Getting out into the countryside to see the children is a very different experience than being in Guatemala City.  We are in the mountainous Western Highlands area- this county is so incredibly beautiful!  So lush and green with volcanoes dotting the mountainside…none of them smoking, fortunately! The population is much more native Mayan than in the city and wear traditional Mayan dress.

We have seen 152 children so far in two days and have fit approximately 50 hearing aids.  We all love seeing the children (and parents) light up when we first turn that hearing aid on.  Our team is fabulous-   two interpreters and three audiology technicians, native Guatemalans, who have been trained to test hearing  and provide follow up hearing aid services in our absence.  It makes it much easier to fit these children knowing that they are in good hands in our absence.  More to follow with photos (assuming we can find internet access again).

Blessings,

Dr. Mercer

1. The nicotine in cigarettes is a known ototoxic drug, related to increased hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness.

2. Cigarettes are vasodilators (i.e constrict the blood vessels); as such they reduce oxygen supply to the inner ear hair cells.

3. Cigarettes generate free radicals in our bodies which can damage inner ear hair cells.

4. Smoking subdues the mechanism in the ears that protect us from loud noises, thus increasing our vulnerability to noise induced hearing loss.

If there weren’t enough reasons to avoid smoking, we now have one more!

A few of the major hearing aid manufacturers, Siemens and ReSound in particular, now offer some hearing aids that utilize rechargeable batteries.  Now, you can “plug” your hearing aids in to charge every night along with your cell phone!  These batteries last approximately one to two years before requiring replacement.

Just  a few more battery care reminders:

1. Do not remove the tab from your batteries until you are going to use them.  As soon the tab is removed, oxygen permeates the cell and there’s no going back.

2. Do not keep loose batteries in your purse or anywhere they can come in contact with other metals.

3. Keep batteries away from fire or heat (i.e. glove compartments on a hot summer day).

4. Make sure you turn your hearing aids off at night to conserve your batteries.  Remember, after the tab has been removed the battery continues to drain even when your hearing aids are turned off, just at a lower rate than when turned on.  That means that if you set your hearing aid aside for a month (nobody does that, do they?), the battery will most likely be dead when you try to use it later.

5. Store hearing aid batteries at room temperature in a dry place, not the refrigerator.

It’s so wonderful to see these new technologies come to market to help our planet and home.  It’s even more wonderful when it helps make our lives richer through better hearing!

Dr. Mercer recently attended the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) convention in Clearwater, Florida.  This organization “is dedicated to the advancement of practitioner excellence, high ethical standards, professional autonomy and sound business practices in the provision of quality audiologic care”.    Over 500 primarily private practice audiologists participated in courses involving patient care, practice management and new hearing technologies.  Dr. Mercer attended several sessions including determining candidacy for cochlear implants and other implantable hearing aids, collaborating with various medical specialties, meeting the unique hearing and listening needs of older adults, assessing various staffing models and a plethora of new hearing instrument technologies.  Our staff is excited to share our new knowledge with you!

How can you ensure your safety from fires in general, and particularly at night?  If you cannot hear your fire alarm with or without your hearing aids, there are solutions. One is a system that vibrates your bed and flashes a light while sounding the auditory alarm.  Studies show that almost 100% of all individuals awaken with a bed shaker, making it the most reliable alerting system available.  Another option emits a low frequency alarm, more easily heard by most individuals with hearing loss than the typical high frequency alarms on the market.   Some systems are independent and some can work with your existing fire alarm.

Don’t assume your partner will wake in time to alert you.  They may be away on travel, etc. and remember, 40% of all individuals never awaken to fire alarms at night.

Finally, make sure your fire alarms work.  Approximately 20% of all fire alarms do not, most often due to dead batteries.   As we just changed to daylight savings time, it’s a great opportunity to check the batteries when you switch your clocks back that extra hour.  Take that extra step to ensure your safety- we are happy to help if you have any questions!

Please join us for a mission concert at Dr. Mercer’s church, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, on Saturday, November 7th at 7:0oPM.    Dr. Mercer will be traveling with the Healing The Children audiology team in late January.  100% of your donations will go directly toward hearing aids for the children of Guatemala.  Dr. Mercer and Dr. Gray will sing with the choir and Dr. Mercer’s Elliott Bay Pipe Band will perform as well.  The address is 19540 104th Ave NE, Bothell.  We’d love to see you there!

Approximately 3.1 million people have hearing loss, including 3 out of 10 over the age of 60.  These individuals are actively competeing with younger people with typically better hearing.  We also know that excellent listening skills are rated high by employers seeking qualified candidates.  In fact, 73% of employers questioned ranked listening as extremely important job skills.  While people often worry about how hearing aids will make them look, they tend to underestimate the negative impact NOT hearing can have, especially at work where effective communication is critical to success. 

Before you start your job search, follow these guidelines:

• If you think you have a hearing loss, see a licensed audiologist to receive a comprehensive hearing evaluation
• If your hearing loss can be helped with hearing instruments-and 95% of all hearing losses can- get properly fitted, again by a licensed audiologist
• Start using your hearing aids immediately and consistently to optimize the adaptation process
• Take advantage of any “Learning to Hear” classes or software programs offered in order to “teach your brain to hear” again
• Go to your interview confident in your hearing ability- you’ve acted proactively and the job is yours for the taking!