According to the St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management website, Outdoor Warning Devices are only meant to be heard outdoors:

"Outdoor warning devices are intended to warn those who are outside when they are sounded.  They are not intended to penetrate inside a structure, especially considering ambient noise and insulation.  Please augment your safety by purchasing a Weather Alert receiver!"

Residents are not expected to hear the tornado and weather sirens from inside their homes, especially those with hearing loss. It is recommended that everyone own a weather radio to alert them to bad weather and tornadoes.  For those who have hearing loss and may not hear the weather radio alerts, they can purchase systems to attach to the radio which would utilize bed shakers, strobe lights or extra loud sounds to alert them.

The recommended radios are NOAA weather radios with an external device jack to plug in an additional alerting device. The NOAA radios can be purached at any electronic store.  You can also purchase a Sonic Shaker alarm clock, which has the bed shaker and extra loud alarm sounds, at Midwest ENT Centre.  Call the Audiology Department for details.

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells found in the inner ear.  Hair cells are small sensory cells that convert the sounds we hear (sound energy) into electrical signals sent to the brain.  Once damaged our hair cells cannot grow back, causing permanent hearing loss.

The Cost of Losing Your Hearing
When you lose your hearing, thee is a loss to your quality of life.  Untreated hearing loss may:

• Strain relationships with family, friends, and/or co-workers.
• Stop you from doing the things you used to enjoy.
• Impact your earning power on the job.
• Reduce your ability to understand what people are saying

Preventing Hearing Loss
Although hearing loss is a common effect of aging, some Americans are starting to lose their hearing earlier in life as a result of exposure to noise, noise-induced hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.

Wear hearing protection such as ear plus and earmuffs when being exposed to levels of noise over 85 decibels (dB) for extended periods of time. (Look for the NRR rating to know the approximate dB reduction the ear protection provides.)

A quick reference for levels of noise:

• 60 dB - Normal conversations or dishwashers
• 80 dB - Alarm clocks
• 90 dB - Hair dryers, blenders, and lawnmowers
• 100 dB - MP3 players at full volume
• 110 dB - Concerts, car racing, and sporting events
• 120 dB - Jet planes at take off
• 130 dB - Ambulances and fire engine sirens
• 140 dB - Gun shots, fireworks, and custom car stereos at full volume

*reported by the American Academy of Audiology

Parents: Do You Understand The Effects Of Hearing Loss On Your Child's Development?
 

National Awareness Month Educates Parents About Hearing Disorders Affecting School Performance

Hearing is critical to a child's speech and language development, communication, and learning, yet children with hearing problems continue to be an underidentified and underserved population.

This May, as part of Better Hearing and Speech Month, Midwest ENT Centre is urging parents to take their child for a hearing screening if they suspect a problem.

Warning to Parents: The earlier a hearing loss occurs in a child's life, the more serious the potential effects on the child's development. However, the earlier the problem is identified and intervention begins, the less serious the ultimate impact will be.

There are four major ways in which hearing loss affects a child:

• It causes delays in the development of receptive and expressive communication skills (the child's speech and language skills develop more slowly).
• The language deficit adversely affects the child's vocabulary, sentence structure, and speaking ability, causing learning problems that result in reduced academic achievement.
• These learning and academic problems often lead to social isolation and poor self-esteem.
• The inability of the child to effectively communicate and socialize with others and the low self-esteem that often occurs frequently have a detrimental impact on the child's future vocational choices.

What Can Parents Do? 

Research indicates that children identified with a hearing loss who begin services early may be able to develop language (spoken and/or signed) on a par with their hearing peers. If a hearing loss is detected in your child, early family-centered intervention is recommended to promote language (speech and/or signed, depending on family choices) and cognitive development. An audiologist, as part of an interdisciplinary team of professionals, will evaluate your child and suggest the most appropriate audiologic intervention program.

For more information about hearing disorders and prevention, visit www.asha.org  or visit our website at  www.mid-westent.com

Midwest ENT Centre's Audiology Department is home to highly educated, trained and certified clinical audiologists .

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 145,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders. www.asha.org/.

MISSOURI ASSITIVE TECHNOLOGY

“The mission of Missouri Assistive Technology is to increase access to assistive technology for Missourians with all types of disabilities, of all ages.”

Telecommunications Access Program for Telephone

“Missouri TAP for Telephone is designed to provide adaptive telephone equipment and telephone signaling devices for individuals with disabilities in Missouri.  A full range of adaptive equipment is provided at no cost to meet the needs of individuals with all types of disabilities.  Missouri TAP for Telephone can provide access to basic voice telephone calling and receiving for individuals with all types of disabilities through delivery of adaptive telephone equipment…”

For more information about this program and for eligibility, visit  http://www.at.mo.gov/tap_telephone.html

Missouri Assistive Technology works with 29 demo center sites in the state of Missouri, located at Centers for Independent Living. To find the closest demo center nearest you, visit  http://www.at.mo.gov/regions.htm
Please contact the demo center to schedule an appointment for your demonstration. 

If you or someone you know is living with hearing loss and would like to learn more about support and advocacy, the audiologists at Midwest ENT Centre recommend visiting the Hearing Loss Association of America’s (HLAA) website at www.hearingloss.org.

“The Hearing Loss Association of America is the nation’s largest organization for people with hearing loss…HLAA provides assistance and resources for people with hearing loss and their families to learn how to adjust to living with hearing loss. HLAA is working to eradicate the stigma associated with hearing loss and raise public awareness about the need for prevention, treatment, and regular hearing screenings throughout life.”

“The St. Louis chapter exists to provide local support to those living with hearing loss. Our members consist of not only individuals with various levels of hearing loss, but also people who care about someone with hearing loss.”  Visit http://www.hearinglossstl.org/