Broadwater Hearing Care

St. Petersburg

Concerns of COVID-19

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To our valued patients, Given the growing concerns of COVID-19, we wanted to share a few updates on precautions we are implementing in our office. The health and wellness of our patients, their families, and our employees is our first priority. As a team, we continue to monitor and make efforts, at this time, to focus on lessening the spread and impact of this virus. In addition to thoroughly cleaning our office space, we are providing hand sanitizer, audio wipes, and surface wipes as well … [Read more...]

Sudden Hearing Loss

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Sudden Hearing Loss is a Medical Emergency - important article in Healthy Hearing by Joy Victory on Sudden Hearing Loss in One Ear. If you or a loved one has suddenly developed hearing loss, see your doctor right away. While often downplayed as not serious, any new or sudden hearing loss should be taken seriously by you and your healthcare providers. Why? The sooner you get a thorough audiological workup, the better your chances are for a full recovery. Sudden hearing loss usually only … [Read more...]

Nutrition and Hearing

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Great article in Hearing Health Foundation on "How Nutrition Affects our Hearing" by Meagan Rowley. Nutrition is fundamental to health, but seldom does one learn about the relationship between diet and the auditory system. Nutrition and hearing ability are, in fact, connected. There is no specific food that will definitely cause or prevent hearing loss. Likewise, lost hearing cannot be restored through a diet change. However, new research suggests that certain nutrition patterns may … [Read more...]

Rechargeable Batteries vs. Non-Rechargeable Batteries

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Over the last few years, you may have noticed a push toward rechargeable hearing aid batteries. There are some things to keep in mind before you purchase hearing devices. The rechargeable batteries are now on their second generation and have improved greatly. The first generation was pretty bad and I wouldn't recommend that technology unless the patient had a vision or dexterity problem. The new technology is lithium ion and is much more reliable and significantly better. There are … [Read more...]

Why do Ears Clog?

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Informative article on Healthy Hearing contributed by Debbie Clason, on "Why do my Ears feel Clogged?" Here are four of the most common reasons why your ears might feel clogged. Impacted earwax Normally, earwax is the body’s way of protecting the ear. Its sticky consistency traps dirt and other pollutants, act as a lubricant, and because it naturally falls out of the ear canal on its own, serves as a natural self-cleaning agent. On occasion, however, it can become impacted and affect … [Read more...]

Hearing Health and Vitamins

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Do Vitamins contribute to Hearing Health? An informative article in Healthy Hearing contributed by Joy Victory, Managing Editor. Many of us know that vitamin D helps our bones and vitamin A is good for vision, but are there any equivalent vitamins for hearing health? Not exactly, said Dr. Sharon Curhan, MD, a physician and epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston. While there is evidence that a healthy diet is linked to a lower risk of hearing … [Read more...]

Health Benefits of Hearing Aids

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Do hearing aids make you healthier? This is discussed in an article on Healthy Hearing contributed byTemma Ehrenfeld. The links between hearing loss and a host of problems have prompted research on the question of how better hearing might protect you. The impact of hearing aids is a new and growing field, and the findings are mostly upbeat. More than a decade ago, research suggested that hearing aids improve overall quality of life. Hearing loss is far easier to correct than many of the … [Read more...]

Buyer Beware

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In the last two weeks, I have had two patients come in with items that they purchased used off of ebay. Neither turned out well. My first patient bought a bluetooth device to use with his hearing aids. It was three years old and had a rechargeable battery. Rechargeable batteries don't last forever and three years is getting kind of old. This could have been a big problem. The bigger problem was it would not work with his hearing aids without additional equipment. There was also no … [Read more...]

Making Hearing Loss Visible

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In Psychology Today, there is an excellent article by Shari Eberts (founder of Living with Hearing Loss) on 'How to Make Your Hearing Loss less Invisible'. Hearing loss is invisible. It cannot be seen, especially if someone is trying to hide it, which many people with hearing loss still are. Making hearing loss more visible will help us get the assistance that is needed. Since it is invisible, hearing loss is easily overlooked, ignored, or not taken seriously. Nobody would deny … [Read more...]

What is Brain Fog?

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Brain fog is a type of fluctuating cognitive impairment that affects many people suffering from balance disorders (and many other health conditions as well). When your balance system is compromised, your brain has to work much harder to maintain equilibrium, and that constant effort takes a toll on cognitive function. The result is a clouding of consciousness and diminishment of mental energy that can impair concentration, executive function, decision making ability, memory and word … [Read more...]