"You don't have to face hearing loss alone" Rocky Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florida is an interesting state. Seasons don’t really change much like many of the other states north of us. While we may have some ‘cooler’ days and nights, we won’t see the snow flying or the freezing ice that our northern climes are used to during the wintertime. Well, I remember all of those years and am glad for these warm days. Even if we have had the recent scare of the hurricane, wind and rain, we still can watch the birds and wild life go about their business each and every day. We were prepared and that is a good thing.

That applies to what we do about our hearing health these days. As we age, we may notice that we are not hearing as well as we use to in noisy places, the kids voices, female voices are screechy or even just conversations on the television or cell phone are just not clear anymore. Have you had your hearing checked yet? Did the doctor clean out your ears for wax the last time you saw them? Or was the conversation at the last social club all about who had the newest aid but ended up putting it in the top drawer and not using it!

Did you know that you can schedule a clinic visit to have your ears cleaned of wax simply by telling them you think you can’t hear because of the wax?

Not being able to hear the TV or cell phone without turning the volume up means there may be some hearing loss. A simple hearing test will show you how much you can and can not hear. This is a good benchmark and will save your brain. Your brain hears – not your ears!

On October 17th, the Food and Drug Administration released new Standards of Practice for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids (OTC) for Adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. These devices will be found in most pharmacies, big box stores, electronic stores and online. The consumer, like you will be able to purchase them without a doctor’s order. They will cost between $100 and $1,000.00 depending on the manufacturer.

Anyone who buys these will need to read the instructions on the box as well as know what the warranty says, how to use them and whether they are the right type of hearing device for their need. No one will help them select the right aid since these are OTC medical devices. If help is needed, the consumer will need to pay for that service, if they can find it. These devices will not have the ’bells and whistles’ as the high-end hearing aids have on them.

To learn more about the OTC hearing aids, watch for webinars, seminars, and/ or check in with your nearest audiologist in the area for further information.

Your local Sun City Center HLAA Chapter will be setting up Clinics in the community to help any interested member with their questions. Stay tuned.

 

 

Eloise Schwarz
  Chapter Leader
  HLAA Sun City Center Chapter
  Meetings every 3rd Tues @ 12:15pm
  Eloise6376@gmail.com
  (414) 807-4373

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