools for cleaning.Sometimes, wax build-up becomes dry and flaky before it’s removed. When this happens, a good brushing of the hearing aid openings can be helpful in addition to use of the wire loop. When brushing, always hold the hearing aid upside down so that wax particles fall out of, rather than down into, the hearing aid. Also, keep your brush clean so that wax particles which collect in the bristles from previous brushing aren't injected inadvertently into the openings.

Your Guide to Care and Maintenance of Hearing Aids

If you are a new hearing aid user or even if you've had your hearing aids for a while you may need a guide 

to help you care for and maintain your hearing aids in top condition. Here are some of the main issues that 

you need to know and understand to get the most from your amplification.

In this post we address eight main issues:

  1) Batteries, 2) ear wax, 3) ear mold/venting issues, 4) moisture/corrosion/dirt/intermittent, 5) telephone use, 6) feedback, 7) static/noise, and 8) prevention.

If you need help with any of these you may consult the blogger at the given email.

Issues with batteries include the following: Dead and defective batteries, getting the most
out of your batteries, batteries in backwards, spent batteries, defective batteries, short battery life,
conserving battery life, safety issues with batteries.

Issues with ear wax include: earwax obstruction, preventing wax build-up, when and how to
remove wax.

Ear mold and venting issues include (comfort & sound quality): ear discomfort, causes
of ear discomfort, correcting a hearing aid fitting problem, plugged up vents.

Moisture, Corrosion, Dirt & related intermittent:Moisture problems, resolving moisture
problems, effects of moisture, dirty volume control, dirty battery, problem of oily skin.

Telephone issues: Poor telephone reception, telecoil circuit, successful use of the telecoil circuit,
other tips for improved telephone listening.

Feedback Issues: Hearing aid squeal (acoustic feedback), acceptable versus unacceptable feedback,
earwax and feedback, solving the feedback problem, feedback with new hearing aids, feedback and
telephone use.

Static and other unwanted sounds: Wind noise, background noise.

Preventive hearing aid maintenance: Spare set of hearing aids, hearing aid disuse and longevity.