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Going Digital with Your Hearing Aids   

In Hearing Aids by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

Hearing aids have become much more sophisticated in the last twenty years. Today’s devices are smaller, more reliable, and more powerful in all respects. Almost everything in our world has been taken over by digital technologies, and hearing aids are no different. However, there are still some hearing aids out there that use analog amplification methods. But does digital always …

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Dealing with Noise Pollution in Your Neighborhood      

In Hearing Health by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

We want our home to be a sanctuary. Although we live in our lives with constant turmoil and commotion, our homes should be a place for rest and relaxation – a refuge of our own making. However, with the noise in our neighborhoods and cities rising, it’s not always possible to achieve quiet in your home. Sources of noise pollution …

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How Treating Hearing Loss Helps Your Mental Health         

In Hearing Health, Hearing Loss by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

Many people fail to acknowledge the existence of hearing loss in their lives. That could be chalked to several different factors: Hearing loss is uneven. Rather than a sudden decrease in overall speech, hearing loss is often detected as frequency distortion. Hearing loss is gradual.  It occurs quite gradually over time, and it may even be challenging to locate where …

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Earbud Use Could Harm Your Hearing

In Hearing Health, Hearing Loss, Informative by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

When we think of the causes of hearing loss, our minds go immediately to very loud sounds. Some of us think of the machinery in industrial sites, while others think of an explosion or a car crash. Still others might think of musicians who are constantly exposed to very loud music in rehearsals or performances. Although these are indeed risky …

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Improving Communication with Your Family

In Communication by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

If you are a family member of someone with hearing loss, you understand the struggle that day-to-day communication can become. Not only are there missing pieces of information, but there can be an emotional charge to even the simplest interaction. Frustrations run high in all directions, and without a careful concerted effort to manage these feelings we can end up …

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Q&A About Hearing Loss

In Hearing Loss, Informative by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

If you are coming to the realization that you might have hearing loss, you are certainly not alone. Many people are diagnosed with hearing loss every year, and even more have hearing loss that goes undiagnosed. If you have realized—either through a hearing test or your own experience—that you have hearing loss, you are likely to have some associated questions …

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Hearing Loss & Fatigue

In Uncategorized by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

Do you find that you have to ask the people in your life to repeat themselves more than normal? Are you struggling to keep up and to contribute with conversation? There is a good chance you are dealing with the onset of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be exhausting. As you struggle to fill in blanks in what people are …

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Everyday Activities That Harm Your Hearing

In Hearing Health, Hearing Loss by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

The world is a diverse soundscape full of music, birds chirping and wind blowing through the trees. Sounds can be a delightful and relaxing part of living but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Some sounds can be exasperating. Many of us deal with the sounds of traffic, construction and noisy appliances everyday. As …

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Communication At Work: May is Better Hearing and Speech Month!

In Communication by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

When someone struggles to hear, they also struggle to communicate. It can be extremely challenging to respond to the world around you when you cannot hear what people around you are saying. Around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss and associated language issues. To highlight the importance of treating and accommodating people with hearing and language challenges the …

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The Causes of Acquired Hearing Loss

In Hearing Loss by Christa N. Smith, Au.D., CCC-A

When you think of hearing loss, what is the first condition that comes to mind? Do you think of someone who is born with total deafness or serious hearing impairment? In a strictly technical sense, many practitioners do not think of these congenital conditions as hearing “loss” because the person began life with certain limitations on hearing ability. When many …