The ‘hearing loop’ is a remarkable advance, but all too hard to find in the U.S.
By DAVID G. MYERS
Updated Aug. 27, 2015 7:24 p.m. ET

The first time I clicked on my hearing aids’ telecoils, it seemed like magic. It was 1999 and my wife and I were sitting in a historic abbey on Scotland’s Isle of Iona. I had gradually become hard of hearing and had gotten my first hearing aid in my 40s, and the abbey wasn’t built with acoustics in mind. The amplified voice of the worship leader caromed off the stone walls, reverberating into a fog by the time it reached my ears.

(SOURCE: NPR, BY LINDA POON)

The current record holder for loudest crowd in history are the fans of the Seattle Seahawks, who cheered so loud that they induced a mini-earthquake. But that level of noise can permanently damage fans’ hearing. (Scott Eklund/AP)

For diehard football fans, nothing beats screaming your lungs out in the stadium alongside tens of thousands of other fans.

There is, however, a downside: hearing loss.

With the battle among fans to be the loudest crowd getting almost as competitive as the NFL itself, hearing experts say it’s time for a serious conversation about the damage caused by crowd noise.

MoRx is Missouri’s State Pharmacy Assistance Program. MoRx was created by the 93^rd General Assembly to provide prescription drug assistance to seniors and persons with disabilities with Medicare’s ( Part D) Prescription Drug Program.

Benefits of MoRx

• MoRx works with all Medicare Part D plans.
• MoRx pays for 50%of your out-of-pocket costs on medications that are covered by your Medicare Part D plan. This means you will save 50% on your duductible, 50% on your co-pays, including during the coverage gap and beyond. MoRx does not pay for the Medicare Part D Plan’s monthly premium.

There is a wide variety of resources in the state of Missouri for seniors regarding care. Listed below is contact information for services in the state.

Area Agency on Aging & Services——————-1-573-526-4542

health.mo.gov/seniors/aaa/

Develops and implements programs and services for older persons at the local level

Department of Veterans Affairs———————–1-800-827-1000

mo.gov/veterans/

Offers information about VA medical benefits

Department of Social Services-Division of Family Services

MO HealthNet Division——————————-1-8000-392-2161

dss.mo.gov/mhd/

Purchases and monitors health care services for low income and vulnerable citizens

Elder Abuse and Neglect Hotline——————–1-8000-392-0210

Hearing loss is linked to other important women’s health issues, but recognizing and addressing it can enhance well-being, says the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). BHI is urging women of all ages to take the free, quick, and confidential online BHI Hearing Check at www.BetterHearing.org during National Women’s Health Week (May 11-17). Anyone can take the online survey to determine if they need a comprehensive hearing test by a hearing health professional.

We were invited this week to speak to a class of Southeast Missouri State University business students. Kyle R Griffin, a Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist representing the Miracle-Ear Foundation went to Southeast Missouri State University on April 17, 2014, and gave the students a lecture about how to protect their hearing. During the lecture the topics of discussion included the prevalence of hearing loss, the dangers of noise induced hearing loss, the social and economic impacts it can have on their lives and how it can be avoided.

From HealthyHearing

Ahhh, spring! That wonderful time of year when everything is new again — and we are mysteriously compelled to engage in the annual ritual of spring cleaning.

Unfortunately, some of the equipment we use to clean inside and out this time of year is hard on our hearing. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), individuals who are exposed to noise levels over 85 decibels (dB) for more than eight hours daily run the risk of permanently damaging their hearing. That’s why employers with noisy job environments are required to provide hearing protection for their employees.

Noise, not age is the leading cause of hearing loss. Unless you take steps now to protect to your ears, sooner or later many of you — and your children — will have difficulty understanding even ordinary speech.

Tens of millions of Americans, including 12 percent to 15 percent of school-age children, already have permanent hearing loss caused by the everyday noise that we take for granted as a fact of life.

“The sad truth is that many of us are responsible for our own hearing loss,” writes Katherine Bouton in her new book, “Shouting Won’t Help: Why I — and 50 Million Other Americans — Can’t Hear You.” The cause, she explains, is “the noise we blithely subject ourselves to day after day.”

Joyce Hill Cooley, Kyle Griffin and Cynthia Bradley were recognized in the December 2013 issue of the Hearing Review as being among the best Hearing Healthcare Professionals in the nation. The determination was made by some of the industry’s top hearing healthcare professionals; a review panel chosen by the Hearing Review. Mrs. Cooley is a registered nurse, national board certified hearing instrument specialist and certified occupational hearing conservationist, Mr. Griffin is a National Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist, and Mrs. Bradley is a National Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist; they are all employed by Miracle-Ear Center located in the different branches including Jackson Medical Center, 2387 Jackson Blvd, Jackson, MO. 1465 N. Kings highway in Cape Girardeau, MO and in the Farmington Wal-Mart. They all have years of service  in the hearing health field were mentioned in the recommendation to review board.