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Widex Allure and Accessories

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:37:20 GMT

Experience Widex Allure™ at Johnson Audiology

When it comes to better hearing, technology should do more than amplify sound—it should fit seamlessly into your life. At Johnson Audiology, we’re proud to offer Widex Allure, along with a full ecosystem of accessories that elevate your hearing experience even further.

A More Natural Hearing Experience

Widex Allure is designed to deliver one of the most natural sound experiences available today. With advanced processing and features like PureSound™, it provides clear, distortion-free speech while maintaining the richness of everyday sound.

For our patients, that often means less listening fatigue and a more comfortable, realistic hearing experience throughout the day.

Hear Better in the Moments That Matter

Whether you’re in a busy restaurant or enjoying a quiet conversation at home, Widex Allure adapts to your environment—helping speech stand out while keeping background noise balanced.

At Johnson Audiology, we customize these settings to your lifestyle, so your hearing aids perform where you need them most.

Take Your Hearing Further with Widex Accessories

One of the biggest advantages of choosing Widex Allure is the range of optional accessories that can enhance your hearing in specific situations. These are especially helpful for patients who want even more clarity, convenience, or connectivity.

Better Conversations in Noise
A portable microphone that brings speech closer and clearer in noisy environments.

This small but powerful accessory acts like a personal microphone. It can be placed on a table during group conversations or worn by a conversation partner—streaming their voice directly to your hearing aids.

Benefit: Ideal for restaurants, meetings, and family gatherings where background noise can be challenging.

Why We Recommend Widex Allure at Johnson Audiology

At Johnson Audiology, we believe hearing care should be personalized—not one-size-fits-all. That’s why we offer technology from all major manufacturers and help you choose what works best for your hearing, lifestyle, and goals.

Widex Allure stands out because it offers:
Exceptionally natural sound quality
Improved speech understanding in noise
Less listening effort and fatigue
A full range of accessories to enhance everyday life
Modern connectivity and convenience

The Bottom Line

Widex Allure is more than a hearing aid—it’s part of a complete hearing ecosystem. With the right combination of devices and accessories, you can hear more clearly in more places, with less effort.

If you’re curious whether Widex Allure—and its accessories—are right for you, schedule a consultation with Johnson Audiology. We’ll guide you through your options and help you build a hearing solution that truly fits your life.

High-Frequency Hearing Loss: Why You Struggle to Hear Birds, Children, and Women

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:34:50 GMT

When Life Gets Quieter: The First Sounds Hearing Loss Takes

High-frequency sounds play a powerful role in how we experience the world—yet they’re often the first to fade when hearing loss begins. These sounds include birdsong, children’s voices, and many women’s voices, all of which carry pitches that sit higher on the hearing spectrum. Because of this, even mild hearing loss can quietly chip away at some of life’s most meaningful and emotionally rich moments.

For many people, the first sign of hearing loss isn’t silence—it’s subtle absence. The cheerful chirping of birds in the morning may seem less vibrant or disappear altogether. Conversations with children may start to sound muffled or unclear, especially when they speak quickly or softly. Women’s voices, which often rely more on higher frequencies, can become harder to distinguish, particularly in group settings or noisy environments. These changes can happen gradually, making them easy to overlook or dismiss as background noise or distraction.

This type of hearing loss, often associated with aging or prolonged exposure to noise, affects the tiny hair cells in the inner ear that are responsible for detecting high-frequency sounds. Once these cells are damaged, they don’t regenerate—meaning those crisp, detailed sounds become increasingly difficult to hear without intervention.

The impact goes beyond missing pleasant sounds; it can affect communication, relationships, and overall quality of life. Misunderstandings in conversation may become more frequent. Social situations can feel frustrating or isolating. And those small, joyful sensory experiences—like hearing a child laugh clearly or enjoying a quiet moment filled with birdsong—can slip away.

The good news is that hearing technology today is more advanced than ever. Modern hearing aids are designed to specifically target and amplify high-frequency sounds, helping to restore clarity and bring those missing details back into everyday life. Early detection is key, which is why regular hearing evaluations are so important—especially if you’ve started to notice these subtle changes.

Hearing loss doesn’t have to mean losing connection to the sounds that matter most. By recognizing the early signs and taking action, it’s possible to rediscover the richness of sound—including the simple, beautiful notes that make life feel full.

Schedule Your Hearing Evaluation Today

Don’t let hearing difficulties take life's most enriching sound from. you.

A simple hearing test can provide valuable insight into your hearing health and help you get back some of the sounds you have been missing.

Visit www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule to make a hearing evaluation appointment and start hearing the birds again.

The Starkey Omega AI: Now Available!

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:15:06 GMT

Starkey Omega AI Is Now Available at Johnson Audiology

There's a kind of exhaustion that comes with straining to hear — following along, nodding, guessing — and feeling like you missed most of it anyway. Better hearing technology doesn't just help you hear more. It helps you stop working so hard to listen.

Starkey's newest platform, Omega AI, was built with exactly that in mind. And we're proud to now offer it at Johnson Audiology.

Smarter Sound, Right When You Need It
At the heart of Omega AI is DNN 360, the world's first deep neural network–powered directionality system. In real-world terms, that means voices stand out more clearly in the places that have always been the hardest: noisy restaurants, busy family events, crowded spaces. Starkey reports up to 28% better speech intelligibility and an 8 dB signal-to-noise improvement — without any sacrifice to battery life, which runs up to 51 hours.

The AI doesn't stop there. A feature called TeleHear AI listens to your sound concerns and makes an instant adjustment with 93% accuracy right from the My Starkey app. And the built-in Gen AI Smart Assistant lets you ask questions, change programs, and set reminders using your voice, the same way you'd interact with a smart assistant on your phone. For patients who want more control between appointments, it's a meaningful shift in how hearing care works day to day.

Built to Keep Up with Your Day
Omega AI is waterproof with a coating tested to last 10 times longer than previous generations, so daily life; rain, sweat, an active schedule, isn't something you need to work around. New LED indicator lights let you confirm power and Bluetooth connection immediately, and in an industry first, those same lights double as a find-my-hearing-aid tool through the My Starkey app.

More Than Just Hearing
Omega AI also brings two health-focused tools to the My Starkey app. Balance Builder offers guided at-home exercises to support stability, especially valuable for patients managing fall risk. And an automatic respiratory rate monitor quietly tracks breathing in the background throughout the day, helping patients and their care teams stay a step ahead.

Omega AI also supports Auracast™ connectivity, which lets you tune in to broadcast audio in public spaces including airports, theaters, places of worship, etc. directly through your hearing aids with a simple tap. It's the kind of feature that quietly makes a big difference in the moments that matter most.

It's a reflection of something we believe deeply at Johnson Audiology: hearing care is health care.

Let's Find the Right Fit for You
If you're wondering whether Omega AI could be right for your hearing and your lifestyle, we'd love to help. Schedule a comprehensive hearing evaluation at any of our locations across Tennessee and North Georgia, and let our team guide you from there.

Because better hearing isn't just about sound, it's about everything sound connects you to.

The Oticon Zeal: Exceptionally Compact and Discreet

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:13:30 GMT

Oticon Zeal™ Is Now Available at Johnson Audiology

Johnson Audiology is pleased to now offer Oticon Zeal, a breakthrough in hearing technology that delivers premium sound performance in an exceptionally compact and discreet design.

Oticon Zeal represents a significant advancement in both engineering and sound processing. By combining durability, artificial intelligence-driven sound clarity, rechargeability, and seamless connectivity, Zeal offers patients a comprehensive hearing solution — without compromise.

A Breakthrough in Design: Innovative Encapsulation Technology
One of the defining innovations behind Oticon Zeal is its advanced encapsulation technology. This method encloses the body of the device in a single, solid structure, creating a hearing aid that is both robust and moisture resistant (IP68-rated).

This innovative design allows Zeal to be:

More protected against everyday wear and environmental exposure
More compact and discreet
More durable without sacrificing performance

Patients no longer have to choose between premium sound quality and a small, cosmetically appealing device. Zeal is engineered to provide both.

Advanced AI Sound Processing — Always On
Oticon Zeal is powered by Oticon’s most advanced AI-driven sound processing technology to date. This “always-on” system continuously analyzes the listening environment, helping the brain access clearer, more balanced sound in real time.

The result is improved speech understanding, even in complex listening environments. Zeal provides up to 6 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement and has been tested on more than 1,500 ears, demonstrating measurable performance benefits.

Rather than simply amplifying sound, Zeal works intelligently to support how the brain naturally interprets speech and environmental cues.

Always-On Connectivity
Modern hearing technology must integrate seamlessly into daily life. Oticon Zeal introduces uncompromising connectivity through a newly designed skin-coupling antenna and optimized tap control for discreet and intuitive use.

Patients can enjoy seamless connectivity with:

Smartphones
Tablets
Personal computers
Televisions

Zeal also supports hands-free calling through Bluetooth® LE Audio and is compatible with Auracast™ broadcast audio in public spaces. This expanded connectivity allows patients to stay engaged at home, at work, and in community settings with greater ease and clarity.

Reliable Rechargeability
As a true all-in-one hearing aid, Oticon Zeal features rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology.

Users can:

Charge overnight for a full day of power*
Gain up to four hours of use with a quick 15-minute charge

This flexibility provides peace of mind, especially for active individuals who are frequently on the go. Patients no longer need to manage disposable batteries or worry about running out of power during important conversations or events.

Flexible, Personalized Fitting at Johnson Audiology
Oticon Zeal is designed to support a personalized fitting experience. Its dome-to-mold flexibility allows clinicians to begin new users with a dome and transition to a micromold if needed to meet individual anatomical or acoustic requirements.

At Johnson Audiology, we use comprehensive diagnostic testing and individualized programming to ensure each device is tailored to your specific hearing needs and lifestyle goals. Zeal enables us to offer a premium, discreet solution while maintaining the personalized care our patients expect.

Schedule a Consultation

If you are interested in learning whether Oticon Zeal is right for you, we invite you to schedule a comprehensive hearing evaluation at one of our locations in Tennessee or North Georgia.

Our team is here to help you explore your options and find the hearing solution that best supports your daily life.

Hearing and Relationships

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:10:41 GMT

How Healthy Hearing Strengthens Social Bonds and Relationships

Strong relationships are built on communication. From conversations with coworkers to family dinners and time spent with friends, hearing clearly allows us to stay connected to the people who matter most.

When hearing begins to decline, those everyday moments can become more difficult. Conversations may feel exhausting, misunderstandings can happen more often, and some people may even begin avoiding social situations altogether. Maintaining healthy hearing plays a powerful role in protecting the social bonds that enrich our lives.

At Johnson Audiology , we see every day how better hearing helps patients reconnect with family, friends, and their community.

Why Healthy Hearing Is Essential for Strong Relationships

Healthy hearing allows you to participate fully in conversations and social experiences. When you can clearly hear what others are saying, communication becomes easier, more natural, and more enjoyable.

Without clear hearing, people often miss parts of conversations or struggle to follow along in group settings. This can lead to frustration, misunderstandings, and feelings of isolation.

By protecting your hearing health and addressing hearing loss early, you can continue to engage confidently in the conversations that keep relationships strong.

Hearing Clearly Improves Emotional Connection

Communication isn’t just about words. Tone, laughter, and subtle vocal cues help us understand emotion and intention.

When hearing loss occurs, these important details can be missed. Someone may hear the words but not the emotion behind them. Over time, this can make communication feel less meaningful or more strained.

Healthy hearing allows you to hear the warmth in a loved one’s voice, the excitement in a grandchild’s story, or the humor in a friend’s joke. These emotional connections are what make relationships meaningful.

Better Hearing Builds Social Confidence

Many people with untreated hearing loss begin to withdraw from social situations. Noisy environments like restaurants, family gatherings, or community events can become difficult to navigate.

Instead of asking others to repeat themselves or worrying about missing something important, some individuals choose to stay quiet or avoid social events entirely.

With proper hearing care and modern hearing technology, patients often regain the confidence to fully participate in social activities again. Clear hearing makes it easier to stay engaged, enjoy conversations, and feel comfortable in group settings.

Stronger Family Connections Start With Hearing Well

Family relationships often benefit the most from healthy hearing. Spouses, children, and grandchildren all rely on communication to stay connected.

When hearing loss interferes with everyday conversations, it can create frustration for everyone involved. Simple moments like sharing stories, talking about the day, or laughing together can become more difficult.

Addressing hearing loss can restore those everyday interactions. Many patients tell us that better hearing allows them to reconnect with loved ones in ways they didn’t realize they were missing.

The Health Benefits of Staying Socially Connected

Research consistently shows that maintaining strong social connections is important for overall health and well-being. Social engagement has been linked to:

Lower risk of depression and loneliness
Better cognitive health
Reduced stress levels
Improved quality of life

Because hearing is essential for communication, protecting your hearing health helps protect your social health as well .

Take the First Step Toward Better Hearing

If conversations have become harder to follow, the television volume keeps creeping up, or family members have mentioned your hearing, it may be time for a professional hearing evaluation.

The good news is that hearing care has advanced dramatically in recent years. Today’s hearing technology is discreet, comfortable, and designed to help you stay fully engaged in everyday conversations.

At Johnson Audiology , our team is dedicated to helping patients reconnect with the sounds and relationships that make life meaningful.

Schedule Your Hearing Evaluation Today

Don’t let hearing difficulties create distance between you and the people you love.

A simple hearing test can provide valuable insight into your hearing health and help you take the next step toward clearer communication and stronger relationships.

Contact Johnson Audiology today to schedule your hearing evaluation and start enjoying conversations again.

Better hearing doesn’t just improve sound—it strengthens the connections that matter most.

Five Signs Your Hearing Loss Is Affecting Your Confidence

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:20:50 GMT

Hearing loss does not just change how you hear the world—it can quietly change how you feel about yourself, eroding your confidence by degrees. Many people assume self-assurance arises from a person’s unique personality or maturity, but untreated hearing loss often plays a bigger role than we realize. If you have ever felt more hesitant, withdrawn, or unsure in social situations, your hearing may be part of the story. Here are five indicators that hearing loss may be affecting your confidence.

1. You Avoid Social Situations You Used to Enjoy
If a meal out with friends, or an invitation to a family birthday gathering, or a group meeting at work now feel exhausting or stressful, you may find your declining invitations. When conversations become hard to follow, it’s natural to fear missing something important or responding incorrectly. Over time, avoidance can chip away at confidence and reinforce the feeling that social situations are “not for you anymore,” even though the real issue is hearing clarity—not ability or personality.

2. You Second-Guess Yourself in Conversations
Do you often nod along, laugh when others laugh, or give vague responses because you’re not entirely sure what was said? This constant guessing can make you feel insecure and anxious. When you’re worried about misunderstanding others, it’s hard to speak up confidently or express your thoughts freely.

3. You Feel Fatigued After Talking or Listening
Straining to hear requires intense concentration. By the end of the day, this listening fatigue can leave you mentally drained and less self-assured. When you are tired, confidence naturally dips—you may feel less articulate, less patient, and less willing to engage. This can lead to a cycle where you participate less, reinforcing feelings of self-doubt.

4. You Have Stopped Speaking Up at Work
In professional settings, confidence is closely tied to communication. If you’ve noticed yourself staying quiet in meetings, avoiding phone calls, or hesitating to share ideas, hearing challenges could be the reason. Fear of mishearing instructions or responding incorrectly can hold you back, even when you’re highly capable and knowledgeable. In fact, hearing loss has even been linked to a person’s earning potential and ability to advance professionally.

5. You Feel Isolated or “Left Out”
One of the most subtle but impactful effects of hearing loss is emotional distance. When conversations move quickly or occur in noisy environments, it is easy to feel disconnected. Over time, this can lead to loneliness and the belief that you don’t belong, which directly undermines confidence and self-esteem. As time passes and hearing loss goes unaddressed, your brain may rewire itself both physically and functionally as a way of compensating, which can potentially affect your cognition and increase your risk for dementia.

The Good News: You Can Re-harness Your Confidence
Hearing loss doesn’t have to define how you feel about yourself. With proper evaluation, treatment options, and support, many people report feeling more engaged, capable, and confident again. Addressing hearing loss is not just about sound—it’s about reconnecting with conversations, relationships, and tapping into the most confident version of yourself.

A Foundation Success Story: Meet Diane and Tyler

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:41:45 GMT

Diane Lariscy knows the benefit of hearing aids. She relates that she did not realize how many things she was missing—simple, everyday sounds like the birds singing on a warm spring day or rain hitting the pavement during a summer shower.

She also wanted to be sure to hear her sister Denise’s voice when they conversed. Denise had hearing aids, also, for the same reason. The sisters were close and lived together for years, that is, until Denise passed away in May 2025. Diane says she misses her sister terribly and not a day goes by that she does not think about her.

Diane says Denise had the kindest heart. One story Diane shared punctuated her sister’s quality of caring. The sisters lived together near the ocean for many years before resettling in Middle Tennessee. During sea turtle nesting season, Denise was distressed by how many turtles were being run over by cars. Diane says, “She would pull the car over and help as many cross the road as she could. That was just her way. Trying to do good in the world.”

In acknowledgement of her sister’s love for sea turtles, Diane chose a cremation urn in Denise’s favorite color, purple, and with a sea turtle on it.

As Diane began to clean out Denise’s things from the home they shared, she found her sister’s hearing aids. She knew they could help someone else, so she donated them to the Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation (JAHF). “It’s what Denise would have wanted,” she says.

Enter Tyler Harbison, 26, a young man who had struggled with hearing loss for several years. He found it especially difficult to communicate at work. Tyler has worked as a bagger at one of the Murfreesboro Kroger stores for eight years. In fact, Tyler is well known by store patrons for his solid work ethic and his friendliness. People call him by name and look forward to his cheerful attitude and bright smile.

The staff at Johnson Audiology knew Tyler needed hearing aids and wanted to knock down financial barriers that were preventing him from getting the help he needed to engage more fully in daily life. Diane’s sister’s donated hearing aids were just the ticket in making that happen. Tyler was so pleased and grateful to get his devices that he asked if he could meet the donor of the aids. Around the same time, Diane communicated how happy she was that someone was fit with the aids and wouldn’t it be great to meet that person someday. Donors and recipients’ names are always kept confidential, but since both parties were amenable to a meet-up, the JA staff made arrangements for them to have a face-to-face at the JA office.

It was a heartwarming afternoon. Diane got to tell Tyler about Denise, about her kind heart, and about her love for people and animals. In turn, Tyler gave Diane a poignant thank you card that noted how grateful he was for the gift of hearing that Diane made possible. With hugs all around, each got to feel good about what brought them together.

Dr. Megan Johnson, owner and founder of Johnson Audiology, says that stories like Tyler and Diane’s are exactly why she was moved to set up the Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation in 2019. JAHF is a 501(s)(3) non-profit and the official charitable arm of Johnson Audiology.

Do you know someone who wishes to donate gently used hearing aids or to make a monetary contribution to JAHF? Or do you know someone who could benefit from being a recipient of Foundation aids? Visit the website now at www.johnsonaudiology.com/foundation to learn more.

Evaluate Your Hearing Care Options

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 16:22:23 GMT

Hearing Care Options

These days, you have a host of options when it comes to hearing aids.

No doubt, you want to cut through the advertising “noise” you are bombarded by on TV, radio, print and online to make a wise, educated decision.

As a savvy consumer, thanks for visiting Johnson Audiology’s website as you do your research about hearing aids. We applaud your efforts to know the facts and evaluate your options, and we take it seriously that you have turned to us for insight. After all, our audiologists have a passion for helping people hear. They have chosen this field as their life’s work. It’s more than a job. They have shown their commitment to their patients through the eight-year investment of time and monetary resources they made in getting a doctoral degree. Why? Because they know that an audiologist is the best provider to care for a person’s hearing health. Get to know the audiologists you will see at Johnson Audiology and learn why an audiologist is your best choice as a hearing care partner.

As you educate yourself about hearing care perhaps you, also, have wondered about so me of the topics below. Click below on what interests you and enjoy the journey of being an informed consumer who is making a sound choice for your hearing.

What Are The Main Causes of Hearing Loss in Older Adults

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:49:15 GMT

Hearing loss is a big problem in the United States, especially among older adults. Here at Johnson Audiology, we help many older adults who have a hearing loss. But what is the cause of this high level of hearing loss, and what can be done about it?

Age-related hearing loss

Unfortunately, simple old age is one of the main causes of hearing loss. Your body, including your ears, has been working hard all your life, and that can take a toll. As you age, changes can occur in your inner ear, including loss of the tiny hair cells that react to sound waves and send messages to your brain, which interprets them as sounds. With fewer of those hair cells, you pick up on fewer sounds.

Other health problems can lead to hearing loss

Sometimes, hearing loss in older adults can arise from other health problems. Diabetes and high blood pressure can contribute to hearing loss, and certain medications, such as certain chemotherapy drugs, can be toxic to the sensory cells in your ears.

Less complex causes of hearing loss

Hearing loss can also be caused by something as simple as a buildup of wax in the ears. An ear infection can cause a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, which can affect your hearing. Both of these are easily treated, and your hearing should recover in a short time.

Noise-induced hearing loss

Another very common cause of hearing loss is exposure to loud noises. This could be a short, sharp, extremely loud noise such as an explosion or gunshot, or prolonged exposure to loud machinery or music. Any noise above 85 decibels has the potential to cause permanent damage to your hearing, so having the volume on a music player turned all the way up or using loud equipment, such as a lawnmower, without ear defenders, is potentially dangerous. The longer you are exposed to loud noises, the more damage is likely to be done.

Treatments for hearing loss

Some types of hearing loss, especially those caused by an obstruction, can be treated medically and will get better. However, for many types of hearing loss, the main treatment is a hearing aid . The idea of wearing a hearing aid is daunting to many people, but they have advanced a lot in recent years and are very discreet now, with some being practically invisible. Hearing aids these days can even connect with digital devices to stream music direct to your ears.

Book a hearing test

If you are finding it hard to hear and suspect you may have a hearing loss, the best thing to do is make an appointment with an Audiologist. Here at Johnson Audiology, our award-winning Audiologists are happy to answer any questions you may have and will give your ears a thorough examination. Contact us to set up an appointment at a hearing center in Tennessee. We have locations across the state, as well as in Cartersville, Georgia.

Does My Health Insurance Cover Hearing Aids?

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:46:43 GMT

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Discovering you have a hearing loss is an emotional rollercoaster ride. It isn’t uncommon to feel overwhelmed at first. But then you learn all about how modern hearing aids are transforming the lives of those with a hearing loss and you may feel a swell of relief. This can soon be followed by anxiety and worry as you wonder whether your health insurance will cover the cost of your hearing aids.

At Johnson Audiology, we understand how important it is to know where you stand when it comes to paying for hearing aids that can make a world of difference to your hearing ability. We’ve helped countless patients navigate the complexities of how to cover this cost through their insurance.

We can help you understand your health insurance

We partner with most health insurance companies, which means we are likely already familiar with your insurance provider. But more than that, our in-house billing experts are specially trained to research your individual insurance policy. We’ll confirm exactly what benefits you have and what your insurance covers. We’ll be able to tell you whether your insurance covers hearing health care services alone, or whether it also can provide a dollar amount towards paying for your hearing aids.

Once we’ve done our detective work on your insurance policy, you’ll know exactly where you stand. But in the meantime, here’s some general information about health insurance for your hearing care, as well as some advice on what to ask your insurance provider.

Types of health insurance

There are four main categories of health insurance. Here is what they cover when it comes to your hearing health:

Medicare – this does not usually cover the cost of hearing aids.
Medicaid – in most cases, the cost of hearing aids is covered in part or in full.
Veterans Administration benefits – this provides access to hearing aids via VA healthcare facilities for qualified veterans.
Private health insurance – coverage for hearing aids varies according to an individual’s plan.

Whichever kind of insurance you have, it is well worth asking your insurance provider a few key questions to find out exactly what they can do for you.

Questions to ask your insurance provider

Here are our top four questions to ask your insurance provider:

Does my insurance plan cover the cost of hearing aids in part or in full?
Do I have to use a nominated hearing aid provider to access coverage of the cost of my hearing aids?
Will you bill my hearing aid provider directly, or do I need to pay upfront myself and then get a reimbursement from you?
Can I pick any hearing aid I would like, or does my plan only cover certain hearing aids?

If you still aren’t sure where you stand once you get those answers, there is no need to worry. Our billing experts are here to set things straight, so you’ll know exactly what your insurance will cover and what you’ll need to pay for personally.

So to get a definitive answer to the question, “Does my health insurance cover hearing aids?” click here to get in touch with your nearest Johnson Audiology in Chattanooga, Franklin, Hixson, Murfreesboro, or Cartersville.

Tinnitus Information Seminar

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:08:08 GMT

Wondering about that ringing in your ears? Join us for a free community event where our audiologists will discuss tinnitus—what causes it, how it can affect you, and real solutions. Whether you are new to it or have lived with it for years, come learn and ask questions in a relaxed setting.

Space is limited! Reserve your spot today!

Date: Friday, August 16, 2025

Time: 10 am to 11 am

Location: Johnson Audiology's Chattanooga office location at 6830 Lee Highway

RSVP to 423-710-1432 or submit the form below.

Success with hearing aids is attainable at Johnson Audiology

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:28:07 GMT

Like anything new in life, adjusting to hearing aids can take time and perseverance to achieve the best results. Yet many people are too quick to give up, not allowing the brain the chance to relearn how to hear or not giving themselves the opportunity to become accustomed to the use and maintenance of their devices.

“We meet so many people who wait—who convince themselves their hearing is not ‘bad enough’ or that they can just get by. But untreated hearing loss quietly steals moments, connection, and joy. At Johnson Audiology, we understand the fear, the frustration, and the doubt. That is why we offer more than hearing aids—we offer compassion, answers, and a partner you can trust. You don’t have to do this alone. Let us help you hear your life again,” says Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology.

“Hearing aids should never be an experience where a person is fit with devices and then they never see their hearing care provider again. To ensure patient success, Johnson Audiology seeks to be a lifelong partner on a person’s journey to healthy hearing, someone who is there at every turn,” says Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology.

What are the most common reasons why people give up on hearing aids and why is it important to stick with it?

Reasons why people might give up on hearing aids

An adjustment period

It is your brain that hears, not your ears. The ears transmit sound to the brain where it is interpreted. Dr. Johnson explains, “When a person’s brain has not been stimulated by sound because of hearing loss and then sound is restored with hearing aids, it can take some getting used to. For some people, it takes more than one appointment to get them up to full sound prescription, stair stepping up gradually to let the brain adjust. The brain’s capacity to do this is called neural plasticity.”

Research by the University of Colorado Boulder’s Hearing Epidemiology and Research Diagnostic Laboratory has revealed that what the brain can experience impacts within weeks rather than years when hearing loss reaches a certain level. Dr. Johnson says, “The brain’s temporal lobe is where much of hearing and sound interpretation happens. Electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a medical test that measures the electrical activity of the brain, shows that in the presence of hearing loss, the brain will recruit areas assigned to other tasks—like vision—to compensate. The trouble is that this extra cognitive load can tax those areas. However, after treatment with hearing aids, brain recruitment is shown to reverse, partially or fully.”

The adjustment period for hearing aids tends to be more seamless for those who have not been without sound for years and years. Dr. Johnson says, “I always encourage people to get their hearing checked when they first notice they are struggling. Sooner is always better.”

An investment in quality of life

People often make an investment in their health and well-being—for example, purchasing glasses, getting a knee replacement, straightening their teeth—and yet many relegate hearing to the backburner because of cost. Dr. Johnson says, “I’ve seen many patients struggle with hearing aids after buying inferior products in an attempt to save money. Without the guidance of a hearing care provider, even the best device can quickly become ineffective and frustrating.” Dr. Johnson encourages making hearing a priority and budgeting for your hearing health.

Perceived benefits and ease of use

Getting in the routine of putting hearing aids in each day and being diligent about regular cleaning and maintenance might be a challenge that some face and which deters them from being successful with their aids. “At Johnson Audiology, we offer a plan for regular in-office cleaning and maintenance, easing the task of upkeep for patients. Plus, our offices have dedicated walk-in hours that do not require an appointment. We are here to answer questions, make hearing aid adjustments, and much more as we seek to help people safeguard their investment in hearing technology and make the process easy and convenient.”

Family attitudes and support

When it comes to hearing aids, having a support system can be crucial to success. “In my 20 years as an audiologist, I have seen the immense benefits when a person’s family members show patience and support during the adjustment period with new hearing aids,” said Dr. Johnson. What about patients who do not have that familial encouragement? Dr. Johnson says, “We are your support system. That’s where our caring and professional audiologists, audiology assistants, and patient care coordinators can lend a helping hand. Success with hearing aids is our goal for every patient, so we promise to be there every step of the way.”

Why is healthy hearing so important

Hearing loss is a family affair

The positive impact of treating hearing loss is often manifested most significantly through improved relationships with family and friends. Hearing loss leads to miscommunication. It can also cause mounting frustration as family members must constantly repeat every sentence. Dr. Johnson comments, “Living with the TV blaring can put a strain on others living in the same household. Untreated hearing loss can quietly tear at the fabric of your relationships. When words go unheard and conversations fade, love and connection start to suffer, and that pain is felt by all involved.”

Healthy hearing can help the brain stay sharp and pliable

For many years, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have been studying the relationship between hearing loss and dementia. While there is still much left to discover, increasingly scientists recognize healthy hearing as a key factor in maintaining a healthy brain and potentially decelerating the risk of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Johnson says, “It seems logical that when certain areas of the brain are not stimulated by sound, they atrophy. In fact, research suggests an actual reduction in the physical size of the brain, especially in areas where sound processing and memory take place.”

She goes on to say that “while there are many risk factors that individuals cannot control about the effects of aging on the brain, hearing is definitely one that can and should be addressed.”

Healthy hearing keeps a person engaged in life

Humans are social beings. Since hearing loss can impair effective communication, it is not difficult to understand how it also could lead to social isolation, which can cause increased anxiety and depression. “Conversely, addressing hearing loss can keep a person engaged in life and connected to family and friends,” Dr. Johnson says.

Falls and other health risks

The ears have two main functions. Hearing is one that most of us learn as youngsters, but the ears also play a major role in helping a person maintain their balance and knowing where their body is in space. “The fluid, or endolymph, in the ear’s semicircular canals is what helps a person do things like stand up from a seated position without falling, walk a straight line, and not run into a door frame when turning a corner into a room,” says Dr. Johnson.

In the presence of hearing loss, the reduction in acoustic signals impairs a person’s ability to process spatial information and can mean a higher risk for falling. In turn, falling can lead to broken bones and other injuries and a cascading effect of hospital stays and loss of independence.

If you have been unsuccessful with hearing aids in the past, call Johnson Audiology, a hearing health clinic comprised of caring and professional staff. The team can bring a range of options to the table to help people hear better, including hearing aids from all six of the major manufacturers, custom fit products, cochlear implants, and Lyric, the world’s only extended wear hearing aid. Call your office of choice today or schedule online.

Success with Hearing Aids is Possible

Cochlear implantation: A game changer for Chattanooga native, Chipper Gocke

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 16:33:23 GMT

Chipper Gocke, 28, has had many poignant moments in the last six weeks since his cochlear implant surgery. “A workmate commented recently that my speaking voice is the appropriate volume now. Not being able to hear myself, I probably often talked too loud before. It seems like a small thing, but it is a way to be more normalized in my professional and other settings.”

His mother, Amy Gocke, also has noticed the changes. “Chipper has never called me on the phone before. With his profound lifelong hearing loss and even using powerful hearing aids, he simply couldn’t communicate by phone. Now I look forward to his calls every day after he gets off work.”

These daily experiences that people often take for granted—communicating with a workmate or calling a family member to say hello—are now possible for Chipper because of his cochlear implant.

Hearing loss has been a part of Chipper’s life since he was a small child. Chipper’s father, Ted Gocke, relates, “From the time he was 18 months old, Chipper had ear infections that had us in and out of the hospital. That led to tubes in his ears and the diagnosis that he had a significant hearing loss.”

As a youngster, Chipper received early intervention services before he even reached school age. He also got established with local audiologist, Darnell Scafe, and they reconnected recently when Chipper sought out Darnell for hearing health care services as an adult. Darnell, who joined the Johnson Audiology team in 2018, says, “I remember Chipper as a sweet little boy who didn’t let his hearing loss slow him down. It’s wonderful to get to know the fine, capable young man he has grown into.”

Last year, Darnell encouraged Chipper to consider a cochlear implant, and she referred him to Johnson Audiology’s Cochlear Implant Program Director, Dr. Hannah Dearth. Dr. Dearth then was able to complete cochlear implant candidacy testing.

In November of last year, Chipper’s surgery was performed at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic (MMC) in Middle Tennessee by an otolaryngologist (ENT). A native of Chattanooga, Chipper traveled for the initial surgery since there is not currently an ENT in Chattanooga who performs CI surgeries. However, Chipper then had his cochlear implant activated at Johnson Audiology (JA) by Dr. Dearth in early January. Also, there to celebrate activation day was Darnell. “It felt like a full circle moment when Dr. Dearth activated Chipper’s cochlear implant, and he began to have those first sound perceptions.”

Dr. Dearth explains, “People often wonder how a hearing aid and a cochlear implant are different. Cochlear implants are designed for patients whose hearing aids are no longer assisting them in understanding in both quiet and noisy environments. A hearing aid is designed to provide amplification for speech sounds that are unintelligible without said amplification. Cochlear implants are a surgical option for those who are no longer able to achieve meaningful understanding with a traditional hearing aid. Hearing aids rely on the ear’s natural pathway for hearing to accomplish this and so may not work well for someone with severe damage to the inner ear. A cochlear implant , on the other hand, bypasses the damaged parts of the ear by stimulating the auditory nerve directly with a mild electrical current that sends the sound signal to the brain.”

Chipper is committed to his own success with his cochlear implant and in addition to listening to the speech of those around him, he is also tuning in to podcasts and audiobooks that give him even more speech exposure. Dr. Dearth says that is a huge factor in any patient’s ability to thrive with the device. “The patients who are committed to the aural rehabilitation as prescribed experience faster progress and higher success rates long term.”

Chipper will continue regular follow-up appointments for the rest of his life to maintain successful progress with his CI. He gets emotional talking about the social isolation that can be a common side effect of profound hearing loss and, also, mentions the spatial awareness that better hearing offers. “Being able to pinpoint sound and localize stimuli from both sides of the head has positive effects for living a safe life,” Dr. Dearth says.

Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist, founder, and owner of JA, says, “Johnson Audiology has provided support for cochlear implant patients since 2017 with care offered through the practice’s location on Lee Highway in the East Brainerd area. After implantation, every other part of a CI patient’s hearing journey can be accomplished at Johnson Audiology—from initial activation to routine mapping.”

Chipper and his parents encourage people to explore the possibility of cochlear implants since it can make such a difference in a person’s daily life and function. Johnson Audiology is accepting new patients who currently wear hearing aids but would like to pursue cochlear implant candidacy as well as those who already have a cochlear implant. Call Johnson Audiology at 423.556.7185 or visit www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Chipper as a youngster with his brother, and Chipper as an adult with his audiologists, Dr. Hannah Dearth and Darnell Scafe.

Life-Changing Hearing Breakthrough for Chattanooga’s Chipper Gocke

Untreated hearing loss is changing your brain

Thu, 16 May 2024 16:36:28 GMT

Research reveals that hearing loss actually rewires your neural pathways

Your Amazing Brain

Your brain is an amazing organ! This wrinkly, reddish-pink mass weighs about the same as your two-slice toaster, tipping the scales at about three pounds. Acting as a master control center, your brain enables every thought, breath, eye blink, heartbeat, movement—everything—that happens in your body. Rivaling the world’s most powerful supercomputer, your brain can download, process, and react in milliseconds to the tidal wave of information coming from your eyes, skin, nose, tongue, and ears.

Neuroplasticity and Your Sense of Hearing

Researchers have discovered that the human nervous system—made up of the brain, spinal cord, and a complex network of nerves—has incredible capacity to modify itself, both in function and physical structure. This is called neural plasticity. Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology explains, “Neural plasticity is going gangbusters in a child’s brain as the child develops and matures into adulthood. Based on years of brain research, we also know that the adult brain is far from being fixed. It, too, changes and adapts when you learn new information or skills or as a response to stress, hormonal fluctuations, drug interactions, injury, and much more.”

Dr. Johnson also relates that “your brain displays neuroplasticity when you experience hearing loss.” By measuring brain waves using an electroencephalograph, or EEG, scientists have studied how the brain of a person with hearing loss functions compared to a person with normal hearing. The results are both fascinating and sobering as studies reveal that, in those with hearing loss, the portion of the brain devoted to hearing becomes reorganized. This can be true even with early-stage, mild hearing loss, and the process happens quickly, often in months rather than years.

The Hearing Center of Your Brain and Beyond

What is actually happening when this takes place? Your brain has a right and a left hemisphere and six major lobes. Think of your frontal lobe as your brain’s boss, where executive functions like decision making, emotion and impulse control, and planning occur. Your temporal lobe, which contains the auditory cortex, is doing the heavy lifting when it comes to interpreting sounds and assigning those sounds meaning. The temporal lobe processes speech and language, and it is where initial learning of new information takes place, which is the first step for logging that information into memory.

Dr. Johnson goes on to relate, “When the delicate infrastructure of your ear has become damaged through noise exposure, infection, etc. leading to hearing loss, your auditory cortex cries out to your frontal lobe, saying ‘Help! Help! I’m not receiving any sound to process, so I feel lost.’ The frontal lobe ‘boss’ jumps to attention, and your occipital lobe, responsible for processing vision and touch, takes over the areas in which hearing is normally processed. In other words, your other senses seek to compensate for the deficit due to the loss of your sense of hearing.”

Amazing, right? So, where’s the rub? Picture a car assembly line; each worker has an assigned task. One day, the worker who installs the windshields is absent, and the worker who attaches the rearview mirrors is assigned double duty, and a duty that was not part of job training. It is easy to see how the worker left juggling both jobs is compromised, and a car might slip through minus a rear view mirror.

Similarly, the areas of your brain that are being taxed to make up for a lack of hearing are overloaded and less able to do their assigned responsibilities. “This explains why so many of my patients with hearing loss relate feeling exhausted and frustrated after a big family gathering—where multiple talkers and sounds must be interpreted—rather than happy and invigorated by the experience. We call this listening fatigue ,” states Dr. Johnson.

Additionally, when left untreated long enough, researchers point to the brain’s reorganization due to hearing loss as a significant correlation with dementia.

Hearing Technology and Your Brain

“But here's the great news!” Dr. Johnson says. When a person is fit with hearing aids or a cochlear implant and sound is restored, the brain has the ability to adjust back—partially or completely—to proper function. How swiftly that happens often depends on how long the hearing loss went untreated and is why she encourages patients to treat hearing loss sooner rather than later. “Here is what I tell patients who are downplaying the importance of hearing: If you won’t treat your hearing loss for the sake of your ears, do it for your brain!”

What is Tinnitus? Causes and Symptoms

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:50:40 GMT

Tinnitus, often described as a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ears, is a common auditory phenomenon that affects millions of people worldwide. While tinnitus is not a disease itself, it can be a symptom of an underlying issue. At Johnson Audiology, we are committed to helping you understand tinnitus and guiding you through the steps to manage this often-distressing condition.

Understanding Tinnitus

Tinnitus can vary in intensity and pitch, and it may present as a constant sound or come and go intermittently. It can be caused by a range of factors, including exposure to loud noise, age-related hearing loss, earwax blockage, and even certain medications. Tinnitus can impact your quality of life, leading to sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and emotional distress.

Steps to Manage Tinnitus

Consult an Audiologist: If you're experiencing tinnitus, the first step is to seek professional help. A university-trained audiologist, a hearing health specialist, can conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine the underlying cause of your tinnitus and its impact on your hearing.

Identify Underlying Causes: Tinnitus often has an underlying cause, such as hearing loss, a medical condition, or exposure to loud noise. An audiologist can help identify these causes and recommend appropriate treatment options.

Customized Treatment Plans: Based on the evaluation, your audiologist will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Treatment approaches may include:

Hearing Aids: If hearing loss is contributing to your tinnitus, hearing aids can help by amplifying external sounds and reducing the perception of the tinnitus. More than 90% of those who have tinnitus, also, have hearing loss, even if the loss is mild.

Sound Therapy: Sound therapy involves using external sounds, such as white noise or nature sounds, to mask or distract from the tinnitus noise.

Counseling: Counseling and education can help you better understand tinnitus and learn coping strategies to manage its impact on your daily life.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT): TRT combines sound therapy and counseling to help you habituate to the tinnitus and reduce its perception over time.

Lifestyle Modifications: Your audiologist may recommend lifestyle changes, such as managing stress, avoiding loud noise exposure, and adopting healthy sleep habits.

Monitor and Adjust: Tinnitus management is an ongoing process. Regular follow-up appointments with your audiologist allow for adjustments to treatment plans based on your progress and changing needs.

Seek Support: Tinnitus can be emotionally distressing. It is important to seek support from friends, family, and even support groups where you can connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges.

While tinnitus can be disruptive, understanding the condition and taking proactive steps to manage it can lead to improved quality of life. At Johnson Audiology, our dedicated team of audiologists is here to guide you through the journey of tinnitus management, providing the expertise and support you need to find relief and regain control over your hearing health. Contact us today to take the first step toward a more peaceful and harmonious auditory experience.

Navigating Tinnitus

Can Hearing Better Help You Think Better?

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:53:53 GMT

Do you want to stay mentally sharp throughout life? All of us do, right? We want to think and reason effectively, make good decisions, and keep the knowledge we have already gained. We want to continue to expand our intelligence and experiences and increase our understanding of the world around us. We want to have meaningful, positive relationships with family, friends and workmates and stay socially active and mentally and emotionally engaged. Different parts of the brain control each of these functions, and a healthy brain can mean a healthier, happier life.

Eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated, getting restorative sleep and plenty of exercise are tactics all of us seem to recognize as “no-brainers” for a healthy lifestyle. But did you know that maintaining your sense of hearing is also an important part of keeping your brain healthy?

Your brain’s temporal lobe sits behind the ears and crosses both left and right brain hemispheres. It is the second largest lobe in the brain and has some very important functions. The temporal lobe:

is responsible for processing the auditory information your ears are gathering—everything from language and speech to the myriad of other sounds you encounter daily.
is where memory encoding takes place. Memory encoding refers to the initial learning of information as your brain gathers various sensory input—like internal thoughts and external events—and solidifies them as short term and long-term memories.
plays an important role in learning and remembering verbal information.
manages emotions like fear and anxiety and also contributes to the good feelings you experience when you get a reward.
has a visual aspect as it helps with recognition of objects, including complex objects, such as faces.

Obviously, the temporal lobe is doing some heavy lifting when it comes to your body’s function and well-being, and it relies heavily on sound input to kick start it into action. This is true for those with undamaged hearing AND those with hearing loss that is being re-engaged with the help of amplification technology, like a hearing aid or a cochlear implant.

The case for addressing hearing loss at first onset is clear and can lead to a host of benefits. Here are three:

Addressing hearing loss sooner rather than later can help you adjust to hearing aids quicker and more smoothly. When hearing loss is left untreated for a long period of time, your brain “forgets” how to hear and must re-learn those skills when you are fit with hearing aids.
Healthy hearing can help you stay socially engaged and active with friends and family, which studies suggest is a key factor in overall happiness, mental and emotional well-being, and life satisfaction. By contrast, hearing loss can lead to isolation as a person struggles to keep up with basic conversations.
Hearing loss creates a heavy “cognitive load” since struggling to hear requires greater listening effort, which can be exhausting. It also saps the mental energy your brain needs to conduct other tasks. Treating hearing loss rebalances the cognitive load.

In a nutshell, healthy hearing helps you think, remember and learn. We all want to live happy, healthy lives, and addressing hearing loss is a pro-active choice you can make to reach that goal. Click here to learn more about how hearing loss and brain health are closely connected.

Do you want to get on the road to healthy hearing and help your brain in the process? Call today to schedule an appointment at Johnson Audiology or book online at www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule .

The Surprising Link Between Hearing Health and Brain Function

Is Hearing Loss Lurking in Your Medicine Cabinet?

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 16:56:14 GMT

Many people recognize the link between hearing loss and exposure to loud sounds. Noises we experience in daily life like booming music, the drone of a lawnmower or leaf blower, traffic, even your hair dryer can damage the delicate, microscopic hair-like cells located inside the cochlea of your inner ear. These hair cells are responsible for converting sounds entering your ear into electrical signals that are relayed to and interpreted by your brain.

But did you know that more than 200 common medications on the market today also can cause damage to your inner ear that can result in hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance issues? These drugs are considered ototoxic (oto means ear and toxic means poisonous). Many are over-the-counter medications you know and use, such as common pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. Others are drugs used to treat serious illnesses like heart disease, infections, parasites, and cancer.

Temporary or permanent ear issues?
Look inside your medicine cabinet. If you see aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen, those are on the ototoxic list, but usually only cause temporary hearing issues while you are taking them. The same is true with quinine used to treat malaria and loop diuretics taken by those with heart and kidney conditions.

Ototoxic medications known to cause permanent damage include certain drugs in the aminoglycoside class that are used to treat serious infections caused by bacteria that are difficult to treat with other medications or that multiply quickly.

Cancer chemotherapy drugs, such as platinum-based cisplatin and carboplatin, are highly ototoxic. This class of drugs is commonly used for the treatment of bladder, ovarian, testicular, and head and neck cancers. The drug’s ototoxicity has been known for many years, but a recent study led by researchers from the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sought to explain why these drugs cause lasting hearing loss. Findings released in 2018 establish that cisplatin can be found in the ear’s cochlea months and even years after treatment has ended. This continued exposure puts the cochlea at considerable risk for damage as the drug resides there. By contrast, other body organs tend to eliminate the drug within days of being administered. The study also revealed that forty to eighty percent of adults and fifty percent of children experience significant permanent hearing loss that can continue to worsen over time after a cancer battle. This research is important because understanding how platinum-based chemotherapies affect hearing may lead to methods for blocking or lessening the long term effects on the ear.

A drug’s ototoxicity can depend on many factors like the dosage, duration of time you take it, whether you are taking other ototoxic medications, the amount of hearing damage you already had before starting it, family history, and more.

What can you do to reduce your risk?
Granted, the benefits of many ototoxic medications far outweigh the potential side effects and should not be a reason, in and of itself, to decline these drugs. Johnson Audiology encourages you to research the medications you are prescribed and to talk with your primary care physician, your medical specialists, and your pharmacist so that you can fully assess your risk and discuss ways to mitigate ototoxic effects. For instance, visiting your audiologist for a hearing test before beginning treatment for cancer, kidney disease, heart disease and many other health issues gives you a baseline for comparison later so that you can be proactive about treating your hearing loss at the first signs of loss. Being an informed, aware, and educated patient puts you in the best position for controlling and managing your own health and well-being.

Do you have questions or concerns about ototoxicity and hearing loss? Call today to schedule an appointment at Johnson Audiology or book online at www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule .

The Hidden Medications That Could Be Damaging Your Hearing

The Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 17:02:11 GMT

In October 2019, Johnson Audiology launched the Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation (JAHF), an official 501c3, non-profit organization for the purpose of helping those in financial need receive the gift of hearing. Since then, dear patients and others in the community have donated more than 200 hearing aids and hearing aid accessories to the cause.

“We have been so touched by people’s spirit of giving in the two years since JAHF was founded. Because of people’s donations of gently used hearing aids as well as monetary gifts, many people in the communities we serve have been fitted with hearing technology. The gift of hearing can be a gamechanger for people,” said Dr. Megan Johnson, an audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology.

Seth Robinette agrees. His application to JAHF was reviewed and accepted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020. Mr. Robinette had been struggling with hearing loss, and it was impacting various aspects of his life, including his job. After coming to Johnson Audiology and receiving hearing aids by way of the Foundation, he said, “I feel like my ears have a new home, and it’s Johnson Audiology. This place turned my unfortunate hearing loss from a negative in my life to a great and wonderful experience. With my hearing aids, I feel like I’ve stepped out into a brave new world with ears to hear the things I have been missing in life, which in turn, re-establishes my confidence to
take on the world.”

Life-changing stories like this from JAHF recipients are exactly the impacts Dr. Johnson and her team had hoped for when the Foundation was started. Dr. Johnson says, “Hearing is one of the most important of human senses and should never be underestimated or dismissed. It empowers a person to live life without limitations. It connects people to those around them, allowing better communication and socialization with friends and family, greater opportunities in your career, even heightened physical safety as our sense of hearing is one of our body’s most potent warning systems to protect us from danger. Healthy hearing links us to the world in a way that none of our other senses achieve.”

Dr. Whitney Smith, an audiologist in Johnson Audiology’s Chattanooga office and a Foundation officer, explained that JAHF’s mission is straightforward—to pair those who cannot afford hearing technology with hearing aids and services. She also said, “We put a lot of thought into our vision statement because we wanted it to reflect how strongly we feel about healthy hearing being a basic human right that everyone should be able to harness.” The Foundation's vision statement sums up its goal: The Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation recognizes that healthy hearing harnesses a person’s ability to be an active participant in life rather than an isolated bystander. The Foundation also purports that communication is a basic human right. Thus, the Foundation’s vision is to make quality hearing health care and technology available and accessible to those with financial need who are struggling with hearing loss. This will be accomplished by mobilizing the power, expertise and passion of hearing health care professionals, volunteers and donors.

Jan Hollingsworth, JAHF’s Donation Coordinator, said, “The Foundation accepts gently-used hearing aids and accessories, as well as monetary gifts from gracious donors.” JAHF also works with several of the major hearing aid manufacturers as they either refurbish the donated aids we receive or donate to JAHF by way of slightly older model aids they have in stock.

Dr. Johnson added, “Our audiologists are committed to the Foundation, and their volunteerism speaks to the passion they bring to their profession. They truly want to help people hear better.”

Dr. Smith said she has seen firsthand what donations can mean to everyone involved. “I’ve dedicated my life to helping people hear. I couldn’t have chosen a more fulfilling profession. It’s incredibly rewarding watching a person’s face light up when I fit them with hearing aids and sound becomes a part of life again. Offering that experience to someone who thought hearing aids were financially out of reach—it doesn’t get any better than that!” She said, “It is so gratifying for donors, also. There’s no better feeling than to help someone in need with a gift that makes an immediate and lasting impact on their lives. It’s a win-win!” In fact, Dr. Smith has requested that her own family members make donations to the Foundation in lieu of Christmas and birthday gifts to her. Dr. Smith said that just like with any charitable gift, a donation to JAHF can be used as a tax deduction. “We mail acknowledgement letters for both monetary gifts and technology donations with a dollar value assigned to the gift based on the brand, style, and age of the hearing aid. The letter can be used as a receipt for tax purposes.”

Mrs. Hollingsworth said, “We’ve received hundreds of pieces of donated technology since the Foundation’s inception in October 2019. Many are gently used devices without too much wear and tear from the previous owner, and those are what we use to place on Foundation recipients.” Some donations, however, are devices that were custom-fit to the original owner. “We also get devices that are quite old. Neither of these scenarios are appropriate for placement on someone else,” said Dr. Johnson. In those cases, JAHF seeks to send the devices to organizations that dismantle them into components and parts that can be recycled or reused.

Dr. Johnson said, “Many patients choose to move into new technology and have donated their older aids to the Foundation rather than the aids taking up space in a drawer at home. It’s a way of giving your aids a second life.” Additionally, aids have been donated by family members after a loved one has died.

Dr. Johnson also said that if a person is ineligible for help through JAHF, Johnson Audiology will seek to work with them in other ways. “We have many avenues for helping a person get the hearing technology they need. For instance, Johnson Audiology verifies every patient’s health insurance benefits. Some policies have programs for hearing aid technology. Also, a great organization—the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation—is an opportunity for residents of Georgia who are in need of assistance with hearing care. For years, Johnson Audiology has partnered with the Lighthouse Foundation to get people into the hearing technology they need.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 466 million people worldwide are affected by disabling hearing loss and that number will soar to more than 900 million by 2050. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified hearing loss as the third most common chronic physical condition confronting Americans today. Dr. Johnson said, “Clearly, organizations that make hearing technology available for people will be an ongoing need as we move into the future. A gift to the Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation is a way we can all do our part.”

Make a contribution or apply for assistance to the Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation.

Helping More People Hear: The Mission of the Johnson Audiology Hearing Foundation

Tinnitus and Mental Health: Insights from Dr. Megan Johnson

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:13:31 GMT

As a doctor of audiology for more than 20 years, Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology, and her hand-picked team of 10 other audiologists have helped thousands of people address hearing loss. “Assisting people to re-engage and re-connect with their lives through improved hearing is not just my job; it’s my life’s work and so rewarding,” she says. “Hands-down, though, giving our patients access to new rehabilitation options for tinnitus is one of the highlights of my audiology career."

For some people, ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, is a mild bother. For others, it can be debilitating, impacting their mental and emotional health by causing profound anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, anger issues, even thoughts of suicide. “One patient described her tinnitus as being locked in a small room with a million tree frogs calling in her ears 24-hours a day. She felt like a prisoner in her own body because she could not escape the noise,” Dr. Johnson says.

Subjective tinnitus, which is the most common type, is a self-perceived sound that manifests for people as ringing, roaring, buzzing, chirping—even musical notes—in the ears. The condition likely dates to the earliest human civilizations. In the last 20 to 30 years, however, tinnitus has emerged as an acknowledged serious public health issue, affecting approximately 50 million Americans. More than two million people report tinnitus so severe it disrupts daily living and function.

“While tinnitus can have a variety of causes, the number one culprit is hearing loss,” Dr. Johnson says. When a person’s hearing is damaged from loud and/or repetitive noises, permanent hearing loss often results and usually occurs in specific frequencies. Dr. Johnson offered these examples: “For instance, a dentist may experience the occupational hazard of losing hearing in the high frequencies because of the damage done to hearing from the repeated whine of a high-powered dental drill. A factory worker, on the other hand, may lose low frequency hearing from exposure to the constant low decibel drone of cooling fans or machinery in the workplace.” When certain frequencies within a person’s hearing spectrum are damaged, sounds in those frequencies go unheard. For example, lose your high frequency hearing, and sounds like birdsong or young children’s voices become undetectable. As the brain searches for input in those missing frequencies and comes up empty-handed, the brain will “fill in the gaps” with the ringing, roaring, or buzzing that is tinnitus.

Dr. Johnson draws this connection: “The increase in reported tinnitus is not surprising. We live in a much noisier world than at earlier times in human history. Damage to hearing is on the rise so, by default, tinnitus is also on the rise.”

As the incidence and severity of tinnitus continue to put a heavier burden on more and more people, additional resources have been devoted to research to better understand the condition. Dr. Johnson says that this should lead to increased awareness for those struggling with tinnitus as well as a deeper understanding by the healthcare providers supporting them. Dr. Johnson mentions, “It’s certainly time that happens. Historically, when a person broached the subject of tinnitus with his or her doctor, they were often told, ‘Well, you just have to learn to live with it.’ When a patient gets the brush-off with a trivializing comment like that, it is so detrimental. That person may not have the courage to bring up their tinnitus struggles again for years, if ever, continuing to suffer in ‘noisy silence’ from the cumulative effects of the unresolved mental and emotional health issues the disorder can bring on. I implore healthcare providers to remove verbiage from their provider-to-patient vocabulary that dismisses a person’s tinnitus.”

Guidelines released in March 2020 from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), entitled Tinnitus: Assessment and Management, may well be a factor in turning that tide. Many health care and social care professionals are beginning to use the advice NICE offers on supporting people presenting with tinnitus as well as the recommendations on when to refer a person to a qualified specialist for assessment and management.

Obvious choices for tinnitus management referral are to audiologists and otolaryngologists, the health care field’s most qualified professionals for issues dealing with disorders of the ear and hearing. “I encourage people with tinnitus to seek out these professionals and to ask if they have specialized training and experience in working with those with tinnitus. Even in these specialties, there can be varying degrees of expertise, knowledge and responsiveness.”

Dr. Johnson says many people do not even associate their struggle with tinnitus as putting them at risk for mental and emotional health issues. “Our audiologist at Johnson Audiology seek to learn more about how each individual experiences tinnitus. It is unique for each person and can present in a myriad of ways,” she says. How does it sound to that individual? Ringing? Roaring? Buzzing? Is it constant or does it come and go? Is it in one ear or both? Does it make you feel stressed, anxious, depressed, desperate, irritable, hopeless? Does it cause sleeplessness, tiredness, poor appetite? Do you have dental and jaw issues like a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder? Have you identified triggers that set off or magnify your tinnitus like caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol use? “The more honest and open patients are, the more we are able to help,” she says.

Dr. Johnson says that treatment and management for tinnitus can include a host of options tailored to the person. “Some are in our wheelhouse as audiologists, such as sound therapies like masking and habituation as well as fitting a person with hearing aids to restore lost sound frequencies. Restore sound where you have hearing loss, and the brain no longer needs to fill in the silence with the ringing, roaring, and buzzing. About seven out of ten patients will notice a subjective decrease in their tinnitus just by treating their hearing loss,” she explains.

Tinnitus therapy is not limited to these options, however. “A multi-disciplinary approach is often the best. For instance, a behavioral therapist with training in tinnitus management can help a person learn techniques for minimizing the mental and emotional toll of tinnitus. A dentist may be of help for someone whose tinnitus is triggered by jaw issues, like TMJ,” Dr. Johnson comments.

She mentions that getting to the bottom of specific triggers for a person’s tinnitus and employing the appropriate lifestyle changes can make a huge difference. “I had a patient recently who was taking a prescribed medication that was exacerbating her tinnitus. She worked with her general health care provider to simply change the time of day she was taking that medication, and her tinnitus faded.” For those with triggers like caffeine, sodium, nicotine, and alcohol, reducing intake or abstaining from those substances can help.

For those with tinnitus tied to stress, techniques like relaxation and mindfulness therapy can be game changers. Dr. Johnson says. “Interestingly, the same parts of your brain that are activated in the fight or flight response—your autonomic nervous system—also light up when a person is experiencing tinnitus. It begins to have a cascading effect because once the tinnitus is forefront in your mind that heightened state of anxiety builds on itself.” She continues, “The mind is a powerful tool, though. Using brain mechanics, many have learned to control tinnitus rather than it running roughshod through their lives. That’s why tactics like cognitive behavioral therapy are a great recommendation for many patients with tinnitus.”

Dr. Johnson also mentions that mobile phone apps, like the one the hearing aid manufacturer Widex offers, are especially useful tools. “The Widex Zen app is free to download and offers a combination of sound therapy options, relaxation and meditation exercises as well as practical guidance, right there on your phone,” she says.

Dr. Johnson shares: “At Johnson Audiology, we have had the pleasure of helping many patients learn to successfully manage their tinnitus. I had a patient whose tinnitus was having such a profound effect on her, she had withdrawn from life, stopped working, etc. Now that she has addressed her tinnitus with various management techniques, she has a renewed hope. She has gone back to her career and is interacting with family and friends again.”

If you are experiencing tinnitus, whether mildly bothersome or life-altering, call Johnson Audiology today for a tinnitus evaluation and get on the road to managing your tinnitus or make an appointment using our online scheduler .

Reading an Audiogram

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:09:19 GMT

Many health-related measurements are familiar to people, like perfect vision being represented as 20/20. However, how is healthy hearing quantified? Presented with the results of a hearing test, most people have no idea how to interpret what the graph—called an audiogram—reveals.

An audiogram may initially look like indecipherable lines and symbols on a graph, but learning how to interpret it gives you a much better understanding of your hearing. Your audiologist uses it to determine recommendations for addressing your hearing loss, so knowing how to read your audiogram means even better communication between you and your audiologist in mapping a treatment plan for you.

The goal of a diagnostic hearing evaluation

The goal of audiometric testing is to measure a person’s hearing ability across a range of frequencies, or pitches. Each ear is measured independently since hearing ability is not always the same in both ears. During a hearing evaluation, the audiologist will use headphones or earphones through which you listen for sounds, including beeps at various frequencies and recorded words. As you respond by depressing a handheld button when you hear beeps or by repeating back understood words, your hearing thresholds are plotted. A hearing threshold is the softest sound you can detect about 50% of the time.

Understanding frequency and loudness

Look at the sample audiogram below. The horizontal axis (x) represents frequency, or pitch, from lowest to highest and is measured in hertz (Hz). Typically, the lowest frequency tested during a hearing diagnostic is 250 Hz; the highest is 8000 Hz. When you look at the x-axis that measures frequency, moving from left to right shows the frequency going from deep-sounding pitch to high pitched, much like the keys on a piano. Most human speech ranges from 250 to 6000 Hz. Vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, and U) are among the lowest frequencies and are responsible for loudness of speech. Consonants like S, F, SH, CH, H, TH, T and K sounds are among the highest frequencies and create clarity of speech. This is why hearing loss affects a person’s ability to understand words and conversations. If, for instance, a person has hearing loss that affects high frequency sounds, a word like “feet” begins to sound like “ee” as the letters F and T become indiscernible. Oftentimes, hearing loss occurs in the high frequencies first, which is why people often comment on hearing but not understanding. So, if you have been blaming your family of mumbling, it actually may be hearing loss.

The vertical axis (y) represents the intensity, or loudness, of sound and is measured in decibels (dB). A rifle being fired is a loud noise or a very high decibel sound. Rustling leaves are soft sounds or very low decibel.. Although the top left of the chart is labeled -10 dB or 0 dB, that does not indicate the absence of sound. A zero decibel reading actually represents the softest level of sound that the average person with normal hearing will hear, for any given frequency.

Understanding symbols on the graph

Several different symbols are used to indicate hearing thresholds on an audiogram, which create a quantitative “picture” of your hearing ability or loss. Testing with earphones or headphones is called air conduction testing because the sound must travel through the air of the ear canal to reach the inner ear. The organs of the inner ear then transmit the sound to the auditory nerve and on to the brain where sound is interpreted and assigned meaning. A red “O” denotes air conduction results for the right ear on an audiogram. The results for the left ear are marked with a blue “X." Bone conduction testing is completed by placing a device behind the ear on the mastoid bone. Sound is transmitted through the vibration of the mastoid bone, and results are marked on the audiogram with a “greater than (>) symbol” for the left ear and a “lesser than (<)” symbol for the right ear. Refer to the audiogram below for a visual reference of an audiogram.

Air and bone conduction and speech testing allow an audiologist to more precisely interpret and diagnose hearing loss. Each symbol (X or O, < or >) on the chart represents your threshold for a given frequency and, when plotted, represents overall hearing ability. In the sample audiogram, the individual's thresholds from 250 Hz through 8000 Hz denote hearing below normal in both ears. A person with this degree of hearing loss will struggle when there is background noise, with softer speech and when there are no visual cues and may complain that people mumble. This person would benefit greatly from hearing aids.

If audiogram symbols are essentially overlapping, hearing loss is considered symmetrical, or the same in both ears, like the sample audiogram shows. If the symbols do not overlap, your hearing loss is asymmetrical, meaning your ears have differing degrees of hearing loss. Your hearing loss also may show a pattern of loss that is generally flat or that is sloping or rising where some pitches are worse than others. Connecting the air conduction symbols makes the pattern obvious.

What is considered healthy hearing on an audiogram?

Take a look at the audiogram again. As a general rule, healthy hearing is represented in the blue shaded area above the 20 dB line that crosses the graph from left to right.* Any symbols below that shaded area, however, indicate hearing loss at those frequencies. Noteworthy is that hearing can be damaged by things like ear infections; medications; common household items like lawnmowers; noisy work environments; or a family history of hearing loss. (Find a list of common items that can cause hearing damage at johnsonaudiology.com/audiogram.)

Ultimately, when diagnosing and treating, your audiologist considers your audiogram, which represents quantitative measures, along with your perception of your overall listening challenges. Input from family members about communication difficulties also can be beneficial. Today’s sophisticated hearing aid technology is programmed to increase the sounds within the specific frequencies of your hearing loss. Thus, hearing aids are a great solution for restoring the sounds a person is missing, and early identification and treatment are keys to success.

A snapshot in time

Your audiogram is a snapshot in time of your hearing. It is a prescription for treating your hearing loss and a baseline for you and your audiologist. To monitor any changes in your hearing over time, routine testing is necessary. Knowing how to interpret your audiogram is a valuable skill, empowering you to make informed decisions. The information in this article is a basic interpretation of an audiogram. Audiograms can be more complex depending on the nature of the hearing loss or underlying medical issues.

*Some exceptions exist, such as when the person has very mild hearing loss but has tinnitus, or ringing in their ears.

How to Read and Understand Your Audiogram

HearVu: A New Tool for Understanding Hearing Loss

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:04:52 GMT

“When I first meet a new patient, I spend time getting to know them and drawing out how they would answer this question: Is hearing optional or a necessity?” said Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology. “That gives me insight into how ready the person is to embrace that they have hearing loss and begin the journey to healthy hearing. Over the course of my 18-year career as an audiologist, I’ve learned that those who are primed and ready to address their hearing loss are the ones who will be the most successful with hearing aids.”

How important is your hearing?

Humans have five basic senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Eyesight provides the most information to the brain at roughly 10 million bits per second, which is similar to an Ethernet connection. The second most information-rich sense is hearing, with your ears not only in charge of transmitting sounds to the brain but also in controlling your body’s balance and equilibrium. Notably, your vision and hearing work closely together, allowing you to target where sounds are coming from; therefore, both those senses need to be in good working order.

With vision problems, most people quickly address the health issue and get glasses. “By contrast, people wait up to 10 years from the time they first notice hearing loss,” Dr. Johnson said. “I encourage people to begin assigning hearing its proper place of importance. Addressing hearing loss should be a health necessity, not something you finally seek help for when the loss is severe.”

Here are some good reasons why hearing should be a health priority.

Healthy hearing can keep your brain active and functioning

You know the adage “use it or lose it” applied to keeping your heart and muscles healthy. The same applies to your brain. Hearing is a function of your ears and your brain working together to process sound. Failing to treat hearing loss results in auditory deprivation. Over time, the parts of your brain responsible for hearing can shrink—or atrophy—from lack of use. This tissue loss changes your brain’s structure and puts a person at higher risk for dementia-related disorders like Alzheimer’s. Over the course of a 12-year study, Johns Hopkins’ researchers tracked 639 people and found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk. Moderate loss tripled risk, and people with a severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to develop dementia.

Healthy hearing can lead to more career opportunities

Various studies over many years have shown that severe to profound hearing loss has a tremendous impact on a person’s education and employment success. Why? Hearing well in an educational or work setting makes it possible to detect and recognize meaningful sounds around you, to identify the source and location of a sound, and, most important, to understand spoken language. For example, in a large work meeting, a person with hearing loss may struggle to hear instructions or to be a part of the dialog. They may miss out on being a part of the exchange of ideas and problem solving that is occurring, putting them at a disadvantage compared to workmates with typical hearing. This can translate into lower wages and less advancement potential. Statistically, a person with untreated hearing loss makes 25% less than a person without hearing loss. Here is the good news: treating hearing loss by wearing hearing aids and using other assistive devices can reverse those negative impacts, reducing the risk of income loss by up to 100% for those with milder hearing loss and up to 77% for those with moderate to severe hearing loss.

Healthy hearing can mean greater physical safety

In a very practical way, healthy hearing can mean greater physical safety as a person who hears well will respond appropriately when they hear, for example, a car beeping a warning in traffic, an ambulance approaching across a busy city street or a fire alarm sounding.

Additionally, since balance and equilibrium are controlled by your inner ear, hearing impairment upsets the normal workings of that body system. A person with even mild hearing loss is three times more likely to have a history of falling than someone who has addressed hearing loss. Falls can have a domino effect, leading to hospitalizations, stays in a short- or long-term care facility and a potential loss of independence.

Healthy hearing can mean more energy

When a person struggles to hear, the brain is taxed. The term listening fatigue has been coined to describe the process. Imagine this example: A person with hearing loss is at a large family gathering. The intense concentration needed to decipher many voices and noises coming from different directions is mentally exhausting. Rather than leaving the party refreshed and uplifted from the time spent with loved ones, a person feels as if he or she has run a marathon.

Healthy hearing can keep you connected and mentally thriving

Humans are social beings, and most people are happiest when they are communicating and connected with others. Hearing loss, on the other hand, can lead to social isolation as the listening fatigue mentioned earlier begins to affect the person’s willingness to continually struggle to hear conversation. As the isolation mounts, studies have shown that adults 50 and older with untreated hearing loss are more likely to report depression, anxiety, anger, frustration, and paranoia compared to those with typical hearing or those who wear hearing aids.

A new tool benefitting Johnson Audiology patients and family members

Dr. Johnson also mentioned a second question she asks new patients: Do you have a strong support system? “I’ve learned that a patient’s success drastically improves when a strong circle of friends, family and/or workmates are aware of the person’s hearing loss and are motivated to offer understanding and encouragement as the person adjusts to their new hearing aids,” she said. With this in mind, Dr. Johnson recently invested in a new technology tool for the practice that helps patients better understand their own hearing loss and gives family members and friends the chance to hear for themselves what their loved one’s hearing loss sounds like. Called HearVu, this groundbreaking, tablet-based software program allows Dr. Johnson to interactively plot a person’s hearing loss on a digital display. Dr. Johnson said, “In the past, we have always shown patients and family members the hearing test results, called an audiogram, on paper. It was a static representation of the patient’s hearing loss. HearVu really brings an audiogram to life in the way a paper audiogram doesn’t.” The software also contains video animations of the ear so Dr. Johnson can visually explain how sound travels through the ear and how damage to the ear’s structure can lead to hearing loss. One of the most exciting components of HearVu is a program that takes a person’s individual hearing test results and presents spoken sentences that mimic what speech sounds like for that person. “It can be eye and ear opening for a family member who never fully grasped how much their loved one was struggling to hear,” she said. The experience helps the person with hearing loss feel validated for seeking help and builds empathy from family members to be supportive. “It’s one more way to help people understand that hearing is a necessity not optional,” she concluded.

Take the next step

Take the next step to healthy hearing for you or a loved by calling Johnson Audiology today to make an appointment for a diagnostic hearing exam and ask your audiologist to use the HearVu program to better explain your hearing loss. Hearing well makes life better in far-reaching ways so vow now to make it a necessity rather than an option.

HearVu Brings Hearing Loss to Life for Patients and Families

What is Conductive Hearing Loss

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:59:24 GMT

Have you ever tried having a conversation with someone on the other side of a closed door? You probably end up raising your voice and straining to hear them. Open that door and suddenly it’s as easy as pie. Your voice and theirs flows unimpeded, back and forth between the two of you. For people living with conductive hearing loss, having a simple conversation with anyone can feel like trying to talk through a great, big closed door! The problem is much the same – those all-important sounds aren’t flowing freely.

This is what should happen when you’re hearing normally…

When someone says hello, the sound of their voice travels through the air and into your outer ear – that’s the visible, fleshy part of your ear and the ear canal that travels into your head. The next stop for those sounds is to pass through to the eardrum, a thin film that separates your outer ear from your middle ear. Then, yes, you guessed it, after hitting the eardrum, sounds go on into the middle ear. This part of your ear has 3 tiny bones that transmit the sounds, which are now vibrations, into the inner ear. The inner ear is where the sounds are converted into electrical signals that travel to the brain via a nerve. Now it’s time for your brain to take over, process the sounds, and, like magic, you hear that hello. All of this happens in the blink of an eye.

This is what happens when you have conductive hearing loss…

Someone says hello, the sound of their voice travels into your outer ear and that’s when the problems can start. Conductive hearing loss prevents sounds getting through into the inner ear, either blocking their passage in the outer ear or the middle ear. The worse the conductive hearing loss, the less sound gets through, which means you may not hear that hello at all.

What causes conductive hearing loss?

There are lots of different reasons you may experience conductive hearing loss, with earwax being at the top of the list as it builds up and blocks the ear canal. Infections of the ear canal or middle ear, ruptured or perforated eardrums, cysts, tumors, and diseases that affect the structure of the middle ear can all cause conductive hearing loss too. Many of these conditions are treatable with medication and/or surgery and can be completely resolved. In cases where conductive hearing loss can’t be reversed, hearing can still be improved using hearing aids.

What are the signs of conductive hearing loss?

If you’re struggling to understand conversations in person or on the phone, are finding you need to turn the TV up, or have a sense that even your own voice sounds different, then you may have conductive hearing loss. It could be that you can hear less through one ear than the other. You may even feel pain or pressure in one or both ears.

Are you worried about conductive hearing loss?

If you’re concerned that you may have conductive hearing loss, at Johnson Audiology we are here to help. Simply click here to get in touch with one of our Audiologists to book yourself in for a hearing assessment in Tennessee or Georgia. We’ll find out exactly what the problem is and get you the treatment you need.

Did You Know These NFL Players Suffer With Hearing Loss?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:55:07 GMT

Arizona Cardinals’ Derrick Coleman, Dallas Cowboys’ Flozell Adams, and Washington Redskins’ Reed Doughty.

So, did you know that they’ve all got a hearing loss?

Even if you’re an NFL super-fan, it wouldn’t be surprising if you didn’t know that these players have a hearing loss. Their hearing ability isn’t what gets talked about most of the time – it’s their skill on the field.

That’s because their hearing loss isn’t an impediment to their athletic success. They’ve adapted to their hearing loss with help from family, friends, colleagues, and, most importantly, professionals who are highly trained to deal with all hearing health issues, namely Audiologists.

From a hearing loss to NFL stardom

For Coleman and Doughty, having a hearing loss has been a part of their lives since childhood. Coleman was diagnosed when he was just four years old and has been using hearing aids since he was in school. He went on to shine as a fullback for the Seattle Seahawks before joining the Arizona Cardinals.

Doughty also knew he had hearing issues early on and found different ways of coping as an adult, including lip reading. His hearing loss wasn’t public knowledge when he was drafted to the Washington Redskins, but after getting hearing aids and experiencing their life-changing effects, Doughty has become an advocate for using hearing aids.

It was well known that Adams couldn’t hear much in his right ear when he got drafted, but he nonetheless went on to be one of only a few offensive linesmen to be selected for the Pro Bowl five times back in 2003, 2004, and 2006-2008.

The sounds of the stadium

Adams, Coleman, and Doughty are no strangers to the roar of the crowd in stadiums across the country. But did you know that roar can get so loud that it can actually damage your hearing? Anything louder than 85 decibels can be trouble for your ears and your average NFL game clocks in at around 90 decibels. With the Super Bowl just around the corner, the screams and shouts are certain to get pretty loud.

Enjoy the game

If you’re lucky enough to be going to the big game in Atlanta this February, then make sure you enjoy the game without doing any damage to your hearing. Use earplugs or ear defenders to protect your hearing health. Even once the excitement of the Super Bowl is over, it’s a good idea to keep these on you whenever you go to a game.

As for those hangouts at home around the football, whether it’s this February’s Super Bowl or the Thanksgiving games, keep an eye on the noise levels then too. Check that the TV volume is at a reasonable level so that your friends and family don’t have to shout over it whenever they’ve got an opinion about the call the referee just made.

Get a helping hand

Even sporting superstars Coleman, Adams, and Doughty needed to get professional help with their hearing health. So there really is no reason to feel embarrassed about asking the professionals for a helping hand with your hearing.

At Johnson Audiology, our Audiologists are here to help you enjoy all the sounds the world has to offer, from cheering at the Super Bowl to laughing with friends and family. Click here to find your nearest Johnson Audiology hearing center in Tennessee or Georgia where you can have all of your hearing health needs met.

What is Sensorineural Hearing Loss?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:52:06 GMT

Getting your hearing loss properly diagnosed and categorized by an Audiologist at Johnson Audiology will help you to understand your condition better. You can access appropriate treatment and use the information to refine your hearing experience. The types of hearing loss can be broadly described as conductive, mixed, and sensorineural. Here we will focus on the latter, which accounts for about 90% of reported hearing loss.

What is sensorineural hearing loss?

Sensorineural hearing loss affects the inner ear and/or the nerves that process and transmit sounds to the brain. Often the cochlear hairs that pick up sound waves are damaged in some way, although this is not the only possible cause.

What causes sensorineural hearing loss?

Factors that cause or contribute to sensorineural hearing loss are either external or intrinsic. This means it is either caused by events, such as noisy environments, health conditions, or medication, or it is linked to genetics and/or natural effects of aging.

Gradual deterioration over a period of years is common with this type of hearing loss. The support of an Audiologist and hearing equipment can slow down the progress of decline.

What are the different levels of sensorineural hearing loss?

Even with inner ear difficulties, you can often still hear some sounds depending on how loud they are. The volume of the sounds you perceive will help us describe the level of sensorineural hearing loss that you have. For example, if you cannot hear a ticking clock, you might be described as having moderate hearing loss. If you cannot hear a dog barking, your hearing loss is tending towards severe. Profound or complete hearing loss is when you cannot hear sounds over 91 decibels such as an airplane taking off.

Your hearing levels can be tested with a hearing assessment by an Audiologist. This is completed in a controlled environment so no other noises can interfere with your test. It’s relatively quick, completely painless, and easy to do. It tests the clarity of your hearing as well as the volume of sounds you can hear. At the end, you will get an instant report on your hearing level and some indicators as to the underlying cause.

What is the treatment for sensorineural hearing loss?

There is no cure for sensorineural hearing loss, but there are certainly ways that we can improve your hearing experience by using hearing equipment. The sooner we can intervene and provide the support you need, the better it is for your long-term auditory health. We can also offer advice on preventing further damage via external factors.

Get in touch

Here at Johnson Audiology, you can get further information about sensorineural hearing loss from any of our hearing centers in Hixon, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, or Cartersville. Simply click here to contact us online or call us at 615-905-1340 .

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hearing Loss?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:44:10 GMT

Understanding sound can help you to detect changes to your own hearing that might indicate a hearing loss. When you visit Johnson Audiology, we ask questions about your hearing experience and offer you tests to check your range.

Hearing loss is often thought of as being related to the volume of sound. On the contrary, it usually results from a loss of clarity and an inability to pick out different pitches. Distinguishing between sounds is all about hearing different frequencies and how they relate to each other. When your ability to hear the relationship between them breaks down, it can lead to not being able to understand conversations, hear the television, music and other rich sounds.

High pitch

You are more likely to lose sounds in the higher frequency range before you lose the low tones. This is because the hairs that pick up the high sounds are in the lower part of the cochlea. They are usually the first to go when damage occurs.

The way to check if this is happening is to notice whether you find it harder to hear women and children speak. They usually hit a higher pitch. You may also notice that you can’t hear birds singing or that beeps from your phone sound muffled. Don’t put these down to inevitable changes to your hearing, this is a sign that you have a hearing loss and might need some treatment or support.

Consonants

If conversations start to sound indistinct to you, it may be because you’re not hearing some of the consonants. We are used to speech sounding like it flows along like a river, that we forget it is made up of lots of different droplets. When some of these start to disappear from your range, all you hear is a babble of sound. This is because the consonants tend to come out at a higher pitch.

Get a friend or relative to help you test for this issue. Write a sentence using each of the following words: almost, she, taste, past. Then write companion sentences using these synonyms: nearly, her, flavor, before. Have them stand on the other side of the room and read each of the first ones, followed by the paired sentence. Which one is easier for you to hear without concentrating? If you are having trouble with the first sentence in each pair, but not the other, it’s an early sign of hearing loss.

Contact your local audiologist

Johnson Audiology has 4 centers in Tennessee and one in Georgia. A hearing assessment is available to anyone who is concerned they may have hearing loss. If we find you do have hearing loss, we can suggest the best treatment and help you on your way to better hearing. Click here to get in touch with us today.

Researching Hearing Aids: Making an apples to apples comparison

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:40:43 GMT

If the title of this article caught your eye, you are probably thinking about investing in your hearing health by purchasing hearing aids . These days, most consumers do research ahead of making purchases for a host of goods and services, and online searching has made this process easier than ever. Consumers are to be applauded for educating themselves on items they wish to make an investment in, and hearing aid technology is no exception. However, being a savvy researcher and consumer is key.

Perhaps you have seen ads in magazines and newspapers and on TV for mail order hearing aids. Does the radio station you listen to broadcast a 15 second hearing aid spot multiple times daily? Are ads for hearing devices popping up on your smart phone, tablet or computer? Are you being inundated with direct mail hearing aid flyers in your mailbox?

Regardless of the medium, the message is often the same. Consumers should beware of companies with ads that contain wording like Buy-One-Get-One Free, Free Hearing Tests, Large Discounts, Trade-In Available, Seeking Participants for a New Study, Prices you Can’t Pass Up, etc. These advertisements range from being less than 100% truthful to downright dishonest. In fact, many state licensing boards have intervened by enacting strict advertising guidelines for hearing aid retailers in an effort to protect consumers from these misleading and unscrupulous marketing tactics.

While many factors need to be considered when addressing your hearing health, here are two important questions to answer if you are considering purchasing hearing aids based on a TV, print or radio ad, a direct mail flyer or off the Internet

Is a hearing aid the same as a personal sound amplifier product?

No. Hearing aids are Class 2 medical devices approved by the FDA and dispensed and fitted by a licensed hearing professional. Every individual hearing aid is assigned a unique serial number.

While hearing aids and personal sound amplifier products (PSAPs) may seem similar at first glance, they are very different.

A vast majority of the devices offered for sale straight to consumers through online purchase on sites like Amazon or through TV, magazine and radio ads are nothing more that sound amplification products. An amplifier increases all the sounds in a given environment. Imagine it this way: You are in a crowded restaurant. A PSAP will pick up the sound of the clinking silverware two tables away, the crying baby across the room, and the server putting in an order in the kitchen at the same loudness level as you are hearing the voice of your companion sitting across the table from you. There is no nuance of sound. You are bombarded by all of it. In fact, PSAPS were not even designed for people with hearing loss.

Rather, PSAPs were developed to help a user with normal hearing pick up on low-volume sounds or sounds that are at a distance. Think, for example, about the birding enthusiast who wants to boost a specific long-range sound like the song of a bird sitting at a feeder across the yard. Additionally, PSAPs don’t require an audiogram of your unique hearing loss because they are not programmable devices. When consumers try to use PSAPs as a substitute for hearing aids, the hearing loss problem is not being addressed or solved and can lead to further deterioration of a person’s hearing.

By contrast, a hearing aid a is fine-tuned medical device programmed and fitted by a licensed hearing professional, preferably a doctor of audiology , and is customized to the individual wearer’s unique hearing loss based on that person’s audiogram results as well as his or her ear size and shape, reported typical listening environments, lifestyle, etc. In that same busy restaurant mentioned earlier, the hearing aid wearers aids are precisely programmed to automatically detect background noises created by the clinking silverware, crying baby and waiter’s voice so that those sounds are toned down while the voice of the person you are conversing with is amplified and clarified.

I have found an online site to buy hearing aids that will program them based on a hearing test I take online or by sending them my audiogram performed by a hearing professional. This is the same as what I would get from an audiologist at a clinic where I can walk in, right?

You’ve done your homework. You know that a hearing aid must be programmed based on your personal hearing test. Now you’ve found numerous online companies that ask you to send them your hearing test. They will program your aids based on your hearing loss and mail them to your home. Problem solved, right? No. Here’s why.

Scheduling a face-to-face appointment with and investing in hearing aid technology through an established audiology practice close to home ensures that you are well-informed regarding your hearing health care, that your treatment plan is tailored to you, that you are offered the latest technology from all the major manufacturers, and that you have an audiologist supporting you every step of the way. Your licensed audiologist will work closely with you to educate and counsel you about your hearing loss, guide your selection of an appropriate hearing aid, set realistic goals for your journey to better hearing, answer questions, and provide the support and counseling you need to be a successful hearing aid user. Ongoing programming adjustments, cleanings and general maintenance will be completed in the office in real time, which is the best way to account for your individual needs and allows you to get right back to hearing the world around you. Comparing in-office visits with a university trained and educated audiologist to an online buying experience is comparing apples to oranges.

While purchasing hearing aids online may be tempting, many potential pitfalls and hidden costs can exist. Keep in mind that online or mail order purchases do not allow you to use health insurance benefits available for hearing aid technology. Crunching the numbers, consumers often find that a reputable, local audiology practice—that is committed to seeking out and filing your insurance benefits—can often provide a patient with advanced hearing aid technology AND ongoing service and support at a better value than the flashy, bait-and-switch options available online and through mail order. Trying to work with a hearing aid company long distance can lead to unnecessary frustrations e.g., dealing with multiple phone representatives, communicating hearing aid fit issues that actually need visual evaluation, and navigating repair issues by mail.

Additionally, always be sure to research reviews (other than those found on the retailer’s website) and consumer reports before purchasing any item online. Understand that even if you simply register for information from an online hearing aid company, you may inadvertently bind yourself to them. While the online company will refer you to a local hearing aid practice, that practice must now contractually adhere to the online referral source for pricing and services.

Better hearing is a process and support from family, friends and your audiologist is needed to truly be successful as a hearing aid wearer. Making your investment in hearing health with a careful comparison of costs and benefits is key to ensuring you make an apples to apples decision!

Hearing Loss in Older Americans: Everything You Need to Know

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:33:08 GMT

Hearing loss has been a public health issue for some time. At least one in three Americans 65 and older will experience hearing loss. That rate only goes up as people age. By 75, one in two Americans will experience some hearing loss.

Why Does Hearing Loss Happen?

Sometimes, hearing loss is age related . As people get older, the hairs and nerves inside the ears wear out. Loud noises can make them wear out faster, but most age related hearing loss can’t be avoided. It’s simply a side effect of getting older.

Who is at Risk?

Since hearing loss can be caused by age alone, everyone has some level of risk. Generic factors can contribute to hearing loss. If hearing loss runs in your family, you may be more likely to get it yourself. People who are exposed to loud noises often have a higher risk of hearing loss, too. Some occupations, like construction, make hearing loss more likely. Loud, repetitive noises do damage over time.

Signs and Symptoms

Some signs of hearing loss are more obvious than others. If you find yourself constantly turning up the volume on the TV, for instance, you may have some hearing loss. Voices may sound muffled. Other signs are more subtle. People who suffer from hearing loss may have trouble concentrating on conversations. People with hearing loss may even get to the point where they begin to avoid conversation and social interaction all together.

Effects of Hearing Loss

According to the World Health Organization , older adults with hearing loss are more likely to see a decline in other functions as well. Specifically, cognitive functions in older adults with hearing loss tend to go downhill faster than for adults without hearing loss. When people can’t hear, they withdraw. Older adults with hearing loss may isolate themselves. They stop talking to friends and family, and stop engaging with the world around them. Their cognitive abilities suffer as a result.

What Can Be Done

There are strategies to prevent hearing loss, but nothing can undo damage that’s already done. The World Health Organization recommends getting hearing devices as soon as possible. By helping people hear better quickly, hearing devices minimize the potential cognitive effects of hearing loss.

If you’re seeing signs of hearing loss in yourself or a loved one, don’t panic. Schedule a hearing test and listen to the experts. If you have any questions, contact us .

Johnson Audiology Wins 2019 Torch Award For Marketplace Ethics Given by the BBB of SE Tennessee and NW Georgia

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:30:36 GMT

We’re very proud to accept the 2019 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics at the Better Business Bureau’s annual meeting on May 1. The area’s Better Business Bureau serves southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia.
We were just one of six companies that took home the prestigious annual award this year. The six winners were chosen from among more than a dozen businesses who were invited, based on an anonymous nomination, to complete the Torch Award application process.

At the luncheon, which drew more than 500 attendees, Dr. Johnson accepted the award on behalf of Johnson Audiology , that was co-founded with Derek Johnson in 2009.

Johnson Audiology was born in Chattanooga with its first location on Gunbarrel Road, but now have four additional locations: Hixson, Franklin, and Murfreesboro, TN and in Cartersville, GA. In addition to Dr. Johnson and Derek Johnson, we also have eight amazing audiologists and 18 support staff, including patient care coordinators, audiology assistants and insurance and billing specialists.

As we prepare to celebrate our 10th anniversary later this year, we’re so proud to scoop this prestigious award as it provides an important touchstone for us. It offers us that rare opportunity to stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and reflect on where we are and how we got here.

Early in Megan’s university career, she recognized the wide gulf that exists in the field of hearing health in terms of how and by whom care can be delivered to patients and how hearing aid technology is dispensed and marketed to the public and quickly realized that being ethical and trustworthy and professional really is a choice and that’s the kind of doctor of audiology she wanted to be. Accepting the Torch Award is an affirmation that we are doing things the right way.

If you have any concerns with your hearing or you would like to speak to our team of advanced audiological experts to have your questions answered, then reach out today – we’d love to help.

“It’s Never Too Early Or Too Late To Get Hearing Aids” – Mary Harris’ Story

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:27:57 GMT

As we focus during May on celebrating Older Americans Month and Better Hearing and Speech Month, longtime Johnson Audiology patient Mary Harris’ journey to better hearing is a fitting one for the telling

You see, now 108 years old, Mrs. Harris got her first set of hearing aids at 103, proving that, as she says “it’s never too early or too late to address your own hearing health care.”

Interviewing Mrs. Harris, a resident of Signal Mountain’s Alexian Village, for this feature was indeed an interesting hour as she recounted a life spent watching the world change in very drastic ways. At the time of this interview last Fall 2018, the world was marking the 100 th anniversary of Armistice Day, that pivotal historic milestone when the cessation of hostilities between the Allies and Germany became official, and the world’s bloodiest war—at least up to that point—drew to a close.

Mrs. Harris remembers that day—November 11, 1918—well as she says the whole world seemed to come together to take a deep, collective sigh of relief and celebrate the end of World War I. People around the world had been instructed to go outside and join together with neighbors and friends for a time of reflection, commemoration and celebration “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” Mrs. Harris says she and her family did just that. “I was seven years old at the time, and I remember mother giving me pots and pans and spoons to make noise with. We went out on the front lawn, and all up and down the street our neighbors were out doing the same,” Mrs. Harris relates. One hundred years later, Mrs. Harris remembers vividly the sounds from that day, punctuating how our sense of hearing can mentally cement the events that pave the foundation of our life’s story and link us together with others.

For more than 95 years, Mrs. Harris engaged with her world through sound with seemingly little to no hearing loss, quite a feat since the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders shows that an estimated 28.8 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids as a way of addressing their hearing loss.

As is often the case in families where a member has hearing loss, one of Mrs. Harris’ daughters was the first to notice when her mother started asking her to repeat herself. The issue seemed less pronounced when she was looking straight at her mom, a common warning sign of hearing loss since the individual is filling in the gaps by lip-reading. “Reading lips and gestures tends to be a common coping mechanism for people with hearing loss,” says Megan Johnson, Au.D., the founder of Johnson Audiology. “A person’s brain is having to work overtime when they are challenged with hearing loss. This can lead to ‘listening fatigue’ that can affect the person in a myriad of ways from decreased awareness of surroundings, which can cause safety concerns, to accelerated brain tissue loss over time.”

Mrs. Harris is the perfect example of a person who took control of her own hearing health, not waiting years to be tested and fit with hearing aids. Fewer than 30% of those with hearing loss have ever actually used hearing aids. In fact, research suggests that most hearing aid users wait at least 10 years after the onset of their hearing loss to seek intervention.

While Mrs. Harris says she was a bit resistant when her daughter first mentioned it, she quickly realized that being able to hear her friends and family was a simple quality of life choice and that stubbornness was not going to cause her to miss out on engaging fully in the world around her. Johnson says, “I remember Mrs. Harris’ first appointment in the summer of 2014 when she was 103 years old. I applaud her choice to act quickly.”

Johnson goes on to say that for those who are candidates, hearing aids treat hearing loss by giving the user access to sounds they are unable to detect with their ears alone, improving speech understanding and awareness of environmental sounds. “One of the first things Mrs. Harris mentioned to me at her hearing diagnostic appointment was her difficulty in understanding normal speech,” Johnson says. The large population of patients with untreated hearing loss is not only missing out on these direct benefits, but also are at risk for additional physical and psychological health issues.

Hearing loss affects every individual differently, but research has identified numerous potential negative consequences that are more likely to arise in people who are hearing impaired. One of the most basic concerns with untreated hearing loss is general safety. Sounds such as alarms, sirens, car horns, or verbal warnings can signal threats to personal safety, prompting individuals to react accordingly and protect themselves. Inability to detect these signals can therefore put a person in danger.

The list goes on, Johnson says. “Decreased environmental sound awareness also has been associated with an increased risk of falling and thus for injury. Hearing loss has an emotional impact as well. It is linked to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, frustration, and social isolation. This likely stems from the impaired communication that results from declined speech understanding,” she says.These connections highlight the importance of addressing hearing loss as soon as it is noticed. Whether seeking intervention, concerned about a medical issue, or simply monitoring hearing status, Johnson says that “we all need to start thinking of addressing our hearing health as just another way of addressing our overall body health.”

Mrs. Harris continues to have appointments with Johnson Audiology whenever she needs supplies, regular maintenance or a programming adjustment on her hearing aids. The audiologists from Johnson Audiology visit once a month to offer various hearing health care services to Alexian residents. Additionally, all five of offices of Johnson Audiology are accepting new patients.

Mrs. Harris’ suggestion to others about hearing aids is as no-nonsense and straightforward as her seven-year-old self banging on pots and pans at the Armistice Day celebration: “If you need hearing aids, I would say you need to get them.” Sound advice from this lady who has heard a few things in her 108 years.

Combating Hearing Loss: A Guide for Veterans

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:25:10 GMT

Not only are we celebrating our fathers this month, but June also marks Men’s Health Awareness Month. With our fallen heroes fresh our memories from Memorial Day, we want to ensure our veterans are making their health a priority, particularly their hearing.

How veterans and men face hearing loss

It may surprise you, but the most common medical problem faced by military veterans is actually hearing loss, according to AARP . The Department of Veterans Affairs has reported that veterans are 30% more likely to experience a “severe hearing impairment” and for those who served post-September 2001, they are four times more likely than non-veterans to suffer hearing loss or tinnitus .

The reason that veterans, in particular, are more prone to hearing loss and tinnitus is because of the extreme noise exposure that comes with the job. To keep us safe, our veterans are often in close proximity to gunfire, aircrafts, tanks, heavy equipment, and roadside bombs, according to AARP .

Also, men are more prone to hearing loss than women in general; typically, men participate in occupations and activities that introduce them to overly excessive noise as well, like construction, manufacturing, shooting firearms, and motorcycle riding, according to Healthy Hearing . Our male veterans are particularly susceptible to hearing loss and it is vital to learn how to identify this condition and treat it before it affects other aspects of their health.

How to identify hearing loss

It can be very difficult to identify if your hearing has been compromised, especially if it has diminished slowly over time. Fortunately, the CDC has compiled a list of 11 signs and symptoms to determine if you may have hearing loss that was caused by loud noises:

Seemingly muffled speech and sounds
Trouble hearing high-pitched sounds (birds, doorbell, telephone, alarm clock)
Trouble discerning conversations in a busy place like a restaurant
Trouble with understanding phone conversations
Difficulty hearing the differences in consonants (F sounds like S; P sounds like T)
Often asking others to slow their speech or to speak more clearly
Often asking others to speak louder or repeat themselves
Increasing the TV or radio volume
Tinnitus or ringing in the ears
Hypersensitivity or pain with specific sounds

How to get help

If you have experienced any of the symptoms above, have noticed a change in your hearing, or your friends or family have told you that your hearing may be impaired, it is time to get a hearing evaluation. Hearing tests are quick and painless and can identify problems that when treated can lead to an enormous improvement in your quality of life.

How to prevent further hearing loss

To prevent any future hearing loss, the CDC recommends avoiding excessive noise when possible or using earplugs, protective earmuffs, or noise-canceling headphones when it’s impossible to avoid, and keeping the volume down when using earbuds or headphones when listening to media.

An annual hearing evaluation is a quick and easy way to help in the prevention of other health complications that untreated hearing loss can potentially cause like dementia, falling risks, and other serious mental health concerns.

You have served us and our country, now let us at Johnson Audiology serve you by scheduling a hearing evaluation and hearing loss treatment, you deserve it.

One "Dead" Ear

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:22:08 GMT

Today’s treatment options for single-sided deafness, often referred to as a “dead” ear, can vastly improve a person’s quality of life and safety.

Have you ev er wondered why we have two ears instead of just one? Our ears come as a pair for several very important reasons. Here’s why.

Localization

Having an ear on each side of your head makes it easier to determine where sound is coming from. This is called localization. Try this experiment: Plug one ear then have someone stand behind you and speak to you. It becomes very difficult to determine, without looking, if the person is to your right, left or directly behind you.

Clarity

Having two ears also allows you to hear sounds more clearly. Have you ever listened to a stereo, and one speaker is not working? How does it sound? Muffled and garbled, right? Two speakers give you crisper, louder sound. The same is true with your two ears.

Cushioning

Having two ears also provides cushioning for louder sounds as the sound is divided between both ears. It allows you to tolerate sudden, jarring sounds much easier.

With all this in mind, it is simple to understand how important it is to receive sound from both sides of the head. Now consider that a unique type of hearing loss, called single-sided deafness, affects tens of thousands of Americans. Just as the name of the condition implies, single-sided deafness is when a person has lost all hearing in one ear and has normal to even profound hearing loss in the other ear. The condition is also referred to as having a “dead” ear.

Though the precise causes for single-sided deafness are not always identified, it may be caused by viral infections, a sudden and prolonged decrease in blood pressure, Meniere’s disease (an inner ear disorder which causes dizziness), a stroke within the inner ear, genetic defects, vascular diseases, physical trauma to the head or ear, autoimmune diseases and surgical removal of tumors within the lower part of the brain.

Each year, 60,000 new cases of single-sided deafness are diagnosed in the United States, and since your brain expects to hear sounds from both the right and the left ear equally, single-sided deafness can be a real challenge for those who suffer with it. Commonplace activities—that those with normal hearing take for granted—are hurdles that must be surmounted daily. In fact, those with single-sided deafness report that difficulty understan ding basic conversations with others, especially when any background noise is present, is one of the most difficult struggles associated with the condition.

Patients with single-sided deafness often relate that every listening environment requires a plan, a workaround. For instance, professionals with single-sided deafness often mention that they must arrive at meetings early to carefully pick a seat in the room which will allow the best opportunity to hear as much as possible.

Mike Gallagher, age 75, struggled with single-sided deafness since birth. He related this experience: “I was in management at Wal- Mart for 20 years, and my hearing loss really impacted my work life. Tasks like working a check-out line were impossible for me because as I scanned items for purchase, I wasn’t able to distinguish a beep at my register from beeps at other registers. When someone called to me over the walkie-talkie, I couldn’t hear them. When I finally addressed my single-sided deafness, it made a huge difference in my life.”

A parent of a child with the condition explained that participating in Little League, an iconic childhood pastime, was a struggle for her young son because the typical raucous background noises of a ball field make verbal cues from the coach almost impossible for him to discern and process.

Attending a church service, eating in a restaurant, conversing with a loved one on a car ride, recognizing a honking horn in traffic—all these activities become a mountain to climb for those with single-sided deafness. And what does this mean for the brain? It is working double time to keep up. Those with single-sided deafness report that everyday listening env ironments can be intimidating, stressful and exhausting. In fact, a technical audiologic term even exits for it—listening fatigue. Over time, research shows that various forms of untreated hearing loss—including single-sided deafness—can lead to social isolation, anxiety, and depression and can contribute to brain tissue loss and dementia.

Most troubling is that single-sided deafness is all t oo often discounted and left unaddressed because of a lack of awareness and understanding of the condition and of the treatment options, even among some medical practitioners. People with single-sided deafness are told their hearing is “adequate,” that they will “adapt” and are left untreated.

Here’s the great news though! Advancements in hearing aid technology now offer a host of options so that “adequate hearing” and “adapting” can become a thing of the past for many with the condition. By working with your partner in hearing health—a university-trained audiologist—restoration of the sensation of hearing from both sides is now available for many challenged with single-sided deafness.

Current treatment and technology options are outlined below, and it is worth noting that this advanced technology is available from reputable, university-trained audiologists and not through channels like hearing aid counters at big box stores or off the internet.

Contralateral Routing Of Signals (CROS) hearing aid system

With a CROS hearing aid system, a person wears a device on the poorer ear that wirelessly transmits sound signals from that side of the head to an instrument on the better ear. If a person also has some hearing loss in their better ear, a BiCROS device can address their needs for both ears, with a BICROS being a CROS transmitter paired with an active hearing aid. Several of the major hearing aid manufacturers offer a CROS and BICROS system.

Bone-conduction hearing aid

With a bone-conduction hearing aid, a bone vibrator is held on the mastoid bone behind the poorer ear by a soft or rigid headband. The aid detects sounds and transmits the information through micro-vibrations of the skull to the better ear.

Bone-anchored hearing aid

A bone-anchored hearing instrument acts similarly to the bone conduction hearing aid. However, it requires the surgical placement of a magnet or titanium screw within the mastoid bone behind the poorer ear. Following recovery from this surgical placement, the hearing aid is then attached to the screw or magnet leading to optimal sound transmission via vibrations of the skull to the better ear.

People with single-sided deafness experience a unique hearing impairment. However, by partnering with your audiologist, who can recommend and offer support for adjusting to today’s available CROS, BICROSS, bone-conduction or bone-anchored technology, the person with single-sided deafness can experience vast improvement in many facets of life. They can enjoy better communication with friends, family, co-workers and others in a variety of listening settings. Safety issues associated with not being able to respond to cues like sirens and alarms are minimized.

Treating hearing loss can help reduce a person’s risk for co-morbidities associated with the loss like anxiety, depression and dementia. And statistics support that addressing single-sided deafness—and all forms of hearing loss for that matter—can even increase a person’s ability to advance in their career and have a higher earning potential.

To learn more about single-sided deafness and to w ork with an audiologist trained in all types and degrees of hearing loss, please contact Johnson Audiology.

What is a Cochlear Implant?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:19:40 GMT

Children and adults who are very hard of hearing or entirely deaf can often benefit from the implantation of a small electronic device that improves hearing and the ability to perceive speech and sound. A cochlear implant provides a way for those with even complete hearing loss to discover or rediscover sound and to gain important communication and life skills.

What is a Cochlear Implant?

Cochlear implants are electronic devices designed to directly stimulate the auditory nerve; they provide a way for those experiencing hearing loss to hear and understand more clearly. Cochlear implants are added during surgery and can help those suffering from recent hearing loss or those that have never heard clearly.

Children over 12 months of age and adults are candidates for cochlear implants, which are becoming more and more prevalent in those suffering from hearing loss. Candidates that are severely hard of hearing or deaf can benefit most from this technology. If you are not sure if you or a loved one is a candidate, you can schedule an assessment and diagnostic appointment to determine if a cochlear implant is right for you.

How do Cochlear Implants Work?

According to the National Institutes of Health , cochlear implants work differently than traditional hearing aids. Hearing aids are designed to amplify sounds so the wearer can hear them more readily, kind of like turning up the volume on the radio or television. While hearing aids can help people suffering from age-related hearing loss and similar conditions, they can’t help those with damage that prevents hearing at all.

Instead of increasing the volume of sound, cochlear implants can stimulate the auditory nerve so that sounds can be perceived, even when hearing damage is complete. This allows the patient to hear speech and communicate with others; it also ensures the user can hear warning signs, doorbells and other important sounds.

What Happens During Cochlear Implant Surgery?

Surgery is performed under general anesthesia, so the patient is asleep for the process; each ear takes about two hours to complete, according to the creators of this innovative device . The implant includes a small electrode and is added under the skin behind the ear. The implant is then tested to be sure it is working well and the small incision used is then closed with a few stitches.

Are you a Candidate for a Cochlear Implant?

If you already know you are deaf or very hard of hearing, then you are likely a candidate for this innovative and life-changing device. Contact us to schedule an exploratory appointment to learn more about your options and to determine your next steps. If you are not sure about the severity of your hearing loss, we can help assess where you are now and determine if a cochlear implant is right for you. Contact us to begin the process and to take the first steps toward better hearing.

Patient Stories – Independence Day With Hearing Aids

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:13:59 GMT

Most of us welcome the celebration of Independence Day; a special occasion for parties, barbecues, fireworks, and the opportunity to re-connect with family and friends. But for those who have a hearing loss, it is often a different experience altogether. Celebrations like these can often be a cause of anxiety because of communication difficulties, loud music, shouting, and fireworks. It all becomes very overwhelming and tiring. Usually, people with hearing difficulties avoid these occasions altogether, which is always a big concern for us because of the additional health risks social isolation can bring.

But this doesn’t need to be the way!

We spoke to a small group of our dear patients and asked them to share the positive impact that their hearing aids have had on their Fourth of July. The response we’ve had has been overwhelming.

Here we share with you their precious stories of how their hearing aids have changed their lives. We hope you enjoy reading them…

“My neighborhood had a spectacular fireworks show!!! I was so blessed not only to see the fireworks but to hear them better as well!!! I was unaware of all the sounds I was missing until I got my hearing aids! I am forever grateful to Johnson Audiology and highly recommend them to anyone who is experiencing any hearing loss or other issues! Thank you for helping me to hear my great granddaughter’s precious little voice more clearly!!!”

–Reba

“Any activities outdoors during the 4th of July, such as barbequing, I was able to communicate with friends and family without distractions.”

–Joseph

“I have really enjoyed my new hearing aids. Seventeen of our children came over July 4th for a cookout, and I was able to join in all conversations and hear the fireworks more than ever. Thanks to you!”

–Roland

“I went to the old town of Franklin 4th of July festivities. I walked around at different booths and interacted in conversation with my husband. I listened to the band playing Aretha Franklin hits, had small conversation while they played. Then we went to Mellow Mushroom and sat on the patio and engaged in conversation while waiting for the next country band. It was a day filled with various and challenging listening environments so I’m glad I had my hearing aids.”

–Michele

“I attended the annual Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention in Salt Lake City competition over the 4th of July! My chorus, The Sound of Tennessee, placed 17th in the world!! I would not be able to enjoy my music without my hearing aids! My life is enhanced.”

–Dave

“For my Fourth of July weekend, my wife and I attended a Fourth of July party and cook-out with neighbors at a home in our Ocoee Mountain Club Community. Without my cochlear implant, I would not have been able to participate in conversation and enjoy their company. Later in the evening we enjoyed “A Capital Fourth” on PBS and enjoyed listening to the music thanks to my cochlear implant.”

–Ron

“When I decided it was time to replace my nearly 5-year-old hearing aids, I did not consider going anywhere else but Johnson Audiology. Dr. Megan Johnson spent a lot of time with me asking about my life, what I did, and what I enjoyed doing. Music is a huge part of my life. Over the 4th of July long weekend, I spent most of it listening to Pandora. For the first time in years, I was able to hear the soft sound of cymbals. My hearing aids are so advanced that settings like speech clarity and background noise can easily be adjusted through my iPhone.”

— Terry

“This year, July 4th, 2019, I celebrated my granddaughter’s 4th birthday with my family. Last year, I could not hear or understand what my granddaughter was saying to me–I could hear her voice but that was all. I purchased my hearing aids because I wanted to hear her words and understand what she was saying to me and this year, after wearing my hearing aids, I could hear and understand! Plus, I was so tired of asking people to repeat what they had said, and they were tired of hearing me ask that question–now I don’t have to ask it anymore! What a blessing. Dr. Johnson is such a personable audiologist and cares about what we need, and she will provide those needs for us.”

–Linda

“I work on the railroad and was on duty this Fourth of July. As always, my hearing aids and special care I receive from the
Johnson Audiology staff help me to work safely and communicate clearly with fellow railroaders, both face-to-face and over the two-way radios we use.”

–Jack

“I had a great time on the Fourth. Without my new hearing aids, I don’t believe that I would have enjoyed the sound of the fireworks, the band that was downtown. I enjoyed dancing and sing. I was able to really hear what was family and friends were saying. I thank u and your staff again for this blessing.”

–Linda

“Ours was a “quiet” 4th and not because I couldn’t hear as wat the case many years ago. Without my hearing aids, we would have watched on TV our annual tradition “Independence Day” programming at a volume that would chase the audience into another part of the house. Before my hearing aids, my part of the conversation was “huh,” “pardon me,” and the like…Quite honestly, when I first started wearing hearing aids, I avoided fireworks because I feared the display would be too loud. However, my updated aids allow for not only reduction of volume, but directional control. The Bluetooth connection allows me to listen to music in the background. So blast away pyrotechnics.”

–Ann

“Thanks to the clear hearing aids and professional services of Johnson Audiology, July 4, 2019, was my personal freedom day from years of missing out on hearing and being an active participant in the family banter around the table and the group gathering after our annual celebration meal. Clearly hearing the conversations and interactions with my wife, our two adult children, and our four grands was a true joy, an experience I will not soon forget. They too seemed to enjoy me once again being emotionally present and fully engaged in the storytelling, laughter and memory-making day.”

— Cecil

“I played in a bridge tournament on the 4th of July. I was able to hear all of the conversations, and I clearly heard my partner’s requests that I play a specific card when I was dummy. The hearing aids make me feel more included in group conversations. I played in the tournament 5 our of 7 days during the first full week of July.”

–Barbara

“The 4th of July, this year, was especially blessed as well as exciting. Our large family gathered at our house for a day of food, fireworks and, best of all, conversations from every part of the room, in which I was able to participate. To be able to join in on all the frivolity added to the memories installed in my Family Album!! I recommend Johnson Audiology to everyone whom has a difficult time joining in activities in which hearing is of utmost importance!”

–Myrna

“The Fourth of July definitely was special this year for me. Being able to catch all the side conversations especially with the small grandchildren at the dinner table when the family gathered, was fantastic! My three-year-old grandson said to me about halfway through the meal, “ Gramma, I love you!” And I actually heard that and did not have to have him repeat what he said. Thank you!”

–Kathy

“Our 4th of July cookout was especially good this year. I could actually hear my grandchildren’s conversation for the first time in a long time. The fireworks were really loud but with the use of my cell phone I could turn them down! I wear them all day every day.”

— Robert

“Mother would’ve never even participated in our 4th of July party if she did not get her hearing aids last year. We now can even trust her to watch and babysit her 2-year-old great-grandson, which was not possible prior to her hearing aids.”

–Candace

“Fireworks are primarily a visual display, even though there is a loud “boom” at the explosion. I generally watch for the colors in the night sky as opposed to listening to the “pop-pop-pop.” Probably the most noticeable difference of life experienced WITH my hearing aids is in the family setting. It’s so nice not to have to say “What did you say?” or “Say again?”, especially when my 4-year-old grandson is talking to me. Watching the fireworks through his eyes and being able to hear his little high pitched, child’s voice is truly a gift as was being in a group with my favorite people, my family and being able to understand everyone clearly, even with them facing away from me – no need to read lips this year.”

–Kimberly

“Hearing aids have lessened my stress and opened up a new world for me. Before I received my hearing aids I struggled to hear conversation of family and friends, especially if we were eating out. With my hearing aids firmly in place, I can hear what is going on around me. I no longer have to guess what someone said or sit quietly because I can’t hear the conversation. I knew I was missing out before but stubbornly felt I could just deal with it. I also felt hearing aids couldn’t help that much. I finally gave in and got hearing aids. I’m so glad I did! The difference is life-changing. I’m thrilled to be able to hear so many things I couldn’t before. I love being able to hear the first time I am spoken to and not having to ask the speaker to repeat what they said.”

–Dianne

Don’t let hearing loss stop you from enjoying the life you deserve. Hearing aid technology has advanced rapidly over the past 30 years and can help you to reconnect with the world around you. This means not missing out on family celebrations … just like many Johnson Audiology patients who have shared their experience here. Let Johson Audiology assess your hearing and get it back on track so you can ensure you don’t ever miss another celebration.

Click here to make an appointment to see us and get started on your new hearing journey.

5 Tips for Helping Someone You Love with Hearing Loss

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:11:19 GMT

5 Tips for Helping Someone You Love with Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is something that affects many people all over the world. It often will happen gradually, but it can be hard to deal with for the person whose hearing has changed. If you have a loved one who you believe is losing their hearing, you want to help them as much as you can, but you also want them to feel comfortable too. Below are five tips you can use to make things easier on both of you.

Do Some Research

Before you start trying to help someone who has hearing loss, you want to have some information yourself. It’s a good idea to have some statistics when you go and talk to your loved one, so they know they’re not alone. Some facts are easy to read on sites such as The National Institute on Deafness, and these will make excellent talking points for the possibly awkward conversation you’re going to have.

Suggest That They Have Their Hearing Checked

There’s a good chance that the person is going to resist when you make this recommendation. They may be worried about the cost of a hearing test and whether their health insurance will cover this. To help with alleviating their anxiety, you could also suggest that you’ll get tested too. This can help ease the situation and bring them comfort in a possibly distressing time. If they say they’ll do it, you may have to schedule the tests with their family doctor and get a referral to an audiologist.

They also might be embarrassed about having this test done. But you can assure them that no one has to know they’re having a test unless they tell them.

Adjust Your Communication Style

People who have hearing issues are going to have trouble understanding and hearing those around them. If you are talking to them and you stand facing them in a well-lit room, the person is going to be able to understand you much better. Maintain your eye contact with them. Don’t exaggerate your lip movements or voice. You should instead try speaking at a reasonable pace. If you don’t feel as if they can understand what you are saying, try rephrasing what you’ve said. Speaking differently isn’t the same as merely repeating yourself, which you might do if you’re talking to a young child. It’s also essential to use their name to make sure you have their attention. You don’t want to put your hand close to your mouth while speaking. It’s also a good idea to let them know when you’re changing the topic. This will help the person who has hearing loss and makes them less frustrated.

Be Sensitive and Empathetic

Remember, your loved one’s self-confidence might be affected by their hearing loss. If you bring up the hearing loss at the wrong time, you might make them feel more depressed or isolated. A lot of seniors already know that their hearing is going, and they wish that it wasn’t happening to them because they feel out of control. When you broach the topic, make sure you’re conveying your concern and love. Try to avoid being pushy. Being empathetic is essential if you want to show the person that you know how vital their dignity and independence is to them. If you don’t be careful and handle the conversation slowly, allowing the person to process the things you’re saying, there’s a good possibility it’s not going to go well. They may feel frustrated and change the topic.

Be an Advocate for Hearing Loss

Anytime the person who has a hearing loss goes to a family gathering or social function; there’s a good chance that they are going to feel uneasy. If you can, stay available for these types of events. It will also only take a few minutes to email or text other people at the event and let them know that you’re bringing someone who has a hearing loss. Share some tips for smooth communication with the person. But you should also be careful when you think about who you’re telling so that the person doesn’t feel embarrassed.

These are five tips that you can use when it comes to helping someone you love with a hearing loss. Remember that this is a hard time for them and that they are dealing with something challenging. They need your love and support right now.

Do you need some help approaching the subject, or want to schedule a hearing test? Contact us at Johnson Audiology. We are always happy to help you and your loved one with all your hearing health concerns. Call us at 423-954-7994 and let us know how we can help. It will make a big difference.

Do You Hear That Ringing?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:07:48 GMT

Is the ringing, buzzing, chirping or humming in your ears, also known as TINNITUS (pronounced TINN-a-tus or ti-NIGHT-us), driving you to distraction? Be assured, you are not alone. An estimated 50 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus, making it one of the most common health conditions.

Megan Johnson, Au.D. and owner of Johnson Audiology, a Chattanooga-based private audiology practice, said, “Tinnitus is experienced by people in different ways. For some, tinnitus manifests itself as a ringing sound, while others experience tinnitus as a hissing, buzzing, roaring, clicking or humming. I’ve even had patients report that their tinnitus sounds like music playing directly in their ears.”

Many with tinnitus are surprised to learn that the sound they are hearing is not actually originating from the outside environment and, therefore, is not audible to anyone around them.* In a manner of speaking, tinnitus is “all in your head.” Please understand, however, that is not meant to imply that a person’s tinnitus is not “real.” It is, indeed, a very real sensation being experienced by the person with tinnitus. But why does the brain create this sound?

In 90% of cases, tinnitus is accompanied by some degree of hearing loss, even if the hearing loss is so mild as to not create significant communication difficulties. Hearing loss can happen for various reasons, but most common is exposure to various types and degrees of loud noise, even if the sounds are not constant or frequent. Think of the last time you mowed the grass or used the vacuum cleaner without wearing earplugs. Have you attended a sporting event surrounded by screaming fans? Have you been to a rock concert? Have you fired a gun? Do you work in a factory or other loud environment? Over the course of a lifetime, extended or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels (approximately the level of a vacuum cleaner) can cause permanent damage to a person’s hearing. The damage can be in the high-frequency range of hearing, the low frequencies and/or anywhere in between. The pitch of a person’s tinnitus usually tends to be in the same frequency where there is the most hearing loss. If, for instance, a person has a high-frequency hearing loss, it is likely the person experiences their tinnitus as a sharp, high-pitched sound. That is because as the brain “searches” for sounds in that frequency and comes up empty-handed because of the hearing loss, the brain fills in the void with the ringing, buzzing, or clicking sounds. Noteworthy is that a single exposure to a sudden extremely loud noise also can cause tinnitus.

While hearing loss is thought to be the reason that most experience tinnitus, other catalysts also exist. These include sinus congestion; barometric trauma; obstructions in the ear canal; temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ; head or neck trauma; traumatic brain injury; some prescription and over-the-counter medications; metabolic disorders like hyperthyroidism; autoimmune disorders, such as fibromyalgia; high blood pressure; and psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression. Tinnitus is more common in men, Caucasians, seniors, and those with significant noise exposure, such as veterans, factory workers, musicians, and hunters.

While millions have tinnitus, no two patients experience tinnitus in exactly the same way. For instance, one person’s tinnitus might come and go; for another, it might be constant. Some patients hear the ringing in one ear; some in both. The severity of a person’s tinnitus also can vary from mild to extreme. Some have a basic awareness of the ringing, but it does not affect daily life and function. However, for others, it can be debilitating. It is not uncommon for someone with severe tinnitus to experience distress, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, frustration, and poor concentration. For a longtime hearing aid wearer, Kimberly Haney, her tinnitus was “extremely bothersome.” She went on to describe her tinnitus: “Imagine a hot summer evening at the lake with a raucous chorus of cicadas and katydids and tree frogs calling their little hearts out. Now imagine all that noise contained between your two ears and playing on an endless loop 24/7. That describes my tinnitus. It was difficult to cope.”

So what can a person suffering from tinnitus do? Granted, since tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a symptom of an underlying condition, there is not a “cure” per se. However, these days, many options are available for managing tinnitus and thus quietening the ringing so that a sufferer can lead a more comfortable, productive life.

The first step in addressing tinnitus management is to make an appointment with a trained doctor of audiology, who will have the diagnostic tools, clinical assessments, and skills to appropriately evaluate tinnitus. As tinnitus is often a result of hearing loss, most audiologists will begin with a comprehensive audiological test to determine if a person has hearing loss and what the specific gaps in hearing are. Most important, the audiologist should subjectively evaluate the effects the tinnitus has on the person’s mental, cognitive, social, and physical well-being. All these factors will be taken into consideration when the audiologist makes treatment recommendations. Johnson said, “When Kimberly came to me for her first hearing diagnostic years ago, it was more because she thought she had hearing loss rather than with the goal of addressing her tinnitus. The tinnitus seemed an afterthought because she had been told by her doctor that nothing could be done. I assured her something could be done, and we developed a management plan that addressed her hearing loss and by extension her tinnitus.”

If the audiologist determines that hearing loss is the underlying cause of the tinnitus, hearing aids may be recommended. As the hearing aids amplify sound in the ranges where the person has hearing loss, the brain receives the sounds and no longer needs to fill in the missing frequencies with the ringing or buzzing. As a result, a person’s tinnitus often fades to a level that is no longer noticeable and/or bothersome. Bear in mind, that a person even with mild hearing loss can experience tinnitus so just because a person does not perceive they have hearing loss, the diagnostic evaluation will reveal the real story, and the audiologist may recommend hearing aids as a targeted method for reducing tinnitus. Haney said, “Hearing aids changed my life. Once I was fit with aids, and I was hearing so much better, the tinnitus quietened down to where it was a background sound in my life rather than front and center.”

Every tinnitus patient is unique in their experiences of this condition and its effect on daily living. Therefore, the recommended treatment options may vary based on how the person’s tinnitus presents itself, as well as the person’s listening needs, triggers, and lifestyle. Some management strategies may include multiple treatment options to adequately address a person’s needs. In addition to hearing aids, treatment options may include tinnitus maskers, sound generators, sound therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and general wellness recommendations in regards to diet, physical and social activity, and stress management.

When you make the decision to visit a hearing care provider about your tinnitus, be sure that he or she is performing a tinnitus-specific evaluation and is using subjective questionnaires to evaluate your reaction to your tinnitus. For instance, a hearing instrument specialist (HIS) at a hearing aid dispensary and even a primary care physician may not be equipped to offer the level of assessment that a doctor of audiology can provide. Oftentimes, patients will mention ringing in their ears to their primary care physician, who will refer them on to Johnson Audiology. On the other hand, audiologists have specialized training in tinnitus management. Johnson said, “Tinnitus is of special interest to me because I have seen how it can negatively affect people’s lives. I’ve also seen how much it can improve a person’s life when their tinnitus is successfully managed. That’s why we put an emphasis on tinnitus management at Johnson Audiology.” According to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), tinnitus typically begins as an audiological, or hearing, condition. For this reason, it is best to consult providers with clinical specialties in hearing health. At Johnson Audiology, the doctors of audiology are trained to perform full-scale tinnitus assessments to create the most appropriate treatment plan tailored to a person’s individual needs.

Have you had enough of just “living with” your tinnitus? Were you told in the past, or even recently, by a medical professional that nothing can be done? Call Johnson Audiology to schedule a tinnitus evaluation today and be assessed by one of our audiologists who have specialized training in treating patients with tinnitus.

*In rare cases, a person can experience objective tinnitus that is audible to others.

7 Reasons you Should Visit an Audiologist for a Hearing Assessment

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:04:41 GMT

Hearing problems are widespread and affect many people regardless of age. Did you know that 15% of American adults have hearing problems? This percentage is approximately 37.5 million people. Out of this figure, 28.8 million people can benefit from hearing aids.

If you experience something wrong with your ears, it is advisable to seek medical help from a hearing specialist. Almost everyone can benefit from visiting an audiologist. Start your journey to better hearing with the experts at Johnson Audiology .

What does an audiologist do?

An audiologist is a specially trained professional in hearing health. They specialize in hearing care to diagnose any hearing issues, offer treatment plans, and recommend aftercare. Audiologists evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage all the hearing-related problems and balance disorders. Among the common hearing problems they manage include:

Hearing loss
Dizziness and balance
Hearing screening and testing
Tinnitus
Hearing loss prevention
Recommendations for hearing aids and other assistive technology

You should consider seeing an audiologist if you are experiencing;

Difficulty hearing
Excessive earwax
Pain in your ears
Trouble following conservations
Discomfort in ears

Why should you visit an audiologist?

Even if you don’t have a particular hearing problem, a regular hearing assessment can be beneficial. Below are seven reasons you should visit an audiologist.

1. Check up on your hearing health

An audiologist can help keep your ears and hearing healthy. We examine the physical appearance of your ears as well as your hearing ability. Your hearing ability is considered by administering various hearing tests.

The tests assess the functioning of the ear and its capacity to hear different types, pitches, and volumes of sound. From this, we can determine if you have any hearing issues. The results of the test can assist in diagnosing an ear infection, excessive wax, or hearing loss.

2. Get appropriate treatment plans

Our audiologists conduct in-depth professional tests to diagnose any hearing problem. We then recommend a proper treatment plan to meet your needs. The treatment plan can include using a hearing aid or removal of ear wax to eliminate your diminished hearing so you can hear clearly again. Also, it can be a therapy for tinnitus or a referral to another medical professional.

If you need hearing aids , our audiologists can help you choose the best devices for you. We will then follow up with your treatment plan to ensure that it is effective and make adjustments where needed.

3. Expertise in hearing care

Many people visit a general practitioner when they have hearing issues. Although general practitioners are practical for overall health, they lack understanding in hearing health. Professionally qualified audiologists are the best people to visit when concerned about your hearing health.

An audiologist has the training and experience to treat hearing disorders. They have undergone intense training in all aspects of human hearing and balance. When you visit a hearing specialist, your hearing health is in good hands.

4. Diagnose and treat ear conditions

Audiologists can help with numerous ear conditions ranging from hearing loss to earwax buildup and tinnitus. Earwax buildup, for example, can make hearing difficult and cause discomfort. Using earbuds to remove wax from your ear can damage your eardrum.

However, an audiologist uses the best equipment and technology to clean your ear safely. Similarly, an audiologist diagnoses and treats all conditions related to your hearing, ear health, and balance.

5. Helps you adjust to hearing aids

Imagine coming for a hearing assessment with us in Chattanooga. One of our audiologists recommends hearing aids for your hearing problem. It is your first time seeing these devices. You don’t know how to use them, care for them, and adjust to wearing them. You feel overwhelmed.

Hearing aids can transform your life. You need time to adjust. Fortunately, we can help you to adjust to your new life with hearing aids. We counsel you during the first few months of using the devices, and you enjoy your new life with hearing aids.

6. Becomes your hearing health companion for life

As you age and change environments, your hearing needs change too. For example, exposure to loud noises affects your hearing. We support you right the way through, from your first appointment with us to your follow-ups and hearing aid check-ups. We’ll be on hand to provide care, advice, and treatment to safeguard your hearing health. Most importantly, our audiologists offer advice to protect your ears from future damage according to your lifestyle.

7. Enhances your lifestyle

An audiologist provides treatment for your hearing problems to improve your lifestyle. Whatever hearing problem you may have, we can recommend the best treatment to restore your sense of hearing.

Improved hearing enhances your quality of life in many ways. It allows you to enjoy everyday sounds, communicate effectively with others, and minimize misunderstandings. Also, improved hearing enables you to enjoy life to the fullest without frustration, isolation, and pain.

You should visit an audiologist as often as you visit your doctor or dentist. You should have a hearing assessment regularly even if you don’t have pre-existing conditions. You may only discover you have a hearing problem when you visit an audiologist.

By visiting us, you could gain insight into your hearing to enhance your lifestyle, and get your hearing problems addressed. Contact Johnson Audiology to take your first step to improved hearing.

10 Ways to Stop Your Hearing Loss from Getting Worse

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:00:00 GMT

You’re not alone if you’re having issues with hearing loss . The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified hearing loss as the third most common chronic health problem in the country.

For me, hearing loss is much more than a matter of statistics. As a child, seeing my father’s struggles with hearing loss inspired me to become an audiologist. I wanted to help people with hearing loss have full lives with their family and friends. That’s why sharing strategies to stop hearing loss from getting worse is a critical part of our work at Johnson Audiology.

Try to Avoid Noisy Places

If possible, it’s best to stay away from loud environments. Since most of us aren’t walking around with sound level meters, we need another way to tell when the noise level is not safe for our ears. One sign the surroundings are too noisy is you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone who is within three feet.

Stay Away From Loud Noises

It only takes one exposure to loud noise for your hearing to get worse. For example, being too close to firecrackers or sirens once could damage your hearing. A more common danger is regular or prolonged exposure to moderate noise. These sounds come from everyday items like power tools, gas-powered lawnmowers, factory machinery, and even poorly-designed children’s toys .

Using headphones and earbuds at a high volume also can damage your hearing. We recommend keeping the volume level below 60 percent (just past halfway).

Use Hearing Protection

It’s important to wear hearing protection when you have to be around loud noises. Using either earplugs or snug-fitting protective earmuffs is helpful. Wearing protective earmuffs and earplugs together provides greater protection. Earplugs and protective earmuffs are widely available online or over-the-counter from hardware stores and home improvement stores. When hearing protection is necessary at work, federal regulations require your employer to provide it as personal protective equipment.

Know the Signs of Hearing L oss

It’s possible to have hearing loss and be unaware of it. You should schedule a hearing assessment in Chattanooga if:

You have difficulty hearing over the phone
People sound muffled in person
You hear ringing or hissing in one or both ears
You have trouble hearing high-pitch sounds like birds or the doorbell
You’re always asking people to repeat themselves, speak louder, or more slowly

Take Care of Your Overall Health

Making healthy choices is good for hearing health and your overall health. A healthy diet is associated with a lower risk of hearing loss. Getting enough sleep, lowering stress, and staying physically active is good for your ears and the rest of your body. In contrast, smoking increases your risk of many health problems, including hearing loss.

Look Into Your Family History

Learning your family history can reveal health problems that can have an impact on your hearing. Of course, you want to find out if there’s a history of hearing issues. It’s also a good idea to learn if any chronic health problems like diabetes run in your family. People with certain chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure , have higher rates of hearing loss than the general population. When you’re aware of your risk for chronic health problems, you can work with your primary care physician to lower your risk.

Get Regular Hearing Exams

Annual hearing tests are essential for anyone who has hearing loss. Each year your audiologist will compare the result of that year’s exam to your previous tests. Regular examinations allow your hearing specialist to catch problems early.

Listen to Your Loved Ones

Your friends and family may realize you’re having more trouble with your hearing before you do. Your loved ones may say you’re always asking them to speak more clearly or slowly. They may have noticed that you tend to switch ears on the telephone. Your family may complain you’re turning the volume too loud on the television. When your loved ones suggest you see a hearing specialist, it’s time to make an appointment.

Take Steps to Prevent Head Injuries

An appropriate helmet is necessary when you’re playing contact sports like football or rugby. Your employer should provide a hard hat if your job puts you at higher risk for a head injury; if they don’t, we encourage you to invest in one.

Make the Most of Your Hearing

If your hearing loss has had an impact on your lifestyle, hearing aids may be helpful. We can adjust them to meet your specific needs. However, they’re only effective when you use them. If you’re concerned about how they look, there’s no need to worry. Due to the wide variety of styles available, many hearing aids are barely visible.

If you’re struggling with hearing loss, scheduling your hearing assessment is a great way to start protecting your hearing. Contact us today at Johnson Audiology to make an appointment.

Hearing Aids: An investment in your quality of life

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:59:12 GMT

Based on the questions we hear in our clinic, many of our patients know hearing aids are a financial investment before they come to us. The questions patients ask us about hearing aid cost tend to be a variation of one of these below:

How much do hearing aids cost?
Why do hearing aids cost so much?
Will insurance cover the cost?

We’re going to answer those questions, but I want to share a personal concern first. Since my father struggled with hearing loss, I’m troubled by the thought of someone not seeking help for hearing loss due to the cost of hearing aids. These devices can significantly improve your quality of life.

If you haven’t received treatment for your hearing loss, I encourage you to make an appointment with us. One of our audiologists will evaluate your hearing. If the diagnostic reveals that you could benefit from hearing aids, we will work with you to find a solution to fit your budget.

How Much Do Hearing Aids Cost?

The price of one hearing aid can vary from just under $1,000 for very basic models up to around $6,000 for devices with many special features and more advanced technology. A study by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology found the average cost of one hearing aid is $2,300. The cost doubles for patients who need devices for both ears.

What Makes Hearing Aids Cost So Much

Hearing aid manufacturers have invested millions of dollars into research and development for today’s state-of-the-art technology. Understandably, this cost is passed on to the consumers who are benefiting from the technology.

The good news is the hard work of these manufacturers has resulted in numerous technological advances. Although analog hearing aids are still around, the vast majority of today’s hearing aids are digital. Many modern hearing aids have improvements and features that make life much easier. Here are examples of what’s available.

Smaller, Less Visible Devices

Many of our patients want discreet devices. Technological improvements have made large, clunky hearing aids a thing of the past. For patients concerned with their appearance, in-the-canal style hearing aids are nearly invisible as these tiny devices are designed to fit in your ear canal. Even the more familiar behind-the-ear styles have become smaller. A clear tube provides a discreet connection between the behind-the-ear device and an earmold or smaller earpiece.

Noise Reduction

Frequently, older hearing aids made background noise louder than users desired. Sometimes, background noise made it difficult for users to hear the sounds they wanted to hear. Noise reduction technology lowers the volume of background noise. A recent study found users reported noise reduction improved sound quality and speech reception.

Connectivity

Some hearing aids have Bluetooth technology. These devices can connect wirelessly to other electronic devices like your tablet, laptop, smartphone, or TV. This connectivity gives hearing aids the ability to perform double duty as personalized listening devices.

Connectivity is one of users’ favorite advances in hearing aid technology. These hearing aids make it easier for patients to keep in touch with loved ones. Some older hearing aids were hard to use when you were on the phone. Connectivity eliminates those challenges.

App Control

Some of our patients are self-conscious about making adjustments to their hearing aids in public. Major hearing aid manufacturers have created apps that allow you to control your hearing aids with your smartphone. Although app features vary by manufacturer, these apps let you adjust things like volume, directionality, and noise reduction. Certain apps use GPS technology to help you find a missing hearing aid.

Do Audiologists Steer Patients to Pricier Hearing Aids?

This isn’t one of the questions that most patients ask us. However, we know you may be wondering about this.

At Johnson Audiology, we’re completely independent of hearing aid manufacturers as we work all six of the most reputable manufacturers rather than tying ourselves, and our patients, to one brand. Thus, our recommendations are based on the needs of our patients.

At Johnson Audiology, we realize each person’s experience of hearing loss is unique. As audiologists, that’s why we work hard to create a custom solution to address each patient’s situation. We provide our patients with a comprehensive hearing evaluation. If the results of the diagnostic reveal that hearing aids are necessary, our recommendation for your devices is based on your test results, lifestyle, and budget.

Will Insurance Cover the Cost?

It depends. Some insurance policies cover hearing aid technology. Some may cover your hearing assessment without providing coverage for hearing aids.Some policies may provide coverage for both.

We don’t want the expense of hearing aids to keep you from addressing your hearing loss. At Johnson Audiology, we work with you to find the right hearing aids for your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget. Since we have partnerships with all major health insurance companies and a wide network of hearing health care programs, our on-staff insurance specialists can find out if your health benefits include coverage for hearing health care and technology.

Contact us to schedule a hearing evaluation. We’ll be prepared to explain your options when you come in for your appointment.

Silencing the Noise: The Benefits of Tinnitus Therapy

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:51:04 GMT

Tinnitus may be an unfamiliar word to you. Yet the chances are you’re familiar with the condition since tinnitus affects 15 percent of Americans. People experiencing tinnitus hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, or whistling. The sounds they hear don’t have a source in the external environment. In most cases, people with tinnitus perceive a sound that doesn’t exist.

For many people, tinnitus is a mild annoyance. For others, the symptoms are severe. These individuals have a chronic condition that disrupts their sleep and other activities of daily living. Also, another health problem may be the cause of tinnitus . Therefore, someone with any level of tinnitus symptoms needs to be evaluated by an audiologist.

In our practice, we sometimes see patients who have spent years living with untreated tinnitus. Usually, these patients weren’t aware their condition could be managed. It troubles me every time I encounter a patient who has struggled with tinnitus for years. The sooner someone with tinnitus visits us, the sooner that individual can experience the benefits of tinnitus therapy.

What is Tinnitus Therapy?

Although there isn’t a cure for tinnitus, we can manage it. Tinnitus therapy is widely recognized as an effective method of reducing or eliminating tinnitus symptoms. Tinnitus therapy is a generic term for various strategies that use sound to alleviate the condition’s symptoms. Tinnitus therapy is sometimes referred to as sound therapy.

Tinnitus therapy involves using sound to reach goals such as:

Lowering or eliminating the loudness of tinnitus
Take the patient’s attention away from tinnitus
Substituting the unwanted noise with a sound that isn’t troublesome
Tinnitus therapy teaches the brain to perceive tinnitus differently, which gives the individual the ability to filter out the noise.

Common Methods of Tinnitus Therapy

We customize tinnitus management based on the patient’s needs. The following are conventional approaches to implementing tinnitus therapy. However, this is not an exhaustive list of tools and techniques to manage tinnitus.

Environmental Enrichment

A silent environment makes people more aware of their tinnitus. Adding sound to the environment reduces a patient’s perception of tinnitus. The sound needs to create a pleasant distraction for the patient. Some patients find it helpful to use music or television as background noise. Others prefer sounds played by tinnitus relief apps, CDs, or tabletop sound machines.

At night, most patients prefer relaxing sounds to promote sleep. Many patients benefit from playing nature sounds (ocean waves, rain, waterfalls, etc.), listening to a tabletop fountain, or operating a fan for its sound.

Wearable Tinnitus Maskers

These devices are also known as wearable sound generators. They offer a wide range of sound frequencies. Although these devices look much like hearing aids, they function differently. Wearable tinnitus maskers produce sound to fully or partially cover (mask) tinnitus. Partial masking works by taking the patient’s attention away from the disruptive noise.

Hearing Aids

Often, individuals who are also living with hearing loss obtain relief from tinnitus by using a traditional hearing aid . Devices with an open fit typically are of most benefit for treating tinnitus.

Combination Devices

These devices are also for people who are experiencing both hearing loss and tinnitus. Combination devices are wearable devices that combine the functions of a hearing aid and tinnitus masker. Many types of combination instruments are available. The device’s sound generation feature may provide broadband signals, narrow-band noise, or even fractal tones .

Benefits of Tinnitus Therapy

Tinnitus robs people of their quality of life. The ultimate goal of tinnitus therapy is to improve the quality of life. Patients often report feeling controlled by their tinnitus. When patients begin to manage tinnitus, they regain their sense of control over their lives.

Specifically, tinnitus therapy reduces or eliminates the noise. Patients notice that their ability to concentrate and their sleep improves. All of these benefits lower the level of anxiety and frustration patients experience due to their tinnitus.

Success Stories from Our Patients

Tinnitus therapy works. At Johnson Audiology, we have successfully treated countless tinnitus patients. Here’s what a couple of them said about their therapy.

Before his tinnitus treatment at our clinic, Howard Leary had difficulty understanding what others were saying in person and on television. Here’s what he had to say:

“I told them my problem with tinnitus and Dr. Johnson said ‘well I think I can fix that,’ and she did. I don’t hear the ringing at all anymore…It’s really great.”

Kevin Brakebill lived with tinnitus for seven years. Unfortunately, healthcare providers at other facilities had told him nothing could be done to manage his tinnitus. The good news is they were wrong. This is what he said about our treatment:

“Dr. Johnson selected a specialized hearing aid with tinnitus management that has helped me so much, I do not notice it anymore.”

Are you ready to experience the benefits of tinnitus therapy? At Johnson Audiology, our tinnitus patients receive a custom treatment plan based on the findings of our examination. Contact us to schedule a hearing evaluation.

What Are the Best Hearing Aids for Severe Hearing Loss?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:48:12 GMT

Traditional hearing aids are an effective treatment for many people with hearing loss. Yet, certain people with severe hearing loss receive little or no benefit from conventional hearing aids. Someone in that frustrating situation may ask me or one of my colleagues what the best hearings aids are for their severe hearing loss. When our evaluation determines traditional hearing aids just aren’t working for someone, the best devices for that person may be cochlear implants instead of traditional hearing aids.

What Cochlear Implants Do

Although both hearing aids and cochlear implants are electronic devices, they work quite differently. A hearing aid makes sounds louder. A cochlear implant sends signals to your auditory nerve. Your brain takes those signals in as the sensation of sound. Cochlear implants are not a cure for hearing loss.

How a Cochlear Implant Works

A cochlear implant has an internal portion that is surgically implanted beneath your skin that’s behind your ear. The device also has an external section that goes behind your ear. The outer piece has a microphone to pick up sound and a sound processor to turn sound into digital signals. A transmitter sends the signals to the receiver that’s been implanted. The receiver sends signals to electrodes that have also been implanted. The signals stimulate the auditory nerve. Your brain receives the signals as sound.

Who Can Get Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants may be the right option for people who:
Are adults or children who are at least 12 months old
Have severe or profound hearing loss in both ears
Have tried hearing aids with little or no improvement
Do not have medical conditions that could make surgery dangerous

We like children to get their implants as early as possible. Children have the most success with cochlear implants when they receive them before their natural period of language development. For adults, cochlear implants usually work better for individuals who could speak before they began experiencing hearing loss.

Scheduling a diagnostic appointment with us is the way to find out if you’re a good candidate for implants. During the diagnostic appointment, one of our audiologists determines whether you need cochlear implants. Our audiologist can also explain the next steps in the process.

What to Expect During Cochlear Implant Surgery

I’m aware even the word surgery is frightening for some people. Hopefully, a few facts about cochlear implant surgery will alleviate those fears. Cochlear implant surgery is a routine procedure that’s been performed in the United States for decades. It’s an outpatient procedure, which means you get to go home the day of the surgery. You’ll receive general anesthesia to keep you in a sleep-like state during the surgery. It takes the surgeon about four hours to put the implants in both ears.

We have established a partnership with Associates in ENT to provide cochlear implant surgery at our Chattanooga office. If you or your child struggle with severe hearing loss and traditional hearing aids haven’t helped, click here to schedule a diagnostic appointment.

How Do I Take Care of My Hearing Aids?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:44:58 GMT

At Johnson Audiology, my colleagues and I are committed to helping our patients get the maximum benefit from investing in hearing aids. Educating our patients on the proper care of their hearing aids is part of that commitment.

We’ve decided it’s essential to extend this education to the community outside of our hearing center. Here’s what you need to know about caring for your hearing aids.

Avoid Moisture and Extreme Temperatures

Although many of today’s devices are water-resistant, it’s still not a good idea to expose your hearing aids to moisture. We advise our patients to put their hearing aids on after they’ve completed showering and the rest of their morning personal care routine. Sometimes, users forget hair care products like hairspray could introduce moisture to their devices. Also, the poolside isn’t the best place to leave your hearing aids while you take a refreshing swim.

Hearing aids shouldn’t be exposed to extreme heat or cold. For instance, leaving them inside of a parked car during summer could be damaging. Since excessive heat is harmful to your device, hairdryers, ovens, and microwaves aren’t suitable for drying out a wet device. (Trust me, some people have tried!)

Regular Cleaning Is Essential

Harvard Medical School reports that up to 70 percent of hearing aid repairs link to earwax damage. We see a similar ratio of hearing aid problems caused by earwax in our clinic.

It’s a good idea to make cleaning wax from your hearing aids part of your bedtime routine every night. If your device didn’t come with a cleaning brush, you could use a soft toothbrush to remove earwax and other debris. During cleaning time, you can also check for build-up in the wax filter and replace it as necessary.

Batteries Need Care Too

After you’ve cleaned the device, remove the batteries for the night, and leave the compartment open. That action prevents corrosion, extends battery life, and allows the compartment to dry out.

We recommend changing batteries on a regular schedule rather than waiting until they’re spent. How long your batteries last depends on factors such as your usage, what device you have, and the type of battery. Using a calendar to figure out how long your batteries usually last will make creating a schedule more manageable.

Handle Your Devices with Care

I like to remind new users that hearing aids contain intricate technology. When handling your devices, it’s a good idea to work over a soft surface. You’re far less likely to damage your device if you drop it. When you’re not using your hearing aids, they need to be in a safe place that’s out of the reach of children or pets.

Are your hearing aids in need of a little TLC? Even with proper maintenance, we know accidents can happen. If you need assistance with your devices that are beyond the scope of regular maintenance, our experienced audiologists know how to make hearing aid repairs and adjustments.

Curbside Service

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:43:02 GMT

Update issued: Monday, March 16, 2020

An update to our patients concerning Johnson Audiology's COVID-19 response.

Johnson Audiology announces curbside service now available and until further notice for routine services like hearing aid clean and checks, hearing aid repairs and supply pick-ups.

Johnson Audiology wishes to offer the highest level of care and service to our patients while still complying with recommendations on social distancing during the current COVID-19 event.

For routine services like hearing aid clean and checks and repairs as well as for hearing aid supply needs (batteries, wax traps, etc.), we have curbside service now available. If you need a clean and check or a repair on your hearing aids, please call our office when you arrive. We will come to your car, gather your hearing aids and service them within 30 minutes or less and bring them back to your car. Or if you need hearing aid supplies, we will bring those to your car.

This will allow patients the opportunity to complete routine services without needing to wait in our front lobbies.

Please note that all usual fees for services and supplies will still apply.

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation and loyal patronage.

Hidden Hearing Loss: Learn the Signs. Take Action.

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:32:12 GMT

Do you feel like you hear fine, but you struggle to understand speech when there is a competing of background noise, like at a large family gathering? You could have hidden hearing loss .

"With a hidden hearing loss, the brain is still able to process simple sounds resulting in the appearance of 'normal hearing,' but more difficult sounds like conversational speech can be harder for the brain to process."
-- Ali Carmichael, Au.D.

“A person’s sense of hearing connects them to the world around them and helps them stay

engaged with the people, places and events in their lives,” said Dr. Megan Johnson,

audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology. “Yet many people discount their hearing,

ignoring the signs that something is amiss with their inner ear and waiting years to address

it. I see it every day in my practice; people who tell me they have been struggling in different

listening environments for 10 years or more. It disturbs me that people put off seeking

helping because of embarrassment, or fear or misunderstanding, especially now in an era

when help for hearing issues is so advanced and accessible.” Dr. Johnson continued, “Part

of Johnson Audiology’s mission is to bring education about hearing and hearing loss to the

forefront, teach people how important your sense of hearing is and smash the stigma that

some feel in regards to their hearing issues. Hearing loss is widespread; yet treatment is

right around the corner at your nearest audiologist. People don’t have to live with untreated

hearing loss anymore!”

How widespread is hearing loss?

Dr. Ali Carmichael, one of the 12 audiologists that makes up the team of hearing

professionals at Johnson Audiology, said, “More than 20% of the United States population

is affected by various types and degrees of hearing loss. That’s more than 65.5 million

people! Additionally, tinnitus, which is a constant or intermittent ringing, buzzing, or hissing

in the ears, affects more 30 million Americans.” Recent research has come out that states

that up to 13 million Americans without any degree of hearing loss also experience some

form of tinnitus. Through medical conditions, noise exposure, genetic conditions, or the

processes of aging, hearing loss can occur gradually or suddenly at any stage of life. The

inner ear, or cochlea, is composed of thou sands of small hair-like fibers responsible for

sending hearing signals to the brain. One of the leading causes of hearing loss in people

under the age of 40 is due to noise exposure, which can cause major damage to the inner

ear leading to hearing loss and tinnitus.

What is hidden hearing loss?

Dr. Johnson said, “For most people with hearing issues, a basic hearing test, also called an

audiogram, reveals, in a very obvious way, the type and severity of a person’s hearing loss.”

Sometimes damage done to the inner ear, either by noise exposure or auto-immune

disorders, is not so transparent though. Dr. Johnson mentioned that in some cases

“damage can create a ‘hidden hearing loss’ where the hearing test shows normal hearing,

but tinnitus or difficulty hearing in a noisy environment is still a concern.” This damage

causes an incomplete signal being sent to the brain, which can lead to a familiar hearing

complaint where a person knows that something is being said but cannot understand the

actual words. The repeated noise exposure causes a breakdown of the hearing system in a

way that is not detectable by a standard hearing test; however, the damage can cause

enough inner hair fibers to be destroyed, which leads to the sensation of tinnitus but with a

lack of detectable hearing loss. Dr. Carmichael said, “With a hidden hearing loss, the brain

is still able to process simple sounds resulting in the appearance of ‘normal hearing,’ but

more difficult sounds like conversational speech can be harder for the brain to process. As a

result, communication often fails.” Long-term exposure to noise, even in small amounts, has

been shown to be one of the leading causes of hidden hearing loss and tinnitus.

Why is hidden hearing loss something to be concerned about?

The frustration a person feels when dealing with hidden hearing loss and tinnitus can lead

to social isolation and a decrease in social interactions. Also, because hidden hearing loss

is more difficult to diagnose, it may be overlooked, a person’s complaints and struggles

minimized, and their frustration grows. A university-trained audiologist is the professional

most equipped and skilled to recognize when a person might be struggling with hidden

hearing loss and to initiate the expanded testing that is necessary for diagnosis. A standard

hearing test with additional noise testing can help to identify the degree of difficulty a person

is having in noisy situations. Speech in noise testing, which includes repeating sentences as

the volume of background noise increases, can be done to help determine the amount of

difficulty someone is experiencing when processing sound with background noise present.

Dr. Johnson urged, “When visiting your audiologist, it is important to relay all symptoms

related to your hearing and balance. This will help your audiologist pick the correct tests and

formulate an appropriate treatment plan.” Important symptoms to relay if hidden hearing

loss may be a concern includ e:

·often hearing speech incorrectly

·feeling like you are struggling when listening in environments when background noise is

loud but you understand people well in quiet s ituations

·constant tinnitus, or

·feeling distracted, or even anxious, in difficult listening environments.

Advancements in technology make the difference

Dr. Carmichael said, “Treatment for hidden hearing loss continues to develop, and research

has shown that around 60% of patients with tinnitus say they experience some relief from

their symptoms while wearing hearing aids.” It also has been proven that the improvements

in directional microphones of hearing aids have helped to overcome communication

breakdowns in noisy situations. The advances in noise reduction in hearing aids have

developed to help overcome the volume of noise and help to focus attention towards the

important conversations with loved ones.

Dr. Johnson said, “Over the course of my 19-year

career as an audiologist, I have seen such advancements in technology. It’s these

advancements that have made the detection and treatment of hidden hearing loss possible.

It can be a real game changer for people.”

Knowledge about the structure and workings of the inner ear continues to progress, and a

better understanding of how damage to the inner ear creates different types and degrees of

hearing loss continues to develop. Additionally, hearing technology and treatment for

hearing loss is advancing by leaps and bounds. “At no other time in history have we been

more informed and more equipped to help people with all types of hearing loss,” said Dr.

Carmichael. “Take control of your hearing loss. Take action today.”

COVID-19 and Hearing Loss

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:28:21 GMT

What preliminary research is revealing

We all have many self-care choices we make daily: wearing a seatbelt, eating a healthy diet, exercising, attending to spiritual well-being, getting an annual physical, meditating, and the list goes on. The reality is that each day, we may face new obstacles in maintaining our personal well-being as well as encounter new ways that allow us to live life to the fullest. We have more resources and more technology available to us than at any other time in human history. So, when we are faced with new challenges, how do we approach our dedication to self-care? How do we adjust when the landscape around us is constantly changing? These certainly are appropriate questions during a year filled with upheaval as the entire world has been rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current health crisis requires us to digest brand new or updated information quickly and make choices to mitigate risk to ourselves and those around us in order to stay safe and well.

Our knowledge about this strain of coronavirus seems to be increasing exponentially each week with information about how a person’s body is affected while the virus is active and after the person has recovered. Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology, said, “Evidence continues to emerge showing the wide-ranging effects COVID-19 can have on the body’s organs and systems, and it is looking like our ears and sense of hearing may also take a hit from this monster of a virus.” Preliminary research is beginning to suggest that COVID-19 may have lasting negative impacts on neural and auditory pathways, which in turn can lead to hearing loss.

So what does this have to do with self-care? Johnson Audiology’s Dr. Kari WIckstrom shared, “It is estimated that 48 million Americans have significant hearing loss with 22 million Americans exposed to dangerous levels of sound in the workplace. That’s a little more than 14% of the total population who can’t hear all of the sounds they once heard.” In addition, Americans wait an average of seven years before addressing hearing loss. Dr. Whitney Smith with Johnson Audiology noted, “That’s seven years of a gradually decreasing quality of life, increased risk of harm and hospital stays because of falls since balance is linked to inner ear health, frustration, loneliness. Plus, without the stimulus of sound, your brain ‘forgets’ how to hear, making it even harder to adjust to hearing aids when someone finally addresses hearing loss.” These statistics make it clear that when it comes to self-care, many people minimize hearing and hearing loss. Johnson Audiology’s Dr. Susan Porter observed, “Interestingly, the pandemic has shone a light on many people’s hearing loss, making it impossible to ignore. As we all don face masks to stay safe and compliant, those with hearing loss are forced to confront how much they were lip reading. Now that people’s mouths are covered, the person with hearing loss is really struggling.” So, in the midst of a global pandemic attributed to a virus that is showing no signs of slowing down, it becomes even more important to stay vigilant about addressing your physical self-care, including your hearing.

Preliminary research is starting to be published. For example, in a recent study conducted at South Valley University in Egypt1, a group of patients who were asymptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19 were monitored for two weeks. They ranged in age from 20-50 and presented no known symptoms of the virus, nor did they have any known hearing loss prior to testing positive. This age group was chosen specifically to avoid those with age-related hearing loss. After the two weeks of testing, it was found that the hair cells inside the ear’s cochlea (the seashell-shaped structure that is part of the inner ear and allows us to hear) showed signs of damage, and response to high frequency sounds was significantly reduced. While this test group had no symptoms of the virus, it is important to note that there is still much to learn about the underlying effects of the virus being present in the body, even among those who are asymptomatic.

In another case, a patient in Hannover, Germany was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of COVID-192. The patient was in the Intensive Care Unit for 13 days during his battle against the virus. Prior to contracting COVID-19, the patient was in good health and had no known hearing loss. After his treatment in the ICU, the patient presented as completely deaf on his right side and with profound hearing loss on his left side. MRI’s showed the patient had suffered from inflammation in and around the cochlea. This inflammation can lead to the cochlea becoming solidified like bone, no longer flexible and functioning.

Additionally, in most cases of the treatment of symptoms and the effects of COVID-19, the drugs commonly used in fighting the virus can be toxic to the ear and/or the nerves connected to the ear. Doses of certain drugs are known to cause hearing loss and create complications throughout the ear and the functions that the ear provides. It is these drugs, however, that are necessary to treat the symptoms of many known viruses, like COVID-19, as well as various bacterial infections.

Many unknowns exist with the presence of a new virus or disease, and it can take years to fully understand its origins and its lasting effects. In a time of so much uncertainty, but also so much emphasis on self-care, why not address your hearing loss now? Audiologist Darnell Scafe, with Johnson Audiology, suggested asking these questions: “Are there certain sounds that you have noticed you can’t quite hear as well as you used to? Do you find yourself frustrated in crowded situations because you are always asking people to repeat what was said? Are you struggling in public settings because people are wearing face masks, and you can no longer read their lips? She encouraged, “As the landscape of self-care and health care are ever-changing, why not change your approach to caring for your ears?”

Many things can affect our ears and contribute to hearing loss. They range from exposure to loud sounds, to side effects of drugs, or the emergence of a new strain of virus into our environment. And while many types of hearing loss are irreversible, technology continues to advance in ways that make hearing loss something that can be treated and hearing health improved. Dr. Johnson cautioned, “Don’t wait. Address your hearing loss at first onset so that you can enjoy years of sounds, conversations and being an active participant in your own life. Contact Johnson Audiology and begin a partnership with our team of audiologists that will put you on the path to healthy hearing.”

Notes:

1: ASHA Staff, COVID-19 May Damage Hearing Cells Even in Patients Without Symptoms, ( https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.RIB1.25062020.14/full/ )

2: Chantel Degen, MD, Thomas Lenarz, MD & PhD, Kirsten Willenborg, MD, Acute Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss After COVID-19 Pneumonia, (Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(20)30596-6/pdf )

Tinnitus and Mental Health: Insights from Dr. Whitney Smith

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:19:05 GMT

You can find help and hope!

As a doctor of audiology for more than 15 years, Dr. Whitney Smith, with Johnson Audiology, has helped thousands of people address hearing loss. “Assisting people to re-engage and re-connect with their lives through improved hearing is not just my job; it’s my life’s work and so rewarding,” she says. “Hands-down, though, giving my patients access to new rehabilitation options for tinnitus is one of the highlights of my audiology career. I now have evidenced-based tools and techniques to offer for quietening the ringing.”

Subjective tinnitus, which is the most common type, is a self-perceived sound that manifests for people as ringing, roaring, buzzing, chirping—even musical notes--in the ears. The condition likely dates to the earliest human civilizations. In the last 20 to 30 years, however, tinnitus has emerged as an acknowledged serious public health issue, affecting approximately 50 million Americans. More than two million people report tinnitus so severe it disrupts daily living and function.

“While tinnitus can have a variety of causes, the number one culprit is hearing loss,” Dr. Smith says. When a person’s hearing is damaged from loud and/or repetitive noises, permanent hearing loss often results and usually occurs in specific frequencies. Dr. Smith offered these examples: “For instance, a dentist may experience the occupational hazard of losing hearing in the high frequencies because of the damage done to hearing from the repeated whine of a high-powered dental drill. A factory worker, on the other hand, may lose low frequency hearing from exposure to the constant low decibel drone of cooling fans or machinery in the workplace.” When certain frequencies within a person’s hearing spectrum are damaged, sounds in those frequencies go unheard. For example, lose your high frequency hearing, and sounds like birdsong or young children’s voices become undetectable. As the brain searches for input in those missing frequencies and comes up empty-handed, the brain will “fill in the gaps” with the ringing, roaring, or buzzing that is tinnitus.

Dr. Smith draws this connection: “The increase in reported tinnitus is not surprising. We live in a much noisier world than at earlier times in human history. Damage to hearing is on the rise so, by default, tinnitus is also on the rise.”

As the incidence and severity of tinnitus continue to put a heavier burden on more and more people, additional resources have been devoted to research to better understand the condition. Dr. Smith says that this should lead to increased awareness for those struggling with tinnitus as well as a deeper understanding by the healthcare providers supporting them. Dr. Smith mentions, “It’s certainly time that happens. Historically, when a person broached the subject of tinnitus with his or her doctor, they were often told, ‘Well, you just have to learn to live with it.’ When a patient gets the brush-off with a trivializing comment like that, it is so detrimental. That person may not have the courage to bring up their tinnitus struggles again for years, if ever, continuing to suffer in ‘noisy silence’ from the cumulative effects of the unresolved mental and emotional health issues the disorder can bring on. I implore healthcare providers to remove verbiage from their provider-to-patient vocabulary that dismisses a person’s tinnitus.”

Dr. Smith has embraced tinnitus as a specialty within her specialty, having a solid knowledge base in tinnitus management coupled with true compassion for people and a dogged desire to help. She recently attained a new certification through the National Council for Behavioral Health, having completed coursework in Adult Mental Health First Aid. She explains that the purpose of mental health first aid is not to diagnose mental health issues. Rather, she has learned techniques for first response. She explains, “When someone comes to me because of tinnitus, and they are experiencing a mental health crisis because of it, I can provide initial help and begin to map a plan for long term management and care.”

Dr. Smith says many people do not even associate their struggle with tinnitus as putting them at risk for mental and emotional health issues. “I seek to learn more about how each individual experiences his or her tinnitus. It is unique for each person and can present in a myriad of ways,” she says. How does it sound to that individual? Ringing? Roaring? Buzzing? Is it constant or does it come and go? Is it in one ear or both? Does it make you feel stressed, anxious, depressed, desperate, irritable, hopeless? Does it cause sleeplessness, tiredness, poor appetite? Do you have dental and jaw issues like a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder? Have you identified triggers that set off or magnify your tinnitus like caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol use? “The more honest and open patients are with me, the more I am able to help,” she says.

Dr. Smith says that treatment and management for tinnitus can include a host of options tailored to the person. “Some are in my wheelhouse as an audiologist, such as sound therapies like masking and habituation as well as fitting a person with hearing aids to restore lost sound frequencies. Restore sound where you have hearing loss, and the brain no longer needs to fill in the silence with the ringing, roaring, and buzzing. About seven out of ten patients will notice a subjective decrease in their tinnitus just by treating their hearing loss,” she explains.

Tinnitus therapy is not limited to these options, however. “That’s why I am committed to a team approach when I work with patients on tinnitus management. I am networking with various professionals who I can refer to. For instance, I have a behavioral therapist with training in tinnitus who I refer patients to and a dentist who specializes in TMJ. I hope to add to that list with providers like a chiropractor, neurologist and others,” Dr. Smith comments.

For those with tinnitus tied to stress, techniques like relaxation and mindfulness therapy can be gamechangers. Dr. Smith says. “Interestingly, the same parts of your brain that are activated in the fight or flight response—your autonomic nervous system—also light up when a person is experiencing tinnitus. It begins to have a cascading effect because once the tinnitus is forefront in your mind that heightened state of anxiety builds on itself.” She continues, “The mind is a powerful tool, though. Using brain mechanics, many have learned to control tinnitus rather than it running roughshod through their lives. That’s why I’ve become such a proponent for cognitive behavioral therapy as a recommendation for many patients with tinnitus.”

Dr. Smith also mentions that mobile phone apps, like the one the hearing aid manufacturer Widex offers, are especially useful tools. “The Widex Zen app is free to download and offers a combination of sound therapy options, relaxation and meditation exercises as well as practical guidance, right there on your phone,” she says.

Another product on the market is My Butterfly Pillow. This comfortable, hypoallergenic pillow includes adaptive Bluetooth technology so you can listen to white noise, relaxation sounds, audiobooks, even television directly through the pillow via Night Owl Speakers. Plus, you will not disturb your sleeping partner.

Dr. Smith shares: “I have had the pleasure of helping many of my patients learn to successfully manage their tinnitus. I had a patient whose tinnitus was having such a profound effect on her, she had withdrawn from life, stopped working, etc. Now that she has addressed her tinnitus with various management techniques, she has a renewed hope. She has gone back to her career, back to interacting with family and friends. She’s a ray of golden sunshine.”

If you are experiencing tinnitus, whether mildly bothersome or life-altering, contact Johnson Audiology today for a tinnitus evaluation and get on the road to managing your tinnitus.

Retail Stores

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 19:12:36 GMT

You have seen them—the endcap in the local discount or drug store with devices that are labeled as “hearing aids.” The price might range anywhere from $49.99 for a very basic sound amplifier to $899.00 for a product that is now classified by the FDA as an over-the-counter hearing aid. Despite the price point, they often all reside in the same display case, all posing as the same types of devices you would get at a private audiology practice. These devices may have a label that uses language like FDA Registered or FDA Certified with the FDA logo on the box. Is that the same thing as FDA approved, FDA cleared, or FDA authorized? The short answer is NO. There might be a host of monikers on devices, and even the devices that now fit into the FDA guidelines that were released in 2022 for over-the-counter hearings aids, all such products need to be examined carefully before you spend hard earned money on devices that will give you little benefit. For information on devices that do not fall under the new FDA guidelines, read on for additional information.

What does it mean when something is FDA Registered?
According to the FDA, “owners or operators of places of business that are involved in the production and distribution of medical devices intended for use in the United States are generally required to register annually with the FDA.”

It's important to understand that when a facility registers its establishment and/or lists its devices, it is simply that, a registration. The FDA requires this of all such businesses so that they know what businesses are operating in the U.S. and what products they are making and selling. The resulting entry in the FDA’s registration and listing database DOES NOT IN ANY WAY denote approval, clearance, or authorization of that facility or its medical devices.

Are there FDA Certificates? No.
Some retail store-based hearing aids will even include an FDA certificate in its packaging. What does this mean? When a business involved in the production and distribution of medical devices intended for use in the United States registers with the FDA, they do not receive a certificate from the FDA.

It's important to understand that the FDA DOES NOT ISSUE ANY TYPE of device registration certificates to medical device facilities. In addition, the FDA does not “certify” registration information for businesses that have registered and listed.

Misleading FDA Registration Certificates
Some firms sell medical devices in the United States alongside "FDA registration certificates," such as the sample certificate depicted here.

Example of a Fraudulent Certificate

These certificates often have the look of an official government document and may include the FDA logo. However, FDA does not issue device registration certificates.

Firms that misleadingly display certificates alongside information about and photos of a device for sale in the United States to imply review or approval by FDA of the device misbrand the device in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

How Do You Know if the FDA Approved, Cleared, or Authorized a Medical Device?
The FDA provides several ways for you to check if the FDA approved or cleared a medical device or, as described below, if the FDA authorized the device to be used during a public health emergency.

You can search for FDA-approved or FDA-cleared products by device name or company name:

Go to the Devices@FDA Database.

In the Enter a search term in the space below field , type the name of the device or the company name. You can type the exact name of a specific device or a generic name for a category of devices (such as hearing aid or cochlear implant.

Click Search .

It is important to understand that a true hearing aid is a class II medical device and MUST be FDA approved and then programmed specifically for you based on the results obtained during a comprehensive hearing evaluation at a licensed audiology practice, ENT office or licensed hearing aid dispenser.

Even if a hearing aid purchased at a discount or drug store has instructions for taking an online hearing test at home and then emailing the results for “programming” by a “trained professional” this type of fitting of a hearing aid is inferior, at best, to the professional care you will get from a university-trained audiologist and is a danger, at worst, since improper amplification can result in damage to your ears. Additionally, hearing loss may result from a medical condition like a bacterial or viral infections or a tumor. By self-treating for hearing loss, these medical conditions go undetected.

Bear in mind, if a company resorts to presenting itself as something it’s not by slapping an FDA logo on the packaging and presenting misleading labels and wording, you should beware of the product.

What about the Over-the-Counter hearing aid designation that went into effect in 2022
Over-the-counter hearing aids are a new official designation that the FDA released official guidelines on in August 2022.

Warehouse Stores

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 19:10:15 GMT

Who doesn’t love a warehouse store, right? These establishments are filled to overflowing with a host of useful products for the home—everything from paper towels and chicken fingers in bulk to a new set of tires and a comfy bed for your pooch.

But what about buying medi cal devices at your local big box store? Few of us would ever consider shopping around for a pacemaker or for the hardware for your knee replacement in the aisles of your neighborhood warehouse store. Yet some turn to these locations for hearing aids—also a medical device—to treat a health condition as important as hearing loss.

Here are some questions to ask wh en it comes to big box/warehouse stores and your hearing health care.

Are the staff you are working with university-trained audiologists?
The staff at the hearing aid counter at a big box store may have minimal training and expertise. A few stores may have audiologists, but many have hearing aid dispensers.

Is the hearing technology “locked’?
The hearing aid technology at war ehouse stores may be “locked,” or proprietary, which means you can only take your hearing aids to that specific chain for service. No other private audiologist or provider can work on them. Many patients do not realize this and find out when they try to take their hearing aids to another practice for repairs or desire help from a more experienced professional.

What generation is the hearing a id technology?
Big box stores may offer technology one or two generations behind current technology available in the private market and sometimes their higher-level products are more comparable to mid-level technologies available privately.

Are repairs and other common services offered?
Most warehouse stores have limited repair options if the store labeled brands (e.g., Kirkland) ends the contracted relationship with the m anufacturer for a lower cost vendor or contract. Most also do not provide loaner hearing aids.

Is your audiogram portable?
The store actually owns the results to your hearing test, not you. That means you may not be able to take your test results to another practice for a second opinion.

What if I have an insurance benefit?
Big box stores/warehouses DO NOT accept insurance benefits for hearing aids.

What if I need other audiologic services?
Big box stores do not do wax removal or provide other importa nt full-service audiology care, such as tinnitus testing and treatment or assessment for dizziness and balance disorders.

What will my customer experience be like?
The experience and environment are very different from a professional audiologist’s clinic. They don’t typically pre-schedule routine follow-up appointments. and if you have issues with your hearing aids, it can be a challenge getting help in a busy store that is often on a first-come, first-serve.

By contrast, a private audiology clinic, like Johnson Audiology, offers you a caring, professional hearing health care experience with a goal toward being your partner on your lifelong hearing journey. It’s a relationship building process that goes far beyond just purchasing a hearing aid. Here’s what you can expect from us.

University-degreed audiologist care for every patient
A highly trained support staff made up of audiology assistants and patient care coordinators.
The widest selection of hearing aid technology and products from the world’s most respected hearing aid manufacturers. This means audiologists in other states (say you live in Florida or Arizona in the winter) can service your hearing aids. Some manufacturers and professional partners we work with regularly include: Oticon, Widex, ReSound, Phonak, Lyric, Siemens, Starkey, Westone and CochlearAmerica.
Hearing device options that take into account your personal circumstances—your hearing loss, your budget, your schedule, your lifestyle. Our audiologists discuss all these factors and goals with you up front so that you can make the most informed decision that is best for you.
At least a 45-day assessment period to determine your benefit and satisfaction with hearing aids.
Comprehensive care for hearing loss with diagnostic hearing evaluations and reports sent to your primary care physician. We also provide dizziness, balance, tinnitus and hyperacusis care all within the same full-service, independent and locally-owned professional audiology practice. Your hearing examination results belong to you as a part of your medical record.
Ear wax removal, a common need for patients.
A hearing aid loaner program, when appropriate, in the event your hearing aid needs to be sent to the manufacturer for repair. All-make repair options for most brands and older hearing models.
Monday through Thursday walk-in hours or for hearing aid clean and checks and same-day repairs, along with manufacturer repairs when necessary. Our clinic reaches out by mail when your hearing aids are reaching end of warranty and encouraging you to bring your aids to our office for us to send to the manufacturer for overhaul. The manufacturer will replace components, as necessary, and get your aids in top working order before warranty’s end.
Utilization of real-ear measurements technology to verify that your hearing aids are fit according to recommended prescriptions for proper hearing and safety. It is estimated only 20 to 30 percent of practices in the country use this advanced technology.
Recommend and provide regular and critical follow-up appointments for clean and checks, checkups, adjustments, and monitoring of hearing.
Patients with health insurance may have hearing aid covera ge that could help with the costs. We accept Medicare and most other types of health insurance, and we verify whether or not your particular plan has coverage for hearing aids.
Financing options are available for individuals who qualify.
An in-house Johnson Audiology Direct program that provides a host of supplies and services for the lifetime of your hearing aids and that is included with your hearing aids.

Based on industry data, only 20 to 25 percent of patients return to purchase a second set of hearing aids from a big box store/warehouse, which speaks volumes about ov erall customer satisfaction with this avenue for hearing aids. While it may feel like you are spending less at a big box store, the trade-offs may end up costing you more money in the long run. Good value is tied to many variables, and your best value and satisfaction is working with a university-trained audiologist in an independent audiology practice.

Franchise Hearing Aid Store

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 19:06:34 GMT

Private label hearing aids come from reputable manufacturers, but the instruments are relabeled and often possess a proprietary computer chip which only allows it to be accessed by that specific franchise.

They are typically sold by hearing instrument specialists (HIS) or dispensers, rather than audiologists, under labels such as Kirkland’s Brand, Miracle Ear, Beltone, Audibel, Audigy, Zounds and Liberty to name a few. Buying a private label hearing aid means the devices may only be purchased, programmed and repaired by the private offices that sell them. You unwittingly become tied to the franchise for the life of the hearing aid, because any adjustments must be performed by the proprietary software which is only released to the private franchise. Consequently, you are also unable to freely select the servicer of your hearing instruments when traveling, or relocating, or displeased with your care.

Standard hearing aids come in a variety of styles, makes, and models. They are usually issued by an audiologist, which is a clinical doctor with a strong foundation in the physics of sound and hearing, tinnitus, hearing aid programming, and inner ear balance disorders.

Our audiologists at Johnson Audiology are not beholden to any specific manufacturer, which allows you a greater variety of available options depending on your type and degree of hearing loss, lifestyle demands and budget.

It is important to understand that manufacturers rarely issue their latest technology to the re-branded proprietary label when it is available. Additionally, they seldom distribute the exact model to the private label franchises. Therefore, the proprietary hearing aids often come with lower or fewer technological features. Consequently, the proprietary labels available in the current hearing aid market make it difficult for you to do a direct comparison of available features and pricing even when you believe you are fully informed.

In order for you to receive the product and services that will serve your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget best, it is recommended that patients seek a licensed audiologist who is capable of working with several manufacturers. When seen at Johnson Audiology, you receive a thorough, professional assessment of your auditory function and needs, allowing for the best and most appropriate hearing instrument selection. The investment in services with an audiologist proves to be a better value with consideration to your success and satisfaction with your hearing aids.

Johnson Audiology wants to empower you to be proactive with your hearing health to make the most informed decision about who and where to seek audiological care. Regrettably, many hearing aid sales centers utilize misleading terminology and wording in advertisements and when you are in the store with the intention of selling to consumers. Read about some of the misleading wording that some proprietary hearing aid centers use.

At Johnson Audiology, our doctors of audiology are held to the highest ethical standards. We are committed to delivering personalized care and products to best meet your individual hearing and tinnitus needs.

Direct To Consumer Hearing Aids

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 19:04:25 GMT

Purchasing hearing aids without working with an audiologist—the hearing health care professional with the most education and training to treat hearing loss—has become increasingly more mainstream. Consumers can find a variety of items billed as hearing aids through direct-to-consumer (DTC) methods. They might be marketed to consumers through television, print and digital advertising as well as found by way of internet searches and at your local pharmacy or electronic store.

These devices are then mailed directly to a person’s home or sold over-the-counter. While this may seem convenient, is buying through these sources the best option? The answer is no. Here’s why.

Don’t be lured in by the “lower prices” promise

These sources often advertise hearing aids for a price lower than what you would spend when working through an audiologist. However, the amount you actually pay the DTC entity will likely be much higher than advertised. Most companies that deal in mailed devices charge additional or hidden fees for supplies, programming services, programming equipment, repairs and/or warranties. These additional services are essential for being successful with hearing aids and are typically included in the cost of a hearing aid purchased from your local audiologist.

An accurate diagnostic test of your hearing loss is imperative for hearing aid success
Some DTC companies advertise “pre-set” devices and will “program” those devices without first obtaining a comprehensive hearing test by a licensed audiologist, instead having you take a hearing test online. Online hearing screenings cannot accurately diagnose hearing loss type or severity; they can only determine if a possible hearing loss is present. Your hearing loss is unique and cannot be completely generalized into a category of severity, as many DTC companies suggest.

Are they selling you an amplifier or a hearing aid?

If a DTC company attempts to classify your hearing loss based on your answers to a few questions or uses only one response from a hearing test to determine which hearing aid you need, you may actually be purchasing an amplifier that is being marketed as a hearing aid. Hearing aids are class II medical devices and MUST be programmed specifically for you based on the results obtained during your comprehensive hearing evaluation. This is required for a precise and optimized fitting. If devices are not programmed in this manner, they will not provide benefit in difficult listening environments and overall sound quality will suffer. Obtaining a current hearing test prior to pursuing amplification is crucial to determining an appropriate treatment plan as well as a major factor in determining a person’s success with hearing aids. A new category of hearing devices that entered the market in 2022 is an “over-the-counter” hearing device.

In-person appointments with your audiologist are a key to hearing aid success

DTC companies often boast that their devices will be sent directly to you. Keep in mind that means you are on your own when it comes to figuring out your new hearing aids. Having your audiologist as a trusted professional who will walk you through the process of hearing aid use, care, and cleaning and having someone to turn to as you adjust to your new hearing aids is vital.

Imagine this scenario: You are having difficulty communicating with your loved ones, or you are feeling isolated from your friends. You find what you think is a solution through DTC, order the hearing aids or an amplifier, and get excited that you will finally be able to hear better! The devices arrive and you pull them out of the box, but you quickly find that you don’t know how to insert them, don’t know how to change the batteries or seat them in a charging station, don’t know what all the parts do, and find that they just don’t sound right. Then, while trying to figure out how everything works, you drop one of your hearing aids and it breaks! You quickly become frustrated and have no idea what to do. You call the online company where you purchased the hearing aids, but you are put on hold. You want to talk to a person face-to-face, so you stop by your local audiologist’s office for help. You find out that only very minor repairs can be made, because your brand of hearing aid is considered a proprietary device (belonging only to the online retailer you purchased from). Since it is a proprietary device, the hearing aids can’t be adjusted or programmed in this office, even though you have already identified numerous situations where they are not helping you communicate. You are told that you will need to send the hearing aids back to the DTC company for programming adjustments, which does not allow for real time feedback from the you when the adjustment is made. You may even be required to send your hearing aids in multiple times before your concern is addressed. Unfortunately, each time you return the hearing aids to the company, you will likely be required to pay for shipping and will be without sound until your hearing aids are returned. The investment of time and money is ultimately much higher than you anticipated when you purchased these devices based on low price and the “convenience” of having them mailed to your home. This is just one example experienced by a person who came to Johnson Audiology for help, after purchasing a set of proprietary hearing aids online.

Beware of well-known hearing aid brands you find online

Occasionally, online consumers are able to find a hearing aid from one of the ”Big 6” hearing aid manufacturers (Oticon, Phonak, Resound, Siemens, Starkey, and Widex) that are supposedly dispensed by an audiologists; however, purchase of these devices online can be very costly and is not recommended. The major manufacturers do not authorize the sale of their products online and are warning consumers not to purchase hearing aids in this manner. Many manufacturers will void the warranties of any devices purchased online, ultimately adding additional costs to the consumer’s perceived “low price.” Some manufacturers are even recalling hearing aids sold by these online companies and have requested that the hearing aids be returned once located.

Scheduling an appointment with and investing in hearing aid technology through an audiologist ensures that you are well-informed regarding your hearing health care, that your treatment plan is tailored specifically to you, that you are offered the latest technology, and that you have a trusted hearing professional close to home who is supporting you every step of the way. Plus, any potential medical components to your hearing loss will be recognized by your audiologist and a treatment plan mapped. Your ears and sense of hearing are important. Don’t trust this vital area of your health to DTC companies that are retail-driven entities rather than health care professionals who really care about your hearing.

Healthier Hearing Means Healthier Aging

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 17:24:27 GMT

It is your brain that interprets sounds and assigns them meaning.

It is a fact of life that aging can bring changes to your physical, mental and emotional health. However, smart choices based on today’s knowledge and research can lessen the impacts of aging, helping you have a happy, healthy life during your golden years. One of those smart choices is to address hearing loss when you first notice you are struggling in your listening environments.

For years, hearing loss has been viewed as an inescapable consequence of aging, something you must accept rather than address. People also tend to think that hearing loss has little bearing on other aspects of health, but research has proven the opposite. That is great news because, while hearing loss can impact older adults in far-reaching ways, treating hearing loss—with one or a combination of options that technology now makes available—can mean a longer, fuller, happier life. Let’s explore how!

The important link between your ears and your brain
Your ears are made up of many intricate parts, which function as the apparatus that transfer sound to your brain. These parts are certainly important, but make no mistake, it is your brain that does the heavy lifting when it comes to your sense of hearing. Why? Because it is your brain that interprets sounds and assigns them meaning. For example, every driver has experienced a blaring ambulance siren approaching from behind. That siren is just a bunch of noise until your brain spurs you to action to pull over and allow the ambulance to pass. Understanding how your ears and brain work in harmony is an important concept in recognizing the impact of hearing loss so hold that thought, and let’s discuss the most common type of hearing loss.

Understanding the most common type of age-related hearing loss
While there are various types of hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss is the most common that a person experiences as a byproduct of aging. This loss occurs when the sensitive sensory hair cells inside your cochlea—that organ in your inner ear that looks like a spiral-shaped seashell—that are critical for sound conversion are partially or permanently damaged. This damage can occur simply because of the aging process and/or as a condition passed down genetically from one family member to another. It also can be hastened by exposing your ears to loud noises over the course of a lifetime.

The effects of hearing loss
So how can hearing loss affect you? While the information that follows may seem daunting, don’t despair! Read on to gain a deeper understanding of the links between hearing loss and aging and to learn how much good news there is today for avoiding the negative impacts of hearing loss.

Notably, many types of hearing loss, and particularly sensorineural hearing loss, tend to happen gradually over time, making it more difficult to detect. Most people with this type of hearing loss make daily adjustments they don’t even realize they are making. A prime example is when you are having a conversation: Talking to a single speaker in a quiet room may not seem difficult because the listener is combining the sound that is reaching the impaired ear(s) with the techniques of reading the person’s lips and interpreting hand gestures and other body language. However, in a noisy environment like a crowded restaurant or at a large family gathering, the listener has background noise and/or multiple talkers to try to listen to. Juggling all these sounds can make it very difficult to decipher speech from amongst the other noises.

A person may also experience what’s called listening fatigue because of the extreme cognitive load the brain is “lifting” as it works overtime trying to keep up in these challenging listening environments. As your brain puts in this overtime, it must “rob” resources that it would otherwise dedicate to thinking, memory and other processes that it accomplished effortlessly before hearing loss.

Also, as hearing loss worsens, a person may start to withdraw from gatherings with family and friends because of listening frustration. This can lead to social isolation, which can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.

Additionally, research now suggests that the areas of the brain that help you hear can even begin to atrophy or shrink when they are no longer stimulated by sound. This can have a cascading effect on other parts of the brain leading to further brain decline, and some studies show a consistent link between hearing loss and a greater risk of developing dementia.

Plus, the consequence of hearing loss can extend beyond dementia. Since the cochlea of the inner ear not only regulates hearing but also your sense of balance, a person with cochlear damage is at a higher risk for falling. Falls often lead to hospitalization and a temporary or permanent move to an assisted living or nursing home facility.

Now, cue the good news!!!

Goods news! Healthy hearing can lead to healthier aging
It stands to reason that if hearing loss can contribute and/or cause the negative impacts outlined in this article then addressing your hearing loss can slow or reverse these outcomes. Yes!

Hearing aid technology continues to advance every year. Smaller devices offer ever-improving sound quality. Plus, a hearing aid wearer can have complete Bluetooth connectivity as your hearing aids stream to your mobile phone, your television and through your car speakers. Nowadays, adjustments to volume and even various listening environments can be changed through the touch of a button on your aids and/or through an app on your mobile phone. In fact, one major hearing aid manufacturer has released technology recently that requires a simple touch of your finger to the side of your ear to activate the hearing aid’s functionality, and another manufacturer offers artificial intelligence technology that can detect a change in heart rhythm or if the wearer has fallen.

Taking the next steps
If you or someone you know has hearing loss, it’s time to take control of your hearing health. Here are some action steps.

Visit an audiologist for a hearing diagnostic
As you begin your journey to healthy hearing and healthier aging, be sure to choose a reputable audiology practice where you will see a university-trained audiologist. Bear in mind that some hearing aid clinics employ hearing instrument specialists, rather than audiologists. Hearing instruments specialists do not have formalized university training in audiology. Also, hearing aid franchise stores sell proprietary technology that can only be serviced at their locations rather than by any hearing aid clinic. Additionally, the decision to purchase hearing aids at big box stores, over the internet or by phone can lead to frustrations as patient support and continuity of care are often lacking.

Get hearing aids
Hearing aids are medical devices, and an audiologist is the most qualified professional to fit them. Choose an audiology practice that offers you access to a variety of hearing aid manufacturers. Look for a practice that works with all the most reputable manufacturers—ReSound, Phonak, Lyric, Oticon, Widex, Starkey and Signia. Ideally, your audiologist will conduct your hearing diagnostic and ask you a variety of questions about your lifestyle and common listening environments in order to make recommendations for the hearing aid brand and technology level that will best address your unique hearing loss. Give yourself time to adjust to your hearing aids and be sure to visit your audiologist regularly for ongoing follow-up appointments so that you can continue to get the best results from your technology.

Get the benefits of your insurance coverage
Be sure to choose an audiology practice that works with a host of insurance companies, verifies your benefits for your hearing diagnostic and technology and files your claim with your insurance. Some hearing aid dispensers do not work with your insurance so you may not get benefits that are coming to you simply because the clinic does not file them.

Try assistive devices
Work with your audiologist to explore other assistive devices in addition to your hearing aids that may help. Closed captioning telephones and devices for activities like watching television, attending work meetings and listening at large group events like church services can take your listening to the next level. Hands-free devices for your car can help you stay connected and compliant with the hands-free laws.

The future has never been brighter for those with hearing loss, and understanding the far-reaching effects that untreated hearing loss can have on your future is just another reason to act now. Get your hearing tested today and take control of your health now and as you age.