Newspaper Page Text
January 21, 2009
PAGE 5B
Reporter
When it comes to hearing, use it or lose it
BY SUSAN
GOOD, AuD.
The conse
quences of an
untreated hear
ing loss are real.
Since we collect
sound with our
ears and process
the sound in our
brain, over time
and without
hearing assis
tance, we can
lose the ability
to understand
the spoken word.
This documented
process is called
“auditory depri
vation.”
Teri James
Beilis, PhD, doc
umented this in
her landmark
book on auditory process
ing disorder, “When The
Brain Can’t Hear.” Beilis
writes: “As sound travels
through an imperfect audi
tory pathway, words spo
ken to the afflicted listener
may become jumbled, dis
torting original meaning
and rendering words unin
telligible.” When you think
about a conversation with
Rebecca Penney of Baker Hearing in Macon is helping
people regain that most valuable sensory function,
hearing.
all the sounds, the inflec
tions and tempo changes, it
makes communication
extremely complicated.
When a hearing loss has
been present and untreat
ed, the ability to follow the
conversation can become
extremely difficult.
Without receiving the
appropriate stimuli, the
brain stops processing
sounds like background
noise and
can no
longer fil
ter
speech
clearly.
You may
answer a
question
incorrect
ly, with
draw,
smile and
pretend
you
under
stood the
conversa
tion. This
can be
particu
larly trou
blesome
when you
are visit
ing the doctor, and impor
tant information is being
relayed.
In some cases, people
have been “misdiagnosed”
with Alzheimer’s disease
because they were unable
to follow the conversation.
According to world
renowned otolaryngologist,
Dr. John Shea Jr., of the
famed Shea Ear Clinic, “If
a person is hard of hearing
and they don’t get amplifi
cation, they are not hear
ing and they lose the abili
ty to understand.” Once
familiar sounds slowly fade
like the hum of a refrigera
tor and become unrecogniz
able noise, competing with
spoken words. Dr. Shea
went on to say, “When pre
sented with amplification,
or hearing aids, speech
understanding becomes
clearer. Stimulating the
brain with sound may help
to overcome the auditory
deprivation process, and
getting help early is criti
cal to a long term success.”
The goal is to do every
thing we can to maintain
the speech recognition you
have. You need to wear the
best hearing aids you can
afford, full time in both
ears to hear correctly.
Hearing aids solve commu
nication problems and they
help to preserve and pro
tect the brain’s ability to
recognize speech.
Hearing loss ranks num
ber three behind hyperten
sion and arthritis. Often
called the invisible disabili
ty, hearing loss happens
Battling those winter doldrums
When the winter months
arrive, it's no surprise
many people adopt a more
sedentary lifestyle. Colder
temperatures keep many
people indoors, and those
daily trips to the gym are
much less likely to occur.
However, living a healthy
lifestyle is a year-round
commitment, and such a
lifestyle is far easier to
maintain if it's not aban
doned once the colder tem
peratures arrive. In addi
tion, staying disciplined
throughout the winter is
an effective means of ward
ing off colds and other ail
ments that can come with
the colder seasons. So as
winter begins to bear
down, consider the follow
ing tips for staying healthy
and making it to spring
feeling better than you
ever have.
* Get your shut-eye.
While it might seem like
getting more sleep in the
colder months is akin to a
bear hibernating in the
winter, that's not entirely
true. Don't overdo it when
it comes to sleeping, such
as hitting the snooze bar
and taking long naps on
cold days when you're
stuck inside. However, be
sure to get adequate sleep
during the winter months.
Getting too little sleep
weakens the immune sys
tem, which can make you
more susceptible to colds,
flu and infections.
* Beat viruses to the
punch. An essential part of
staying healthy in the win
ter months is prevention.
The best way to treat a
virus or disease is to pre
vent it from happening.
Though it's common to
assume a flu shot is strict
ly for the elderly or chil
dren, that's not the case.
Flu shots are available to
anyone looking to get one.
It might not be easy to get
a flu shot depending on
where you live, but doing
whatever needs to be done
to get one is well worth it.
* Exercise. While it's
enticing to stay inside on a
cold day rather than go to
the gym, it's also detrimen
tal to your health. The best
way to ensure you continue
to exercise through the
winter months is to devel
op a routine. If you exer
cise after work, bring your
gym clothes to work with
you so you won't have to go
home and change and then
be forced to go back out
side in order to go the gym.
If you must, work out dur
ing your lunch break when
the skies are bright and
the air a little warmer.
Whatever your routine,
choose it early in the sea
son and stick to it. Once
you've established the rou
tine, it will be much easier
to maintain.
* Socialize. As technolo
gy advances, more and
more workers have become
telecommuters, forgoing
the traditional office for
the home office. While this
can make life easier in a
variety of ways, it can also
leave you susceptible to
Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD), a type of
depression that can affect
people during the winter
months when staying in is
more common. For telecom
muters, who may only
leave their house for the
office once a week (if at
all), it's important to main
tain a social life during the
winter months to avoid
developing any feelings of
isolation. Maintain a level
of activity in your commu
nity, and be sure to get
together with friends or
family at least once per
week.
* Continue to eat
right. Just because you'll
be more bundled up thanks
to cold weather doesn't
mean it's safe to add a few
extra pounds. While winter
often increases cravings for
heartier meals, a hearty
meal can still be healthy.
Rather than store-bought
soups that are heavy in
saturated fat, use fresh
fruits and vegetables to
make your own hearty
soups, stews and meals at
home. The vitamins from
fresh fruits and vegetables
can strengthen the
immune system, and a
healthy wintertime diet
will have you ready and
raring to go once the warm
spring air and sun return.
WINTERS PHYSICAL
THERAPY
Butch Winters, Physical Therapist
550 North Lee Street
(Next to Pace & Pace)
Outpatient Physical Therapy Services
Most Insurance Accepted
992-9247
Now Hiring Pediatric RNs and LPNs
Dr. Craig Caldwell
and
Dr. Jeremy Goodwin
“Committed to Patient Care & Health”
478-994-1010
97 Martin Luther King. ir. Drive, Forsyth. Georgia 3102!
Monday thru Friday, 8:30am—5:00pm
^ Internal
V Medicine Associates
of Middle Georgia
PEDIATRIA
Healthcare for Kids
Pediatria Welcomes
Lisa Joseph, RN
Clinical Case Coordinator
Karen Harbuck, RN
Location Director
kharbuck@pediatriakids.com
Bailey Berlin,
Office Coordinator
41 West Johnston St. • Forsyth, GA 31029
478-994-8704
Fax: 478-994-8923
www.pediatriakids.com
slowly over time and may
go unnoticed for years.
According to an article in
Post Graduate Medicine,
by Doctors Shohet and
Bent, “Loss of hearing is a
national health problem
with significant physical
and psychological repercus
sions. Although there is no
cure for certain forms of
hearing loss, many
patients can be helped,
especially when the prob
lem is recognized early.”
Wearing amplification
(hearing aids) has been
shown to help preserve the
remaining hearing and
speech clarity. If you think
you may have hearing loss,
the most important first
step is to have your hear
ing tested. Your results will
identify which frequencies
or pitches you do not hear.
If you do have hearing loss,
getting help has never
been easier. Today’s
advanced technology will
give clear, crisp, more nat
ural sound.
Susan Good, AuD. is a
member of the NuEar
Corporation. Article cour
tesy of Baker Hearing Aids,
Macon. Call 478-746-8462
for a free hearing test.
A Leader In Quality Eye Care
Dr. Tom Perry
OPTOMETRIST /
105 MartmlLuther King 3 Jr Dr-Forsyth HOURS: 9.5 Mon . Thurs , 9.4 Wed .
994-2988 9-12 Friday (Closed Friday Afternoon)
Perry B. Wells, M.D.
"Specializing in Women's Health"
•Annual Exams • Surgery • Menopause
Health • Urinary Incontinence
• Hormone Management
100 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
(Next to the Hospital)
478-994-5909
CASTLEBERRY DRUG CO. r LLC
Voted Best Pharmacy and Best Source
of Vitamins & Health Foods in the
Monroe County Reporter’s 2008
Readers Choice Poll
• Natural Alternatives
• Traditional Prescription Medications
• Full Service Compounding Lab
• Drive Thru Pharmacy Window
• Home Health Care Equipment
• Old Fashioned Soda Fountain
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• UPS Shipping
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• Western Union Money Transfers and
Money Orders
• Free In-Town Prescription Delivery
Jep Castleberry, RPH John Wilson, RPH
DRUG CO., LLC
67 N. Lee Street • 994-2051
Monday - Saturday 8am - 6pm
Medicaid, Medicare and most Insurance Accepted