Hear, Here

By: Dr. Dawn H. MacMillan, Audiologist Happy National S'mores Day ! To celebrate, we are sharing with you tips on how to prevent hearing loss. Each day in our office, we treat patients who feel like they are doomed to have hearing loss because someone in their family has hearing loss. While there may be a greater likelihood of developing hearing loss in those with a genetic link, often times it is because unhealthy hearing habits are passed down from generation to generation! Nights spent under the lights at the racetrack with no hearing protection, mowing the lawn with no hearing protection, smoking--there are  things you can do to reduce your risk of hearing loss. 1.) Move away from the noise- This doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good outdoor concert. While being near the action may be good for your soul, it's bad for you hearing. By putting some distance between you and the noise source, you are reducing he level of hazardous noise reaching your ears which is g

By: Dr. Dawn H. MacMillan, Audiologist  It's hard to believe, but school starts locally in just about two weeks. Like so many other parents, I've been running around buying school uniforms and shoes because my kiddos have outgrown almost everything this summer. We've been busy with school supply lists and finishing all the back to school tasks required before August 5th when they return to school. For my little one who will begin kindergarten, I had to verify she had her required hearing test to enter school  (funny to me considering her mama is an Audiologist!) and was up-to-date on her vaccinations. All this running around and list-checking got me thinking about my pediatric patients. How my back to school lists mirror the lists of the parents of my pediatric patients with hearing loss but they have more things they need to do to prepare their little ones for the new school year. It got me thinking about childhood hearing loss and what I can do to help prevent hearing

Approximately one in three people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor's advice, respond to warnings, and hear phones, doorbells, and smoke alarms. Hearing loss can also make it hard to enjoy talking with family and friends, leading to feelings of isolation. Age-related hearing loss most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally. Because the loss is gradual, if you have age-related hearing loss you may not realize that you've lost some of your ability to hear. There are many causes of age-related hearing loss. Most commonly, it arises from changes in the inner ear as we age, but it can also result from changes in the middle ear, or from complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain. Certain medical conditions and medications may also play a role. Why do we lose our heari