As people age it’s normal for some hearing, language, and memory changes to occur. It happens to all of us, doesn’t it? Once you hit about 55 the chances of having some hearing loss is pretty high.

Of course there are things you can do to prevent loss, too. As in any medical condition it’s essential to catch problems early. The earlier you identify a problem the sooner treatment can begin.

Hearing aid specialists are especially qualified to help older Americans, 55 and above, differentiate between normal aging and having a hearing loss. Either way, Arkansas Hearing Aid Service stands ready to help you with loss or to help you identify things you can do to help you hear better and enjoy your life.

As a first step, people who think they may have hearing loss or other hearing disorders should see a hearing aid specialist. That’s why we offer free hearing tests and consultations.

Hearing loss often occurs slowly and has many causes. But rest assured there are many things you can do to prevent further loss and to restore some hearing even if a loss has occurred. Make an appointment today if you haven’t already and find out if you or your parent needs hearing aids.

Thought we might suggest a way to celebrate with you. A photo Scavenger Hunt!

Here’s how it works:

Start looking through your photographs. Each photo is worth a certain number of points. Tally them here: _______

We’d love it if you posted them on our Facebook page. We’ll send a coupon for free hearing aid batteries to the winner if you do! Each photo you find counts, so if you have two photos of two people hugging a tree, one 60 or older and one younger (see number one below) then you get 6 points instead of 3!

Good luck!

1. Two people hugging a tree (one must be 60 or older, one must be younger than 60).

3 points

2. The entire team (except the photo taker) standing next to an American flag. 8 points

3. A team member—age 60 or older—shaking hands with a statue (any statue). 5 points

4. The entire team (except the photo taker) forming a conga line between parked cars.

8 points

5. Two team members—one younger than 60 and one 60 or older—wearing hats made

out of newspaper. 7 points

6. A team member—any age—petting an animal (dog, cat, horse, you name it). 5 points

7. A team member—any age—standing next to a fire hydrant. 3 points

8. A team member—age 60 or older—drinking water. 1 point

9. A team member—younger than 60—balancing an object on his or her head. 5 points

10. A team member holding menus from a local restaurant. 3 points

11. Two team members (any age) coming down a sliding board. 2 points

As far back as 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has been celebrating this in May.

A great way to celebrate is to get your hearing tested. Come in to Arkansas Hearing Aid Service and get a free hearing test. If you already have some of our hearing aids, get them cleaned and serviced while you are here.

Did you know that there an estimated 28 million Americans who have a hearing loss that could be treated if they would just seek professional help?

Here are some ways to tell if you or your loved one has a hearing loss:

• Frequently ask people to repeat themselves
• Often turn your ear toward a sound to hear it better
• Understand people better when you wear your glasses or look directly at their faces
• Lose your place in group conversations
• Keep the volume on your radio or TV at a level that others say is too loud
• Have pain or ringing in your ears

Quit simply, folks who see themselves in these statements should see an hearing aid specialist for a hearing test. Even tiny hearing loss can impact your life. Since it is in many cases treatable, there is no reason to miss out on all the great communications and sounds of life.

If you are 45 or older annual hearing tests are a good idea. Your hearing aid specialist can prescribe hearing aids, listening devices and how to concentrate on hearing all sounds.

In fact, at Arkansas Hearing Aid Service, that’s what we do. Come see us to celebrate Better Hearing And Speech Month in May.

• Is a completely private and independent clinic, offering freedom of choice of manufacturer
• Has been providing care for those with hearing loss for more than 50 years
• Is a CareCredit provider
• Does house calls – really
• Offers interest free payments

At Arkansas Hearing Aid Service

• Our goal is to achieve the best positive outcome for your hearing needs by incorporating the latest techniques and technologies.
• You can expect to be seen by an experienced, member of the Arkansas Board of Hearing Instrument Dispensers.
• We have current continuing eduction credits which means that you will receive the benefit of the most advanced, competent and up-to-date skills and experience.
• You can expect the best hearing care and latest technology hearing aids with advanced features to suit your hearing loss, needs, lifestyle and budget.
• We provide precise fittings and programming of hearing aids.
• We provide a 4 week-trial period after your hearing aid fitting which can guarantee your satisfaction.
• Our exceptional follow-up care gives you ongoing, personalized and excellent customer service.
• Most hearing aid repairs can be done in house so you do not have to be without your aids for a week.
• We always explain your options clearly and answer questions simply and honestly.

Arkansas Hearing Aid Service is directed by Mr. Jerry Luker, an experienced and qualified Hearing Instrument Specialist who has worked in the industry for more than 50 years. Lyle Simon is his intern assistant and office manager who has been involved in patient care for several years.

At Arkansas Hearing Aid Service in North Little Rock we are dedicated to helping people manage hearing impairment through hearing assessment, consultation, fitting of the latest digital hearing instruments and highest quality hearing care.

We explain your options clearly, offer independent advice and help to make the right decision about your hearing. We spend more time with you to better understand your needs and to concentrate on best clinical practice.

We seek to offer the best advice to managing the cost of hearing aids and other hearing devices and Bluetooth technology to make your hearing experience more well-rounded including ways you can stream wi-fi or Bluetooth directly to your hearing aids from the television, phone, cell phone, mp3 players, computers and more.

Hearing loss occurs to most people as they age, however, it can also be due to exposure to loud noise, certain medications, infections, head or ear trauma, congenital factors, diseases, as well as a number of other causes.

You may have hearing loss if:

- You hear people speaking but you have to strain to understand their words.
- You frequently ask people to repeat what they said.
- You frequently complain that people mumble.
- You play the TV or radio louder than your friends, spouse and relatives.
- You cannot hear the doorbell or the telephone.
- You find that looking at people when they speak to you makes it easier to understand.

If you have any of these symptoms, you should see an audiologist to have your hearing tested. In a full hearing assessment the audiologist determines the type and degree of your hearing loss, and also your ability to understand speech.

How do I know if I have hearing loss?

If you think you have a hearing loss, the best thing you can do for yourself and those around you, is to have a hearing assessment to see if you are a candidate for hearing aids. You may not know what you are missing if you haven’t tried hearing aids before. Better hearing makes listening less stressful and can improve relationships with friends and family.

Can I try a hearing aid before deciding to purchase one?

If you are ready to move forward but not sure how much benefit you will get from amplification, AudioHearing Melbourne can help you to make a right decision by offering you our 4 weeks hearing aid trial.

Why purchase hearing aid from Arkansas Hearing Aid Service?

Arkansas Hearing Aid Service (AHAS) is a completely private and independent clinic – offering freedom of choice of manufacturer. At Arkansas Hearing Aid Service in North Little Rock:

- Our goal is to achieve the maximum results and best positive outcome by incorporating the latest techniques and technologies
- Our hearing instrument specialist has current Certificates of Continuing Professional Development which means that you will receive the most advanced, competent and up-to-date skills and experience.
- You can expect the best hearing care and latest technology hearing aids to suit your hearing loss, needs, lifestyle and budget.
- We provide precise fittings and programming of hearing aids.
- We provide a 4 week-trial period after hearing aid fitting which can guarantee your satisfaction
- Our exceptional follow-up care gives you ongoing, personalized and excellent customer service
- We offer you free hearing aid clean and check up service in order to help you get the most benefit from wearing your hearing aids
- Most hearing aid repair can be done in house and you do not have to be without your aids for a week.
- We always explain your options clearly and answer questions simply and honestly.

Does it take long to get used to a hearing aid?

Adapting to hearing aids is a little like relearning to ride a bicycle-it is a gradual process that is helped by a positive attitude and perseverance. This is because of the gradual onset of most hearing losses- a person with a hearing loss will slowly change their concept of what “normal” hearing is to them. With an initial hearing aid fitting, your concept of “normal” hearing will need to be relearned, which can take up to several weeks. You will notice that unimportant sounds will seem both louder and unnatural at first; however, with a little time and patience you will begin to comfortably hear sounds that you haven’t heard for some time as your concept of “normal” hearing is successfully redefined. You will soon find that hearing without you aids is a more and more difficult task. This does not mean that you have become dependent on your aids but that you are more aware of the stress of trying to make sense out of sounds without them.

Why should I wear two hearing aids?

A hearing loss in both ears is best managed with two hearing aids. Binaural hearing provides the most natural hearing experience, maximising sound localization and minimizing auditory deprivation. Binaural hearing also helps with the ability to make sense of speech in noisy situations by helping you to disregard the background noise and focus on speech and to disregard background noise. Aiding only one ear can result in the continuance of a ringing sensation in the unaided ear

Does insurance pay for hearing aids?

There are some insurance providers that are covering hearing aids in Arkansas. If you were a state employee or a teacher with AR Health coverage you are covered for up to $1400 per ear every three years. If you were not a state employee or teacher or do not have AR Health, you can check with your provider. More insurance companies are covering hearing loss than use to. If you discover that you are not covered, there are some other options available like Arkansas Rehab which helps folks with hearing loss who are still working. Additionally there is CareCredit (see below for more information on CareCredit.)

Does Medicaid pay for hearing aids?

At the moment Medicaid does not cover hearing aids.

Do Veteran benefits cover hearing aids?

Yes, some veterans qualify for hearing aids.

We’ll be telling you more about it in the coming weeks, but we did want to let you know that we would be posting pics from the event and tons of new information about the new Sonic.

We had a blast of course. We spent some time on Bourbon Street (naturally), but we also spent a good amount of time meeting with other hearing aid dispensers, audiologists and others in our industry. We take our commitment to providing the best and newest technology for managing hearing loss very seriously so we can pass that on to you.

We were very impressed with the new Flip hearing aid from Sonic Innovations and many of the other new information that we were presented with. It’s safe to say that we are flipping… for flip. (We couldn’t resist the obvious pun!)

Oh, yeah, and Happy Ground Hog Day!

This next part is important:

You will receive an email momentarily with a confirmation link. It will only take a second I promise.

As soon as you click that confirmation link you will get another email with your download link for your free information guide.

We will also send you some great information about hearing aid options and a great way for you to save some money, so keep your eyes out for that over the coming days.

We want to answer any questions you have and schedule you for a free hearing test and consultation.

Every person’s ears are different as well as their needs. For those living more active lives it is beneficial to hear a wider range of sounds. For those with a more calm lifestyle they will find that some of that sound is irritating. This is why you need to speak frankly with us at Arkansas Hearing Aid Center about your needs.

The best way to know which Starkey S Series hearing aid is best for you is to look at the various features each provides.

Starkey S Series Hearing Aids:

• Series 11
• Series 9
• Series 7
• Series 5

The unique positioning of the microphone makes the most of the ear’s naturally sophisticated acoustics to deliver stronger performance in speech understanding, awareness and wind noise protection. So listening becomes much more comfortable and natural.

Natural Directivity

Your ear is shaped to help you prioritize voices and pinpoint where sounds are coming from. Remote microphone hearing aids like the one used in the GN Resound Live hearing aid use this natural design to help you participate in conversations and maintain awareness of your surroundings.

Natural, Undisturbed Sound Quality

Every ReSound Live hearing aid features a revolutionary sound processor that delivers richer, more detailed and more true-to-life sound quality. Additionally, WhistleControl cancels whistling without sacrificing sound quality or audibility.

Natural Wind Noise Protection

Placing the microphone within the contours of the ear minimizes wind noise, so much that in a recent test of remote microphone instrument, 97% stated they weren’t bothered by wind noise. (Source: 2008, trials conducted internally at ReSound.)

To find out more about GN ReSound Live hearing aids, call 501-758-1017 in North Little Rock and talk to schedule a FREE hearing test and consultation.