Your friends at DigiCare are increasing their effort to raise awareness of the link between chronic kidney disease and hearing loss. If you, or someone you know is living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) please read on!

Research shows that hearing loss is common in people with moderate chronic kidney disease. As published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases and highlighted on the National Kidney Foundation web site, a team of Australian researchers found that older adults with moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a higher prevalence of hearing loss than those of the same age without CKD.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, an Australian research team assessed more than 2,900 individuals aged 50 and older, including 513 with moderate chronic kidney disease. Of those with CKD, more than 54 percent reported some level of hearing loss compared to only 28 percent of the rest of the group. Nearly 30 percent of the CKD participants showed severe hearing loss compared with only 10 percent of the non-CKD participants.

“Unaddressed hearing loss can have very significant consequences on a person’s life and greatly undermine quality of life,” said Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI's executive director. “We need to alert people with chronic kidney disease of their potential for hearing loss as a result of their disease and encourage hearing screenings as part of their routine medical care to help optimize their quality of life.”

According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk. But early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.

Referencing the Australian study, Dr. Kerry Willis, Senior Vice President of Scientific Activities at the National Kidney Foundation stated:  “These findings could lead to a modification of the usual care of people with CKD. Earlier clinical hearing assessments and fitting of hearing aids in CKD patients can improve quality of life and lead to better management of underlying conditions which could, in turn, potentially preserve hearing function.”

About Hearing Loss

Approximately one in 10 Americans, or 34 million people, have some degree of hearing loss. Yet, fewer than 15 percent of physicians today ask patients if they have any hearing problems.

Numerous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks, reduced alertness, increased risk to personal safety, irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, and diminished psychological and overall health.

Fortunately, the vast majority of people with hearing loss can be helped with hearing aids. And nine out of ten hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life.

 You may or may not know that being a team member of DigiCare means more than just punching a time clock. Our team members are active in the communities we serve and we have another great announcement to make.

John Schecter, BC-HIS, who runs our Trinidad DigiCare Hearing Solutions office, was inducted as a Board Member of the Trinidad and Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce yesterday. This is a great group of southern Colorado business folks that not only believe in the community they live in, but they volunteer and serve to help the community thrive.

We congratulate John on his accomplishment and look forward to seeing all the great things he’ll do!

For further information on the Chamber of Commerce in Trinidad, Colorado, you are welcome to visit trinidadchamber.com

This week the French news agency AFP reported that research scientists are experimenting with a new treatment for Tinnitus (chronic ringing in the ears).  Their hypothesis is this:  If you electrically stimulate the vagus nerve (which runs near the ear canal to the brain) in combination with playing a high-pitched tone, the brain will ‘re-boot’ itself so that it will cease the phantom ringing in the ears.

"Brain changes in response to nerve damage or cochlear trauma cause irregular neural activity believed to be responsible for many types of chronic pain and tinnitus," said Michael Kilgard of the University of Texas, co-author of the study in the journal Nature.

While I believe their core assumption about Tinnitus is correct, there is still much to overcome to effectively treating this condition.  I sometimes get concerned that researchers make too much correlation between how computers work and how the human body works.  The brain cannot be easily ‘re-booted’ like a computer - I doubt even if the analogy is valid.  Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if this treatment will make it into the mainstream for Tinnitus.  We surely have lots to learn about this condition.

To see the complete article, see http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.f57c40c34c2baca8600a698953d82048.1e1&show_article=1

Sometimes people question the value in driving to Colorado City from Pueblo for our services.  It appears that whatever we provide can be obtained more easily in Pueblo itself.  So why make a 20 minute drive to get here?

There’ s several reasons we think it’s worth the time.  First, we have our factory right here where we build our own molds and create our own custom hearing aids.  We don't have to ship this work out of state.  This means that any modifications that need to be made for a best fit can be done with you close at hand.  This is a huge difference in getting hearing aids that are truly comfortable.

We fit hundreds of people each year with our hearing aids, so we get a lot of feedback. This means our skills are honed by all the issues that our patients experience, and we grow in our understanding of what works well and what is merely OK.  

Finally, we offer factory-direct pricing.  While we sell hearing aids to professionals across the nation, you can purchase direct from us at very competitive prices.

Why are we in Colorado City and not in Pueblo?  Factory outlets for all kinds typically locate in outlying areas so that they can distinguish themselves from the normal retail establishments.  That’s why Castle Rock and Silverthorne have factory outlets stores.  Plus, it’s less expensive to operation a business in those locations, and helps with pricing.  This is the same for us.  Colorado CIty is a great business environment for us to maintain a competitive edge.

So, come see us.  It’s only 20 minutes from Pueblo, and you’ll find it well worth it!

It may seem odd, but you may be unaware that you have a hearing loss -- or, not aware of the impact it’s having on others.  This is because hearing loss is subtle and progressive.  You lose hearing very slowly over a long period of time, and then you one day you realize you have to strain to hear your wife in a restaurant.  You may think she’s decided not to speak up anymore, but in reality she’s speaking to you like she always has.  Or, maybe one evening she says, ‘please turn down the TV -- it’s hurting my ears!’.  And, you think the volume’s set like always.  

These are some of the very subtle signs that things have changed.  And for most of us, our loss is not uniform for all pitches of sound.  Typical, high pitched sounds are the ones we can’t hear anymore.  This is a huge problem for hearing speech.  For instance, say the word ‘touch’.  While only one syllable, there’s really three distinct sounds that come for your mouth.  The ‘t‘ of touch is formed by your tongue and mouth, and is high pitched.  The ‘ch‘ is the same, also high pitch.  And, as a result, these sounds are the parts of ‘touch’ we don’t hear as well anymore.  But the ‘ou‘ is low-pitch, and this we can hear.  Therefore, when you hear someone say ‘touch’, you may only hear ‘ou’.  This is when you say, ‘quit mumbling!’

So, here’s a few key questions to evaluate if you have lost some hearing.  Each question is designed to gain an understanding of impact your loss may be having on your daily life.  These are the things that can become very frustrating for your friends and family -- even though you may not realize it.  So, here you go:

Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?
Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?
Do you have trouble understanding things on TV?
Do you have to strain to understand conversations?
Do you have to worry about missing a telephone ring or doorbell?
Do you have trouble hearing conversations in a noisy background such as a crowded room or restaurant?
Do you get confused about where sounds come from?
Do you misunderstand some words in a sentence and need to ask people to repeat themselves?
Do you especially have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?
Do you have trouble understanding the speaker in a large room such as at a meeting or place of worship?
Do people seem to mumble?
Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?

If your answers to there questions raise concerns for you, I encourage you to get a free hearing checkup.  For most people, there’s no need to live with these problems.  Today’s hearing aid technology is truly remarkable!

Our youth are losing their hearing.  To most of us, I guess that’s not really surprising, but now the American Medical Association has proved it in a recent study.  This study has ‘stunned’ the mainstream press who don’t follow these things as closely as we do.

As reported in the August 18th, 2010 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, 12-18 year olds have more hearing loss than the teenagers of twenty years ago.  By comparing data for youths in the 1988-1994 period with the same age group in 2006-2007, there’s no question about it.  15% in the older group had some loss; now 20% of the younger group have a loss.  That’s significant.

And, predominately the losses are in the higher frequency ranges.  This tells us that it’s  a permanent loss.  So what’s changed over the past 20 years that could account for this change?  You might be able to list many possible causes, but let’s start with the most obvious -- the Ipod.  

We don’t mean to single out the Ipod for special notice on this matter -- Ipod is Apple’s brand of the popular personal listening devices.  These are typically used for music listening.  But all of these devices share the same problem -- they kick out way too much volume.

In our own in-house testing, we were able to obtain a volume in excess of 110dB with the manufacturer’s own ear buds.  This is loud enough to cause pain.  But this is not the only issue though.  Because the ear buds do not close off the ear canal, the user typically dials up the volume to overcome the background noise.  The result -- volume that is way too high for safety.

We offer one type of help to those who insist on using personal listening devices.  We build custom ear molds that connect to personal listening devices.  These molds block out the background noise, allowing the user to reduce the volume -- thus avoiding damage to the ear.  This is really something to consider.

The follow article appeared in the Better Hearing Institute's website recently.  The relationship between mental health and good hearing is something we have long believed -- now it is becoming a mainstream understanding.  We reprint this article to help promote these findings. 

-- Tom

"The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) announced today that it is participating in World Mental Health Day on October 10th by educating the public on the link between hearing loss and depression. This year’s World Mental Health Day focuses on the close association of depression with chronic physical illnesses and calls for integrated care. Depression can be a disabling illness that seriously impacts overall health.

“When left untreated, hearing loss often leads to isolation, depression, and other emotional conditions that can affect both mental health and quality of life,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, executive director of BHI. “Yet, hearing loss remains one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today.”

The link between unaddressed hearing loss and depression is compelling. For example, a large-scale study by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) found that people 50 and older with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, anger and frustration, emotional instability and paranoia, and were less likely to participate in organized social activities than those who wore hearing aids. The degree of depression and other emotional or mental health issues also increased with the severity of hearing loss.

A recent survey released by Australian Hearing, part of Australia’s Department of Human Services, found that people who suffer from hearing loss may be at increased risk of developing the debilitating effects of depression. As reported in its 2008 Annual Report, the survey found that 60 per cent of those with hearing loss had displayed some of the symptoms associated with depression. It also found that almost 20 per cent of those with hearing loss demonstrated at least three key symptoms of depression. Specifically, 52 per cent had displayed increased irritability and frustration; 22 per cent had trouble sleeping or experienced restlessness; and 18 per cent showed a loss of interest or pleasure in most activities.

"Hearing loss is not a harmless condition to be ignored or left untreated,” says Kochkin. “It has tremendous impact on your life. And if left unaddressed, it can have serious emotional and social consequences."

It’s important to understand that in the vast majority of situations, hearing aids can help the individual hear better and thereby alleviate the conditions that may lead to depression when hearing loss is left unaddressed. Studies have shown that hearing aid wearers experience significant improvements in quality of life and decreased depressive symptoms; have significantly higher self-concepts compared to individuals who do not wear hearing aids; and their functional health status improves significantly after three months of hearing aid use.

In fact, the NCOA study found that those who used hearing aids to address their hearing loss had a reduction in depression and depressive symptoms; improved interpersonal relationships, including greater intimacy; experienced less anger and frustration; enhanced emotional stability; decreased paranoid feelings; reduced anxiety symptoms; reduced social phobias; greater belief that they were in control of their lives; reduced self-criticism; improved cognitive functioning; improved health status; reduced incidence of pain; and enhanced group social activity.

Today, there are more than 34 million people in the United States with hearing loss—roughly 11 percent of the U.S. population. And over the last generation, hearing loss has increased at a rate of 160 percent of U.S. population growth.

“More Americans than ever before are suffering with hearing loss,” says Kochkin. “That means greater numbers are leaving their hearing loss unaddressed—simply because they don’t understand how significantly it affects their quality of life and mental health.

“Unaddressed hearing loss has become an entrenched public health issue that is closely linked to depression, especially in older individuals. World Mental Health Day is an extremely important acknowledgement of the inter-relatedness of physical and mental health. We need our healthcare gatekeepers to recognize the importance of addressing both in an integrated healthcare setting.”

The World Federation for Mental Health established World Mental Health Day in 1992 to provide an annual opportunity for public education about current issues and improving well being. It is the only annual global awareness campaign to focus attention on specific aspects of mental health and mental disorders."

A fantastic symposium on Alzheimer's Disease is being hosted by the Alzheimer's Association of Southern Colorado.  This is a first-ever symposium of its type, touching on topics such as banking issues, powers of attorney, approaches with physicians, and care-giving alternatives.  Linda Bloom, Regional Director of the Association will conclude the day's events with a presentation of the Maria Shriver Report -- which focuses on things we all can do to care for our own health.  Half of us know somebody with Alzheimer's -- and the other half of us need to care for ourselves.  Either way, you need to attend this symposium.

PLACE:  Rawlings Library, 100 E Abriendo Ave., Pueblo, CO

DATE/TIME:  Thursday, November 18th from 11:30AM to 6PM

COST:  Free

ADDITIONAL INFO:  719.544.5720

The following is a reprint of a news article that appeared in NewsUSA.  This topic is one we discuss here on our website.  We continue to encourage hearing tests for those who believe they may be diabetic, or who have been diagnosed with Diabetes.  Please note that our hearing tests at DigiCare are free of charge.

(NU) - A new study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that diabetics are susceptible not only to vision problems, but to hearing problems as well. “For years, physicians who treat people with diabetes have regularly ensured that their patients receive regular vision check-ups,” said Dr. William Luxford, BHI Board member and an Otolaryngologist at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. “This important study underscores the need for physicians now to encourage each of their patients to get their hearing checked as well.” In the study, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers analyzed data from hearing tests administered to 5,140 participants between 1999 and 2004 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Their findings? Patients with diabetes are more than twice as likely to suffer hearing loss than non-diabetics. More than 40 percent of the patients who participated in the study had some hearing damage. “People with diabetes should ask their doctors to check their hearing,” said Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., executive director of the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). “A hearing check can be invaluable in identifying diabetic patients with potential hearing loss, and giving them an opportunity to receive the treatment they need.” Studies conducted by BHI, a not-for-profit educational organization whose mission is to educate the public about hearing loss treatment and prevention, show that people with untreated hearing loss experience a lower quality of life than people with normal hearing or people who use hearing aids.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or is showing signs of dementia, a thorough hearing check is in order.

There is strong evidence that hearing impairment contributes to the progression of cognitive dysfunction in older adults. If not managed, as for example with hearing aids, hearing loss can interrupt the cognitive processing of spoken language and sound.

But when an individual has both Alzheimer’s and hearing loss, many of the symptoms of hearing loss can interact with those common to Alzheimer’s, making the disease more difficult than it might be if the loved one has been treated for hearing loss.

“When left unaddressed, hearing loss can compound the difficulties that people with Alzheimer’s and their families already face,” says Tom Adams. “But in many cases, the appropriate use of hearing aids can benefit Alzheimer’s patients.”

Numerous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks, reduced alertness, increased risk to personal safety, irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, and diminished psychological and overall health.

“A comprehensive hearing assessment should be part of any Alzheimer’s diagnosis and any hearing loss should be appropriately addressed,” says Adams. “By addressing the hearing loss, we can help improve quality-of-life for those who have Alzheimer’s and help them live as fully as possible.”

About Alzheimer’s Disease
(Source: Alzheimer’s Association)

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and fatal brain disease that causes problems with memory loss, thinking and behavior. Today, as many as 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s and it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, from 2000 to 2006, deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease increased 47.1 percent. With a rapidly aging population, Alzheimer's will continue to impact more lives in the coming years. (Source: Alzheimer’s Association)