HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, MONTGOMERY COUNTY CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2010

Montco Chapter Officers:

President:DonnaPenman,phone:610-279-0905;Emailaddress:pen447@verizon.netorpenguin2@tmail.comVice-President:PattyCortez;email:pattypeep@gmail.com

Treasurer:KathyHarral Secretary:LauraSkwirutAssistiveTechnology:DonGroff

Newslettercommittee:DianaBender,email:bender@hla-pa.org,andDonGroff

MeetingSchedule:1^stMondayofeachMonth,exceptJanuary,February,JulyandAugust:GerberRoom,3^rdfloorMercySuburbanHospital,2701DeKalbPike(Route202),EastNorriton,PA,6:30 – 8:30p.m.

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Cochlear Implant Panel

OnMonday,April26^thapaneloffourMontcomemberstalkedabouttheirhearinglossandtheirpersonalexperienceswithcochlearimplants,aswellaswithhearingaids,attheMontgomeryCountyIntermediateUnitinNorristown,PA.DonnaPenman,DonGroff,TomVanArmonandDianaBenderalsoansweredquestionsfromtheaudiencecomprisedofintermediateschoolparentsandteachers.Mostoftheparentshadchildrenwhohadalreadybeenimplanted,butsomeweretheretolearnalltheycouldaboutthesubjectwhiledebatingwhetheranimplantwouldbeappropriatefortheirchild.

The audience was enthusiastic at having an opportunity to talk to people who could tell them first hand of their own experiences with implant technology. Montco is looking forward to welcoming many of them to our end of the year picnic at the June meeting.

Your health and hearing loss

You don’t have to be a cardiologist to know that the heart – and cardiovascular system in general – affects many organs in your body.

If the heart is not healthy, it impacts your circulation, respiratory system, kidneys and liver function, brain, and yes, even hearing.

Now, you may be wondering what the connection between the heart and your ears is, and how a healthy (or weakened) cardiovascular system could possibly have an effect on your hearing.

That’s just the nature of a human body – all systems and organs are interconnected and dependent on each other. Think about it as a team effort – in order to achieve best results, everyone must work together in harmony.

As part of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) carried out in 2002 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, cochlear function was tested in about 1,600 study participants ages 52 to 97.

Researchers found that participants with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were on average 54 percent more likely to have impaired cochlear function than adults without CVD.

The message here is crystal clear: CVD and hearing loss go hand-in-hand.

There is plethora of evidence demonstrating that modifiable (and treatable) factors such as smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are harmful to the heart as well as to the cochlea because they damage blood vessels and reduce oxygen levels within each organ.

For instance, researchers at Western Michigan University used a measure of outer hair cell activity called distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) to assess the effects of smoking on cochlea. The study showed that smokers were at a greater risk of cochlear damage (hearing loss) than non-smokers.

Get fit, hear better You probably heard this piece of advice before, but it bears repeating: get healthy.

• If you have diabetes, make sure you follow your health provider’s guidelines and advice concerning diet and medical treatment. Have your hearing tested annually to monitor for hearing loss.
• If you smoke, quit. If you can’t go it alone, ask your doctor for help. Have your hearing evaluated for a baseline reading.
• If you have hypertension and / or high cholesterol, lifestyle changes such as healthy diet and exercise will put you on the right track. It would also be wise for you to have your hearing tested to monitor for any changes.

Excerpted from July 2009 Healthy Hearing Magazine

SE PA Picnic Sunday July 11, 2010

MarkyourcalendarsforourtraditionalregionalpicnicatPavilion11BinRidleyCreekStateParkfrom12noonuntil6p.m.Thisyear’spicnicwillbehostedbytheChesterCountyHLAAchapter.Thepicnicisagreatchancetomeetotherpeoplewithhearinglossintheareawhilehavingarelaxingandfunafternoon.Friedchicken,paperproductsandicewillbeprovided.Foodcontributionsofsalads,sidedishes,drinksordessertsaregreatlyappreciated.Thecostisonly$6perpersonor$10perfamily.Thepicnicwillbeheldrainorshine.PleasesendyourreservationsbyJuly7,2010toBillPfeifer,126CedarcroftRoad,KennettSquare,PA19348orbyemailatbpfeifer@verizon.net.

Quoteofthemonth:

“Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness and insight.”

HelenKeller

Next Meeting: Mark Weinstein

Mark Weinstein, president of Hearing Care Centers with offices in King of Prussia and Ambler, has agreed to speak to us this month. Mark has spoken to our chapter on other occasions and is always well received.

Please join us for our next meeting on

MONDAY

May3,2010

beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Mercy Suburban Hospital.