Page 38 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2019- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

by Gayle Willson

How Does Spring Sound?

Have you ever wondered how your mind just goes indicate other general health issues. Speaking of cold and
off on a rabbit trail of thought? I start thinking of flu season, many medications can affect your hearing levels.
spring, and end up with, “I can’t hear my doctor!” Always take advantage of the hearing screenings offered at
health fairs, and if further testing is suggested, please follow
The springtime of the year is welcomed with warmer through with this recommendation.
days, the sounds of birds chirping, bees buzzing and,
many times, the remaining symptoms of allergies, At Grand Hearing Center, we offer FREE hearing screenings
colds or flu. This time of year makes us think of to answer your questions. We also offer FREE ear canal
getting outdoors more, doing yard work and planting inspections because sometimes a hearing problem is due to
flowers. But lingering ailments often accompany a wax build-up in the canal. We also clean and service your
the more pleasant sights and sounds and send us to hearing aids, have batteries and filters and repair all makes of
the doctor more frequently. Visits to the doctor can hearing aids.
be frustrating if, after the visit, you can’t remember
what he or she said because you couldn’t hear. Or Blair and Gayle Willson and Polly Wampler welcome you
maybe you could hear but could not understand. If in our office for a cup of coffee and a warm smile. Come
you wear hearing aids, you might need an adjustment visit one of our South Plains area offices in Lubbock and
or customized program for a “soft speaker” (the Plainview.
doctor), or you might consider an amplified device
to take to appointments, which will enhance volume,
in addition to a hearing aid. This device is not used
in place of a hearing aid but in addition to it. We also
recommend to doctors that they keep one on hand in
their offices for patients’ use.

The Personal Sound Amplification Product (PSAP)
is a great asset for even your everyday activities:
watching television, hearing a speaker at a meeting or
allowing grandchildren to “talk into the microphone”
for you. One of our patients was a school bus driver,
and the children on his bus loved to greet him by
talking into his “hearing helper”. There are many
brands on the market that all have very different
qualities of sound, and as anything else, you get
what you pay for. Come by our office, so we can
demonstrate how these devices can improve your
quality of life. Not everyone who has a hearing loss
needs a hearing aid, but most could benefit by a PSAP
on special occasions.

We also want to remind you that, for BEST
understanding, you should have your hearing
screened, tested, and evaluated to determine if
hearing aids might help. We recommend a yearly
baseline screening, so it can be noted if you have
any changes in your hearing. Changes might also

38 Lubbock Senior Link