Summer 2021 E-Newsletter
Enhancing Communication
Beyond Hearing Devices
If you’ve taken the first step toward better hearing by investing in hearing devices, you deserve to be congratulated. But satisfaction is not guaranteed by a simple purchase.

Hearing is not passive. To understand and communicate effectively, you must learn to be a good listener and control your environment to help compensate for your hearing loss, even while wearing hearing devices. To maximize the benefit you receive from your hearing devices:

Commit to wearing your hearing devices. You must become accustomed to hearing sounds you may not have heard for a long time. You may initially find certain sounds irritating. In time, your brain will adjust, and they’ll become normal. Do not stop wearing your hearing devices.

Show off your hearing devices. Inform others you are wearing them. Give others guidance to allow you to communicate effectively. You must face the listener when you talk, tell him or her to speak louder or move the conversation to another room if the environment is too noisy.

Control your environment. If you know you will be in a situation where background noise will interfere with your ability to communicate effectively, formulate a plan. For example, if you plan on dining with friends, look at a
restaurant’s menu online beforehand and decide what you want, eliminating your need to ask the server to repeat menu choices. Arrive early to find seating away from sources of background noise.

Make eye contact. You will discover communication improves when you can evaluate and interpret body language and facial expressions.

Practice your listening skills. Listen to the radio or audiobooks. You can even buy auditory rehabilitative software for your computer to practice listening with background noise.

Be patient. In time, listening with hearing devices will become second nature, and you will hear all the sounds of life.

Remember: Our team is here to support you in every step of your hearing care journey. If you aren’t getting the quality of sound or clarity of communication that you want, contact us today at (301) 738-1415.
Clinic News
The Family Hearing Center at TLC is pleased to welcome Gemma Messina, Au.D., to our audiology team. Dr. Messina earned her master’s in hearing speech and language sciences and her doctorate in audiology from Gallaudet University. She specializes in pediatric audiology and hearing aids and enjoys helping patients find the best solution for their hearing challenges. She is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Messina, contact our team today
It is important to follow these hearing health and maintenance guidelines to maximize the benefits you receive from wearing hearing devices. 
Maintaining Your Hearing Health
1. We recommend you have an audiogram every two years to determine if your hearing devices should be reprogrammed to compensate for any additional loss.
2. Wear your hearing devices daily to allow your brain time to relearn sounds.
3. Do not miss a regularly scheduled checkup.
4. Do not wear someone else’s hearing devices.

Taking Care of Your Hearing Devices
1. Clean your earmolds daily to remove any buildup.
2. Remove your hearing devices before taking a shower or going swimming.
3. Do not expose your hearing devices to hair spray.
4. Do not expose your hearing devices to radiation from X-rays.
5. Do not try to repair your own hearing device.
6. Do not use alcohol or cleaning fluid on any parts.
7. Regularly check the plastic tubing on your hearing device for debris.

Battery Care
1. Replace batteries routinely; the average battery life is seven to 10 days.
2. Memorize the battery size your hearing device requires.
3. Turn off your hearing devices at bedtime, and keep the battery compartment open to allow any moisture to evaporate.
4. Store batteries at room temperature.
5. Do not carry loose batteries in your pocket or purse.
6. When newly purchased, hearing device batteries are sealed with a tab to ensure freshness. Do not remove this tab until you are ready to use the battery. Once you remove the tab, allow the battery to charge for 30-60 seconds before placing it into the hearing device.
Here at The Family Hearing Center at TLC, we have been enjoying this beautiful summer and getting outside, and we know many of you have too. Outdoor summer activities can be lots of fun, but they can also put lots of wear and tear on our hearing devices. Playing at the beach near the sand and water, visiting the pool with family or even hiking outside on hot days with high humidity and sweat can all subject our hearing aids to lots of moisture. While moisture is vital for protecting our bodies, it can be extremely hard on hearing aids.

While hearing aids are built to withstand the rugged environment of your ear, they are still high-level technology that can malfunction if not properly cared for. Be sure to keep your hearing aids out of moist or damp environments.

Below are signs moisture has infiltrated your hearing aids:

• Sound cuts out when there are loud noises.
• Sound fades in regular listening environments.
• You hear a lot of static.
• Sounds are distorted or unclear.
• Your hearing aid stops working completely, even temporarily.

You can do several things at home to try to remedy moisture in your hearing aids.

If you have BTE devices, look in the earmold tubing. If you see moisture droplets, you can purchase an earmold puffer to blow the moisture out. You can also have your earmolds fitted with a moisture-dispersing tube. If you have ITE hearing aids, you can buy a drying device or dehumidifier. This purchase is a small investment to protect your valuable health care technology.

Contact our team right away if your hearing aids are still malfunctioning after trying these methods. Regular maintenance appointments with our team can help protect your investment in hearing aids to ensure you’re having the best sound experience possible.
Regular appointments with our team can help protect and maintain your hearing aids and allow us to adjust your care as your hearing and lifestyle needs change over time. To help you stay on top of your hearing aid care, we’re offering free hearing aid checks this summer, even for out-of-warranty devices.

Call our team to schedule today!  
(301) 738-1415
The Family Hearing Center at TLC | 2092 Gaither Rd Ste 100 Rockville, MD 20850 | 301-738-1415
www.ttlc.org