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Personalized care at affordable prices. Harmony Audiology is pleased to offer the following: We take the time to listen and understand your needs. The best hearing healthcare in your neighborhood. Call (831) 854-2882 and make an appointment to help improve your hearing today 820 Bay Avenue Suite 210 Capitola, CA 95010 www.harmonyaudiology.com • Comprehensive hearing evaluations • Communication needs assessments • Hearing aid selection and fittings • Compassionate person-centered care • Tinnitus evaluation and management • Auditory training (single and group classes) • Affordable pricing - pay only for what you need • Hearing protection • Locally owned • American Board of Audiology certified JeanneAnne Ramacho-Talley, Doctor of Audiology THE IMPORTANCE OF HEARING AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF OUR LIVES "I I put my milk in the frig so I can have it tomorrow." My two and half year old said this. I am so impressed and struck by how quickly her language skills have developed. And yet, it feels like just yesterday all she could say was "mamamama." From birth to toddlerhood, there are huge jumps in mental, physical, and emotional development - all of which play a part in communication skills. Hearing (and understanding) are a big part of communication, and it develops early. Babies can "hear" in the womb. The cochlea, or hearing organ, begins development around 3 weeks in an embryo. By about 20 weeks, the it is completely formed. Soon after, mothers report a response to their voice and other environmental sounds. Even in the womb, a baby begins to experience the world through sound. Infants can be woken up or startled by sounds, and they can be soothed by singing or white noise. More importantly, they are now exposed to language. In order to practice talking, you need to hear the words. As the infant grows, they begin to "babble" or practice "talking." In order for the baby to mimic and "talk," it must be able to hear. This is why at birth, hearing is screened. A simple, non-invasive test is administered to determine if a newborn's auditory system can detect soft sounds. When a child reaches toddlerhood, their language skills develop exponentially. First a toddler learns vocabulary words, then they start to develop sentence structure by putting words together like "My milk" or "More cookie." Hearing loss in childhood. Often times in childhood ear infections occur. Sometimes congestion or fluid can build up and prevent a child from hearing well. Most of the time this kind of hearing loss will resolve, either on its own or with treatment like medication (e.g., antibiotics) or minor surgery (placement of tubes in the eardrum). But waiting too long can impact the child's ability to hear at home and at school. Learning and safety become impacted. Sometimes a hearing loss is not suspected until a parent, teacher, or pediatrician notes a delay in speech or language development. If a permanent hearing loss is found, different treatment options are discussed. This ranges from hearing aids, cochlear implants, or learning a different mode of communication like American Sign Language, Cued Speech, or Total Communication. Protecting your hearing is important. At adolescence and early adulthood, language skills are mastered. But now focus is on protecting hearing from damaging noise exposure at home (recreational sounds like loud music from headphones or speakers, shooting/ hunting, or motorcycles) or at work (power tools or machinery). Noise damage is not necessarily immediate, but it is cumulative. Over time, continued exposure to hazardous levels of sounds can permanently damage hearing. Keep an eye … on your ears! To keep track of hearing, a baseline hearing test before age 50 is recommended. Hearing loss is usually very gradual and small changes are often compensated for very easily. Often times others will notice a hearing loss first. If you suspect a hearing loss in your child or loved one, talk to your physician about getting a hearing test. by JeanneAnne Ramacho-Talley, Au.D., CCC-A bigstock.com