HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION- OF QUIET CORNER NEWS
JANUARY 2008
A PUBLICATION OF Hearing Loss Association of Quietcorner, AN AFFILIATE OF HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION
OF AMERICA
A NON-PROFIT, TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION P.O. BOX 314, ASHFORD, CONNECTICUT 06278
WEB SITE: http://qcshhh.tripod.com/ E-MAIL: QUIETCORNERSHHH@JUNO.COM
A movement to change the way the world thinks about hearing loss and the way individuals with hearing loss think about
themselves
Next Meeting
At the next meeting, January 12 8th at Ashford Senior Housing (across the street from the Town
Hall), Norm and Pat Rock will discuss the Trip to get the first hearing aid for Pat.
I February we will hold election of officers for the year 2008. Dues are due prior to the voting ($15/person
and $25/family). In addition, Ralph Compagna of Amplisound will give a talk on ‘Micro Hearing Aids with a demo
on loss of sound (45 minutes or less)’.
Last Meeting
We had our Christmas party at the last meeting. The goodies were excellent.
In talks with National we found out we have to start our name with ‘Hearing Loss Association’. The board
voted to change our name to ‘Hearing Loss Association-Quiet Corner. This doesn’t meet with Nationals requirements
as we thought it did and will have to be modified slightly. The board voted on the suggestions of National but National
had other changes they recommended. The Name at the top is one of those suggested by National. The Board will vote
on the Name Change at the next meeting.. Our old name will still be our mailing address, until we have time to change
everything.
Just a reminder- its time to pay your dues. To cover increasing costs the dues were increased to $15/person
and $25/family.
We have included the Absentee Ballot for voting in the February meeting for those that have paid their dues but can’t
make the meeting.
FINALLY, A CLUE TO TINNITUS
By Elizabeth Thompson,
Staff Writer for HEARING HEALTH
By using a combination of electrical recording and imaging to examine the cochlea of rats, Dr Dwight Bergles, PhD and his
colleagues discovered that non-nerve cells in the developing inner ear could initiate electrical activity in the nerves that
carry sound information from the ear to the brain. This is surprising because the non-nerve “supporting” cells
were thought to be bystanders and not involved in the stimulation of nerve cells.
Dr Bergles learned that supporting cells trigger electrical activity in the auditory nerves by releasing a chemical known
as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). After ATP is released, it flows away from the non-nerve cells and causes hair cells to release
yet another chemical messenger, in this case glutamate. This chemical causes the nerve fibers to create brief bursts of electrical
activity that are carried along the fibers to the brain. As this elaborate process occurs before the onset of hearing in these
very young rats, it is as if ATP is taking the place of sound.
If ATP was released by these support cells following an injury, it could lead to the perception of sound when there is
no sound.. We think that this pathway could play a role in the beginning stages of tinnitus, and looking long term, perhaps
a method of future treatment, reported Bergles.
This article edited by Mike Gravitz from the Winter 2008 issue of HEARING HEALTH
The two types of hearing aids are the analog or the digital type. They are designed in a manner such that they increase
the loudness of the sounds reaching the ear drum enabling the hearing impaired people to understand speech better. Basically,
they fill the gap created by hearing loss.
A hearing aid is made up of the following 3 main components:
1. Microphone that will gather the sound waves in the air and converts them from sound energy to electrical impulses.
2. An amplifier which increases the strength of the electrical signal.
3. A receiver that will convert the electrical impulse back into sound energy.
The two types of hearing aid available are the analog and the digital. Both types of hearing aids look similar and
come in different sizes and styles. The difference between them is in the way they process sound and the individual benefits
that they offer.
Analog hearing aids use conventional electronics and amplify the continuous sound
wave by simply making it larger. As these instruments cannot differentiate different sounds, they amplify all sounds equally.
This results in some sounds being too loud while others may be difficult to hear. This can be corrected to a small extent
by adjusting the volume of the instrument.
An advanced version of these types of hearing aid is now available and is known as the Programmable analog hearing aid.
These instruments are equipped with different programs that are saved in it. These programs can be switched on and off
depending on the environment.
The other type of hearing aid is the Digital Hearing Aid. These instruments
takes the incoming signals from the microphone, converts it into a digital format and then processes the signal using digital
technology before converting it back into an analog sound than can be delivered back to the ear.
Digital signal processing allows computer programs known as algorithms to be written that can be customized to each
individual’s hearing loss. The sophisticated versions of digital hearing aids are capable of amplifying the softest
sounds of speech while at the same time subtracting out certain types of unwanted noise and avoiding distortion. Further,
some varieties of digital hearing aids also provide the feature of automatic volume control.
Some of the factors to think about when selecting a digital hearing aid is: Number of channels or bands that it provides
as well as the number of multiple memories and directional microphones that the instrument can support.
Another advantage that the analog types have over the digital ones is the cost factor. While the analog devices cost
about $3000, the digital ones cost about $5600. The high costs of the digital instruments are attributed to the fact that
manufactures have to put in a large amount of resources into research and development.
the A major disadvantage of the digital ones: As the digital hearing aids focus more on clarity than loudness,
it is not suitable for people with profound hearing loss. This is because the circuitry used by digital aids do not provide
as high as amplification as the analogous versions can.
performance!
CORPORATE PROXY—QUIET CORNER SHHH, INC
.The undersigned Member (the “Member”),
___________________________________________________________,
of
(Town)________________________, Connecticut, hereby designate(s)
___________________________________ (the “Proxy”)
as the proxy for the Member, with respect to the member’s membership in QUIET CORNER SHHH, INC.
(the “Corporation”).
By
this designation of proxy, the Member hereby revokes any prior designation of proxy that the Member may have previously given
with respect to the Member’s membership in the Corporation. This designation of proxy shall be effective for the Annual
Meeting of the MEMBERS of the Corporation to be held on February 9, 2008, at 10:30 AM, and at all adjournments of such meeting,
for the purpose of electing the officers and directors of the Corporation.
The Proxy shall have the full power, as
the Member’s substitute, to represent the Member and vote on all issues and motions that are properly presented at the
meeting for which this designation of proxy is effective. The Proxy shall have the authority to vote entirely in the discretion
of the Proxy.
Date of Signing: __________________
SIGNATURE OF MEMBER: _______________________________________________
Print Member’s Name: _____________________________________________________
Membership Application
NAME: _________________________________________ADDRESS: _________________________________________TELEPHONE: _________________________
(TTY: ___YES, ____NO) E-MAIL ADDRESS: _________________________________________ANNUAL ACTIVITY FEE (per Calendar year): SINGLE
$15/YR _____ FAMILY $25/YR _____SPOUSE (if family participation): _________________________________DO YOU REQUIRE ANY ASSISTIVE
LISTENING DEVICES FOR MEETINGS? YES___ NO___ IF YES, PLEASE SPECIFY:________________________________________________________________BRIEF
HISTORY OF HEARING DIFFICULTY:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ARE
YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING ON ANY CHAPTER COMMITTEES, SUCH AS MEMBERSHIP, PUBLICITY, NEWSLETTER, OUT REACH, FUND RAISING?
YES ____ NO ____. IF SO, PLEASE SPECIFY AREA OF INTEREST: ________________________________________________________________ARE
YOU A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, Hearing Loss Association of America, INC.? YES_____ NO _____
Please complete this form with your check payable to QUIET CORNER SHHH, INC., return to QC SHHH @ P. O. Box
314, Ashford CT 06278
QUIET CORNER SHHH, INC.
PO BOX 314
ASHFORD, CT 06278
Officers
President - Norman Babbitt (860) 923-0171 nbabbitt0171@charter.net
Vice President Nance Paulhus (860) 423-4784
Treasurer Robert Balinskas (860) 745-6654 Balinskas@sbcglobal.net
Secretary Ruth Mensing (860) 646-7039 aemensing@snet.net
Board of Directors
Gerald Boone (860) 774-5575
Trudy Carr (860) 877-5069 trudycarr73@hotmail.com
David Kovarovics (860) 429-4690
Nancy Palhus (860) 423-4784
Patricia Rock patrock1944@sbcglobal.net
CAN Operator
Kathy Rivers (860) 202-5297
