Sometimes hearing issues creep up on us. We might find that we occasionally miss-hear something, or not at all, and just shrug it off. You may be unaware of how much impact your hearing issues are having on the way you live your life. Aural care and hearing technologies are amazing these days – they could dramatically change your quality of life. Take Milazzo, for example …

Mike is the owner of MJP Construction and has lived with hearing loss for most of his life. Because of his tendency for ear infections when he was a kid, his hearing started deteriorating at a very young age.

“I noticed I wasn’t hearing the full conversation,” says Mike. “My crews laughed at me.” They weren’t being mean, of course, it was just a little running joke. But it’s fair to say that there was growing concern among his colleagues about the state of his hearing.

Mike then began to notice that he was struggling to understand and communicate with his then 8-year-old grandson. If he couldn’t quite make out what he was saying, he would just respond with “cool,” instead of admitting that he hadn’t heard him properly. This is all quite amusing, but it did lead to a few near misses as well! On one occasion, Mike’s grandson hurt himself quite badly, to which he replied, “Cool!”

Following a severe bone infection, the doctors at Scottsdale Ear, Nose, and Throat recommended Mike get hearing aids. His first words after getting fit by Dr. Deb Hamila: “I can hear!” Forgotten sounds and sensations came bursting back into his life! Mike especially appreciates the birds chirping in the morning, a sound which he had long stopped hearing.

Hearing aids have made it immeasurably easier for him to do his work. Always on the go, Mike streams phone calls on his iPhone directly to his hearing aids, which is pretty awesome. Hearing tech has come a long way in the last decade – not only can you do cool stuff like stream phone calls directly into your ear, but the design makes them barely visible. Gone are the days when you would have had to walk around with a huge lump of plastic hanging off your ear!  “They’re a part of me now,” he exclaims. “I can’t survive without them.” However, this doesn’t mean his colleagues don’t test him from time to time, by figuring out how far away they can be while saying something to him. They are surprised when he responds with, “I heard that.”

His advice to anyone having trouble keeping up with their hearing is this: “Go see Dr. Heiland, he is an amazing doctor, he cares for me.” The praise doesn’t stop there. He expresses, at length, his appreciation for the whole staff from the front desk, to the back office and his audiologist, Deb Hamila. “They show the love. Love comes through.” We couldn’t ask for a better compliment then that.

If you suspect you might have a hearing issue, then why not get in touch and book a hearing test with us? The key to an enhanced and improved way of life might be just around the corner!

 

To book an appointment give us a call at (480) 684-1080 or you can drop us an e-mail at commerciofront@luxsci.net.

Do you know somebody that needs to see this? Why not share it?

Dr. Debra L. Hamila, Au.D., CCC/A

Debra Hamila received her master’s degree in audiology from Cleveland State University and her Au.D. from Arizona School of Health Sciences and has been a practicing audiologist for more than 33 years. She has worked in a variety of ENT offices, hospital, and clinical settings.
    You don’t realise you’re walking with a rock in your shoe until you’re able to hear again – Regina’s Story

    Regina has suffered from hearing problems since she was an infant, recognized as regular chronic ear infections. And, as with unfortunate events, she has experienced a multitude of audiology catastrophes.

    It was many years before Regina crossed paths with Scottsdale Ear, Nose & Throat; where her lifetime of hearing problems was addressed effectively and treated with the delicate care that she desperately required.

    Regina’s journey began when she was taken to a regular paediatrician by her mother from a young age. Her ears were, what we describe as an audiologists recipe for disaster, ‘flushed out’.

    This dangerous procedure caused a nasty infection, which spread to her mastoid bone and, at the age of 15, she underwent a tympanoplasty mastoidectomy to stop the infection spreading. This only forbade her future struggles with hearing loss. 

    As with poor diagnosis, Regina was faced with another canaloplasty which didn’t work. Soon after, she received a BAHA, which is a cochlear implant in her skull that acts as a sound processor that detects sound and transforms it into vibrations. 

    However, suffering from a history of poor hearing care, she was unaware of the former issues her ear presented.

    By now, this would be described as any audiologists nightmare. But, we’re proud to have helped Regina on her road to optimum hearing and reconnect her to her loved ones.

    When she arrived at Scottsdale Ear, Nose & Throat it was evident that she was losing hearing on her right side. At this point, she was fitted with a ReSound hearing device, which provided the catalyst to a new and improved hearing.

    The first thing Regina noticed was the indefinite sound she had been making whilst emptying the dishwasher, completely unaware of the noise she was making!

    “I mean, the detail that I can hear now it’s like, Whoa, I didn’t realize I was making that much noise. I need to be quieter!”

    Treated with professional care, Regina received a comprehensive hearing assessment with Dr. Debra Hamila.

    “I just love, love, love Dr. Hamila, she is such a professional and loving person. I was so impressed with the office and what she did with the ReSound, I just love her.”

    Like many others, it takes years for people to realize they have a hearing problem. Regina described this moment as life-changing.

    “You don’t realise you’re walking with a rock in your shoe until you’re able to hear again. Especially now I’m a full-time Grammy Nanny, I can hear so much more and it has enriched my life incredibly.”

    What advice would you give to someone who is deliberating on taking the first step towards better hearing?

    “My advice to them would be to have a hearing test. Especially as we age our hearing goes down. It’s really unfortunate that people carry their pride and are not willing to learn to walk with the rock in their shoe. You don’t realise you’re waking with a rock in your shoe until you’re able to hear again.”

    Regina is one of many patients who has been impacted by our audiological services and we are proud to have been able to provide the tool towards better hearing and a lifetime of many more memories.