18. January 2012 by Cape Cod Chapter HLAA Blog.

Cape Ears, Newsletter of the Hearing Loss Association of America Cape Cod

Saturday, January 28th Film Festival, 10 am

“Hearing Loss 101″

Guests and members alike will learn new information to help deal with hearing loss by watching short captioned videos produced by HLAA, followed by discussion. Learn about types of hearing loss, available treatments, how to read an audiogram, use of hearing aids, cochlear implants and assistive devices and more Bring a friend, bring a family member, bring someone you know who is in denial about their own hearing loss. Share your experiences and your favorite hearing assistive devices. Everyone is welcome. Membership in the group is not necessary to attend our meetings.

At 1 pm, an illustrated program on winter birds will be held at the library, and members are invited to stay, and although there will be no CART transcription, a loop will make things easier for those
with a hearing aid telecoil, or use of available headsets. Or bring along a neck loop for your comfort. See www.dennispubliclibrary.org

Saturday, March 24th at 10 am. Come early for coffee & conversation

Lions Help the Hearing Impaired

Saturday, March 24th at 10 am. Come early for coffee & conversation

Gretchen Olney, President of the Hearing Foundation of the Lions Club District 33S, and local Lions Club members will talk about How Lions Help the Hearing Impaired. She will focus on local resources like Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Sandwich and answer your questions about access to services and equipment. The Lions have done a wonderful job providing eyeglasses to those that need them, and we expect the hearing aid program to be equally helpful and perhaps our chapter can help as well. See the website for more information: www.district33s.org/hearing.htm

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29. December 2011 by Cape Cod Chapter HLAA Blog.

Dear Friends,
I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.  As the year comes to a close, I wanted to share some information with you about upcoming events, so you can write in your brand new calendar.

1.  The HLAA National Convention will be held in June 2012 in Providence and early bird registration, a 15% savings, will end on December 31st.  Complete details are on the website:  www.hearingloss.org
Scholarships are available for first time attendees, and volunteers are needed to help during the convention.  Contact event coordinator Nancy Macklin nmacklin@hearingloss.org for information on scholarships and volunteer opportunities.

2.  If you are not already a member of HLAA, you can join when you register for the convention.  If 5 new members mention the Cape Cod Chapter, and we will receive a free convention pass.

3.  Membership in the Cape Cod chapter for 2012 is only $10, and you can join or renew at any time.  Send your check made out to the Hearing Loss Association of America Cape Cod Chapter to:  Marita Cable, 7 Spruce Street, South Yarmouth, MA  02664

4.  Thanks to Marie McKay for organizing our very successful holiday luncheon at Oliver’s in Yarmouth Port.  It was a great start to the holiday season.

5.  The next HLAA webinar will be January 10, 2012, 7pm (EST) - Limitations of Ear-Level Technology (Brad Ingrao, Au.D.)This webinar reviews what factors will decrease your hearing device effectiveness and how to overcome them.  Register at the hearingloss.org website.  You can see and read the speaker’s talk, and participate by asking questions.  Older webinars are archived, and you can read the transcripts on a variety of interesting topics.

6.  Are you interested in learning Sign Language? Tom Driscoll is teaching American Sign Language on Mondays beginning January 9th for Harwich Adult Education and Wednesdays beginning January 18 in Orleans at http://nausetcommunityed.org/languages.html  He has taught at Cape Cod Community College for 15 years.

7.  Our next Cape Cod Chapter meeting is January 28th at Dennis Public Library.  Through short videos and group discussion, we will Learn About Hearing Loss and how to deal with it.  Members helping members is a great way to learn coping techniques and advocacy tips.
A program on winter birds will begin at the library at 1 pm, and members are invited to stay, and although there will be no CART transcription, a loop will make things easier for those with a telecoil, or available headsets.

8.  On March 24th, Gretchen Olney of the Lions Club and local Lions Club members will talk about How Lions Help the Hearing Impaired.  She will focus on local resources like Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Sandwich and answer your questions about access to services and equipment.  The Lions have done a wonderful job providing eyeglasses to those that need them, and we expect the hearing aid program to be equally helpful and perhaps our chapter can help as well.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.  Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Bobbie McDonnell, President, HLAACC

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9. December 2011 by Cape Cod Chapter HLAA Blog.

Press Release from   Moira Hennessey | Mass Relay Community Relations Manager | Hamilton Relay

O: 617-886-5157 | C: 413-464-3392

moira.hennessey@hamiltonrelay.com | www.hamiltonrelay.com

(Pompano Beach, FL) O2 Media, pioneers in the Branded Entertainment industry welcomes back Hamilton CapTel^®, a nationwide Captioned Telephone (CapTel) service provider and official “Closed Captioning” sponsor of “The Balancing Act” which airs on Lifetime Television. Make sure to tune in December, 13th and December 20th at 7:00am (ET/PT) to hear special guests, David Blanchard and Anne Girard from Hamilton CapTel, talk about a holiday gift that keeps on giving for those who struggle to hear on the phone.

Hamilton CapTel offers a free service designed exclusively for individuals who have difficulty hearing on the phone. Utilizing the latest technology, Hamilton CapTel delivers real-time, word-for-word captions of what is said to a user on the phone– similar to captions on television. The result allows a user to listen to and read what is said on the phone. Their nationwide captioned telephone service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“Hamilton CapTel is excited to share the gift of captioned telephone with the audiences of “The Balancing Act,” said Dixie Ziegler, Vice President of Hamilton CapTel. “This is a great opportunity for individuals who just can’t hear on the phone to learn about a viable solution to keep them connected with their loved ones throughout the holidays.”

Hamilton CapTel wants to ensure that you and your family stay connected this holiday season and for years to come. For more information, visit http://www.hamiltoncaptel.com.

About The Balancing Act

The Balancing Act” TV show is produced by O2 Media, Inc and airs on Lifetime Television at 7:00am (ET/PT). “The Balancing Act” is America’s premier morning show that’s about women, for women and trusted by women. For information or to view a show, visit www.TheBalancingAct.com. You can also follow “The Balancing Act” on www.facebook.com/TheBalancingActFans

www.twitter.com/BalancingActTV and www.youtube.com/thebalancingact.

 About O2 Media

Based in Pompano Beach, Fla., O2 Media is a national television production company and pioneer in the branded entertainment industry. Since its inception O2 Media has engaged, entertained and educated viewers with such reputable shows as “The Balancing Act,” www.thebalancingact.com and “Designing Spaces,” www.designingspaces.tv on Lifetime Television. The company has earned hundreds of industry awards for revolutionizing the way brands engage with consumers on television. O2 Media provides unmatched marketing value to its clients while producing quality content for its growing national viewership through Brandutainment®. Household brands and blue chip companies alike continue to depend on O2 Media to effectively communicate their message to consumers.

For information on becoming a content partner for “The Balancing Act” or “Designing Spaces,” contact O2 Media at Brandutainment@o2mediainc.com.

About Hamilton CapTel

Hamilton CapTel is a service of Hamilton Relay, a division of Hamilton Telecommunications, a diversified communications and technology services provider based in Aurora, Neb. Founded in 1901, Hamilton Telecommunications has grown to encompass eight primary company divisions allowing Hamilton to operate on a local, regional and national basis. For more information about Hamilton CapTel, please visit www.hamiltoncaptel.com.

*CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc.

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16. August 2011 by Cape Cod Chapter HLAA Blog.

Download October “Cape Ears” Newsletter

Download November “Cape Ears” Newsletter

TINNITUS! Some 50 million people suffer from this disorder and it is finally being addressed by both national and international scientists. On October 22^nd, Jennifer Melcher, Ph. D., an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary, shared some of the current knowledge in a fascinating and informative talk.

For the uninformed, the term “tinnitus” is described as the perception of sound when no sound is present. Dr. Melcher prefers the term “tinnitus condition” which is not just the sound you hear, but a lot of other stuff that is going on along with that sound. Hyperacusis is a second condition often attached to tinnitus, whereby sounds that are normal to most people become abnormally loud to others. Sufferers of tinnitus are frequently unable to lead a normal life due to depression, disruption of sleep, inability to work and sometimes even suicide. It occurs with hearing loss but also with normal hearing and is rarely curable, but there are ways to treat the symptoms.

After this background information, with the use of slides, Dr. Melcher provided an in-depth description of the auditory system showing how sound moves from ear to brain. Any problems along this path could result in hearing tinnitus, particularly if hair cells are broken.

She also pointed out besides the ear, auditory system and brain there is the somatosensory system to contend with. For instance, if there is a tensing of the head and neck muscles, it will affect your tinnitus. Somehow, the hearing centers use information from these muscles and link directly to the auditory system. Tinnitus causes distress. Distress causes tinnitus.

If the ear is unstimulated by an outside source, it will make sounds up. Tinnitus can be heard as buzzing, whirring, chimes, music, all sounds the brain has heard before and remembers. Tinnitus is the noises of something to fill in. Examining only participants with clinically normal audiograms but chronic tinnitus, Dr. Melcher’s group are studying the condition with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in order to actually see brain function by putting in sound, raising the sound by degrees and watching the brain responding. By this method, they can distinguish between tinnitus with hyperacusis, tinnitus without hyperacusis, etc.

Because the brain is not separate parts, new tests are discovering just how connected the different brain areas are and the way that affects how you hear tinnitus. (Connectivity analysis) All of the testing shows there are many kinds of tinnitus which will require varied forms of treatment. Dr. Melcher summarized, “the (scientific) field has a sense that there are ways to get at the tinnitus. The question is how to do it for that person.” Or, “no magic bullet” as she says.

There are a few treatment studies in other countries. One, from Germany, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, involves a coil placed in different locations in your head which excites the cortex (currently not understood) and may result in a reduction of tinnitus. Another extremely new treatment from Belgium puts a little stimulator on the vagal nerve, which controls neurotransmitter release in the brain. This is mostly done for depression and is FDA approved. A fairly minor surgery, there appears to be some benefit.

During the robust question and answer period we learned that yes, tinnitus and migraine headaches are connected as well as Meniere’s disorder, biofeedback is questionable and acupuncture has been some help. Scientists are working on regrowing cochlea hair cells as well as the auditory nerve fibers that connect the hair cells to the brain. At present, loud noises will probably, if not definitely, cause hearing loss and hearing aids cannot be fitted for tinnitus.

Dr. Melcher was a whirlwind of information and it was indeed a privilege to have her speak to our group.

Coming soon–a summary of our September meeting with Dr. Perry Ebel of Beltone. His talk was called :  “The Future is Now!  Advancements in Hearing Aid Technology”

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