There are many reasons and excuses for why your loved one is not getting the help they need with their hearing loss.  Whether it’s a prohibitive price, denying they even have a problem, or, sadly, societal stigma about wearing hearing aids, there’s a lot working against people who need hearing help.

At Hearing Doctors of New Jersey, we know it can be hard to have “the talk” with your friend or loved one, so we want to give you insider tips to help get them started hearing better.

Who’s Not Wearing Hearing Aids

In a remarkable study published in 2013, the International Journal of Audiology revealed that about 80% of adults between the ages of 55 and 74 could benefit from a hearing aid, but don’t use one. This includes hearing loss to all degrees, and it’s important to understand why this is happening.

First, the stigma of wearing a hearing aid can make someone more reluctant to reveal they have hearing loss. Others with mild hearing loss may be in denial that they have a problem and would benefit from getting a hearing test and investigating hearing solutions. Finally, hearing aids can be expensive for some people, with the average cost coming to around $2,300.

Convincing Others to Seek Help

It’s been shown that people who get the hearing solution that’s right for them enjoy a huge improvement in life experience, allowing them to socialize like normal, enjoy concerts and movies again, and many psychological benefits as well. That’s why we believe it’s important to speak candidly but respectfully with the people in your life who could benefit from a hearing aid but don’t want one. Here are our tips for convincing them to go to an audiologist.

Keep it Cool

Sometimes, it’s all about timing. Find a time when both you and your loved one are not stressed, have free time to talk and be in a generally positive mood. Be aware that your mood and conversation skills will have a lot to do with your loved one’s impression of the subject, so reassure them that you’re bringing it up for their best interests, not your own. If at any time one of you becomes agitated and negative, have the courage to end the conversation.

Come Prepared With Facts

There are many well-researched studies that prove the benefits of hearing aids, including their role in reducing the risk of cognitive decline. In addition to these benefits, research some potential hearing aids and have their features ready to cite, like Bluetooth connectivity, fitness tracking, and even translation technology. In recent years, hearing aids have become sleeker, more advanced, and more discreet, meaning there’s no better time to look at a variety of feature-packed hearing devices.

Offer Personal Support

For those who may be in denial about their hearing loss, or who don’t notice its effect on the people around them, bringing personal details can often be a convincing factor in the hearing aid decision. Record things like how many times people have needed to repeat themselves in conversation and how much louder the TV is when they’re watching compared to others. As you reveal these things, offer your support, like going to the audiologist with them and helping them pick out a specific device.

Hearing Solutions in Livingston, New Jersey

Hearing loss affects not just the person with the condition but also everyone around them.  If you have a loved one struggling to hear, now is the time to get them the help they need.

To learn more about hearing loss and hearing aids, download our FREE Insider’s Guide on how to finally hear better NOW.

Attempting to remove earwax with cotton swabs is incredibly common, but this method is actually ineffective and dangerous to your health. Most patients don’t actually have to worry about removing earwax, but in some cases, a blockage can affect your hearing. Continue reading to learn more about earwax and how to safely remove it.

What is Earwax?

The ears are designed to be self-cleaning, and earwax is part of this process. Earwax is a mix of dead skin cells, oils, and other debris that is intended to naturally move out of the ear over time. It helps to prevent infection, stop dirt or other debris from reaching deep into the ear canal, and provide lubrication that protects the ear canal from scratches. While it may seem like earwax needs to be removed, it is actually healthy to have some earwax present. Otherwise, the ears could become dry, itchy, and prone to infection.

Why Does Earwax Build Up?

Why having some earwax within the ear is important, it is possible to experience a buildup of wax that can block the ear canal, resulting in some hearing loss. You may also feel a sensation of the ears being plugged, similar to if you have water stuck in your ear or are wearing earplugs.

There are several reasons why earwax can build up. Some people have naturally dry earwax, which is especially common in older adults. This can make it more difficult for the wax to naturally move out of the ear. Excess ear hair can also trap earwax and cause a buildup. Patients who have had certain surgeries may also experience build-up due to a change in the anatomy or shape of the ear canal. Finally, wearing hearing aids or even some earbuds may cause earwax buildup. This is more common for hearing aid users but can affect those who wear earbuds for up to 10-12 hours per day—if you find this problem, it can be helpful to switch to over-ear headphones instead.

Are Q-Tips Dangerous To Use In Your Ears?

Q-tips can be dangerous to use within the ears for several reasons. Primarily, cotton swabs are long enough to reach the eardrum, meaning that inserting it far into your ear can significantly damage your hearing. Furthermore, Q-tips are not effective in cleaning earwax, and can even push wax and debris further into the ear—sometimes far enough to perforate the eardrum. Some choose to use Q-tips to dry their ears after a shower. Instead, it is safer to use a hairdryer on a low setting to dry the ears.

How Can I Safely Remove Earwax?

A majority of people do not have to worry about removing their earwax, as it will move out of the ear naturally over time. However, removal is sometimes necessary if you experience earwax buildup. Some at-home removal methods that are safe can include mineral oil, baby oil, and over-the-counter earwax softeners. These products can be dropped into the ears to help soften earwax, which can then fall away naturally or be gently flushed out with water. Using any of these three, leave drops in the ears overnight, using a cotton ball to keep the liquid within the ear.

If these at-home options are insufficient, you can also schedule an appointment with an audiologist. They can use several professional methods, including flushing out debris with a saline solution or manually removing earwax, to remove blockages.

Schedule a Consultation

To learn more about your ear health and safely removing earwax, schedule a consultation at Hearing Doctors of New Jersey. Call (973) 577-4100 or contact us online to set up your appointment.

If your child undergoes hearing tests at school or through their pediatrician, it can be easy to think your child doesn’t need to see an audiologist. Although for many people this is true, hearing problems during early life can have compounding effects. It’s important to catch hearing problems as soon as possible.  A comprehensive hearing test can have a tremendous, positive impact on setting your child up for success. Whether you’ve never considered taking your child to an audiologist or are wondering what to expect from an appointment, here’s what to know about why it’s important and how our Doctors of Audiology take a unique approach to your child’s hearing health.

Why are hearing tests important?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all newborns have a hearing screening within one month of life – ideally before they leave the hospital. That’s because hearing problems are one of the most common birth defects. In fact, about 1 to 3 in every 1,000 babies have hearing function outside the ideal range. Additionally, about 1 to 2 in every 100 babies will not pass the initial hearing screening performed within one month of life. If so, it’s extremely important to intervene as soon as possible.

The primary way that children learn and develop is through listening – to the sounds around them and to the conversations they have in daily life. When your child has trouble hearing, it can drastically delay their language development and ability to socialize, especially in academic settings. In fact, hearing difficulties can put your child behind their peers by whole grade levels, which can compound if your child is unable to keep up with new concepts that build on old ones. Finally, it can be extremely difficult for children to communicate what they’re experiencing, meaning it may not always be obvious.

What tests will my child have at Hearing Doctors of New Jersey?

At Hearing Doctors of New Jersey, we utilize some of the most comprehensive and effective methodologies for understanding your child’s hearing and getting treatment. Although we’ll perform comprehensive, in-office tests to determine your child’s hearing capability, we believe that involving you and your child’s support network can help us get a more complete picture of what your child needs to succeed. Here’s what you can expect from our pediatric team.

Early Listening Function (ELF)

ELF, or early listening function, is an instrument designed to include parental involvement in the child’s hearing diagnosis. In many cases, it can help present an alternative set of data gathered in a more natural and normalized environment for your Doctor of Audiology to pair with in-office tests. You’ll be given some detailed instructions to follow, including 12 listening activities to be performed in quiet, typical, and loud environments. You’ll perform certain sounds and observe your child’s response at different distances to get a better picture of your child’s “listening bubble” so we can determine their hearing range.

Children’s Home Inventory for Listening Difficulties (CHILD)

CHILD is another assessment performed at home and in different everyday situations. You’ll report on each situation with a ranking based on how well your child hears and understands in noisy or quiet environments like a restaurant, social situation, playroom, or car ride. This includes conversing with them, calling their name from a different room, or observing them with their peers, for example. This can help your audiologist gauge their hearing ability in normal situations by observing behavioral cues that may not otherwise present in an office testing environment.

Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risk (SIFTER)

SIFTER is an assessment performed by your child’s teachers to gather data about your child’s interactions and success at school. It can be performed at the preschool level and beyond, based on your child’s needs. Your child’s teacher will rank your child’s behavior in areas like academics, attention, communication, class participation, and school behavior in order to determine whether your child is experiencing difficulties in academic settings. Often, these areas can begin to suffer if your child has undiagnosed hearing loss, which can put their educational success at risk going forward.

The ELF, CHILD, and SIFTER tests are available to download in our patient forms.

Schedule an Appointment

The best time to get your child help for hearing loss is right away. During an appointment with our team, we can create a customized treatment plan for your child and help you understand what to expect. Schedule your appointment at our Livingston office by clicking here or calling now.

This article was originally published in the January 2021 edition of Heartrepreneur® Magazine. Read and purchase the full magazine edition here.

Now That People Are Wearing Masks, Are You Tired of Saying “What?”

Is this you? Face masks are now required in many public places to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. If you have noticed that having a normal conversation is frustrating and that you are asking people to repeat what they have said, you are not alone. Face masks add an extra challenge to hear normal conversation when they are speaking to you with a mask on their face.

A friend’s mom who works in a dental office recently shared with me that because of face masks, when patients arrive, she is really struggling to hear what they are saying. Unconsciously, when we speak with other people, we use visual cues, like reading lips, to help us hear and understand what is being said. But now, with face masks covering people’s mouths, those visual cues are gone. Those with even a mild hearing loss are now finding it much more difficult to have a normal conversation without saying “what”.

Helpful strategies for communicating when wearing a mask include:

• Asking others to speak slowly, clearly and at a normal volume.

• Rephrase remarks when not understood.

• Take turns when speaking.

• If wearing hearing aids, make sure to have them on.

• Keep background noise in the room to a minimum.

• Face each other (from a safe distance).

So now what? If you are frustrated and ready to hear a conversation without missing a thing, you should get the help you need now. At Hearing Doctors of New Jersey, we utilize our proprietary H.E.A.R. Method™ in hearing aid selection, verification and fitting so that you never miss another word—guaranteed.

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To learn more about hearing aids, download our FREE Insider’s Guide on how to finally hear better.