What to Expect When You Decide to Treat Your Hearing Loss
The decision to treat your hearing loss may be a long time coming. This isn’t surprising, as most people wait an average of seven years to treat their hearing from the time they are first diagnosed. While the thought of becoming a hearing aid wearer may seem daunting, it should also be exciting! You’re on…
Why Newborn Hearing Screenings are Important
If you’ve recently had a baby in Louisville, before you left the hospital your newborn was given a hearing screening. This is crucial in detecting hearing loss early and preparing infants and their parents for intervention services that are necessary to ensure they succeed. The Importance of Early Intervention The vast majority of babies in…
Why You Should Never Bring Your Baby to the Movies
Busy parents looking for a break by catching a movie in Louisville have a checklist of items to make their theater-going experience enjoyable. These might include popcorn, candy and soda. If “baby” is also on that list, you should either hire a sitter or reschedule for when they are old enough to actually enjoy the…
Hearing Loss in Kids Can Affect Brain’s Sound Processing
It has long been understood that deafness in early childhood is associated with permanent changes in the way the brain processes sound. New research shows that young kids with even mild to moderate hearing loss in Louisville will experience similar changes. Mild to Moderate Childhood Hearing Loss Researchers at the University of Cambridge conducted a…
Jeannie Livesay: Honoring 25 Years of Service
Twenty-five years ago, I was asked to be the Woman’s Club representative on the Heuser Hearing Institute Board of Directors. I was particularly interested in hearing health because my cousin Connie is deaf. She attended Gallaudet University and uses sign language. She has four hearing children. The Woman’s Club didn’t know that I had a…
Barriers to Pediatric Hearing Aids
How common is hearing loss in children? Hearing loss is common in Kentucky, and it isn’t just confined to older adults; 1-3 out of every 1,000 Louisville babies are born with hearing loss, and almost 15 percent of children aged 6 to 19 have a low- or high-frequency hearing loss of at least 16 decibels…
How to Protect Your Kids’ Ears from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is common across Kentucky, and it isn’t confined to older adults; nearly 15 percent of children aged 6-19 years old have a hearing impairment of at least 16 decibels (dB) in one or both ears in Louisville. Bilateral hearing loss (affecting both ears) of 40 dB or greater affects 1.4 out of every…
Facts for Louisville Parents with Deaf or Hard of Hearing Kids
Two to three out of every 1,000 babies are born with a hearing impairment in Louisville. Now that newborn hearing screenings are routine, most of these infants are diagnosed right away—a key step in preventing delays in speech-language, academic and social development. Parents face many challenges in caring for their deaf or hard of hearing…
Conductive Hearing Loss Linked to Poor Academic Performance
It’s a new school year in Louisville, and many parents are anxious to see their kids succeed. But if those first report cards are less than stellar, there may be an underlying neurological reason associated with hearing loss. How Hearing Affects Schoolwork A new study by researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, published in the…
Are Your Child’s Ears Ready for the New School Year?
Now that school is back in session, Louisville parents are once again getting into the habit of packing lunches, helping with homework questions and making sure their kids have the right supplies. While these are all essential to the learning process, have you made sure your kids’ ears are ready for the school year? Ensuring…
