An article in a recent issue of the Saturday Evening Post features a touching article on how the latest implantable hearing technology has changed the lives of a sister and her brother.

I performed the revision surgery on Mary Kay Windham with the Envoy Esteem implantable hearing aid in May 2005 as part of the clinical trials being conducted through my office. Shohet Ear Associates was one of only three sites in the US to be engaged in this unique clinical trial. As she relates in the article, her result was so good, she urged her brother, to undergo the same surgery. In May 2008, I implanted her brother with the same device. The change in both their lives has been extraordinary.

According to Mary Kay, “Two months after surgery, Bob and I spoke for half an hour—on ordinary cell phones. He heard every word I said, as I could with him. Those who are hearing-impaired understand exactly how precious is this gift of new technology.”

To read the full article, click here.

According to a study published in May 2010 in the journal Pediatrics, hearing loss in one ear is enough to cause language problems for kids. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri tested 74 pairs of school-age siblings. Half the children had hearing loss in one ear, while their siblings had normal hearing.

The study found that the impaired kids scored lower on both comprehension and speech tests and were more likely to be receiving speech therapy than their siblings; but up to one in 20 kids with such hearing loss often don't receive the help they need, such as a front seat in class, hearing aids or special education.

"Unlike children with hearing loss in both ears, who are routinely fitted with hearing aids and receive accommodations for disability, children with hearing loss in one ear may not be considered to have a 'significant hearing loss,'" the researchers wrote. “Our results suggest that children with hearing loss in one ear should be eligible for the same accommodations as children with hearing loss in both ears."

The key idea of study, according to its authors, is that we don't want to ignore children with hearing loss in one ear.
 
Click here to review the study.

Children with cochlear implants rate their quality of life as highly as children with normal hearing, according to one of the first studies that looked at children as well as their parents.

A team of American researchers asked 84 children with cochlear implants how they felt about themselves, their family lives, their friends and school. The questionnaires were completed at various summer camps designed for children with CIs in Texas and Colorado. Parents were questioned separately, and the responses were compared with those of a control group of 1,501 children the same ages, 8 to 16, with normal hearing. The paper appears in the Feb. 1 issue of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.

The lead author, Betty A. Loy, is quoted as saying the information would be useful to parents making decisions about cochlear implants for their babies. “They want to know: ‘Is my kid going to be made fun of? Is my kid going to be bullied? How is my kid going to feel about themselves with this apparatus on their head?’ ” said Dr. Loy, of the Dallas Cochlear Implant Program.

To read the full story in the New York Times, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.

There is great news for people suffering from hearing loss: On December 18th, an Advisory Panel of independent ENT experts unanimously recommended that the FDA approve the Esteem®, the first Fully Implantable Hearing Restoration System.

The Esteem device had been in the clinical trial stage for over five years. Shohet Ear Associates was one of three sites in the nation that finished the last clinical trial concluded in August. I had the privilege of testifying before the FDA on December 18th on the efficacy of this groundbreaking device.

Among the three sites participating in the clinical trial, patients averaged an 11 decibel improvement in Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) scores beyond their hearing aids.  At a quiet conversation level, average patient speech understanding improved by more than 45% over their hearing aids.

The Advisory Panel’s vote is a recommendation only, and the FDA will still have to formally approve the Esteem® before it can be marketed to the public. In most cases, the FDA does follow the Advisory Panel’s recommendation. Stay tuned for word on final approval by the FDA.

To read more on this development, click here.

A recent article in USA Today reported on a helpful new resource for people who are considering the purchase of a hearing aid—or whose loved ones are. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just published a primer on Hearing Aids that includes such useful topics as types of hearing aids, benefits and safety issues, and how to obtain hearing aids.
 
Both the USA Today article and the FDA guide recommend that consumers get a medical and audiologic examination prior to their purchase of a hearing aid. The FDA believes that it is in your best health interest to have a medical examination by a licensed physician -- preferably one that specializes in ear diseases -- before buying hearing aids.
 
Read the full USA Today article.
 
Check the FDA’s Guide to Hearing Aids in the home health and consumer products section for government recommendations on hearing devices.

Cochlear implants may be an option for some babies who have been born deaf. We are seeing good results in infants as young as 10 months old who have received cochlear implants. To see news footage compiled by Channels 2 and 9 on one such case, click here. It tells the story of the Wensleys and their daughter, who received bi-lateral cochlear implants earlier this year.

Consumer Reports recently conducted an exhaustive study on the process of purchasing hearing aids, and concluded that people are better off buying their hearing aids from a medical office headed by an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat physician) who employs an audiologist to fit and dispense hearing aids.
 
Consumer Reports followed a dozen actual patients for six months as they shopped for and used hearing aids, conducted a national survey of 1,100 people who had bought a hearing aid in the past three years, and lab-tested the features of 44 hearing aids. According to their results, respondents who obtained their hearing aids from a doctor's office gave those hearing-aid providers higher marks on their thoroughness in evaluating hearing loss than did respondents who went to other types of providers. The report also noted that an ear doctor can rule out medical conditions such as a tumor or bacterial infection in the ear that might be affecting hearing, and can also clear the ears of wax so that patients are ready for their hearing test.
 
Consumer Reports also had audiologists check how well providers fit the shoppers' hearing aids to their individual hearing loss. Two-thirds of the 48 aids they bought were misfit: They amplified too little or too much. The study concluded with a finding many hearing aid shoppers have already faced: it’s a fragmented and confusing marketplace, and shoppers may have difficulty sorting out good hearing-aid providers from less-capable ones. The report offers helpful guidelines that anyone considering a hearing aid purchase should read.
 
To check out the full story, click here.

Many people are reluctant to acknowledge that their hearing isn’t what it used to be. The prevailing perception seems to be that hearing loss is a sign of old age. That’s an inaccurate assumption. Anyone of any age can experience a loss in hearing due to genetics, illness, injury, progressive ear conditions such as Surfer’s Ear and many other root causes.
 
In my office, I often hear the frustration family members feel when their loved one refuses to admit obvious hearing problems. Some people may live with diminished hearing for many years before finally seeking help.  If you are living with someone whose hearing isn’t what it used to be, here are some tips that may help you convince your loved one that finding hearing assistance will help - and not hinder - their quality of life. (And yours.)
 
•       Pick a quiet, comfortable time to initiate the discussion – You want to be  sure your loved one is attentive and can hear what you have to say.

•       Let your loved one know you miss fully sharing conversations and experiences together.

•       If you have noticed your loved one avoiding conversations, social situations or talking on the phone, ask why. Ask if they feel their quality of life is better or worse now than it used to be.

•       If you have noticed ongoing symptoms such as putting the TV volume on louder or repeated requests to “speak up,” mention them in a gentle way.

•       Encourage your loved one to get a hearing test. One way to help them understand if they have diminished hearing is by having them take a simple, web-based hearing check on our website.  It is a non-threatening way to honestly assess how their hearing helps—or hinders—simple activities of daily life. To check out our online hearing test.
 
Hearing loss not only affects the person experiencing it, but often everyone around them as well. The sooner you can find help with a hearing loss, the quicker you and your loved one can start enjoying life more fully once again.

Like many other health-related products, hearing aids are easy to find and purchase over the Internet. People looking for information on the different styles and technologies available can log on to many different websites to learn about different options.
 
Purchasing hearing aids online is an entirely different matter. The price of the hearing aids may seem like a bargain, but in the end may be more costly.  You need to know up front what all the costs actually are.  There may be an additional fee for the fitting of the devices, office visits, and repair charges.  

Amplification comes in all shapes, sizes as well as strengths and is selected based on a person’s hearing loss, manual dexterity, cosmetic preference, lifestyle and cost.  That is why it is important to obtain a thorough hearing evaluation and consultation by a trained audiologist, physician, or other ear specialist before purchasing a hearing aid.  You should also be aware that if a hearing aid is inappropriately fit, it can be damaging to the ear or hearing.
 
Anyone who is considering the online purchase of a hearing aid should factor in the expense of being evaluated and fitted by a properly trained specialist. Without their expertise, you can easily select the wrong—or an ill fitting--hearing aid. If your instrument doesn’t help you hear better and is uncomfortable to wear, that’s no bargain—despite the discount.

A recent segment on "Good Morning America" spotlighted a new hearing aid technology that is greatly benefiting those patients with moderate hearing loss. Lyric is a totally invisible hearing aid that fits in the ear canal. I have been fitting these devices in my patients for over a year--in fact we were among the first in Southern California to offer the Lyric to patients. So far, I have been impressed with how well patients do with the device. The fact that it is extended-wear makes it much more convenient for daily use.  Although not everyone is a candidate for this hearing device,  patients who prefer that other people around them remain unaware they are wearing a hearing aid, Lyric is a great option.

Click here to view the "Good Morning America" segment