Hear, Here

I spoke to a Chiropractor friend of mine earlier this week. By 3:30 p.m., his office had already seen 56 patients. I can't imagine seeing 56 patients in one day! But that's a fairly normal day for this doctor. People come to him for relief from pain, among other things. After he adjusts them, they feel better, which is obviously the reason people continue to make their follow-up appointments. Which got me thinking. What would people do if hearing loss was painful? I'm not talking about ear infections and the like. I'm talking about normal (physically) pain-free sensorineural hearing loss that plagues most people with hearing loss. If the treatment involved temporary relief from pain until the next time, would there be more adopters of treatment by way of hearing aids? I'm not saying I wish hearing loss hurt; what I'm saying is I think it would be easier to convince someone with a newly diagnosed hearing loss to take that next step towards amplification if the

I got a call this morning from a representative for a 'discount' hearing aid plan we somehow got affiliated with because we accept the insurance plan they are affiliated with. This has become a pretty regular thing and ,while I don't always care for their policies and procedures, it seems to be the 'wave of the future' so I am doing my best to accept this trend in the industry. This representative was very nice, telling me she had a patient she wanted to schedule for a hearing test and hearing aid consult. I got the patient's name, address, date of birth, and other necessary information I needed to schedule her appointment and then I asked the rep for the patient's type of insurance and their primary care doctor. She asked me why I needed that information and I explained that I would need to get an order from their physician so I could bill their insurance for the hearing test. To which she replied, "you will not be able to bill for the hearing test.

You Find Yourself Saying "what?" or "excuse me?" a lot or asking people to repeat themselves. You feel like no one speaks clearly anymore. Friends and Family Members remark that you keep the volume on your TV up very loud. You can't hear the person in front of you in a restaurant because of the deafening background noise. People shout at you. You misinterpret conversations You find yourself less willing to go out in public or talk on the telephone. The ringing in your ears never stops Your boss has indicated your hearing may be affecting your job performance. You have failed a hearing exam. Call us today to schedule your hearing test. We can let you know 'where you are' and what can be done about it, (912) 748-9494 or email me, dawn@coastalaudiology.com

Imagine if you were introduced to a product that claimed to do the following: strengthen the brain purify the blood stop ringing in the ears (tinnitus) stabilize emotions assist lymphatic circulation aid sinusitis clean wax from the ear canal release blocked energy release TMJ pain and stiffness reduce stress and tension and much, much more! Would you use it? Millions of people around the world do, though none of the above statements have ever been proven to be true! Auricular candling, or auricular coning, is more frequently known as "ear candling". Thought to originate from ancient Tibet, China, Egypt, and the pre-Columbian Americas, the origin of ear candling is rather obscure. It involves a linen or cotton cloth, soaked in wax or paraffin ('the candle') and allowed to harden. Most instructions involve the person undergoing 'treatment' to lie on his or her side. A collecting plate is placed above the ear and a candle is inserted through a

So what is it? Fun,Sun, Sand, Chlorine....Swimmer's Ear. Nothing will ruin a good time like an ear infection. Swimmer's Ear, or Otitis Externa, is an infection of the ear canal. It can be caused by many types of bacteria and fungi. The exernal ear canal is a great breeding ground for the infection due to the fact that it is warm and dark, and then moisture is introduced from being in the water. Though we see an increase in Swimmer's Ear in the Summer, it can happen to most anyone year-round. The infection commonly occurs in individual who spend a lot of time in the water. Because summertime is a time where we are constantly in the water, this excess moisture in the ear canal can break down the delicate skin of the external ear canal, allowing bacteria and fungi to grow. The skin can also be broken down and irritated when the ear canal is scratched, as when people use cotton swabs or use foreign objects to scratch their ear, like pen caps, bobby pins, and paperclips.