What is Ear Infection Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss can be caused by a number of different factors including aging, injury, noise exposure, infection and heredity. Those factors affect the auditory nerve, causing a sensorineural hearing loss, the most common type of hearing loss. But did you know an ear infection can also cause hearing loss? Hearing loss caused by an ear infection is referred to as a conductive hearing loss. Infection in the middle ear can cause fluid to build up, obstructing the movement of the eardrum and the tiny bones attached to it.

Ear infection hearing loss is a type of conductive hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss affects the outer or middle ear rather than the auditory nerve, the way sensorineural hearing loss does. Conductive hearing loss is commonly caused by an obstruction in the middle ear. The middle ear moves to send sounds to your auditory nerve. Any obstruction can prevent sounds from passing through the middle ear and cause hearing loss. A buildup of wax, fluid in the middle ear, or a hole in the ear drum can each cause conductive hearing loss.“Otitis media” is the medical term for an ear infection affecting the middle ear. The infection can cause a buildup of fluid, making it difficult for the eardrum and the ossicular chain to work together to move sounds to the auditory nerve. The ossicular chain in the middle ear is made up of the three smallest bones in your body. Called the malleus, incus and stapes, each one is as small as a single grain of rice.

Ear infection hearing loss is often temporary

Hearing loss caused by an ear infection is usually temporary and subsides after treatment. Your physician may choose to treat your ear infection with antibiotics. If the antibiotics successfully treat the infection, your hearing should return to normal. If you have a history of recurrent ear infections, your physician may insert a tube in your ear drum to help the fluid drain.Eliminating the buildup of fluid relieves the pain and pressure that often accompanies an ear infection and can prevent the eardrum from rupturing. If fluid builds up without resolution, the pressure can cause your eardrum to rupture.A history of recurrent ear infections can also lead to tympanosclerosis, which is the thickening or scarring of the tympanic membrane. A perforated eardrum and tympanosclerosis adversely affect the mobility of the eardrum and reduce hearing acuity. If your hearing does not return to normal following treatment, your physician and hearing professional may recommend hearing aids to treat the unresolved hearing loss.

What to do if you think you have hearing loss

If you have trouble hearing, it is important to have your hearing tested by a hearing professional, so the degree and type of hearing loss can be identified. Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers will identify the type of hearing loss you have and discuss the best treatment option with you following your hearing evaluation. Click here to contact us today!

15 Consequences of Untreated Hearing Loss

Unlike vision, which people typically treat as soon as it starts failing them, treating hearing loss gets pushed off — some studies suggest up to a dozen years or so.We get it. You can’t do basic things like drive and read when your vision is compromised. Whereas with hearing impairment, it’s more gradual, can feel less detrimental, and is definitely easier to compensate for, either by turning up the volume on things, asking people to repeat themselves, or just avoiding situations where hearing is a challenge.But years of research studies and anecdotal data confirm that untreated hearing loss is linked to numerous physical, mental and other negative quality-of-life issues — but that treating hearing loss can help minimize or eliminate these potential consequences. It’s the question everyone with hearing loss eventually asks: is letting it go untreated worth it? We don't think so! Contact us today to set up a hearing evaluation. We can't wait to hear from you!

No wires, no boundaries.

Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers is thrilled to be able to offer the world’s first custom-made wireless hearable, The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey Hearing Technologies, to its customers.On Tuesday, Chicagoland Hearing partnered with Starkey Hearing Technologies and the Bragi team to unveil The Dash Pro. Powered by Starkey Hearing Technologies, the product release brought together technology pioneers from around the world, all eager to see the newest innovation in wearable technology.The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey isn’t just a set of headphones, but a truly wireless ear computer!The Dash Pro allows you to listen to music, podcasts and more via seamless streaming Bluetooth audio. You can leave your phone at home and store up to 1,000 songs or podcasts on 4GB of internal storage. The Dash Pro enables you to make or receive phone calls, and has up to five hours of battery life and 30 hours on-the-go.Another key feature is that you can go hands-free with the 4-D menu and access core features with just head gestures and audio commands. You can even enjoy a swim, run or bike ride with auto activity tracking. The device will recognize the activity and adjust measurements like heart rate, RPM’s and distance accordingly.Additionally, it allows you to hear what you want to hear with audio transparency that lets you block out sound, or let it all in. The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey is now compatible with iTranslate, allowing you to carry on conversations in multiple languages.Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers is excited to be at the forefront of this innovation.We look forward to fitting you for this state-of-the-art custom-made wireless hearable. Please contact our offices at (847) 213-9424 to set up your custom fitting today or to learn more about The Dash Pro tailored by Starkey.We are very excited about this new technology and we know you will be too! Can't wait to hear from you!

Hearing Aids May Improve Balance

A study conducted by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that enhancing hearing improved the balance of older adults with hearing loss. In the study, subjects who wore hearing aids performed better on balance tests when their hearing aids were turned on vs. when they were off.The study’s author attributed the results to more than just improved alertness. Professor of otolaryngology, Timothy Hullar, MD, posited that, just as we use our sight to tell where we are in space (and sway more when it’s dark or our eyes are closed), we use sound as “auditory reference points or landmarks to help maintain balance.” When that is compromised, balance can suffer.Coming shortly after a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine study linking hearing loss to a three-fold risk of falling, the results suggest that treating hearing loss with hearing aids can help reduce the risk of falls in older people.Help prevent one of the leading causes of injuries for older Americans by treating your hearing loss. Contact us Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers to schedule your first hearing exam today!

Wireless Hearing Aids and SurfLink Accessories Let You Live Life the Way You Want

Our newest wireless hearing aids — A4 and Invisibel [Synergy] — are our most advanced hearing aids ever. Thanks to an all-new operating system and updated technology, they’re designed to make music sound more natural than ever, and speech sound crisp and clear no matter how crowded or how loud the environment that you’re in is.But to really enjoy all the benefits of our wireless hearing aids, be sure to pair them to one, or all, of our SurfLink accessories.SurfLink accessories are small and compact. Designed to fit in your pocket or plug into your TV, they provide everything you need to enjoy TV, music, media, and more when paired to your A4 or Invisibel [Synergy] hearing aids.Here are some of the cool things you can do with our SurfLink accessories:1. Enjoy ear-to-ear phone streaming: Your hearing aids become the phone microphone and receiver when used with SurfLink Mobile 2. So once you answer the call, go ahead and talk to your spouse while lifting weights — you don’t need your hands after all.2. Watch your favorite show in surround sound: Missed out on the epic season six of Game of Thrones? No worries. Watch new episodes and old with SurfLink Media 2. It plugs into your TV or stereo and streams the audio directly to both your hearing aids so you can hear every sword fight, sound effect and line of dialogue as if you are wearing headphones.3. Listen to the football game while your wife naps on the couch next to you: Because SurfLink Media 2 streams TV audio directly to your hearing aids, you can decide the volume you want to listen to whatever you’re watching — while actually muting the sound for the rest of the room, or at least playing it at a volume they find comfortable.4. Let everyone choose their own settings: Have more than one person with wireless hearing aids? No problem! Multiple people can connect to a single SurfLink Media 2 device at the same time and choose the volume they each prefer!5. Quickly, easily change volume and hearing aid memories without touching your ears: The SurfLink Remote fits in the palm of your hand and lets you change memories, adjust volume and more without lifting a finger to your devices.6. Nail that dream job interview: You can use SurfLink Mobile 2 as a lightweight, discreet microphone that can be worn by your conversation partner to help one-on- one conversations be the best they can be.Call us today to learn more about the Surflink and to schedule a FREE hearing evaluation today!This blog originally appeared on www.starkey.com.

Hearing Loss at 20?

Nearly 20 percent of people in their 20s already have some hearing loss, and more than half of people are not losing their hearing from loud noise at work, according to a new report we read on NBC News.The survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds a surprising number of Americans have some hearing loss — and many don't even know it.They may also not realize that everyday activities, such as mowing the lawn or even sitting for hours in loud traffic, could be damaging their hearing, the CDC said.

About 24 percent of people ages 20-69 who report having excellent hearing have measurable hearing damage.

"Lots of people have hearing loss as a result of too much noise," acting CDC director Dr. Anne Schuchat told reporters."People as young as 20 to 29 years old already had noise-induced hearing damage."The CDC team got data from a large national survey of the health of Americans, and what they found surprised them. An estimated 40 million Americans under the age of 70 have hearing damage."About 53 percent of people ages 20-69 who have hearing damage from noise report no on-the-job exposure," the CDC said in a statement."About 24 percent of people ages 20-69 who report having excellent hearing have measurable hearing damage. About 20 percent of adults with no job exposure to loud sounds have hearing damage."Hearing damage is permanent — there's no cure and no treatment. It results in more than people who don't hear well. It can also cause tinnitus, a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears, and the stress can lead to anxiety and high blood pressure.A single, one-time loud noise can damage hearing, but so can noise at lower levels over time."The louder a sound is, and the longer you are exposed to it, the more likely it will damage your hearing," the CDC said.It might not be a loud enough noise to register as dangerous, Schuchat said."More than half of those 40 million report no exposure to loud noise," she said. Loud concerts or constant pounding music are almost clichéd sources of hearing damage, but lawnmowers, leafblowers, woodworking saws and other machinery can also damage hearing."Even being stuck in traffic with horns blowing and sirens blaring can put hearing at risk," Schuchat said."People may not realize that these kinds of exposure can cause permanent damage."Schuchat said most research has focused on hearing loss on the job, and employers seem to be doing a better job of helping workers protect their ears in noisy environments."The surprising result related to people who don't have work-related exposure to noise," she said.So people should err on the side of caution when it comes to noise — using earplugs when operating equipment such as lawnmovers, moving away from constant loud noises, rolling up car windows in loud traffic and limiting time spent listening to loud music.She said the CDC study couldn't answer specific questions about whether using ear buds was contributing to the problem, but said it's always a good idea to limit time and keep the volume as low as possible."Does everybody need to wear earplugs all day long, year in and year out? Of course not," Schuchat said."But if you know you are going to be in a noisy place, you can take steps to prepare for that."If you feel like you are experiencing hearing loss or need the proper ear plugs, please contact us today to schedule a FREE hearing evaluation.Source: nbcnews.com

14 Great Reasons to Wear Hearing Aids

Got hearing loss but don’t want to wear hearing aids? Today’s hearing aids have a lot more upside than just looking significantly more stylish than their predecessors.

You can hear again

Hearing aids are the most common treatment for hearing loss.

Your spouse will be relieved

They’ll be grateful they won’t need to be your interpreter anymore.

Your grandkids will stop looking at you quizzically

OK, no guarantees on that. But at least they’ll stop wondering why you say “what?” all the time, never answer their questions, or answer off topic.

You can enjoy music again

Starkey Muse hearing aids are the first hearing aids specifically engineered to enhance the enjoyment of music.

You can watch TV without blasting the volume

Starkey’s wireless hearing aids can stream sound directly from your TV to your hearing aids. You control the volume. No one else has to hear it if you don’t want them to.

You’ll be a positive role model to friends and family

You proactively did something about your hearing loss. Who doesn’t admire a take-charge person?

You’ll boost your confidence

When you can hear clearly, you’ll be more self-assured in restaurants, on the job, and in social and public settings.

You could positively impact your earning power

Studies show people who treat their hearing loss earn higher incomes than peers who don’t.

You’ll get tired less quickly

The harder it is to hear, the more energy your brain uses to listen, the quicker you get mentally exhausted. Hearing aids help negate that.

You’ll enjoy going out to noisy places like restaurants again

Loud environments are the most challenging for hearing loss sufferers. Today’s best hearing aids help, thanks to technology that detects and isolates speech and reduces background noise.

Your brain will thank you

Your brain is a like muscle, and processing sounds is one of its favorite exercises. Sound deprivation can accelerate atrophy.

You’ll minimize potentially embarrassing moments

Hearing information incorrectly or answering questions inappropriately (or not at all) could lead to an unnecessary and regretful faux pas.

You could improve your safety and those under your charge

There’s less chance you’ll miss warning sounds, important instructions, or calls for help.

Did we already say your spouse will be relieved?

Not just them, but friends and family, too. They won’t have to repeat things, or shout things, or tolerate the TV being so loud. Or worry about you as much.

If you’re one of the millions of adults who haven’t sought help for your hearing loss, you’re missing out on plenty. Contact us today to discover even more great reasons to wear hearing aids.

Source(s):

http://www.asha.org/Aud/Articles/Untreated-Hearing-Loss-in-Adults/

http://www.betterhearing.org/hearingpedia/hearing-loss-treatment

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23426091

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_accelerated_brain_tissue_loss_

http://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/news/Millionslivewithhearingloss.pdf

Important Audibel A4i and A3i Update

iOS 10.2 Compatibility

We have evaluated the performance of Apple® iOS 10.2 with our Audibel A4i^TM and A3i^TM hearing aids and confirmed compatibility.

When updating the version of iOS on an iPhone®, the hearing aids may lose connection, requiring patients to unpair and re-pair the hearing aids with the iPhone.

Compatibility information can be found here. Please contact Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers at any of our 23 locations with any questions.

'Tis the Season for Giving at Starkey Hearing Technologies

Starkey^® Hearing Technologies, the only American-owned and operated hearing aid manufacturer, is celebrating its annual season of giving with an array of local charitable events to support families, children and veterans. "Ever since Bill Austin founded Starkey Hearing Technologies, almost 50 years ago, philanthropy has been embedded deep in the company's DNA," Starkey Hearing Technologies Senior Vice President Brandon Sawalich said. "Each year, we partake in the season of giving to express our gratitude to our community, and we're always humbled and awed by the number of Starkey employees who join us in giving back."

To kick off the season of giving, Starkey Hearing Technologies set up its Wish Tree in support of the Angel Foundation, the Mendota Heights-based non-profit that provides emergency financial assistance, education and support for adults with cancer and their families. For the third year in a row, hundreds of Starkey Hearing Technologies employees bought gifts, gift cards, toys, and other items which will be delivered this week to fulfill families' holiday wishes.

On Tuesday, December 14, Starkey Hearing Technologies hosted a MobilePack™ event for Feed My Starving Children^®, the Coon Rapids-based non-profit that feeds malnourished children around the world. Nearly 300 Starkey employees packed 54,432 nutritious, high-protein meals, which will feed more than 150 children in need every day for one year.

On Saturday, December 17, Starkey Hearing Technologies partnered with Wreaths Across America to place 1,500 wreaths at Fort Snelling National Cemetery as part of National Wreaths Across America Day. The evergreen wreaths, adorned with traditional red bows, express Starkey Hearing Technologies' gratitude for veterans' courage, service and sacrifice.

On Thursday, December 22, Starkey Hearing Technologies will donate holiday turkeys to the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf, which serves families in the Glencoe and Hutchinson areas.

On New Year's Day, Starkey Hearing Technologies will host a group of local veterans at the Starkey Hearing Technologies hospitality suite when the Minnesota Vikings face the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium.

And finally, as part of Starkey Hearing Technologies' commitment to giving back throughout the year, the company is working with Make-A-Wish^® Minnesota to grant the wishes of 10 local children and teens who are suffering from cancer or other life-threatening medical conditions. These 10 life-changing experiences are currently being planned and will be revealed to the recipients in 2017.

Here at Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers we are PROUD to be a part of the Starkey Hearing Technologies network. Giving the gift of hearing is beyond important to us! If you'd like more information on this foundation or would like to set up a free hearing consultation, please contact us!

About Starkey Hearing Technologies

Starkey Hearing Technologies is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded in 1967, the company is recognized for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. The company develops, manufactures and distributes hearing aids via three distinct brands - Audibel, NuEar and its original brand, Starkey. As the only American-owned and operated provider of hearing technologies, Starkey Hearing Technologies is proud to support veterans and active military service personnel with the best in American innovation, including a suite of revolutionary hearing technologies and other resources. Starkey Hearing Technologies currently employs more than 4,800 people and operates 21 facilities and conducts business in more than 100 markets worldwide.

Talking About Hearing Loss is a Matter of Timing

Talking to a loved one about their hearing loss is a difficult thing to do. Each holiday season, millions of American struggle with hearing loss at social gatherings around Thanksgiving, religious holidays and New Year's Eve. For some there is embarrassment and frustration. For others their family and friends are more burdened by the challenge of communicating to their loved one with hearing loss. Since awareness for hearing difficulties tends to reach its height this time of year, we want to offer suggestions for knowing when it is best to speak to a loved one about addressing hearing loss. 

Accepting change is often said to be one of the hardest things to do. In fact, it has been found that there are many stages in the process such as anger, denial and, ultimately, acceptance. Far too often those with hearing loss are pushed too hard into making a hearing aid technology purchase at the early stages of this process. Many individuals will return the product and subsequently wait several more years until taking the needed actions. Just like changing any habit or situation for the better, it takes the proper mental commitment from the impacted party for successful outcomes. For a concerned loved one it is important to employ caring and patience in your sentiment when speaking to a loved one about their hearing loss. Patience is extremely important as this individual should be shown the respect to make the decision, when they are ready.

By taking this suggested approach, the best possible outcomes will be achieved for all parties involved in that the loved one will be committed to improving their hearing and getting the most out of their investment. If you would like additional assistance in crafting your approach for speaking to a loved one about their hearing loss, simply reach out to our office by phone or submitting your information on our Contact Us page. Also, when that person is ready to take the first step, we offer complimentary hearing consultation appointments to help determine the best course of action for gaining better hearing.

If you feel like you or a loved one experiences hearing loss, please contact us today to set up a FREE hearing consultation. In addition, being there by the side of your loved one is very important too. You can also visit our website at wwww.chicagolandhearing.com to learn more about what we have to offer.

5 Tips To Be A Great Advocate

Being an advocate is hard, and when you’re an advocate for someone with hearing loss, it can be even more challenging. Hearing loss is connected to the misleading belief that only the elderly has it and that hearing aids aren’t for the “young.” In reality, hearing loss affects children and adults of all ages, and according to the World Health Organization, over a billion teens and young adults are at risk for hearing loss as of 2015. That being said, it is very difficult to encourage someone with hearing loss to get the help they need without alienating them or actually causing them to wait even longer.Being an advocate for someone with hearing loss is hard because you aren’t trying to get someone else to help them but are trying to get them to help themselves. Here are five tips to be a great advocate for a friend or loved one with hearing loss.1. Let them come to you: Instead of constantly pushing them to get help or overwhelming them with hearing aid pamphlets and articles on hearing loss, let them come to you when they are ready. Everyone eventually reaches a point at which help is the only option left, so give them time to come to terms with their hearing loss and be ready to help when they ask for it.2. “With” not “at”: Don’t talk at them about hearing loss. Talk with them. Let them know you are there to listen and encourage them to be open about difficulties they may be facing.3. Sometimes, not all the time: When you notice them blaming their hearing issues on other things (people mumble, it’s windy, it’s loud, etc.), politely suggest that they should have their hearing checked just in case. If they get defensive and say no, let it go and try again at a later time. Be patient and pick your moments wisely. It’s better to mention their loss every now and then instead of all the time.4. Two minds think alike: If you have other friends who have hearing loss or wear hearing aids, consider introducing them to each other. Sometimes it takes someone else with hearing loss to help a person see how much he or she is really struggling and how much getting help could improve their life.5. Be patient: Try not to get frustrated or impatient when communicating difficulties arise and you have to repeat yourself multiple times. Getting angry or annoyed will only make you less trustworthy as an advocate and may make the person with hearing loss feel like you don’t support them anymore and consequently avoid interacting with you.

We'd Like to Welcome Kathryn Otto to the Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers Team!

We'd like to welcome Kathryn A. Otto, MA, CCC-A to Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers!

 

Kathy graduated from Glenbard West High School and went on to complete her undergraduate work at The University of Iowa, where she received her BA in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She then attended Northwestern University and earned her MA in Audiology and Hearing Impairment. Chicago afforded many clinical opportunities while in grad school, including working at Hines VA Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hospital, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She completed her certification working at the Dizziness and Balance Center in Glenview.

 

After relocating to Iowa, she worked with an ENT group and started her own hearing aid practice. After moving back to the Chicago area, Kathy returned to her alma mater, Northwestern, to lecture and supervise graduate students. She has also worked with Dr. Richard Wiet at the Chicago Otology Group (now the Ear Institute of Chicago) and Drs. Richard Bulger and James Rejowski (formerly York ENT, S.C.). Kathy joined Auditory Services, Inc. in 2009 where she worked until October, 2016.

 

When she’s not working with patients, she’s either singing with The Elizabethans (where they perform for various assisted living facilities and local groups) or at the barn, pursing her passion for the sport of eventing with her horses. 

We are too excited to have Kathy as our newest member of the Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers team!

Hearing On and Off the Field: Tyson Gillies

In honor of the Chicago Cubs first World Series game tonight, we thought we'd share this amazing story about Tyson Gillies!It’s the bottom of the sixth inning, and the crowd’s deafening cheers fill my head. The pitcher throws a curve ball, and my teammate misses, striking out before the ball even hits the catcher’s glove. Do I steal? Do I stay? Will he get the next hit? Will it be a line drive? Well, if it’s a homerun, I should run. What if it’s not?As I watch the pitcher wind up for the second pitch, options run through my head in fast forward. My feet dance in rhythm with my thoughts, toes scuffing up dust as I bounce off and on first base.  And as my feet shift heel to toe, my mind races, analyzing all the plays, all the ways that next pitch could turn out, all the different things that could happen should the bat and ball meet. I can’t be sure. I should steal now. It’s never safe to steal, but here we go.  The ball flies out the pitcher’s hand as my feet push off the base and race towards second. I’m sprinting fast, second base getting closer and closer, and yet when I get there, all I hear is “OUT!” from the umpire. And then I hear the cruelty of the crowd.This is the scene I imagine as San Antonio Mission’s outfielder Tyson Gillies, 26, explains what can happen on the field when he makes a mistake.“It’s like they can’t see past it,” Gillies said. “People didn’t want to take a chance on me when I started out because I came with certain risks. They couldn’t see past my hearing loss. So now, when I make a mistake on the field, it’s not just a bad call by a player, it’s all about whether or not I heard the play at all. When I make a mistake, it’s all they see.”

The Early Days

Tyson Gillies was born with hearing loss, but he was almost 5-years-old by the time he was finally tested.  “My lip reading was so good, I had everyone fooled,” he said.In school, his teachers thought he wasn’t listening and often chastised him for not paying attention. “They didn’t know what to do with me,” he said. “In kindergarten, for example, I wouldn’t hear everything so I’d memorize all the activities for each day. I knew when it was Monday or Friday based on what we were doing. I knew when snack time was, when naptime was and what came next. I was always one step ahead, so no one could see that I was different from the other kids. But, when activities got changed, I didn’t know what to do and would get so frustrated that I’d just lose it.”But what Gillies’ teachers thought to be bad behavior was actually a severe cookie-bite hearing loss in both ears. Testing showed that hearing aids were a necessity.Growing up in a small community about four hours outside of Vancouver, Canada, Gillies said he faced a lot of teasing and bullying because of his hearing aids. “It was hard just being different…being the outcast,” he said.  “I was the only one. No one had hearing aids or knew what they were. Kids are always judgmental with anything different, but even adults would ask what the things on my ears were.”Until about tenth grade, Gillies said he was a homebody, avoiding social outings and doing anything he could to hide his hearing aids. He kept his hair long and wore beanies to hide the devices. “I went through a lot of hearing aids when I was younger,” he said. “ Kids threw one pair on top of a roof in third grade, but I threw some out of our apartment’s windows or flushed them down the toilet. I didn’t want to wear them."After a while though, Gillies said the insecurities and isolation faded as he accepted how much he needed the hearing aids. “They just became part of who I am,” he said.Now, he’s open about his hearing loss and is the first to tell others about his hearing aids or event to make a joke about them. “When you laugh about it or bring it up before anyone else can,” Gillies said, “people are just more comfortable around you. If you say it first, it’s like it’s no longer an issue.”

Hearing Baseball: Hardships and Home Runs

Today, Gillies is a professional baseball player, a centerfielder for the San Antonio Missions in Texas. The Seattle Mariners originally signed him in 2007 before being traded in a major deal to the Phillies in 2009.Gillies never saw himself playing pro ball until later in life, and if you ask him, he’s the first to admit the real reason he got started in the game: “I was waiting for hockey season.” Originally, Gillies was trained to be the quarterback in high school, but he was turned away when his hearing aids wouldn’t fit inside the helmet. “They never even took a chance on me…that was the last time I ever let anyone put ‘can’t’ in my head,” Gillies said of the experience. Despite his initial interest in baseball, Gillies quickly proved himself a powerhouse of athleticism and talent throughout high school and during his first year of junior college at Iowa Western Community College.  He was drafted after only a year at Iowa and has been playing professionally ever since.Despite his talent on the field, Gillies’ hearing loss has affected the way others see and treat him as a player. “People always go for the ears when I tell them I can’t hear, and that’s the worst,” he said. “ I can’t hear them and don’t respond, so they end up thinking I’m being a jerk. It’s something I wish I could explain to everyone, especially the fans that are yelling behind me. They end up thinking I’m rude, but in reality I just haven’t heard them so I don’t respond.”With coaches, Gillies said he’s had some great ones and some who weren’t quite sure how to work with him or who understood how his hearing loss impacted him as a player.He recalled how one coach interacted with him after signing with the Mariners. “One of my coaches would always go up to me, talk really slow, use hand signals and say, ‘You. Are. Going. To Right Field,” Gillies said. “He did it everyday, so finally I was like I need to do something. One day when he got done telling me where to go, I said, ‘Ok. Oh, how’s your family? Your friends? How was your weekend?’ and he just stared at me in shock. It was like he finally understood that I was actually capable at that point, that my hearing loss didn’t make disabled or different.”Gillies said the automatic assumption that he’s incapable because he has hearing loss is one of the biggest obstacles he’s faced as a ball player. “I’ve always worked like crazy to be a powerhouse on the field so that no one can say anything about my hearing loss, and after a while, people start to forget I’m hearing impaired and start talking about how I play instead,” he said. “When something happens that puts focus back on my hearing loss, it’ s like oh great, here we go again. I just try to tell myself it’s going to get better and that I can’t let it hold me back.”“If you don’t’ act like you have a disability, no one else will,” said Gillies’ girlfriend Caitlin Connolly. “He just puts it out there before anyone else can and makes it obvious before there is even an issue. In all the sports he’s played, he’s never really seemed different because it’s so much unspoken communication. He’s always one step ahead of everyone else, playing out scenarios before they happen so that when they do, he’s ready.”But, what Connolly is amazed at isn’t Gillies openness about his hearing loss; it’s how he handles difficult and negative situations. “He has such a strong wall, and he is incredible at keeping it inside, but just some of the things I’ve heard at games…it’s disgusting,” she said. “Some of the players used to call him Radio when he first started, but the fans are honestly the worst. They’ll use his hearing loss and are ready to blame him for missing a ball, shouting, “Did you not hear the ball? Didn’t you hear the play?’ It’s the only thing they look to when something goes wrong.”Commentators, Gillies said, will do the same thing, citing his hearing loss as an excuse for the way a play went or the loss of a run. While the teasing incites flashbacks from growing up, Gillies said he does his best to brush it off. “Because of my hearing loss there are insecurities and frustrations that come with it, but I just try to remember that it’s all part of the game,” Gillies said.“Everybody has to deal with teasing and taunts. I just try to remember how far I’ve come and what I’ve done to overcome it. I always tell myself to stop feeling sorry for myself, that it could be so much worse and that I should be thankful for what I have.”

Helpful Hearing Aids

Gillies’ has worn numerous hearing aids throughout his life, and said that as he got older he tried to always ensure his hearing aids were the latest technology. “He just has a better quality of life overall,” Connolly said of what hearing aids do for Gillies. “Whether it’s sports or communicating with friends, they make him so much more confident and open. Without them it’s like he’s a different person.”In May, Gillies’ broke his hearing aids; a 2012 set of Starkey completely-in-the-canal devices, Connolly said it was like his world just fell apart.“I watched it happen and could see what a setback it was for him,” she said. “He is such a positive person, but watching him struggle with the older technology was really hard. The older hearing aids were holding him back. When he reached out to Starkey and they invited him to come to Minnesota, it was a miracle. He was so excited, and I was just sitting there crying when I found out because I was so happy for him.”

Two Whole New Worlds

Neither cried at the end of the Starkey hearing appointment, but both were all smiles when they found out that Starkey Hearing Technologies CEO Bill Austin had worked with his team to create not one, but two hearing aids for Gillies to walk away with.“I was shocked when I heard them say he was getting two pairs, “ Connolly said. “We just weren’t expecting that. We were already so grateful, but when that happened…we were just speechless.”For on the field, Gillies was fit with invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) SoundLens2 hearing aids to help block out wind interference and be virtually unnoticeable while playing or practicing baseball. While his former hearing aids were unable to hear sounds well from behind and to the sides, Gillies said he’s amazed at how clear and easy he can hear and understand sound from every direction. The goal with the SoundLens2 devices was to enable Gillies to have optimal hearing without any interference while playing, especially while wearing hats or helmets.For off the field, Gillies has receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) Made for iPhone hearing aids that will offer him power, personalization capabilities, the latest in hearing aid technology and the ability to create geo-tagged memories, which is key with upcoming travel plans to North Carolina, Canada and possibly Asia“I’m on the road a lot for baseball, so this is going to be amazing when talking on the phone while traveling,” Gillies said. “I called my mom last night and she was in tears because she was so happy for me,” he said after a night wearing the Halos. “It was incredible how clear her voice was, and even last night when we went out in Minneapolis to loud restaurants with live music, I could hear and understand so much.”“He gives people hope,” Connolly said of Gillies. “Here he is, this successful and talented athlete with hearing loss. People look at him and see how far he’s come with hearing loss and they see that in the end it doesn’t mean anything, that it doesn’t stop him from going after what he wants.”Hearing loss comes in all shapes, sizes and activities! Here at Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers we want you to hear better for more fulfilling life! Contact us to set up a hearing consultation to see what we can do for YOU!

Why did Apple get rid of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7?

Welcome to your hearable future. At the launch of the iPhone 7 yesterday, Apple announced that it was ditching the white headphone wires that have been an icon of the brand since 2003. Instead, listeners will use AirPods, a pair of wireless earbuds that connect to the phone over Bluetooth.Ditching the headphone jack allows the iPhone 7 to shrink even slimmer, and losing a hole makes the phone more water resistant. But this is also the latest case of Apple using its flagship product to bring a tech trend to the masses– get ready for “hearables” doing battle for the ownership of your ears.I’ve been using similar technology since 2014, when Apple paired with Starkey Hearing Technologies to produce the world’s first set of smartphone-connected hearing aids, the Starkey Halo. The software means I can take calls and listen to music directly via my hearing aids. The codec that Apple developed for these devices, which allowed audio streaming over low-energy Bluetooth for the first time, now appears in the AirPods.A handful of start-ups have released devices that aim to take hearables even further. New York firm Doppler Labs offers the Here One, a pair of outsized earplugs that auto-tune your environment to play you a more aesthetically pleasing version. And German company Bragi has the Dash, a wireless “smart earphone” that incorporates a music player, pedometer, pulse rate monitor, and much more.Hand-in-hand with the hardware comes the voice-recognition software to control it: think Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, OK Google and most recently Alexa, the AI that lives in Amazon’s Echo device. Just as smartphone apps took over from the web as the way most of us use the internet, hearables promise to take over from screens, bringing relevant information directly to our ears. Want to know what the weather is like in Rome, the contents of your inbox, or how long it will be until your next train arrives? Just wonder aloud, and Siri will whisper the answer discreetly into your ear.Unlike visual interfaces, which demand your attention, audio provides an ideal interface for pervasive, background connectivity. The end goal is a more immersive type of computing, where the interface itself becomes invisible. We’re only just beginning to explore the possibilities that lie in this space: last year, sound artist Daniel Jones and I used this hearable technology to create Phantom Terrains, an app that allowed me to sense Wi-Fi fields. It’s likely that we’ll soon see developers creating novel apps that exploit the platform offered by AirPods.At the AirPod launch, Apple’s Phil Schiller said that removing the headphone jack was an act of “courage to move on,” and some commenters joked that Apple might ditch the iPhone’s screen next. With the rise of audio interfaces and computers that live in your ear, that’s not as crazy as it sounds. But if you’re not quite ready to move on from cables, the iPhone 7 comes with an adaptor that will allow you to plug your old, wired headphones in the phone’s remaining Lightning port.What will they think of next? Contact us today to learn more about the Made for iPhone hearing aids at Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers.Credit: NewScientist

The Starkey Hearing Foundation

Here at Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers we are PROUD to be a supporter of the amazing works of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. We have a strong belief in the gift of hearing beyond just our office walls.A first-of-its-kind hearing mission changed more than 75 lives yesterday in Lexington, Kentucky as University of Kentucky Men's Basketball Head Coach John Calipari and many other star athletes joined Starkey Hearing Foundation to share in the joy of patients receiving the gift of hearing."What a delight to be here and see people's eyes light up as they receive their hearing devices," Calipari said from the hearing mission. "It's great to think about how life-changing this will be for these Kentucky residents."William F. Austin and Tani Austin, co-founders of Starkey Hearing Foundation, and the Foundation's team of audiologists and staff provided patients from Kentucky with hearing devices as well as counseling and training to patients and family members on how to care and operate their hearing device."Giving a person the ability to hear has an immediate, inspiring impact on that person's quality of life and a compounding positive effect on the world," Mr. Austin said. "Thank you to our many incredible partners who helped make this happen."There is an estimated 7.2 million people in the U.S. with hearing loss who are living below the poverty level. For more than three decades, Starkey Hearing Foundation has been changing lives through hearing care, providing more than 1.9 million hearing aids to people in need, including more than 125,000 domestically."More than 700,000 Kentucky residents have hearing loss, with many unable to afford the care they need," Lowell Scott, president and owner of the hearing mission sponsor, Hearing Solutions said. "To make this difference for these people's lives, there's just nothing like it."For others seeking hearing device assistance in the Chicagoland area, please contact us to make an appointment today.What is the Starkey Hearing Foundation?Starkey Hearing Foundation, a public charity founded by William F. Austin, gives the gift of hearing to people in need in the U.S. and around the world. Disabling hearing loss affects more than 360 million people, including 32 million children, yet many do not have access to the hearing devices that improve lives and promote understanding. The Foundation focuses on hearing health care missions, education, and recycling, as well as grants to mission-aligned organizations. The Foundation has cared for more than 1.1 million patients and provided 1.9 million hearing devices in more than 100 countries. Visit www.chicagolandhearing.com or www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org to learn more!

Did you Know That People Who Use Hearing Aids are More Optimistic?

People that use hearing aids are more likely to be optimistic and feel engaged with life.Every several years, the non-profit Better Hearing Institute surveys and collects detailed information on thousands of people with hearing loss, both with and without hearing aids. The published results are always fascinating, and provide valuable insight into the who, what, how and why of treating hearing loss and wearing hearing aids.Combined, the data also acts as de facto hearing aid reviews by measuring answers to questions about hearing aid features, attributes, effectiveness and satisfaction.

The survey highlights many benefits of buying hearing aids

Results from the survey prove that treating hearing loss results in numerous positive benefits for those with hearing difficulty. Many of these benefits were compiled in an article on the Institute’s website, titled“How can treating hearing loss help me stay youthful and active?” In it, they share that, “people with hearing loss who use hearing aids are more likely to be optimistic and feel engaged in life.”That doesn’t surprise Starkey, as the hearing professionals who fit our hearing aids report the same thing.Find out for yourself by scheduling an appointment with Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers today!Read the Better Hearing Institute’s article here.

3 Back to School Hearing Loss Tips

Hearing loss can make learning hard. Teachers constantly move around classrooms,may use microphones during lectures or outside noises may distract or interfere with theprofessor’s voice. Big classrooms and auditoriums can distort sound, and the presenceof other students can make focusing hard as their own voices take over that of theprofessor’s.Here are some tips to help make school easier with hearing loss: Tell Your Teacher: Be up front with all of your teachers that you have a hearing loss.Explain to them privately what sounds are hard to hear, what words are hard tounderstand and what environments or situations are difficult for you. Sit down anddiscuss some ways in which your teacher can help make things easier such as ensuringhe or she always faces you when he or she talks, providing visual or printed lessons inaddition to verbal and weekly check-ins to make sure you’re not missing anything important. Nominate a Note-taker: If you have trouble understanding teachers because theirvoices are lost in an auditorium, they are always moving around the classroom, or someteachers may have softer, higher-frequency voices. You may also have troubleunderstanding your fellow students’ questions or answers either because they werebehind you or on the far end of a 300-seat lecture hall.  In order to combat this, you canget a note-taker through the school’s disability services. If you’re not comfortable doingthis or have missed the deadline for a note-taker through school, consider asking afriend in class to help you take notes when you are having trouble. Front Row: Sitting in the front row may mean you get asked more questions than most,but it also means you have put yourself in the best place possible to hear andunderstand your teacher. It also allows you to pivot left, right or backwards whenanother student is speaking and have a better chance at getting what they are saying.Schedule an appointment today for a free hearing test if you find it difficult to hear at school.

Technology Can Be Wonderful!

We all know how hearing aids can help you hear things you otherwise might miss: a grandchild’s first words, the wind chime in your garden, a joke at the dinner table, or fill in your own favorite sound here. Today’s Made for iPhone® hearing aids can help you hear the sounds you've been missing— and so much more. We’ll just leave it at that.Watch this inspiring transformation video to see what this new technology is all about!Contact Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers today to learn more about what the Made for iPhone® can do for you!  

More and more teens are suffering from hearing loss

In 2016, we live in a world full of headphones and plug ins! We are constantly plugged in; listening to music at all times, falling asleep to audiobooks and turning the TV loud to get the full effect of the amazing surround sound we just bought.Knowing the common habit of the teenagers today, Starkey Hearing Technologies has started "Listen Carefully" which is a new campaign that is geared toward teenagers and young people in this growing epidemic! Starkey research finds teen hearing loss has increased 30 percent in the past decade, an irreversible but preventable affliction.You can learn more about safe listening from Dr. Fabry and how to be more aware of the damage we are causing to our ears in this article about how more and more teens are suffering from hearing loss. There are ways around hearing loss if we just pay a attention to the safety of it all.Chicagoland Audibel Hearing Aid Centers is powered by Starkey Hearing Technologies, which is based in Eden Prairie has provided 175,000 hearing aids to people in 40 different countries around the world, focusing on helping people who cannot afford hearing aids or cannot access the technology. Here at Chicagoland Audibel Hearing Aid Centers we are committed to helping you prevent future hearing loss and educate you on the effects the outside world has on your ears! Contact us today for an appointment with one of our hearing specialists.

Alanna's Story

Renowned New York yoga instructor (one of Yoga Journal's top 21 teachers under 40), founder of The Kaivalya Yoga Method, published author and Ph.D. student Alanna Kaivalya has lived with hearing loss since childhood, but that clearly hasn’t held her back! She learned to excel in school and even explored music, despite moderate-to-severe mixed hearing loss in both ears and not being fit with hearing aids until age 21. Recently, Alanna was fitted with Starkey Made for iPhone hearing aids, and she not only noticed improvement in her hearing, but she was able to use the functions of the Made for iPhone and the TruLink app to adapt her hearing needs to her lifestyle.Here is her remarkable story in her own words:

You’ve struggled with hearing loss since childhood; how did you learn to cope with this?

I was born with a cleft palate, which left me in pretty bad shape growing up with moderate-to-severe mixed hearing loss in both ears. Interestingly, I wasn’t really aware that I had hearing loss or that I was different from the other kids when I was young because my parents were very careful about reinforcing my ability to do everything that other children could do. Though doctors told my mom I would never be “musical,” as soon as I could sit up straight, she strapped an accordion to my chest and taught me how to play. She also put me in choir, taught me how to sing and made sure that teachers always seated me in the front of my classroom so that I would hear everything. And, if I didn’t, she always encouraged me to raise my hand, ask questions and be heard. I was a student who excelled, and I believe it was because of this firm encouragement from my mom to integrate with the rest of the world.

That said, I did develop some great coping techniques and music really helped me, like feeling the vibrations of the music and listening for sound with my body instead of just my ears. I became an expert at reading lips, but also at reading the “tone” of a conversation in order to stay in it. But it wasn’t until I was a teenager when I recognized the way that I heard was different from other people, and I was a little surprised that others didn’t have the ability to “feel” sound the way that I did. In fact, as a musician and yoga practitioner, I’ve always strived to encourage people to connect with sound in the way that I do, to give them even better access to all the great ways they can hear and experience the world.

You weren’t fitted with hearing aids until adulthood. What made you decide to get hearing aids?

I think I would have gotten hearing aids a lot younger had they been covered by insurance. It’s astonishing to me that insurance often doesn’t cover hearing aids! But when I was 21, I finally found an insurance company that covered a portion of my hearing aids and then my grandmother was generous enough to cover the rest. She went with me to get fitted and the first time I heard her say my name while standing behind me, I cried. We then went on a walk (something we often did together), and it was the first time I heard the sound of wind through leaves and the sound of my pants swishing as I walked. It was amazing, and once I had hearing aids, I couldn’t believe how much of the world’s sounds I’d missed up to that point.

Describe your Made for iPhone journey: How did you feel before and after the fitting?

This is like asking someone who has never eaten cake before how they felt before they tasted it! How do they know? Honestly, I wasn’t prepared for how powerful or awesome the Made for iPhone devices would be. There’s no way someone could have told me about the quality of sound or the ease with which they pair — not just with the iPhone, but with my life. Now I feel like the bionic woman! Everything is crisper and sharper. I had dinner with my friends last night and coolly slid the setting over to “Restaurant” and I could even hear the person who was sitting on my “bad side” with ease. The other day, I was on a plane and I listened to several hours of an audiobook for my graduate studies and could hear it over the engine noise. Today, I spent two hours on the phone for interviews about my new book, and was able to move around my house while talking, whereas before I had to be paralyzingly still in order to hear on the phone. I feeling like I’m living a bionic, blessed life with my new hearing aids!

You are a published author, renowned yogi and musician. What has empowered you to accomplish so much?

When I was a young girl, my mother often told me that I could do anything. Every time I met or exceeded a challenge, it felt good to me and I couldn’t wait for the next one. When I realized how much I’d overcome in terms of my hearing loss, it really bolstered my confidence and showed me that even people with differences can do everything they set their hearts to. My heart is set on showing people the power of connection — to others, to self and to spirit. This has led me in some exciting pursuits and so far, I’ve published two books: Myths of the Asanas: Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition (Mandala Press, 2010) and my most recent, Sacred Sound: Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra and Kirtan (New World Library, 2014). The Sacred Sound book was a fantastic opportunity to share with people the valuable lessons I’ve learned from my deep connection with sound and vibration because of my hearing loss. As for the future, I’m currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and I am working with them to develop a program that helps to bridge the practices of yoga with Depth Psychology and counseling. It is my passion to help others connect, and I think I’m never going to stop until I’ve done all I can in this regard.

What advice would you give people who struggle with hearing loss?

I would encourage them to see the loss as a gift, and start looking for all the ways in which they can hear differently, particularly through feeling. The world reveals itself not just in conversation, but also in tone, vibration and subtle sound. My belief is that those with hearing loss have access to sound on a deeper level than those with perfect hearing. We may have to work harder to sense it at first, but then it becomes second nature, and we are able to connect to our world and each other in a different way.

Other than that, obviously I would advise them to experience the amazing Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers, powered by Starkey sound quality and go bionic with a pair of Made for iPhones. Even my hearing friends are jealous of me now!

Here at Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers we are committed to creating an amazing hearing experience for you and your loved ones! If you feel like you could be experiencing hearing loss, please contact us today for a hearing test!