William Shatner in Shatner’s World: We Just Live In It on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. In the 90-minute show, Shatner illustrates some of his stories with photos and video clips.

Over the past half-century, the wild range of roles played by William Shatner has included a starship captain, a blowhard attorney and the man who can get you a deal on a hotel room.

Now, for the first time since John F. Kennedy was in the White House and James T. Kirk was just a glint in Gene Roddenberry’s eye, Shatner has returned to Broadway and the stage.

NPR’s Scott Simon spoke to Shatner about his new solo show, Shatner’s World: We Just Live In It, which tracks the wild ride that took him from his Montreal boyhood to playing Shakespeare at Canada’s Stratford Festival and on to Hollywood and outer space.

NPR: Thanks so much for being with us.

Shatner: Well, thank you. That was put so well I don’t have to say anything about myself during this interview.

NPR: Well, let’s try it anyway, OK?

Shatner: All right.

NPR: You did a bunch of Broadway shows in the late 1950s and early ’60s …

Shatner: I did.

NPR: … including The World of Suzie Wong, A Shot in the Dark.

Shatner: Mm-hmm.

NPR: What roles did you play onstage when you were at the Stratford Festival?

Shatner: Golly. I played in the chorus of Oedipus. I played comedies and dramas. My big claim to fame during the three years I was at Stratford was understudying Henry V and going on without any rehearsal — and I tell that story in the show. … Tyrone Guthrie, a great English director of that time, said to me — I was understudying Chris Plummer — and they said, “Plummer’s ill. Can you go on?” And I had never rehearsed the part, never spoken the part out loud. And I went on.

NPR: Mm-hmm. And it was a success.

Shatner: Yes.

NPR: You didn’t open your mouth and nothing came out.

Shatner: No. It sometimes felt like that.

NPR: You’ve — well, you’ve just made the point. You go back a long way with Christopher Plummer.

Shatner: I do. In fact, I go further back than that. I go back to early radio at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in Montreal. So we’ve had our history together. He’s a buddy of mine now. But my memory of him during those early years was one of total respect and admiration. Of course, he’s become one of our great actors.

NPR: Mm-hmm. So by the time you did Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, was that part of the attraction for you — getting him onboard?

Shatner: Absolutely. He comes aboard as the leading villain on Star Trek VI, and I went from being his understudy to being his captain.

NPR: And he [sets up] one of the great — as far as I’m concerned — movie lines of all time. In Star Trek VI, after Plummer speaks a line in Klingon, Leonard Nimoy, as Spock, identifies it as “Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1.” Then David Warner, as General Chang, responds, “You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon.”

Shatner: That actually is a great line, and I worship great lines.

NPR: You, I gather, are pretty open about having tinnitus.

Shatner: Right. I have tinnitus. I got it oh, 10, 15 years ago. It drove me mad. I thought I was going to lose my mind.

NPR: Can I ask you to help us understand what it sounds like, what it feels like?

Shatner: Turn on a television set without the station. A lot of people [with tinnitus] have different kinds of sound. But the most common, and mine, is that hiss static. And that’s what it’s like. And during the time I was going to the doctor, they attempted to reach the nature of the sound, so they had an instrument that played all kinds of hissing. … So they tweaked the machine until they reached me. And when they reached the same timbre and tone of my sound, I broke into tears: Somebody had hacked their way through this jungle of sound where I was totally alone in my agony, and somebody had reached me. And it just moved me to tears.

NPR: Well, thank you for talking about that.

Shatner: Well, if it can help somebody else — and a lot of people have it, a lot of returning veterans have it. It’s caused by a number of things, age being one of them, medication, and mostly traumatic sound. A lot of sound engineers have it. The cilia in your inner ear dies — some of it dies — and this code of silence that you had when you were born is broken, and so it’s the brain’s activity. If one person … listening to this can be helped by [my] saying, ‘Don’t despair. I promise you, eventually you won’t hear it. It won’t go away, but you won’t hear it … ‘”

NPR: Was there ever a moment or — I don’t know, 10 moments — when you thought you might not make it in show business?

Shatner: Always. I’m thinking here in New York, what happens if I fail? Now, I have every expectation that won’t happen. But always the inculcation of the actor is: What happens if I fail? What happens if they don’t like me? And that goads every actor. Getting that audience approval is always a question mark, and it’s always that flag that flutters in front of you.

NPR: But you see it as a motivational tool?

Shatner: It goads you. It goads you and worries you and pricks you and [there's] never a restful moment until all the elements are put together and the audience is applauding and approving.

NPR: Mr. Shatner, can you say something for us in your fluent Esperanto?

Shatner: Yes. [Foreign language spoken]. It translates: Is this interview at an end?

NPR: You saw that coming, didn’t you? Is that truly Esperanto? Forgive me for not knowing.

Shatner: It’s nonsense syllables. But I maintain it is Esperanto.

NPR: Well, we should explain. You did …

Shatner: I did a movie in Esperanto. … It was designed to be the language, the universal language of Greek, Latin and German words so that it had the roots of many, many of the existing languages. Everybody could learn to speak it. And so you wouldn’t need translators, and you could speak Esperanto to each other, there’d be less misunderstanding. It didn’t quite work.

NPR: Didn’t quite work out. We should explain so people can find it, it’s a 1966 film called Incubus.

Shatner: Yes.

NPR: Kind of a horror film. I’ve seen clips.

Shatner: Yeah. It was kind of a horror film. Or else it was a horrible film, I’m not …

NPR: You know, it occurs to me just while I’m sitting here and were conversing in Esperanto, can you speak Klingon?

Shatner: Yes.

NPR: Oh, OK. Just thought I’d ask.

Shatner: Oh, yes, I’m fluent. And when I say fluent it means I spit a lot.

NPR: It’s a great spitter’s language, isn’t it?

Shatner: Right, a spitter language.

NPR: William Shatner, in any language, is back on Broadway, for the first time in 50 years. His solo show, Shatner’s World: We Just Live In It, runs at the Music Box Theatre until March 4.

Article source: http://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/2012/02/22/it%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98shatner%E2%80%99s-world%E2%80%99-and-he-wants-you-to-see-it/

Wednesday 22nd February 2012

People suffering from tinnitus can learn how to manage the symptoms of the condition, according to an industry expert.

Josephine Swinhoe, director at the Tinnitus Clinic, said that the most common forms of treatment administered by those in audiology jobs revolve around coping with the problem.

It often causes different types of sound to occur inside the head or ears, such as buzzing, humming or whistling.

According to the NHS, tinnitus is a common condition and is an issue for around ten per cent of people, however, just one in 200 say that they are severely affected by it.

“Cognitive behavioural therapy and relaxation techniques are really there to help patients with the associated problems such as sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and to help reduce the emotional impact of tinnitus,” said Ms Swinhoe.

While there currently is not a cure for tinnitus, which can be worse at times when it is quiet, sound therapy is often used to help people live with it.

Tinnitus can be caused by inner ear damage, particularly in the cochlea, which is contained in this area.

If this malfunctions then the brain will look to find signals from other parts of the cochlea which are still working, causing the sounds which are associated with tinnitus.

Ms Swinhoe went on to say that cures for the symptoms have changed “very little over the last ten years”.

“There is a new treatment just arrived in the UK which is available at The Tinnitus Clinic called acoustic neuro-modulation. That is different because it actually works on the causes of the tinnitus, right into the auditory cortex, rather than dealing with the symptoms,” the expert explained.

Those who believe they are suffering from tinnitus should consult an audiologist, as the condition can also be caused by a number of other things, such as a build-up of wax which blocks the ear.

Written by Megan Smith

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Article source: http://www.mediplacements.com/article-801299475-symptoms_of_tinnitus_can_be.html

MOST of us have experienced ringing in our ears after listening to loud music or going to a gig but for the majority it lasts just a couple of hours.

But for the one in 10 people with tinnitus – like former heavy rock/post punk musician Paul Gray – the noise stays with them every day. And in severe cases the pain and frustration affects their whole life.

Paul had to give up his career as a professional musician with bands including UFO, The Damned and Eddie and the Hot Rods when he was still in his mid 30s after developing high pitched noises in both ears and becoming highly sensitive to day to day noises such as doors closing or glasses clinking in a pub.

The condition, which causes ringing sounds in one or both ears and can either be continuous or can come and go, can hit anyone at any age and can have a negative impact on their work, personal and social lives.

Although there is currently no cure, there are a number of treatments that can help anyone with tinnitus reduce their symptoms, including using ear plugs in noisy situations.

But for many sufferers, there is huge emotional stress and frustration caused by the condition, which can lead to trouble sleeping and prevent them from going to places that they previously frequented.

As hearing trouble is often associated with old age, the British Tinnitus Association puts a huge emphasis on the importance of young people protecting their hearing from loud music in clubs, festivals and personal listening devices by taking some time out from the noisy environment and using earplugs.

Paul is well aware of how tinnitus can affect younger people.

His career as a bass player came to an end after he developed tinnitus in 1994.

He said: “It was around three weeks after I had finished touring when I realised my ears had not stopped ringing. It’s not the type of thing that you just wake up one day and find you have got it. There are warning signs, it’s just you wake up one day and you have got it bad.

“As a professional musician I was used to a prolonged ringing in my ears after a show but this was different, it had never lasted so long. But when you are young you are not bothered about it – you think hearing problems are something associated with old age and you just don’t think it will happen to you.”

After three weeks, the father of one visited his GP who referred him to the audiology department at the University Hospital of Wales.

Having started his professional musical career at 16, the 53-year-old from Cardiff, was devastated when doctors told him he would be unable to pursue his love of playing.

He said: “It was a very dark day when they told me I wouldn’t be able to carry on doing something that I loved so much – as a musician it’s the worst thing I could have been told.

“My tinnitus sounds like a permanent series of high pitched frequencies in both ears. The best way I can describe it is like the sound of crashing cymbals mixed with the whine of a jet engine.

“It impacts on every single part of my life. It is very difficult to chill out and relax. I can’t partake in social events like going to the theatre or any live entertainment really. It’s far easier to just not go out at all.

“You can get to a very bleak place with it, and you have to lean to deal with it as there is no real alternative.”

Paul now uses ear plugs when he goes out and they buy him a couple of hours of playing time if he is able to perform a gig, but he still has to take precautions.

He said: “Going out to the city centre is horrible, even with ear plugs, I just want to leave. It’s difficult to explain but it’s a bit like burning your hand and then holding it over a boiling kettle.

“My tinnitus has prevented me from enjoying a stress-free night out or even a stress-free day. The slightest noise can trigger a “fight or flight” reaction; somebody shouting, cars, the air brakes on buses, passing trains, music, even a door banging.

“The sound generated by something as innocent as a child’s laugh or the timbre of someone’s voice affects my condition in such a way it means that I am permanently on edge. Simple pleasures like going to the pub for a drink or going out for a meal are difficult as the banging and clinking of the glasses, loud voices and the sound of cutlery on plates is extremely uncomfortable, which make it impossible to relax.

“The earplugs buy me an hour or two on stage, so I have been doing a bit of selective playing again, but it’s not just the music, it’s the people shouting and clapping and clinking of glasses. I can’t stay with my friends after I have performed like I used to.”

Paul still has a love of music and has found an alternative career working for the musician’s union. He has learned what makes his tinnitus worse and has tried a number of techniques to reduce the effect his tinnitus has on his life.

He said: “Giving up a successful career and lifestyle that I loved was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. The only thing I really knew I was good at was writing songs, playing live and recording in the studio so finding an alternative to that was very stressful.

“As yet I have not been able to find a suitable method of reducing the level of tinnitus I experience, although that is not for lack of trying. I have been down pretty much every route available such as counselling, maskers, acupuncture, anti-depressants, laser pens and homeopathy. On a very short term basis cranial sacral therapy helps.

“A couple of good night’s sleep also helps but it is rare that I even get one good night. I can usually get to sleep but I wake up a few hours later because the tinnitus is so loud it makes it very difficult to get back to sleep.

“Coming to terms with my tinnitus and getting myself into the mindset of ‘it could be worse’ has helped. This doesn’t relieve it but it does make it easier to handle given that I will have it until the day I die.

“The best piece of advice I could give somebody who has developed tinnitus which is induced by noise is to ensure that they remove yourself from the cause. For those in the entertainment industry it is essential that ear protection is also used.”

The British Tinnitus Association (BTA) can help sufferers of tinnitus and those who live with it by providing advice and information. Contact them on 0800 018 0527 or visit www.tinnitus.org.uk.

Article source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/health-and-beauty-in-wales/2012/02/22/former-professional-bass-player-paul-gray-describes-the-impact-tinnitus-has-had-on-his-life-91466-30376778/

Douglas L. Beck, AuD, spoke with Dr. Hewitt about pediatric private practice, Project TALK, and more.

Academy:               Good morning, Joan. Thanks for your time this morning.

Hewitt:                    Hi, Doug. My pleasure.

Academy:              Joan, for readers not familiar with you, I’d like to note you’ve been in private practice since 1995 and earned your doctorate from A.T. Still University in 2004. Your private practice is named Pediatric Hearing Specialists and you’re affiliated with Project TALK in Encinitas, CA. Assuming I’ve got those notes correctly stated, would you please tell me a little about the two entities?

Hewitt:                    Sure. As you said, our practice, Pediatric Hearing Specialists, is located in Encinitas, CA. In addition to our private practice, we’re proud to be affiliated with Project TALK, which is a not-for-profit program started by parents of children with hearing loss back in the 1970s. Their goal was to provide their children with the opportunity to listen and talk. Our office works with Project TALK to assist children who have hearing loss, but may not have financial and/or other resources, such as health insurance, which would otherwise provide their diagnostic services and hearing aid and cochlear implant programming.

Academy:              And to be clear, you and your business partner (Laurie M. Owen, MA) are both working moms and began working together in an audiology-based pediatric private practice in 2003—which is a little unusual, as most audiologists seem to go into more or less of a general practice.

Hewitt:                    Yes, that’s true. In 2000, when Laurie was working at an auditory-oral preschool and I was in private practice, we started putting our heads together about some difficult cases we shared. By 2003, we were working more closely together and were really starting to see the impact cochlear implants were making on our pediatric patients so we decided to attend cochlear implant programming training. We originally thought we would use our CI training for a small number of patients attending the auditory-oral preschool in our area, but we quickly learned that a number of children with CIs were not performing up to expectations. As these parents sought second opinions for their children, the demand for our services exploded.  Now, diagnostic audiology, cochlear implant programming, and hearing aid fittings form the basis of our pediatric practice.

Academy:              And how do moms, dads, and families find you? Where do the referrals come from?

Hewitt:                   Great question. We actually don’t do any marketing or advertising. All of our referrals come from word-of-mouth from the families we’ve worked with, auditory-verbal therapists, teachers, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and others in the community familiar with our work.

Academy:              That is simply amazing! And I wanted to also add that you studied to be a teacher of the deaf before you became an audiologist—is that right?

Hewitt:                    Yes. Well, my first master’s degree was from the Smith College/Clarke School auditory-oral program. I have worked as a teacher of the deaf and as an aural rehabilitation specialist so I know how important it is to coordinate our audiological care with the child’s AVT, SLP, and teacher.

Academy:              Is there a particular pediatric age limit that your practice focuses on?

Hewitt:                    Not really, as the problem with children is they tend to grow up! So, we see children from birth on and do have adults in our practice who started with us as children. We also have some adults who are pre-lingually deafened adults, as we believe their needs are vastly different from those of post-lingually deafened adults. So even though the focus of our practice is pediatrics, we do have some pre-lingually deafened adult patients, too.

Academy:               And what about the percentage of patients who are cochlear implant recipients versus the percentage of patients who are hearing aid users?

Hewitt:                    About a year ago, the last time we officially counted, our patients were pretty evenly divided between hearing aids and cochlear implants. However, this year it seems the balance has tipped such that slightly more than half of our patients are cochlear implant recipients and a little less than half use hearing aids.

Academy:              Joan, what’s been your experience and what’s your thought process related to bilateral cochlear implants in appropriate pediatric candidates?

Hewitt:                    The difference between unilateral and bilaterally implanted children is dramatic. We strongly believe that children with two implants experience the benefits of binaural hearing:  louder, clearer speech reception; improved hearing in noise; better localization; and more auditory “redundancy” so the child can listen with more ease.

I had an experience recently with an Usher’s Syndrome patient that was really moving. His first implant literally changed his life overnight; he went from isolation to conversations on the phone! However, when he asked about a second implant, I told him it would more-or-less be the “icing on the cake.” That is, I counseled him that the second implant would be give him some of the benefits of binaural hearing, but that he should not to expect as dramatic an improvement as with the first.

Academy:              And what happened?

Hewitt:                    I learned that, even as audiologists, we don’t realize how important TWO ears are! He came back the day after his second implant was activated and told me, “Don’t ever again tell anyone that the second implant is not as amazing as the first!” He said his life was immediately richer and fuller and to him, the difference between one and two implants was night and day! So I now tell patients that the second implant really is as amazing as the first!

Academy:              And I know we’re running out of time…but I’m pretty sure you see children with auditory processing disorders, too?

Hewitt:                    Yes, we see them through the local school districts, although we do not complete the APD testing.

Academy:               And I presume the vast majority of them have normal hearing?

Hewitt:                    Yes.

Academy:               And have you fit any of them with FM systems?

Hewitt:                    Yes, if that is the recommendation of the audiologist who completed the APD testing. We do see that the children benefit from a better signal-to-noise ratio and are more readily able to attend to the teacher.

Academy:               Joan, as someone who faces these decisions daily, please tell me your thoughts about digital noise reduction and adaptive directionality technology for children with mild-moderate sensorineural hearing loss and digital hearing aids and for children with severe-to-profound hearing loss using cochlear implants?

Hewitt:                    We recommend both technologies all the time. We know that children are in challenging listening environments all day long and can benefit from these technologies, but they are not always good at assessing their listening needs and don’t know when to change their programs.

With today’s hearing aids, smart technology algorithms are used that engage adaptive directionality if and only if the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved, and if not, the system stays in the omni-directional mode. The same is true for advanced digital noise reduction systems. So the point is, if we turn them on and leave them on, they will improve the child’s auditory access in appropriate situations. However, if we don’t turn them on, they’re not beneficial at all at any time!

We also find that our pediatric and adult patients all want to put on their hearing technology in the morning and not think about it again until it’s time for bed. By activating the appropriate automatic features in the patients’ regular listening programs, we hope to attain maximal auditory ability in every situation they find themselves in! So to us, for children and adults, environmentally adaptive technology is desirable and beneficial.

Academy:              Do you think we’ll see a trend toward more pediatric-based private audiology practice?

Hewitt:                    I hope so. As insurance reimbursement decreases and as the time constraints increase such that professionals in large clinics have less time to spend with each child, I believe that those who work in private practice and specialize in pediatrics will be able to work more efficiently and will be better able to provide the time and support our children with hearing loss need. So I hope we’ll see more and more pediatric specialization.

Academy:              Thanks very much for your time and knowledge. It’s a joy to speak with you and I wish for you and the children you work with continued prosperity and a happy and healthy 2012!

Hewitt:                    Thanks, Doug.

Joan G. Hewitt, AuD, is a pediatric audiologist with Pediatric Hearing Specialists, Inc, in Encinitas, CA.

Douglas L. Beck, AuD, Board Certified in Audiology, is the Web content editor for the American Academy of Audiology.

Article source: http://www.audiology.org/news/Pages/20120222.aspx

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120222/FL57334)

“I’m very proud to be associated with a leading consumer brand that helps as many people as the Neutronic Ear does. We’ve been working hard to educate the public and show them alternatives that address their hearing issues,” states Joe Glennon, newly appointed Director of Operations at Neutronic Ear. He continues, “Research shows us that individuals with hearing issues can take over 10 years from the time of diagnosis to effectively deal with their situation, and we want to do more to remove the stigma associated with using these devices. When customers reach out to us, we want them to feel that they have found an affordable solution that can help them.”

In a recent U.S. Army study, about 70% to 80% of people lose their hearing in a consistent pattern that can be predicted by age. Neutronic Ear PSAP devices are preset to amplification levels and frequency ranges that correspond to these aging patterns.

“We’re very pleased to have Joe join the firm and take over the operational and logistical reigns of the company,” noted Chad Monteleone, Customer Care Manager. He adds, “We’re breaking new ground by going direct to consumers and we wanted to have someone with Joe’s depth and experience to help guide us as we continue to provide the best customer service in the industry.”

An acknowledged creative director and adjunction instructor, Mr. Glennon grew his entrepreneurial and logistics experience managing daily operations for a major government-consulting firm in the greater Tampa Bay area. A graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia, Mr. Glennon’s past experience also includes service with the US Navy driving their “Surf Riders” amphibious assault crafts. Joe lives in Trinity with his wife and 2 boys.

About Neutronic Ear:

Founded in the early 1990′s, Neutronic Ear was developed on the basic principle that America’s mature population should not suffer with hearing difficulties for over a decade to secure crisp and clear sound amplification in a small, discrete, easy to use and affordable package. Many years of engineering and development have created a product that’s ready to use right out of the box. The patented case design and unique clear tube make it practical and easy to use. For more information, visit www.neutronicear.com.

Contact for Neutronic Ear: Chad Monteleone, Customer Care Manager at 866.687.2508

SOURCE NeutronicEar

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/22/4282012/neutronic-ear-leading-psap-manufacturer.html

By Clare Dowdy

Article source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6254f1ec-5bf9-11e1-841c-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=published_links/rss/management/feed//product

Do I need two hearing aids?

By Dr. Tia Flynn

The Coeur d’ Alene Press

|
0 comments

How come some people only have one hearing aid? Isn’t everyone
supposed to have them for both ears?

Two hearing aids (binaural) is usually best for a patients
ability to hear well. There are a few exceptions. I recommend only
one hearing aid (monaural) for patients in these situations: 1.)
One ear has normal hearing. This ear would not need an aid. 2.) One
ear is completely deaf and cannot be helped with an aid. 3.) The
patient absolutely cannot afford a second aid. One is better than
none but two would be best.

I like to give this handout to patients that question me when I
recommend two hearing aids for them and they insist that they only
need one.

Do I need one hearing aid or two?

If you have fittable hearing loss in both ears it is best to
have two hearing aids.

Here are the reasons why:

1.) Better reception of sounds and soft spoken words. To
approximate the performance of two aids, a single aid may have to
be worn with the volume at a higher volume than it would if two
aids were worn. The higher volume setting puts the patient closer
to the point beyond which an increase in sound level becomes
uncomfortable or painfully loud. The addition of the second aid can
have the effect of increasing the range of sound pressure than the
patient can comfortably wear.

2.) Better understanding of speech in background noise. Even a
person who has one normal ear and one non-functioning ear has
trouble with understanding speech in the presence of noise. In
order for the central nervous system to “sort out” speech from
noise, input from both sides of the head is required.

3.) Reception of sound from both sides of the head. The addition
of a second aid reduces the need of rotating the head around to
face the speaker, making communication easier and more
comfortable.

4.) Localization of the sound source. The ability to localize
the origin of a sound allows a person to react more appropriately
to his/her environment. It also helps with acoustic balance.

Two hearing aids are not recommended for all patients evaluated.
When the recommendation is made, it is because the hearing
health-care provider feels that the communicative abilities of the
patient will be significantly improved by wearing two hearing aids
instead of one. Typically I find that I can prove to the patient
that their ability to understand speech is better with both ears
than one ear alone on their word discrimination test.

Dr. Tia Flynn is a certified audiologist and has been in
business for more than 12 years. Every Tuesday morning from 9 a.m.
to noon, Dr. Flynn provides free hearing screenings at 1601 Third
St. in Coeur d’Alene. Information: (208) 664-2767

More about Hearing

• ARTICLE: Local Briefs February 16, 2012
• ARTICLE: Help yourself hear well
• ARTICLE: Ringing in the ears
• ARTICLE: Get a full evaluation froman Ear, Nose, Throat physician

More about Aid

• ARTICLE: Trickle down? Let’s get real, folks
• ARTICLE: Get a full evaluation froman Ear, Nose, Throat physician
• ARTICLE: Chewing with new hearing aids
• ARTICLE: NIC targets financial aid fraud

More about Aids

• ARTICLE: Help yourself hear well
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Article source: http://www.cdapress.com/news/healthy_community/article_2fce9e1a-fa58-5ad8-9aff-7ae825c48a24.html

“A lot of people start with the question, ‘Which is the best hearing aid?’ We really think that’s the wrong question to start it all,” says Ed Ogiba.

Hoping to make amends, I called Ed Ogiba, president of the Hearing Loss Association of Sarasota. He confirmed others’ observations that any hearing aid is only as good as the audiologist who fits and programs it, but he did have some helpful tips for people frustrated by this Catch-22.

Ogiba recommended that any consumer see at least two audiologists before committing to purchase the pricey bundle of services that comes along with the actual device. And he offered a useful way to wade through the marketing swamp to a wise decision.

“A lot of people start with the question, ‘Which is the best hearing aid?’ We really think that’s the wrong question to start it all,” he said. A more useful clue for selecting an audiologist is “how wide a diversity of manufacturers they represent. The last thing you want is to go to an audiologist selling a hearing aid they want to sell, rather than what you need.”

A range of more than five manufacturers is a good indication that you’re on the right track, Ogiba said. And going to an HLAS meeting is a good way to refine that search. Although the group does not have an official list of recommended audiologists, mentors and group discussions can help steer you in the right direction.

“We encourage anyone lost in this process to come to a meeting,” Ogiba said. They are held at the North Sarasota Library at 1:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month; the next one will be March 21. Before recommending audiologists, members “try to listen to the individual’s particular needs, where they live, and what they’ve tried before,” he added.

Ogiba said he joined the group less than four years ago, after many years of hearing loss, and “90 percent of what helps me to hear better comes from other members and speakers at the monthly meetings.”

Oh, and it turns out that there is an annual guide that compares hearing aids! It’s called the “2012 Consumer’s Guide to Hearing Aids,” and it has some useful advice as well as a copious (and to me, barely comprehensible) checklist comparing features of different manufacturers’ wares.

This book, which has a cover price of $5.50, is not that easy to come by. Some audiologists and ear, nose and throat doctors distribute it, but the publisher could not give me a list of sources in this area. But the Hearing Loss Association of America, the parent of the Sarasota chapter, does make copies available and Ogiba said he will try to obtain more for upcoming meetings.

“As soon as we bring them in,” he said, “we run out of them.”

Article source: http://health.heraldtribune.com/2012/02/22/hearing-aids-part-ii/

This week the Advertiser contacted hotels around the district to find out what items staff have found after guests have checked out.

Phone chargers and keys feature high on the “left behind” list, though some surprising items have also been forgotten.

Mark McFeely, front of house manager at the White Horse in Dorking, said: “We find a lot of medication, which is quite worrying. Just the other week we found three hearing aids left in a room, which makes you think about the poor souls wandering around not having a clue what is going on.

“It is always interesting the way that people prioritise their possessions as well. We’ve had passports and house keys sat in a box for more than a year unclaimed, yet had others phoning frantically trying to get a pair of socks back.”

Iain Goswell, Surrey district manager for Travelodge, which has hotels in Dorking and Leatherhead, said: “Each year our lost and found box gets filled with some remarkable items.

“Over the past 12 months we have had a Cartier engagement ring, a suitcase full of Mills and Boon novels, a Louis Vuitton handbag, a teddy bear, a box of wigs and false eyelashes, a fax machine, mobile phones, sat-navs, pyjamas, electric toothbrushes, false teeth and artificial limbs left behind at our Leatherhead and Dorking hotels.”

Maria Chow of Bookham Grange Hotel said: “There has been quite a range left behind. We even had a ballgown; perhaps it wasn’t her colour after all.

“It is amazing how you could possibly forget your teeth or important medicine, but once you have stayed a couple of nights somewhere the setting becomes familiar and you effectively ‘move in’ and your items promptly become invisible as they blend and merge with their surroundings.”

Peter Randall, manager of the Hillcroft BB in Leatherhead, said the finds there had been “somewhat mundane”.

“But things could change with the influx of guests from around the world because of this year’s Olympics,” he added. “We have already had inquiries from Turkey, France and Cyprus, so things could get very interesting.”

Article source: http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/Hearing-aids-ball-gown-false-teeth-left-Mole/story-15291963-detail/story.html

BURLINGTON, ON, Feb 21, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
HearAtLast Holdings Inc. (pinksheets:HRAL) is pleased to announce
the release of the HR3000 hearing aid, the first in a series of
products available exclusively at HearAtLast clinics as well as at
affiliates. The product is developed in Canada, where quality and
performance are never compromised, by Vitasound Canada. It features
the finest technology available today and we feel it is at the
pinnacle as far as hearing aids are concerned. The featured patented
technology is the Neuro-Compensator which was developed by Vitasound.

Hearing aids have come a long way since the trumpet. Current hearing
aids amplify sounds and are not ideal; they don’t give the wearer
back their hearing, and they just give some sound which might give
the brain enough useful information to help decode incoming sounds.

A new type of hearing aid has now been developed by Vitasound. The
Neuro-Compensator aid works in a different way. It has a microchip
which transmits electrical signals to the brain, resulting in a more
natural and complex sound signal. The Neuro-Compensator is based on
the cochlear implant model, mapping the damaged areas of the ear and
compensating for them alone.

In the development of the HR3000 HearAtLast has worked closely with
Vitasound to have our marquis product stand above the rest. “Having
our own customized products enables us to offer premium product at an
attractive price. Price has always been one of the major obstacles in
the purchase of a hearing aid. The new product comes with a full 2
year warranty. We are currently working on other customized features
in the product line and retail appearance of our clinics that will
enhance our presence in this market. We are very excited about being
able to offer such a unique and distinguished product,” stated
Matthew Sacco, CEO of HearAtLast Holdings Inc. For a full description
of the Neuro-Compensator technology please visit our web site today
at
www.hearatlastholdings.com

About HearAtLast
HearAtLast Holdings, Inc. is a Nevada corporation
that has developed HearAtLast, a chain of hearing stores specialising
in the sale of digital hearing aids and testing services within
select Walmart stores in Canada.

HearAtLast facilities sell a selection of high quality brand name
hearing aids and also offer complimentary screening tests, clinical
hearing tests, high end ear buds and assistive listening devices. The
Company’s mission is to expand and develop opportunities within the
highly fragmented hearing services to the estimated 30+ million
hearing impaired individuals throughout North America by
co-developing and/or licensing its HearAtLast brand throughout North
America, within Walmart stores as well as in independent locations.
It is also the Company’s endeavour to provide the finest Hearing
Health Centres available today by offering exceptional, guaranteed
products, quality service by trained professionals and all the while
maintaining affordable prices. HearAtLast is accomplishing this by
combining the most sought after retail space in North America with
convenience and location.

For more information please visit
www.hearatlastholdings.com

Safe Harbor
Statements about the Company’s future expectations and
all other statements in this press release other than historical
facts, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that
such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors
created thereby.

The above information contains information relating to the Company
that is based on the beliefs of the Company and/or its management, as
well as assumptions made by any information currently available to
the Company or its management. When used in this document, the words
“anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plans,” “projects,”
and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its
management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such
statements reflect the current view of the Company regarding future
events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and
assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties noted. Should one
or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should
underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary
materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed,
estimated, expected, intended or projected. In each instance,
forward-looking information should be considered in light of the
accompanying meaningful cautionary statements herein. Factors that
could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to,
successful performance of internal plans, the impact of competitive
services and pricing and general economic risks and uncertainties.

        Investor Relations:
        HearAtLast Holdings, Inc.
        Ir@hearatlastholdings.com
        888-993-0989

SOURCE: HearAtLast Holdings, Inc.

        mailto:Ir@hearatlastholdings.com

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hearatlast-hral-along-with-vitasound-announces-release-of-breakthrough-patented-technology-hr3000-2012-02-21?reflink=MW_news_stmp