Hearing Matters Podcast: Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son, Blaise Delfino, M.S. – HIS, and Dr. Gregory Delfino, Au.D., CCC-A, who treat patients at Audiology Services in Bethlehem and Nazareth, PA.Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

How was your Thanksgiving? That’s the question that most people are hearing from friends and co-workers, now that the holiday is over. This year’s turkey day was exceptionally good for me. A total of 15 of my relatives, including four little ones and two babies, shared the fun and the feast. Before we dug in, we each listed the three things we’re most thankful for. Family and friends topped the list of course, followed by everything from being blessed with good health and being lucky to have an enjoyable job to being grateful for disposable diapers.  After the holiday was over, and I was once again alone in my home, I started to think about all the sounds of the Thanksgiving season. First there’s the doorbell. The sound of the “ding-dong” is a welcome one. It means the guests are starting to arrive, and the festivities are about to begin. Then I thought about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We all crowded around the television and oohed and ahhed at the Rockettes and the gigantic floats and balloons. Sure, there’s closed captioning, but imagine not being able to hear the music from the newest Broadway show or Michael Bublé crooning his latest hit. After the parade, the guys turned on the football game. What would the day be if we couldn’t hear the cheers, the boos, and the actual grunts from the family room as their team scored a touchdown or fumbled?Let’s move to the kitchen where the ladies were gossiping, basting and test-tasting. Finally we heard the long-awaited “ping” from the oven signaling the turkey was done. That meant it was time to call everyone to the table. The clatter of silverware, the request to please pass the gravy and the stories being retold of past Thanksgivings were music to my ears. Eventually there was silence. I welcomed that sound, since nothing signifies satisfaction better than a room-wide silence during a delicious meal. I knew people were stuffing themselves with stuffing.After dinner there was the usual clanking of plates as they were put in the dishwasher, people on the sofa complaining of gluttony, and this year, the sound of Uncle Bob snoring in the lounger.You’re Thanksgiving sounds may not match all of mine, but you get the idea. The ability to hear is a tremendous blessing. So are the hearing instruments and audiologists who fit them. Without hearing aids, I’d still enjoy Thanksgiving, but I’d miss so much. I’d hear bits and pieces, here and there, but it would be like an incomplete puzzle; I wouldn’t get the whole picture. What a shame that would be. Truly.So next year, when we all list what we’re grateful for, I’m putting hearing instruments and my audiologist at the top of my list. Number two will be family and friends. And number three? You’ll have to tune in next year to find out!Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

About the Hearing Matters Podcast The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son, Blaise Delfino, M.S. – HIS, and Dr. Gregory Delfino, Au.D., CCC-A, who treat patients at Audiology Services in Bethlehem and Nazareth, PA. On this episode, Blaise and Dr. Delfino interview Matt Deller, the founding director of the Sounds of the Southwest Singers community choir (SSWS) and the Sounds of the Southwest Chorale (SSWC) from Glendale, Arizona.About Matt DellerMatt has had many opportunities conducting prestigious groups in impressive locations.  In 2010, he made his international conducting debut at the American Cathedral in Berlin, Germany. He also had the privilege of conducting the Arizona Musicfest orchestra during their 2012 season. Matt had the honor of conducting on board the USS Missouri, at Pearl Harbor, HI. He conducted a selection with the Continuo Arts Festival Chorus during High Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. He also directed the SSWS in a solo performance at the Church of St. Mary Magiore in Assisi, Italy.  Matt also had the pleasure of conducting two performances in England at the All Saints Church in Dulwich and at Southwork Cathedral, in London. Probably his most memorable and emotional moment was conducting the Battle Hymn of the Republic on July 4th at the American Cemetery at Normandy, France. He looks forward to making his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in 2022.Matt believes music isn't just notes on the page, but one truly experiences music through emotion and feeling from the heart. The Sounds of the Southwest Singers through his direction has brought their own brand of passion to their music. As you watch him conduct you can see and feel the passion he brings to the music. Under his direction what the performer and listener emotionally take from each performance is evident.Conducting a Choir with a Profound Hearing LossMaestro Deller presents with a Profound Hearing Loss. However, this has not stopped Matt from pursuing a career in music. "I think God gave me a talent. I have a perfect pitch as well, which helps a lot," Matt says. "The best part is I read lips, so when I'm conducting a choir, and they're singing for me, I can tell where the mistakes are by watching the choir."Oticon Xceed Hearing AidsMatt's type and degree of hearing loss warrants a powerful behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing instrument. Recently, Matt's audiologist fit him with Oticon's newest, most powerful BTE: The Oticon Xceed. People with severe-to-profound hearing loss rely on hearing aids to get through each and every day, and it can be extremely challenging to follow the conversation with a group of friends, family members or colleagues. If several people are talking, it becomes harder and even more tiring to make sense of the conversations. With the new groundbreaking technology in Oticon Xceed, patients have the support they need to actively take part in these situations without having to rely on guessing and lip reading. Matt Deller to Conduct at Carnegie HallHow do you get to Carnegie HConnect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

About the Hearing Matters Podcast The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son, Blaise Delfino, M.S. – HIS, and Dr. Gregory Delfino, Au.D., CCC-A, who treat patients at Audiology Services in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA. On this episode, Blaise Delfino talks with Marybeth Lauderdale, chief engagement and collaboration officer at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) in Pittsburgh.A Focus on ChildrenMarybeth knew from the time she was in junior high school that she wanted to be a teacher. She talked to her history teacher, who had a deaf daughter, and she suggested Marybeth teach the deaf. She decided to do exactly that. She taught for many years and has been in her current position for two years. She works with the faculty and students’ parents on programs at the school in Pittsburgh and throughout the state. She came from Illinois, where she was the superintendent of the School for the Deaf and Visually Impaired there.A Varied DayMarybeth loves working with children because it’s so varied. About 25 percent of the students have cochlear implants, so there is a continuum of communication modes at the school. Along with American Sign Language, the school also may use spoken English or a combination of the two. Students of all AgesThere are children at WPSD as young as 5, and there are residential students, who come to school on Monday morning and leave on Friday at noon. Marybeth works with the staff to ensure the acoustics in the classroom are the best to optimize students’ residual hearing. There are five speech and language pathologists, an audiologist, psychologists, and counselors. Together they work on American Sign Language, speech, and audition to maximize every type of communication there is. During COVID, students learned via Zoom. Often the parents would sit in on the Zoom classes as well. The school use spoken English, sign language and captioning to teach during that time. Only about five percent of the students’ have deaf parents. The rest have hearing parents, which is a unique situation. Often the deaf child is the parents’ first baby. These parents, who are usually shocked and upset, take time to grieve. They have experienced a loss. But they are told that getting intervention for their child as soon as possible will be invaluable. Parents are also strongly encouraged to learn sign language, and to include the child in family activities as a participant, not as an observer.Plans for Every StudentWPSD has a Zero to Three-Years Old program. Every baby has a Family Service Plan, and every student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that sets up goals. There is also a transition program for high school students to help them transition into the working world. A team works with them on soft skills, work skills and academic skills. Students go to work placements while they’re in school. Eventually they go to college, get jobs and live lives like everyone else. Schools like WPSD help deaf and hard of hearing people achieve all their goals, even with hearing loss. Sign Language for AllBlaise Delfino encouraged everyone with children, whether hearing or not, to learn baby sign language. This enables parents to know what the child wants before he/she can speak. The child learns simple words like moConnect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

About the Hearing Matters Podcast The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CC, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA. C-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services.Over-the-Counter (OTC)President Biden recently signed an executive order calling on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider issuing proposed rules for hearing aids to be OTC within 120 days. These devices are a new category of hearing aids that consumers will be able to buy directly, without visiting a hearing health professional. They are intended to help adults who believe they have mild-to-moderate hearing loss, at budget friendly prices. However, lower prices often result in lower quality of care.​Hearing loss is unique to each individual, which is why it’s important that licensed, trained hearing health professionals continue to play a key role in a patient’s hearing loss journey.​It is critical OTC hearing aids are properly regulated and labeled to protect Americans’ long-term hearing health.In the absence of proper regulations, companies are currently marketing unregulated, low-quality amplification devices as hearing aids. This has prompted more than 17 states’ attorneys general (AGs) – both Democrats and Republicans – to warn consumers about these harmful products.Listen Carefully A person’s hearing affects all aspects of their life — whether it is listening to the bustling city or cherishing a birthday song from loved ones. Protecting this vital gift should be done with care. If it is damaged, people should be able to access effective, safe devices that help them.Listen Carefully is committed to facilitating greater connection between hearing health professionals and lawmakers to ensure thoughtful, quality solutions for the over 44 million Americans suffering from some degree of hearing loss. Life is loud, so you must listen carefully.Why Now?Recent conversations in Washington discussing access to, and utilization of, hearing aids have narrowly focused on cost, rather than the many factors that keep people from seeking help, such as they believe they can hear well enough, believe they are too young to need hearing aids, or are embarrassed to wear them. Listen Carefully aims to shed a light on all aspects of hearing loss to better inform our leaders as they formulate solutions directly impacting the long-term health of millions of Americans living with hearing loss.Hearing Healthcare Model Getting your hearing checked should be routine, like getting your teeth cleaned. Because each ear is unique, hearing loss requires personalized care through a trained, licensed hearing health professional. With an abundance of hearing health options coming to market and varied information being shared, it is important that individuals affected by hearing loss are provided the right tools to make informed decisions. After all, hearing health is directly connected to overall health and well-being. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

About the Hearing Matters Podcast The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CC, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA. C-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services.In this episode, Blaise Delfino speaks with Mary Ann Stefko, an interventionist at the Scranton School for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children. A Lifelong PassionAs a child, Mary Ann had a deaf friend at the Scranton School for the Deaf, whom she visited regularly. It was there she learned ASL. She knew then she wanted to work with the deaf and hard of hearing, particularly babies.Teaching Babies to SignMary Ann says teaching what’s known as “baby sign language” to children with hearing loss is vital. The non-verbal child learns simple words using hand signals, such as “milk,” “mommy” and “daddy.” By teaching baby sign language, the neural pathways needed to communicate are created. Speech is a neuro muscular process, while language is a code of shared ideas. Newborn Hearing Screenings are CriticalNewborn screenings were a pivotal point in the hearing healthcare field. 30 years ago, it was not uncommon for a child to be diagnosed with hearing loss for the first time at age 3, 4 or even 5. These screenings have made a huge difference for children with unilateral hearing loss. Often this type of hearing loss wasn’t diagnosed until grade school when background noise became an issue. Now children can get appropriate amplification and families learn sooner how hearing loss effects learning. Children are meeting milestones they would not have met without newborn screenings.  Technology Has BoomedThe technology of hearing instruments has changed dramatically over the years, from large hearing aids worn on the body to today’s small, inconspicuous hearing instruments that fit in the ear. In addition, technology in general has leveled the playing field for those who have hearing loss. Deaf and hard of hearing students learn to use computers and other technology when they are in preschool. They become quite techno-savvy and have the same opportunities in all areas of life as their hearing peers.Dr. Gregory Delfino adds that children who are identified very early and get amplification during the critical language learning period are doing great things with their lives. They don’t let their hearing loss stop them, and go on to live full, happy productive lives, including getting advanced degrees, having loving families and great jobs.A Team ApproachIt is essential that parents of hard of hearing or deaf children understand that helping their children is a team effort. Very few heard of hearing children are born to parents who expect this. Parents are encouraged to go through the process with hearing healthcare professionals. They need to work with an audiologist to get their child the best amplification possible. They also need to understand that they should not lower their expectations for their child. Given the right tools, children with hearing loss will thrive and their possibilities will be endless. An Incredible JourneyMary Ann says her journey as an interventioniConnect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

About the Hearing Matters Podcast The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CC, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA. C-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services.In this episode, Blaise Delfino speaks with Audiology Services patient Richard Taylor about hearing loss and getting hearing instruments. A Lifetime in the Printing IndustryMr. Taylor spent his entire career, 50 years, in the printing business. He did not use hearing protection, although as the owner of a printing company, he encouraged his workers who ran the presses to do so. They would wear headphones or some form of hearing protection when he was there, but we he went on sales calls, they would take them off. They claimed they couldn’t adjust to wearing them, and that they were uncomfortable.In the NavyMr. Taylor also spent several years in the Navy aboard aircraft carriers, where he says, it was impossible to get away from the noise. It was noisy 24/7.Mr. Taylor didn’t think much about his hearing loss, until his daughter, Pam, made him aware of it. Also a patient at Audiology Services, Pam took her father to see the practitioners at the age of 90. He put off getting hearing aids because of vanity.Most People Delay Getting HelpDr. Gregory Delfino says most people delay getting hearing instruments because of the way they look and the stigma that “only old people get hearing aids.” Usually once people get hearing instruments and find out how wonderful it is to hear again, they no longer care about how the hearing aids look.  Mr. Taylor says he is so happy to have gotten hearing instruments. He can’t say enough good things about them. He says it’s like having a whole new life. He encourages everyone who has hearing problems to get help. He adds that if a person has financial problems, that can be worked out with the audiologist. There are a number of payment plans and a variety of prices to fit every budget. Audiology Services now offers a leasing plan, with the lowest costing hearing aids at $15/month.Blaise adds that the cost of untreated hearing loss is much greater than that of hearing aids. Untreated hearing loss has a number of comorbidities, including dementia, diabetes, heart disease and many other chronic diseases.A Whole New WorldMr. Taylor says he’ll never forget the day he left Audiology Services with his new hearing instruments. He heard a bird chirping and was just delighted. He says it was an emotional moment. He waited 90 years but now can hear. He strongly advises anyone who is having trouble hearing to get fitted with hearing instruments. He says, “Don’t ignore hearing loss another day.”Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

About the Hearing Matters PodcastThe Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S., HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CCC-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA. What are Best Practices?Dr. Beck explains that best practices are not set by individuals in the hearing healthcare profession. They are determined and codified by a group of national organizations. The International Hearing Society, the American Academy of Audiology, and the American Speech and Language Hearing Association assemble groups of experts, who come together and decide what practitioners need to do for their patients. They use outcomes-based research to make their determinations.Best practices include, but are not limited to: air and bone conduction, word recognition, speech reception thresholds, otoacoustic missions, ipsi and contralateral reflexes, tympanometry, speech in noise testing, and communication and listening assessments.Why are Best Practices Important?Best practices follow the primary thought used by physicians: diagnose first, treat second. A physician will not prescribe antibiotics simply because a person has a cold. The cold could be caused by a virus, and antibiotics would not help. As with medical care, hearing healthcare is not one size fits all. Research has shown that people who go to practitioners who use best practices do much better than those who do not. Audiology Service strictly adheres to best practices, and only one percent of patients return because they are unhappy with their hearing instruments.Real Ear MeasurementA procedure known as real ear verifies that the fitting the practitioner does is meeting the standards and is giving the patient the best possible hearing experience and meeting his/her goals. About 50 percent of hearing healthcare practitioners use real ear, but only about one in five use it on every patient. To do real ear the practitioner inserts an incredibly small microphone into the ear canal within five millimeters of the ear drum. A measurement is taken to determine how the patient’s ear canal responds to sound. The measurement is taken again with the hearing aid in the patient’s ear. The practitioner measures to determine if the hearing aid is producing the sound curve that is correct. If not, the patient may hear loud noises too loudly and soft noises not loud enough. The practitioner wants to get the most power for the quietest sounds and not increase the power when a sound is normally loud to the patient. If a hearing aid is not adjusted properly with real ear, the patient may suffer damage to his/her auditory system.Discussions with the PatientDr. Beck explains that having a discussion with the patient is far better than giving him/her a questionnaire to fill out. It helps the patient feel secure with the practitioner’s expertise and gives the practitioner the chance to fully understand what the patient is experiencing and how best to fix the problem(s).Audiology Services Follows Best PracticesDr. Gregory Delfino reports that the clinicians at Audiology Services treat every patient as if they were family. ThConnect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

About the Hearing Matters Podcast The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S., HIS, and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CCC-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast