How Traumatic Brain Injury Affects Hearing

How Traumatic Brain Injury Affects Hearing
By Lynn Fugaro

Hearing problems are quite common after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) because the inner ear is directly connected to the central nervous system. Ringing in the ear (tinnitus) and hearing loss are two of the most widely reported side effects of a traumatic brain injury. Some other hearing problems that may occur following a brain injury include hyperacusis (normal situations seem very loud); difficulty filtering one set of sounds from background noise; and auditory agnosia (also called pure word deafness). Auditory agnosia is a condition in which the person is unable to recognize the meanings of certain sounds.

Following a TBI, hearing problems can occur for a number of reasons, both mechanical and neurological, particularly when the inner ear and/or temporal lobes have been damaged. External bleeding in the ear canal, middle ear damage, cochlear injury and/or temporal lobe lesions can all cause auditory dysfunction.

Children who suffer TBI typically face additional problems in the areas of communication, acquiring new information, spatial orientation, task completion, impulse control, and social conversation.

The inner ear is made up of a series of delicate membranes, which can easily rupture during a head trauma. The cochlea, which is the important spiral-shaped bone in the ear, can be damaged by a strong blow to the head causing hearing damage. Other types of membrane damage may cause hearing loss as well as dizziness (vertigo) and nausea. Sometimes, surgery can correct damage to the inner ear.

Because hearing loss limits or takes away one of the primary means we use to communicate, hearing loss has the potential to complicate many of the other side effects of brain damage, mainly cognitive and social problems. Many TBI victims already suffer cognitive issues such as trouble finding words, and these problems are only exacerbated if the patient cannot hear what is going on around him.

Fortunately, for some TBI victims, hearing problems disappear a few weeks after the accident that led to the patient's brain damage, but other hearing problems will last indefinitely. Since many hearing problems cannot even be detected by the patient himself after the TBI, it is recommended that anyone suffering a traumatic brain injury be evaluated by an audiologist, even if nothing appears to be wrong with the victim's hearing.

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury in Houston or anywhere in Texas, please contact the experienced Brain Injury Attorneys at Kennedy Hodges L.L.P.

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My Body: Ears and Hearing
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Kids' Health - Topics - Ears - hearing problems
14 Mar 2008 ... Some people have to work much harder at listening because their ears do not hear very well, or they may have a problem being able to ...www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=152&id=1603 - 40k

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Hearing Aids To Best Suit Your Needs

Hearing Aids To Best Suit Your Needs
By Robert Thatcher

Studies show that one-tenth of the American population is hearing-impaired. Over the years, hearing aids have helped a great deal in eliminating this deficiency.

Hearing aids are small audio devices which are attached to the ears. Most models now are hidden to a casual observer. They offer a superior sound quality which helps lessen, if not eliminate, the loss of hearing.

As technology evolves, the science behind manufacturing hearing aids have become more and more advanced.

Here are the three basic types of hearing aids:

1. Conventional hearing aids

These are the very first types and brands of hearing aids which were realeased in the market.

Although not as technologically advanced as the programmable digital hearing aids, the conventional type can be adjusted in a way that will fit the user's needs.

With this type, the volume is manually adjusted by the user. The sound can be turned up or down, depending on the softness or loudness of the source of sound.

The only minor disadvantage of this type of hearing aids is that if a person's hearing loss level improves or worsens, it must be sent back to the manufacturer so that adjustments can be made.This can be quite inconvenient for the user.

2. Programmable hearing aids

This is more advanced in terms of technology, as compared to the conventional type.

Programmable hearing aids have adjustable circuits which may be adjusted, depending on the user's level of hearing.

The volume control is automatic, making life easier for the patient.

3. Digital hearing aids

Depending on the patient's needs, a digital hearing aid may be ordered to suit a specific situation.

This is by far the best and most convenient type to use.

There are hearing health care professionals whose job is to find the hearing aid that will be beneficial for the user.

The patient's lifestyle and level of hearing loss is considered when looking for the best hearing aid to buy.

Digital hearing aids also feature an automatic volume control.

However, it may take one or two visits to a health care professional before the settings of the hearing aid can be adjusted to the user's satisfaction.

Physically, this type of hearing aid is easier to wear and is kinder to the ears.

The circuit within the hearing aid automatically increases or decreases the level of sound.

There is a microphone and an amplifier that gathers and adjusts the sound respectively.

Finally, the speaker transmits the byproduct of the altered and digitally-enhanced sound to the user's ears.

The downside is that this type of hearing aid is more expensive than the programmable and conventional hearing aids.

Still, once you have invested in a digital hearing aid, it will surely be convenient for you and will fit into any lifestyle.

4. Disposable hearing aids

This type offers the sound quality of a conventional hearing aid and is more cost-effective than its more technologically-advanced counterparts.

Disposable hearing aids have a shorter shelf-life. They can last 40 days at most, and once the battery expires, a new one should be purchased.

To choose a hearing aid that is right for you, make sure that you consult your ear doctor or otologist/audiologist.

When consulting a professional to choose the right hearing aid for you, give them an overview of your lifestyle and budget to determine the best hearing aid that will suit your needs.

Finally, try it out for a few days and if you find that the hearing aid that you bought does not fit your ear, your needs and your way of living, go back to your health care professional so that another type can be purchased.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides hearing aid resources on http://www.hearing-aid-center.info.

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Hearing Loss and the Games Children Play

Hearing Loss and the Games Children Play
By Jill Blodgett

Today in the newspaper there was an article about a Welsh company that developed a device called the mosquito. The device emitts a high pitch sound and was marketed as an ultra sonic teenager repellent. The whole idea is based on the fact that adults gradually lose their ability to hear high pitched tones as they age. The device was popular with shopkeepers in England who would use it outside their shops where teenages loitered.

The device, intended to benefit adults, has been turned against them. The mosquito noise has been reinvented as a cell phone ring tone. Kids are downloading the ring tone from the internet and using it in school and other places where they aren't allowed to have their cell phones on. The phone rings or beeps for a text message and the teacher never knows!

This article made me laugh because years ago when I used to jog with my teenager there was a certain place on a street we went down where she would cover her ears and complain about a noise, a high pitched squeal, that hurt her ears. I thought she was crazy because I couldn't hear a thing. She is vindicated!

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Go Beyond Hearing and Listen Listen Listen

Go Beyond Hearing and Listen, Listen, Listen
By Bette Daoust, Ph.D.

If we listened twice as much as we talked, we would be a lot further down the road to success. People sometimes think I am very quiet when they first meet me. Those that know me are aware that I am quite the opposite. When I am in a setting where I do not know anyone, I spend my time listening to conversations. I pick up good information about most people at the event. Once I feel I have enough to go on, I will put my hat in the ring and speak up. If most people did the same thing, they would learn how to participate in a conversation. Not only do you have to listen to conversations, you actually have to hear what they are saying. It is only through hearing that you will gain an understanding. I am not saying you need to understand every conversation but you do need to understand enough to make an intelligent comment to get into the circle.

Another way to get into a conversation is to reiterate what you have just heard. I use, did I hear you say . . . . .? The response is usually yes and then they continue to explain why they said it. This is your opportunity to follow up with your comments. You must continue to listen and hear throughout any conversation and only make a comment when you know exactly what you are talking about. I made a fatal error once when someone was arguing a point and I agreed with them. They then asked me how I knew about the subject. I was dumb-founded and could not answer as I was not really hearing what they said, I was just listening in. I felt very foolish and now I make sure I hear the words and understand them before agreeing. There is nothing like an embarrassing moment to straighten up your habits.

When you attend events and spend your time adding to conversations, you are really taking in information that will be valuable for you at another time. You will get to know the participants in the conversation and perhaps even exchange business cards. You may also find that you have common interests.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. is a speaker, author (over 170 books, articles, and publications), and consultant. She has provided marketing, sales, business development and training expertise for companies such as Peet's Coffee & Tea, Varian Medical Systems, Accenture, Avaya, Cisco Systems to name a few. Dr. Daoust has also done extensive work with small businesses in developing their marketing, training, and operational plans. You may contact Dr. Daoust at http://BizMechanix.com. You may also view her latest publications at http://BlueprintBooks.com. Dr. Daoust also writes for the National Networker http://theNationalNetworker.com.

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Designer Hearing Aids

Designer Hearing Aids
By Steve Joseph

It seems that the latest craze to grace the catwalks is hearing devices! Yes, I said hearing devices. The interest has been astounding as high revenues created by an aging baby boomer generation have caused some hearing aid designers to abandon previous efforts to conceal hearing aids in favor of making them the latest must have fashion accessory. An incredible revolution has already taken place in the world of eyewear, and it appears that hearing aids are starting to catch up.

For years hearing aid manufacturers have all fought to gain supremacy in the hearing aid market with smaller hearing devices aimed at a level of subtlety that bordered invisibility. People with hearing loss were able to discard their comparatively bulky behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids in favor of aids that fit inconspicuously into the ear canal, although the small aids did come at a cost. Obviously smaller hearing aids drew on expensive technology which was reflected in the cost, but the other sacrifice was in the quality of sound that the aid delivered. Due to the small size, speaker volume and the ability to counter ambient sounds was somewhat sacrificed. Such compromises for micro technology had been popular in the past, but reports say that the market appears to be shifting dramatically. As a new breed of hearing impaired people begins to opt for fashionable and functional hearing aids, a whole new world of opportunity has been opened to development teams.

The revolution in fashionable hearing aids is allowing designers to incorporate a much wider array of feature that simply werent possible with the mini aids. Since designers have more room to work with, options like Goldfish, (which allows the user to replay the last 10 seconds of audio just incase something like a name was missed) can now be offered. These advances are set to redefine the negative stigma that has traditionally been attached to hearing aids.

In fact the designers of these new stylish aids claim that hearing aids may even attract customers without hearing loss. That would appear somewhat optimistic to believe for now, but these more attractive and useful hearing aids look certain to deliver a clearer level of sound deaf people that so far has proven elusive.

The author is a regular contributor to http://www.discountaids.com and permission to reproduce this article is given only on the basis that all links remain active and intact.

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Hearing Voices and Talking to Voices: Invite Them In

Hearing Voices and Talking to Voices: Invite Them In
By Louis Tinnin

Hearing voices does not mean you are crazy. This is so even when a voice tells you to commit suicide or to kill someone else. People do sometimes obey those commands and this fact makes it urgent to do something about command hallucinations. Many common attempts to do something are simply futile. One cannot close ones ears to the voices. Medications dull consciousness long before affecting the voice. Auditory hallucinations often persist even after electroshock treatment. Such treatment efforts are protracted and demoralizing to the person and the end point is usually an uncertain claim that the voices are gone.

An entirely different approach to dealing with voices is recommended by some clinicians that work with trauma, which is the most common origin of voices. They say, talk to the voices. They explain the voices as vocal parts of yourself that have their own ideas and opinions. If you are willing to negotiate with them you may be able to help them become less extreme in their efforts to participate in your life. First, it will help to learn more about their nature and their role as parts of you.

The Nature of Voices

Usually the individual voices have been constant companions and are recognizable to the person as male or female and young or old. Sometimes there is a single voice, but more commonly there are groups of voices; some with prominent roles and some just bit players. There may be the crying of infants or young children and there may be cries of other traumatized selves. When there are young, helpless children there may be older protectors. There is no limit to that internal world. Voices keep arising as consequences of traumatic experiences.

A person may hear only one or two voices. This layer often contains a commanding voice urging total subjugation and humiliation. It may impel the person to drink or to starve or self-cut, or it may demand suicide. The person typically reacts with automatic, trance-like obedience and may be saved only by appeals from another voice saying No, or the intervention of another actual person. One may come to realize that these voices represent past selves that are still locked in the trauma that froze their action. Other voices are protectors of young traumatized selves and some are keepers of the secret as commanded by a perpetrator.

The Externalized Dialogue With Voices

Talking with a voice requires externalizing the voice, which is best done by writing a message to the voice, addressing it as you. This will be the first of a series of taking turns, each addressing the other as you or by name. Now it is the turn for Voice to speak. You may have to write for the voice at first but before long Voice will speak for itself, your hand moving by its will.

The rules for the externalized dialogue are three: 1. Take turns. 2. Dont interrupt. 3. Write complete sentences. The dialogue with commanding voices can begin with an exploration of their roles and their feelings. Usually their roles began as attempts to help the person. Unfortunately, even suicide might be regarded as a helpful solution for the need to escape. A successful negotiation with the suicidal part can substitute less extreme solutions.

Voices Have Quirks

There are certain quirks that characterize the majority of voices. Knowing about these quirks helps to understand the power of the externalized dialogue.

Voices are gullible: Voices arise outside of consciousness in the brain tissue that normally relies on the conscious language processing of the brain to provide syntax and leadership. The dissociated states of self with their voices may be desperate for leadership and for the missing elements of syntax. The practical consequence for voices that represent self-states frozen in past traumas is that their identity and roles are ripe for reframing by the individuals present verbal mind. The externalized dialogue is a practical vehicle for communicating with those voices, influencing them, and reframing their identity and roles.

Voices hear voices: When someone negotiates with a voice that urges suicide and finally gains agreement to pursue a different option, this may not be the end of the matter. There may be another suicidal voice ready to fill the role vacated by the first suicidal voice. Separate negotiations with different voices may be necessary.

The best defense is a strong offence: The fiercer the voices sound at the beginning, the meeker they are in the long run. People may be terrified of their voices and also fearful for the safety of others if that fierce voice gets out. However, once engaged in the dialogue the voice becomes simply another aspect of the person and, more often than not, a younger aspect.

Voices can be wise. Some voices become helpers by providing a clear-headed response to the negative voices. Some voices exemplify a wise archetype or a role of inner-self-helper described in the psychiatric literature. That helpful voice can be called on during the course of therapy using the externalized dialogue process.

A Safe Self-Help Technique?

Many people have used this as self-help after going through a one or two-week intensive trauma therapy program and they reported no difficulties or complications.

Louis W. Tinnin, MD

http://traumatherapy.us

http://traumarecoveryinstitute.org

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Hearing Loss In The Elderly

Hearing Loss In The Elderly
By Alice Endy

Last Sunday my mother was visiting. We were playing cardswhen I began to realize how long we have accommodated herhearing loss.

My mother lost the hearing in her right ear as a teenager.As children we learned to always talk to her left ear,have the radio off when she was driving, wait forthe TV commercial and lower the volume before speaking.

We had many a laugh when after calling my mother she wouldwalk to another room or the other end of the housethinking the voice came from that direction. Mom laughedwith us MOST of the time.

When my nursing career led me to the field ofGeriatrics I automatically knew how to communicatewith people with hearing loss.

Twenty eight million people suffer from hearing loss.

Ages 65-74-- 23% have hearing loss.
Ages 75 84-- -33% have hearing loss.
ages 85+ ---- 48% have hearing loss.

Most older people with hearing loss never see an audiologistnor do they get fitted for hearing aids. It amazes me that so feware willing to get help.Hearing loss has a very gradual onset, frequently not noticed bythe person himself. Usually it is the spouse that raises thepossibility of hearing loss.

Most doctors do not test for hearing loss as part of aroutine physical and for some unknown reason, most olderpeople will not complain of their hearing loss.Denial is very strong when the topic is hearing loss.

As people age the hearing sense does decline in many folks.

This presents many problems:

Unable to hear emergency sirens, fire alarms, honking horns

Often develop depression over time due to an inability tohear conversations.

Often withdraw from social gatherings and isolate themselves.

Often develop paranoia, thinking people are talkingabout them since they are only able to pick up occasional words.

Often become irritable as they isolate.

These symptoms are very common among the frail elderly, especiallywhen in group activities such as sitting at a table playing cards, or eating.

Communicating With Elders with Hearing Loss

Face the person- within three feet.

Sit at eye level.

Get eye contact.

Be sure you have their attention.

Turn off any background noises-TV, Radio.

Announce the topic of the conversation.

Enunciate clearly.

Do not eat or chew when communicating.

If not understood, rephrase your statement using different words.

Use hand gestures as needed.

Talk to the good ear if appropriate.

Make sure your elder sees a doctor for hearingdifficulty. Ask for a referral to an audiologist.

Dedicated to Eldercare,

Nurse Alice

About the Author: Alice Endy is a Registered Nurse with national certification in the field of Geriatrics.Ms Endy is a sought after speaker and consultant in the field of Eldercare. Ms Endy is also a caregiver for her mother who is in her twelfth year of Alzheimer's Disease. Ms Endy knows well the problems of long term caregiving and the joys and sorrows of end of life issues.

http://www.AskNurseAlice.com/blog

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Read This Article if You Are Tired of Hearing About the War in Iraq

Read This Article if You Are Tired of Hearing About the War in Iraq
By Lance Winslow

Are you tired of all the news about Iraq? Are you tired of all the news stations implying that somehow we are losing the War in Iraq? Are you tired of the obvious attacks of the media on the Bush Administration? Do you support our troops and support a total victory in Iraq?

Do you feel that Iraq is just too far away being over half way around the world for it to affect your personal life or the lives of your family? Are you really more concerned with what is happening in your community, neighborhood, with your family and their health than what happens in Iraq?

Are you more concerned with credit card debt, real estate prices, your job and your health care insurance than the tit for tat attacks on the President of the United States and weapons of mass destruction? Do you really care if Ali Zambonee, or Al Mohammed Zahoo is captured, killed or on the news on Yahoo?

Does it bother you that many of the critics of the Bush Administration are eating their words; do you think the enemy combatants, insurgents and fanatical nut cases are all turds? Are you tired over the debate and non-issue of the WMD, Zarkowee Ali or OBL all on Al Jazeera TV? After all the proof is already out and the Iraqis are Free and in record numbers voted and came out; Purple fingers, isnt that the key

Is all this Iraq stuff you are hearing about really of concern? Dont you just want to know it is being taken care of, as you have more serious things to think about?

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/

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So what's the Big Secret I Keep Hearing from Internet Marketers

So what's the Big Secret I Keep Hearing from Internet Marketers
By Larry Clark

Maybe you can relate to me when it comes to internet marketers. Not all mind you, but the core group who get you to opt-in to their auto-responders and tell you that they have the secret to making instant money on the internet. Well if it a secret and they are making money because they have kept it secret, why let me know about it so I can now know the secret and make the money?

Well heres howthey make money selling you the secret and dont have to worry about the income from the secret anymore. Go figure. Everyday we are inundated with the hey Larry, I was thinking of you when I found this great program and everyday we get sucked into reading how this great program was better than the last one they said was the greatest program. They werent thinking of me, just my wallet.

Now for my confessionI make money by marketing on the internet. No, not that way, we actually market our new home export housing online are quite successful. I do rely on some internet marketing professionals and do willingly buy e-books and courses that I feel will help me understand the best and most efficient way of marketing online. I have found some absolute exceptional programs and courses that I feel were invaluable to the growth of our Companies and in helping us get some new marketing divisions started successfully. I will include some links below to my favorite list below.

I totally grasp that people need to make an income and I wouldnt deny anyone making money or being successful, but where is the legitimacy in selling products or information that is usually recycled fluff with tons of links to other programs that they writer makes money off as well. The jury could be out on whether this is smart marketing, but I cant help thinking there are a group of these guys who get together and laugh when they relate how much money they made off people being pulled in by the hype.

So now I will step down from my soapbox and anticipate this article will make the rounds and hopefully enlighten the uninitiated internet marketing student to think twice before jumping on the next internet secret . Just remember that the secret to making money on the internet is sound advice, patience, hard work and allot of persistence. Now the secret is really out.

Larry J Clark is President of Allpro Building Systems which is in Canada.Their new resource website is http://www.buildandsave.com Larry can be reached personally at ljclark@abshomes.com or 604-504-1555.

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Hearing and Your Pet

Hearing and Your Pet
By Audrey Frederick

Ever catch your cat staring at a blank wall and wonder why?

More than likely she was listening to sounds coming from inside the wall. Did you know that a whole tone (like in music) that we can hear, a cat hears it as 10 separate tones.

A cat can hear ultrasonic sounds (high pitched) that we cannot even imagine.

Dogs on the other hand are equipped with ears that hear the lower spectrum of sounds. They cannot hear as well as cats, but have a range of about 250 yards away, while a human is lucky if it can hear something that is 15 to 20 yards away.

A dogs hearing is dependent its size. A small dog has small ears and can hear high pitched sounds almost as good as a cat can, while a large dog is better equipped to hear low sounds.

Research has shown that with the passage of time humans have lost some of the sharpness of their hearing and cats and dogs have sharpened theirs.

Nature has given humans a less complex set of ears, while our pets are blessed with superior pieces of machinery.

The outside of you pets ear is like a satellite dish that picks up the sound waves and moves them down the ear canal to an organ called the Corti, which has more than 7,500 working parts.

Your voice becomes a sound wave that then travels through miles of nerves, until it gets to the brain and your pet hears what you are saying.

Did you know that puppies and kittens are deaf for the first 2 weeks of life. During that time their hearing is really the picking up of body vibrations, so they are actually feeling your words instead of hearing them.

The ear canals open up little by little, and by the time they are 4 weeks old their hearing is almost up to Moms standards.

Cats really like high pitched voices better than lower level voices. Cats are more apt to pay attention to words that are spoken with a higher pitch.

Since we usually talk to our pets in our normal voices, most of the time they rather ignore us. If you want to get their attention, change the tone of your voice, speak some words softly, others a little more loudly and whisper to them. It is guaranteed to get their interest.

We humans use our ears for hearing and sometimes for adornment, our pets however, use their ears to convey their feelings.

Ears, along with other body parts, are all a part of a dog or cats language.

In many cases the shape of a dogs ear depended on its job.

In a dogs world ears have evolved from the pointy straight-up ears, wolves have, to the many looks of today, all dependent on what the dog was bred for.

The straight-up ears or the semi straight-up ears that you find on German Shepherds, Collies and most Terriers are great for hearing. These dogs have been bred as working dogs and/or for hunting, where good hearing is an important factor.

Dogs with floppy ears such as Labs, golden retrievers and hounds, have ears that are down to help muffle sounds and to help develop their sense of smell and sight for specialized hunting. They are called sighthounds.

Cropped ears (which is being frowned on more and more) was done to make Dobermans and Rotties and others look more fierce as the breeds were used mostly as guard dogs.

What do certain positions mean in regard to a dogs mood?

Slightly raised ears mean I am a happy dog and all it right with my world. Ears that are raised high means I am interested in whats going on. Flat back means I am afraid of something and ears that seem to be moving back and forth mean I am not sure how I feel. Straight back and fur ruffled means I am agitated or mad, watch out.

Cats on the other hand have ears that stand straight up, with the exception of the Scottish Fold. Straight up, perky ears means all is well in my world. Straight up and back means MEOW I am mad. Flat against its head and down means I am scared and very afraid, while swiveling around like an antenna means I am listening to something interesting.

Well, thats it for the ears of our cat and dog world, I hope you learned something you did not know and that you will appreciate the great gift that hearing is, not just for our pets, but for us, too.

If you have enjoyed this article and wish to learn more about cats and dogs, please come and visit my web site http://www.cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com

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Hearing Loss is the Number One Disability in the World

Hearing Loss is the Number One Disability in the World
By Jay Stockman

Hearing loss is prevalent in modern societies as a result of the combined effects of noise, aging, disease, and heredity. Hearing loss is the number one disability in the world; approximately 28 million Americans suffer some type of hearing loss. In addition, 15 of every 1000 people under the age of 18 have a hearing loss, and nearly 90% of people over age 80 have a hearing impairment. The incidence of hearing loss is greater in men, than women. The sad part is, that hearing loss is the most preventable disability in the world.

Hearing is a complicated process involving both the sensitivity of the ear, as well as the ability to understand, and interpret the speech. When we hear sounds, we really are interpreting patterns of air molecules in the form of waves. . The ear is able to pick up these waves, and convert them into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. In the brain, these signals are deciphered into meaningful information, such as language or music with qualities like volume and pitch. We can characterize sounds in terms of their frequency (or pitch) and intensity (or loudness).

An individual with hearing in the normal range can hear sounds that have frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hertz. Speech includes a combination of low and high frequency sounds; vowels have lower frequencies and are easier to hear. Consonants, on the other hand have higher frequencies, and are harder to hear. Since consonants express most of the meaning of what we say, someone who cannot hear high frequency sounds will have a hard time understanding speech.

Intensity, or loudness, is measured in decibels. A normal hearing range usually ranges from 0 to 140 dB. A whisper is around 30 dB, and normal conversations are usually 45 to 50 dB. Sounds that are louder than 90 dB can be uncomfortable to hear. A loud concert might be as loud as 110 dB. Extreme sounds that are 120 dB or louder can be quite painful and can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss.

Hearing loss can happen in either frequency or intensity or both. The severity of hearing loss is assessed on how well a person can hear the frequencies or intensities most often associated with speech. Severity of loss can best be described as mild, moderate, severe, or profound. Deafness is used to describe an individual who has approximately 90 dB or greater hearing loss. The term hard of hearing describes a condition that is less severe than deafness.

There are many potential causes of hearing loss. These can be divided into two basic types, called conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is the result of the interference of sound transmission from the outer ear to the inner ear. Common causes include, inner ear infections, accumulation of fluid in the middle ear, excessive wax, damage to the eardrum by infection or an injury, or otosclerosis. This type of hearing loss is temporary, and results in a less severe form.

Sensorineural hearing loss is due to damage to the pathway from the hair cells of the inner ear to the auditory nerve and the brain. Common causes include, age-related hearing loss, injury to the inner ear hair cells as a result of trauma or noise, abnormal pressure in the inner ear, stroke, benign lesions, and brain tumors. This type of hearing loss is more devastating, and is usually more permanent.

The successful treatment of hearing loss depends on the cause. A bacterial infection of the middle ear can be treated with antibiotics; blockages of the outer and middle ears can be cleared; damaged eardrums can be repaired surgically; and ossicles affected by otosclerosis can be replaced with artificial bones. Some causes of sensorineural hearing loss can also be improved. For example, an acoustic neuroma can be removed surgically.If no cure is successful, a hearing aid for one, or both ears usually helps, whether the loss is a result of conductive or sensorineural problems. Many different types of hearing aid are available and an audiologist will advise as to which type best suits the needs of the individual.

When a hearing aid does not give adequate amplification, as with profound deafness, a cochlear implant can help. This device transmits sound directly into the auditory nerve via electrodes surgically implanted into the cochlea. Although the sounds heard tend to be of a buzzing or electronic nature, it can be very useful when used in combination with lip reading.

Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Digital Hearing Aids Online Visit http://hearing-aidsonline.com/ for more information.

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Dealing With Hearing Loss in Dogs

Dealing With Hearing Loss in Dogs
By Kelly Tanja

Any living thing with the ability to hear has the potential to experience hearing loss. Of course, this goes for dogs. Any dog can be hard of hearing in one or both ears. The cause for hearing loss in dogs is similar to that in humans. Dogs can be born deaf or develop hearing loss due to genetics, illness, injury or old age. Since the reason for having a pet dog is companionship, the isolation of hearing loss in dogs can be particularly heartbreaking for its owner. There are organizations which officially take the position that dogs that cannot hear should be put to sleep. Some breeds, naturally, tend to have more congenital deafness than others. Dalmatians, for instance, suffer more from hearing loss in dogs than most breeds. Among Dalmatian owners, the issue of whether to raise a deaf dog or put it down is subject to hot debate. Like people, dogs are social. Unlike people, dogs do not depend on conversation skills to form social circles. At the center of the debate over hearing loss in dogs is the ability to train a deaf dog.

To Keep or Not to Keep

A dog owner who suspects that it may be deaf can have it tested by a specialized veterinarian. The BAER test is 100% accurate and can be performed on any dog over the age of six weeks. Most owners, however, can rely on observation to determine whether a dog can hear. Any reasonably alert dog will respond to sounds, especially sounds that indicate the presence of an affectionate owner. Sounds like the jingling of keys will cause different reactions in dogs with hearing loss in only one ear.

An important issue concerning hearing loss in dogs is the ability of an owner to teach a deaf dog the skills it needs to be safe. A dog that cant be called away from a busy street can never be allowed near a busy street. The safety of others is also a consideration. A dogs owner should be able to calm an excited dog that is in a position to harm another person or animal. While no studies have been done to compare hearing with non-hearing dogs, owners who know from experience that hearing loss in dogs has not affected their ability to train and communicate with their own dogs will testify that a dogs personality has more to do with its success as a pet than its hearing does. Dogs, after all, are not expected to communicate with human language hearing or not. And dogs do not depend on the sense of hearing as much as humans do. You can not sneak up on a dog even if it cant hear. Most dogs have sharp eyes and a keen sense of smell, after all.

There are many ways in which you can improve hearing in dogs. If you want to learn more about hearing loss, author of this article, Tanja Kelly, has made an informational website about Hearing Loss.

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What Happens at a Social Security Hearing in Virginia?

What Happens at a Social Security Hearing in Virginia?
By Jerry Lutkenhaus

You have gone through the initial denial for Social Security Disability and you have gone through the reconsideration. The next step in the appeal process is the hearing before a Social Security Judge. What happens at this hearing before the Social Security Disability Judge?

FIRST, your file of information has been collected and is bound in a folder for viewing prior to the hearing. This folder will contain the medical information gathered so far, your history of earnings, and the questionnaires you have filled out for Social Security. This folder will also contain the prior decisions by Social Security on your case. It is essential to review this folder prior to the hearing because it contains the evidence that will determine your case. Any additional medical information, you want to present can be presented up until the hearing however, it is best to present it at least one week before the hearing.

SECOND, you will receive a notice regarding the hearing usually about 30 days in advance. This notice will also notify you if a medical advisor or vocational expert will be present at the hearing.

THIRD, the judge will ask for a vocational expert to be present if there are issues in your case regarding transferable skills, your past work skills, non exertional impairments, and what other types of work you may be able to do. The vocational expert is a person trained in vocational issues with a degree in that field.

FOURTH, the judge may ask a medical expert to be at the hearing if your case involves a complex medical issue. The medical expert will be a physician who has reviewed your medical file.

FIFTH, if the judge does not call for a vocational expert or medical advisor, then the only other person in the hearing room will be the judge's assistant who will record the testimony given at the hearing.

SIXTH, the judge or your representative will ask a series of standard questions and your testimony will be given under oath. These questions will focus on your education, work experience, impairments, symptoms, medications, side effects of medications, activities of daily living, etc. Most hearings do not last more than an hour. The judge will also hear testimony from any witnesses you have brought about the effect your impairments have had on your ability to function.

SEVENTH, after you and your witnesses testify, the judge will then often take the testimony of a vocational expert. The expert will testify regarding the skill level of your past relevant work. The judge then may ask the expert a series of hypothetical questions. For example, the judge may say assuming a hypothetical person like Mr. John Doe has the residual functional capacity to do perform low stress sedentary work, are there jobs in significant numbers within those restrictions? Generally, if the vocational expert can suggest jobs Mr. Doe can still do despite his impairments, then Mr. Doe will probably not receive benefits. In more rare situations if a medical advisor is present, the judge will ask the medical advisor questions about your condition. Your representative will be allowed to cross examine the vocational expert and/or the medical expert.

EIGHTH, after all the testimony, the judge will allow the claimant's representative to make a final argument. Then, the record will close. Usually, the judge will not announce his decision at the time of the hearing. Instead, he will mail the decision to the claimant and his/her representative within 30 days of the hearing. The decision will summarize the medical evidence and the testimony. It will either be favorable or unfavorable. If the judge feels the medical record is incomplete, he/she may ask for a Social Security Doctor to do a further examination of the claiamant. The judge will then hold the record open for this examination.

NINTH, if the decision is unfavorable, your case can be appealed further to the Appeals Council but one should strive to win your case before the judge because the Appeals Council rarely reverses the Social Security Judge.

TENTH, if you win, your decision will be forwarded on to the processing center and you will start receiving benefits usually within 60 days. If you have provided Social Security your bank information, your benefits will be directly deposited to your bank account.

In conclusion, the hearing before a Social Security Judge can involve complex issues regarding your work history, your impairments, and your future prospects. The hearing can involve testimony from expert witnesses. It is utter folly to represent yourself in this proceeding. As someone once said, He who represents himself has a fool for an attorney. You need to obtain the services of an experienced Social Security Attorney after your case is denied at the intial level.

This may be considered AN ADVERTISEMENT or Advertising Material under the Rules of Professional Conduct governing lawyers in Virginia.This note is designed for general information only. The information presented in this note should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

Jerry Lutkenhaus is a practitioner of Social Security Disability law in the Richmond, Virginia area for over 30 years and has been rated AV by Martindale Hubbell in 2003. For more information, see our websites at http://www.geraldlutkenhaus.com and http://www.virginiadisabilitylawyer.com

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The Public Perception of Hearing Aids

The Public Perception of Hearing Aids
By Steve Joseph

The simple fact about hearing aids is that many people would not be caught dead wearing one, no matter how deaf they become. In fact hearing aids are quite interesting in the sense that they remain shrouded in a negative stigma within our society. Other aids such as reading glasses have been able to emerge from their shameful past and take their place as high fashion items, but such is not the case with hearing aids. The result of this negativity toward hearing aids has traditionally meant that significant portions of hearing impaired people are not getting the relief that they need. The negativity surrounding hearing aids is resulting in hearing aid manufacturer not being able to realize the potential of their market, a problem that they are keen to address.

Hearing aid suppliers are currently embarking upon a campaign to destroy the stigma that hearing aids and devices currently have and build a new reputation of social acceptance. Much of this transformation is reliant on affiliating hearing aids with popular gizmos such as iPods and Buetooth cell phone accessories. Hearing aid manufacturer are hopeful that by association, they can make their product hip and in doing so coax a new generation of hearing impaired people to wear hearing aids. In essence, the problem of hearing loss is quite substantial, especially with aging populations in most developed countries, so the challenge to manufacturers is not to increase market share so much as it is to reinvigorate their products says http://www.1hearingaid.com .This has translated into a vastly different approach to hearing aid design from some companies.

Traditionally, the goal of hearing aid designers has been to make the item as small and inconspicuous as possible. The idea being to address the negativity of hearing aids by subtlety or by being undetectable. More recently, the decision has been to make the item technologically advance and thus sexier. Options such as remote controls, playback functions and cell phone interface are all being explored and soon you may even start seeing hearing aids on the shelves beside other popular audio entertainment equipment.

The author is a regular contributor to http://www.1hearingaid.com and permission to reproduce this article is given only on the basis that all links remain active and intact.

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Could There Be A New Way Of hearing The News Stories We Feel Are Relevant In Our Lives?

Could There Be A New Way Of hearing The News Stories We Feel Are Relevant In Our Lives?
By Jesse S. Somer

Mainstream media has become a single-minded authority on how we should perceive life. Theirs is a negative perspective. Could there be a new way of hearing the stories we feel are relevant in our lives?

If youre anything like me you are really getting tired of the mainstream medias one-voice-to-many analysis of life on Earth. First of all, its just too negative! I read a survey recently that stated that fourteen out of fifteen newspaper and TV News stories had negative fear-based stories. I dont know about you, but if I look at my everyday life, the amount of good and bad I experience seems to be much more balanced. Why does the big media think we all love hearing the dark side of things so much?

If you look at what news stories truly are in historical terms, it is a person sitting around the tribal campfire at night telling a tale to inform the people both in wisdom and knowledge. In any tribe there were many storytellers, so different perspectives were always available to the masses. Well, if you think todays media sources are too monopolized in their power of authority over the stories we are told, theres a new option for humanity. The answers and views we are seeking in our daily lives could lie in the Internet. This Internet thing really could be the key for humanity to evolving into a species that thinks independently, leaving this age of fear behind.

Its time to bypass the main media sources. On the Web we can access non-profit news organizations, we can hear personal views of individuals in news forums and blogs, we can even express our own views on world issues as well as sharing our own personal experiences! With this newly accepted technology called RSS Readers we can start to get the type of information that we feel is most relevant to ourselves as individuals. It comes straight to us and then we can sort through it and decide which people and sources we want to hear from on a regular basis. This is awesome as it means we dont have to search through a bunch of stories that have little interest to us. It also means if we want to hear more positivism, we can push the negative views out of our perceptions.

Although this idea is in its infancy, the repercussions once realized could have a mammoth impact on how individual humans see and live their lives on Earth. Imagine a society that stretches across the globe where a collective consciousness speaks to itself in an informative many-to-many communicative process. There are a lot of happy, positive, intelligent people in this world who are interested in similar things to you. Wouldnt you like to hear their stories and share their knowledge as a way of constructing your view of reality?

Lets leave behind this era of negative perspectives and singular authorities telling us how life on Earth should be viewed. It is interesting that some of the most over-wealthy, greedy individuals media moguls who tell us what is important. Dont you want to have a say in how you look at your life while you are here? Positivism and wisdom surrounds us at all times. Would the Universe exist otherwise? Lets reconnect with that source of energy that makes us smile so many times each day. If life were meant to have so bleak an outlook, would there even be stars in the sky?

About The Author

Jesse S. Somer is a writer thinking about how all this new technology could one day be utilized by the masses of technologically challenged people like him. If it could be incorporated into everyday life in a positive way, life itself could evolve to a higher plane. http://www.m6.net

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Winning a Virginia Workers' Compensation Hearing

Winning a Virginia Workers' Compensation Hearing
By Jerry Lutkenhaus

If your claim has been denied by the insurance company, the Virginia Workers Compensation will schedule your case for a hearing in front of a Deputy Commissioner. You will have 60-120 days to prepare for the hearing. This is what you need to know.

Discovery

You and the insurance company are allowed to engage in discovery. This usually means interrogatories, requests for production of documents, and depositions of witnesses.

Interrogatories

You are allowed to send the other side written questions asking about defenses, witnesses, and other evidence that may be used against you at the hearing. The other side has 21 days to respond. This is an excellent way to find out why your case is being denied and what evidence supports the denial of your claim.

Requests for Production

You are also allowed to request the other side to provide you any written documents about your case. If you have provided the insurance company a written statement about the accident, it is essential to obtain a copy of this document so that you review what you have previously reported about the accident.

Subpoena duces tecum

You can request doctors and other parties to send you documents concerning your claim. You do this by requesting the Commission to issue a subpoena duces tecum for these documents.

Pre Hearing

You now know the issues in your case. You now know the documents and witnesses that support your claim. You need to subpoena the witnesses to the hearing that support your claim. You also need to file with the Commission prior to the hearing the medical documents that describe your injury, accident, and disability. If the medical records are incomplete, you need to have the treating doctor prepare a comprehensive report addressing the injury, the accident, and any disability. The Commission accepts medical records as an exception to the hearsay rule. Thus, it is rare for doctors to testify at the hearings. Medical evidence is almost always submitted in the form of records or reports without testimony.

The Hearing

Now that you are ready you present the documents and witnesses that support your claim. The insurance company will do likewise. The Deputy Commissioner does not hear arguments he just listens to the witnesses and then reviews the documents and renders a written decision.

Need for an attorney

The insurance company will be represented by an attorney; thus, it behooves the claimant to consult an experienced Virginia Workers Compensation attorney for representation.

Appeal if you lose the hearing

If the case goes against, you have 20 days in Virginia to file for review of the Deputy Commissioners decision which will be heard by Three Commissioners. But, you should never count on the appeal process to correct the mistakes or omissions you made at the hearing. No new evidence is allowed in the appeal process in most instances. Thus, if you want to win, you need to win by proper preparation and presentation of favorable evidence at the hearing level.

Conclusion

Proper preparation is the key to winning your worker's compensation case. Thus, even if the insurance company has denied your case, you can still win at the hearing.

Jerry Lutkenhaus is a practitioner of Workers Compensation law in the Richmond, Virginia area for over 30 years. He was given an AV rating by Martindale Hubbell in 2003. Lexis Nexis listed him in the 2005 Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys. For more information, see http://www.geraldlutkenhaus.com and http://www.virginiadisabilitylawyer.com You can call Jerry Lutkenhaus now at 804-358-4766 for a free consultation about your disability case.

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Completely in the Canal (CIC) Hearing Aids

Completely in the Canal (CIC) Hearing Aids
By Martin Smith

Completely in the canal hearing aids (also known as CIC hearing aids) are, as the name suggests, hearing aids which fit entirely within the wearer's ear canal. These revolutionary devices are the smallest hearing aids on the market and are invisible to the average observer who doesnt know they are there. Most major hearing aid brands and manufacturers now offer this inconspicuous alternative to traditional behind the ear, or BTE, hearing aids.

CIC hearing aids are custom made to fit deep inside the individual wearers ear canal and are said to mimic the natural auditory process more closely then any other style of hearing aid. They are best suited to people with a mild to moderate hearing loss. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages that should be taken into consideration when deciding between CIC hearing aids and the BTE models.

For audiologists, otologists, speech therapists and other hearing professionals, the primary appeal of CIC hearing aids are their acoustic advantages. They are able to closely simulate environmental, and more importantly, speech sounds, patterns, nuances etc. This is imperative to a hearing impaired individuals competency with the spoken word. Additionally, since CIC hearing aids are worn closer to the eardrum then their BTE counterparts, their microphones are better able to amplify and therefore give a boost to any residual hearing the wearer may have. The advantage that is most often touted by the wearers of CIC devices, however, is their cosmetic appeal and inconspicuousness.

Conversely, it is important to keep in mind that CIC hearing aids also have some drawbacks. If financial constraints are a part of the picture, it should be noted that completely in the canal hearing aids are somewhat more expensive to purchase then behind the ear hearing aids are. Another issue that may make them cost prohibitive to those on a tight budget is that increased susceptibility to ear wax build up puts CIC hearing aids at higher risk for damage, therefore necessitating pricey repair bills or replacement hearing aids.

Whereas BTE hearing instruments are appropriate for almost all hearing impaired individuals regardless of the type or degree of hearing loss, CIC hearing aids are not recommended for individuals with certain kinds of hearing loss. They are also unlikely to be prescribed or advised for children. First of all children tend to be less able to tolerate the discomfort and irritations that sometimes come along with the use of CIC models, especially in the beginning.

Plus childrens ear canals arent done growing, so they will need to be refitted and replaced much more often for them then for adults. The size of CIC hearing aids and their even tinier batteries make them difficult to manipulate for the elderly, arthritis sufferers and others with conditions and diseases which effect fine motor control. Feedback and no volume control are two more drawbacks often mentioned by CIC hearing aid users.

Audiologists are the best resource hearing impaired individuals have to help them objectively decide whether CIC or BTE hearing aids are better for them. They can also point wearers in the direction of the best CIC hearing aids provider. Research on the pros and cons can also be done at the library or on the internet.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Hearing Aids, Hearing Aids Manufacturers, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

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Comments Salespeople Hate Hearing: Part 4 What's your Best Price?

Comments Salespeople Hate Hearing: Part 4 - What's your Best Price?
By Jim Masson

There are several comments that salespeople hate hearing from their prospects. What's your best price? is one of them. When prospects ask this question, it creates a sense of panic in the minds of thousands of salespeople everyday.

The question can and will be asked by your prospects at absolutely any stage of the sales cycle. I actually have heard it asked as salespeople greeted their prospect.

If the salesperson mishandles this question, a number of things can happen. Unfortunately, none of them will put a smile on your face or a commission into your pocket . When mishandled, the question can definitely destroy your sales profitability or perhaps kill the deal completely by setting up the need to 'price shop'.

It can also take the salesperson off his or her selling plan totally and put the prospect in absolute control. Guess what? That's what the prospect is trying to accomplish, isn't it? The problem is that many salespeople walk right into the customer's trap by dealing with the price question prematurely.

Price is not the primary driver of most transactions in the marketplace. In fact, it ranks well down the list in most consumer surveys. A product or service that actually will work best for the prospect is far more important. So is affordability, which is significantly different from price, isn't it?

It is important to recognize the fact that slashing price prior to receiving a shopper's commitment to buy will seldom produce that commitment. Most prospects consider overall value and their financial ability long before being concerned about the actual price or the product or service.v

When value is demonstrated to be greater than the price being asked, price is seldom a major issue. One of the techniques that master salespeople employ is to defer price discussions until after value and the suitability of the offering has been established.

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Individual salespeople wishing to master their selling skills and those wishing to learn how to sell at mastery are invited to please visit http://www.salestraininghere.com/

Both sites offer free valuable training bonus resources just as a thank you for stopping by.

There is a very lucrative affiliate offer that you will want to check out because getting paid is good!

We proudly offer a no nonsense risk free guarantee.

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Wearing a Hearing Aid is Nothing to be Embarrassed About

Wearing a Hearing Aid is Nothing to be Embarrassed About
By Tyson J Stevenson

Hearing impairment is one of the most common ailments in the United States. Near about 30 million American citizens are affected with hearing impairment. 2% children are affected with hearing impairment below the age of 18 and this percentage increases with age. To over come hearing impairment digital hearing aids and basic hearing aids are used worldwide for they have proved to be a miracle.

What is a hearing aid?

A hearing aid is a battery-operated, electronic device, which amplifies and changes sound to allow improved communication. Hearing aids receive sound through a microphone, which then convert the sound waves to electrical signals. The amplifier increases the intensity of signals and then sends the sound to ear with the help of a speaker.

What are the different kinds of hearing aids?

Several types of hearing aids are available in the market. Each type provides its own advantages depending upon its size, design and level of amplification. Before purchasing any hearing aid, you should confirm that it would work for you. Most manufacturing companies provide a two-month trial period during which you can return your hearing aid.

Four types of hearing aids are given below for people with hearing impairment:

(ITE) In-the-Ear hearing aids: This type of a hearing aid fits completely in the outer ear and is useful for mild to severe hearing impairment. The case of the hearing aid is made of hard plastic. In-The-Ear hearing aids can hold telecoil (added technical mechanisms that help hearing aid to improve sound intensity during telephone calls.) ITE hearing aids can give poor feedback if they are damaged by ear drainage or earwax. ITE hearing aids are generally not used by children, as the casings are needed to be replaced as ears grow.

(BTE) Behind-the-Ear hearing aids are worn behind the ear and are connected to a plastic earmold that fits inside the outer ear. The components of the hearing aid are held in a case behind the ear. Sound travels through the earmold into the ear. These types of hearing aids are used by people of all age group. Poor earmold fitting can cause a whistle sound production or formation of earwax or fluid.

Canal hearing aids are available in two sizes. Canal hearing aids fit into the ear canal. A (CIC) or Completely-in-Canal hearing aid is mostly hidden in the ear canal and is used in the cases of mild to severe hearing impairment. CIC hearing aids are very small in size and thats why it is not possible to attach additional devices like telecoil. These hearing aids can also be damaged by ear drainage or earwax and are not recommended for children.

Body hearing aids are also available in the market. They are big in size and mostly used when other hearing aids are not useful.

On some special occasions discount hearing aids are also available in market. You can buy discount hearing aids ranging from digital hearing aids to the basic behind the ear hearing aids. Some online sellers provide a larger selection of discount hearing aids at a more affordable price. Many companies like Songbird Hearing USA offer hearing aids for sale. Make a detailed study before you place an order for a discount hearing aid.

Tyson J Stevenson writes on a wide variety of health related subjects, always with valuable news & reviews. Expect to see his name often.

A related resource is Digital Hearing Aids

Further information can be found at News2Reviews

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Helping Someone (Like Me) Who Has a Hearing Loss

Helping Someone (Like Me) Who Has a Hearing Loss
By Harriet Hodgson

Several months ago I was diagnosed with a hearing loss in both ears. Now I wear two hearing aids and they have improved my life. I can hear whole conversations, not just snatches, and pick up on subtleties. Most of the time my hearing aids work well, but they don't work as well if there's lots of background noise.

Even with hearing aids I can misunderstand conversation. One snowy morning my husband looked out the window and called, Deer have been on our front steps. I heard the sentence as Beer is on our front steps. Why would anyone put beer on our front steps? I asked. Though the conversation didn't make any sense, it did make us laugh.

You may have a relative or friend who has a hearing loss. Communicating with this person can be difficult, but you can do things to foster communication. Before you say anything move closer to this person, within two or three feet. To get the person's attention you may have to say their name.

SPEAK IN A NORMAL VOICE. Shouting at a person who wears a hearing aid may cause the aid to turn off automatically. Besides, nobody likes to be yelled at. Of course, there are times when talking loudly is the only thing that works.

LOOK AT ME WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING. A person who wears a hearing aid may still rely on lip reading. Seeing your lips form words, phrases, and sentences helps me to understand what you are saying. I can see the difference between the letter d and the letter b and won't mistake beer for deer.

PLEASE SPEAK SLOWLY. Several of my friends are so smart they speak at double speed. I can hardly keep up with what they are saying. If you speak normally, or even a bit slower, I can understand you better. I also feel like you really care about me.

SPEAK CLEARLY AND PRONOUNCE ALL OF THE SYLLABLES. People who speak fast often slur their words. It can be hard for those of us who have a hearing loss to understand these people. On the other hand, if you speak clearly and pronounce all of the syllables you will be understood.

EXPERIMENT WITH PITCH. Some people have a high frequency loss, others have a low frequency loss, or something in between. I have high frequency loss, so a low pitch works best for me. Ask the person you are speaking with which pitch works best for her or him.

USE SHORT SENTENCES. It's easier for a hearing impaired person to track short sentences. You can still have long conversations and tell long, involved stories, but please use short sentences when you speak.

REPHRASE IF NECESSARY. My father-in-law is profoundly hard of hearing. He has a hearing aid and a cochlear implant. Still, he is unable to hear many of the words I say. I've tried many things, such as moving closer to him and speaking loudly, but rephrasing works best. Believe me, I've learned lots of synonyms.

SIGNAL A TOPIC CHANGE. Telling me when the topic has changed helps me to track conversation. My husband also uses a hearing aid so I come right out and say, I'm changing the topic from to .

DON'T TALK WHEN YOU ARE LEAVING THE ROOM. People who have a hearing loss miss miss key words if you speak to him or her when you are turned away or moving away. Though it has taken us months, my husband I have learned to speak face-to-face.

ASK DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? This question is a question of caring. Don't be afraid to ask it if you think the person you're speaking to has missed a key point. From experience, I can tell you the person will be grateful.

Last, and most important, remember that hearing impaired people aren't intellectually impaired. We're the same people as we were before, tuned into life and raring to go!

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Her 24th book, Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief, written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is also posted on Amazon. You'll find another review on the American Hospice Foundation website under the School Corner heading.

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Essential Hearing Aid Tips

Essential Hearing Aid Tips
By John Morris

Hearing loss is such a devastating condition. It completely shuts down your ability to listen to your surroundings and appreciate the acoustic beauty found in natures visual landscape. This incapacitation no longer remains a matter of great concern today due to the newest hearing aid technology.

How do hearing aids work?

Hearing aids are powerful devices which help individuals suffering from hearing loss. They physically restore the ability to hear with great flexibility. This flexibility means adjusting the hearing volume according to your hearing preferences. Hearing devices are many and each offers a host of features. Other hearing Devices are equipped with tuning knob to help clientele calibrate the sounds as they hear it. If the sound is too low, patients can adjust them in such a way that they would be able to catch it to maximize auditory comprehension. If the sound is too loud, it can level it up with sounds produced softly. In many cases, soft, average and loud sounds are amplified on equal levels. This is an example of linear sound processing system.

There are various ways to take advantage of buying hearing aids.
- Online purchase
- Direct through hearing aid manufacturers
- Through registered audiologists (medical professionals who specialize in treating hearing-related illnesses)

Tips on procuring the right hearing aid for you:

1. Seek the help of a professional:

Due to the boom of World Wide Web and the rampant practice of sedentary lifestyle, more and more people are getting hooked up to buying listening devices online even without undergoing an extensive hearing aid evaluation examination. A patient should have completed a comprehensive hearing test before taking advantage of the benefits provided by the hearing aid. Buying hearing aids without going through a valid audiological evaluation reduces your chances of optimizing the benefits that the hearing devices provide.

2. Convenience:

No matter how techie the gadget is and its profound benefit it theoretically provides to patients, if its a burden to carry, it will definitely defeat the very purpose of the treatment program. Many hearing aid styles discussed on the next section of this article offer a wide array of hearing aid modes that suits a range of clients taste and personal preferences. These listening tools share similar functionalities but offer different optimization level.

3. Consider Opinions:

Nothing can beat the benefits of a personal experience. Listening to the advice of others who have used some of the products in the market will furnish you a considerable amount of details about which product will best fit you. It should, however, be emphasized that this is not a substitute to the professional help of a doctor who is qualified to verify devices that are most appropriate for you.

4. Budget Concerns:

Manufacturers use sophisticated technology, employing millions of dollars in the research, and the manufacture of these instruments. Also, the maintenance of a hearing aid manufacturing facility has a lot to do with why the cost of the product of this technology continues to rise. So while the best devices are typically the most expensive, there are products in the market which offer similar functionalities while not stripping off those hard-earned dollars in your pocket.

5. Stick with the Evaluation:

Most hard of hearing people tend to underestimate the findings provided in the hearing evaluation, as a result, they turn into manufacturers that, more than ever, sell cheap and poor quality hearing aid devices. Remember to consult an audiologist before making a purchase.

For more great hearing aid related articles and resources check out http://hearingaids.goldenhq.com

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Comments Salespeople Hate Hearing / part 3

Comments Salespeople Hate Hearing / part 3
By Jim Masson

There are several comments that salespeople hate hearing from their prospects. I need to shop around is one of them. It creates a sense of panic in the minds of thousands of salespeople every single day.

What exactly is your prospect trying to tell you with that comment?

• Is it a stall?
• Is it a rejection of your product or service?
• Is it a rejection of you or your place of business?
• Is it a rejection of your pricing structure?

If you can't discover the underlying reason behind the statement, you will run the risk of losing your prospect, your sale and your commission to your competition. If you can find the statement's true meaning, you will be well on the way to your next successful sale.

There are a number of powerful qualifying questions that will help you avoid ever hearing the statement in the first place. Should those occasionally let you down, (nothing works 100% percent of the time with 100% of the people) you will need to be equipped with effective tools for non-confrontational communication.

Ultimately, you must discover if the prospect's comment is simply a smoke screen designed to throw you off or a truthful statement indicating something is not quite right with your offering. I think you will agree that it's critical to unearth the real reason why the prospect feels the need to shop around.

Is it a better product or service? Perhaps it's a better warranty or a lower price. Is it a more professional salesperson? Whatever the answer is, you will regularly need masterful skills in order to draw it out.

We offer complete, powerful and very affordable computer based sales training for company and educator use. Available at http://www.sellingatmastery.com/

Individual salespeople wishing to improve their selling skills and those wishing to learn how to sell are invited to please visit http://www.salestraininghere.com/

Both sites offer free valuable training bonus resources just as a thank you for stopping by.

There is a very lucrative affiliate offer that you will want to check out because getting paid is good!

We proudly offer a no nonsense risk free guarantee.

If you are serious about improving your sales results, earning more money and boosting your customer satisfaction record you can't afford to pass this opportunity up. Please visit us now! Get paid more, more often!

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Living Behind the Ear Hearing Aids

Living Behind the Ear - Hearing Aids
By Ryan Fyfe

Living aids are a small device that spend their time in most cases inside and behind the ear of an individual who has a hearing impairment. The small device is used to amplify noises to increase the probability of an individual who is hard of hearing in distinguishing a sound. Technology over the past decade has greatly increased both the effectiveness of hearing aids as well as greatly reduced the obtrusiveness of a hearing aid. It used to be that an individual would have to wear an ear trumpet or ear horn, which was a larger and very noticeable way of aiding hearing. Now many times you won't even notice that a hearing aid is being used until you look closely as they are very compact in size, and will often times blend right in with the ear of an individual. With the increased technology in batteries and power conservation, their is no longer a need for cables and pocket battery packets, instead the battery is concealed in the device itself! It's like James Bond, but this device is actually useful.

There is several different types of hearing aids, which will vary in many ways among size, cost and power. Before making a choice on any different model or function, I would first recommend talking to your medical professional. Always put functionality ahead of all of your other choices. A hearing aid that looks great, but doesn't help your hearing, isn't going to be much of an aid at all. Same with one that you are constantly changing the battery out of,etc. Functionality and practicality goes along way in the purchase of a hearing aid.

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Discount Digital Hearing Aids - http://www.discount-digital-hearing-aids.com, which is the best site on the internet for all Hearing Aids related information.

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HP PreTexting Hearing Is Politically Motivated

HP Pre-Texting Hearing Is Politically Motivated
By Lance Winslow

It seems the HP pre-texting of board of directors members phone records was done to find the traitor amongst them who was giving away proprietary and confidential information to the press. The company had to find out who was doing this because it was hurting shareholders equity and quarterly profits. This means it was hurting investors and consumers. But now the Courts, Lawyers and Law Makers in Congress are making it a huge affair.

The situation has now reached epic proportions and everyone is calling this a scandal, but in reality this stuff happens all the time in business and there are also spies in Congress leaking important information to the NYT reporters who probably should have their phones tapped and have embedded RFID tags under their skin to protect our National Security.

Well, I just heard a rumor that this HP scandal is being blown out of proportion not because of the pretexting issue there, but because the US Democrat Congressmen and women, as well as the Democrats in the Senate, want to use this as a launching platform to go after the Republicans over the NSA Spying on phone calls so they can impeach the President of the United States.

In fact this elaborate plan might have potential if enough Democrats get elected during this next set of elections. And the little bird told me this is their plan. It is all a bunch of fakery over a non-event to try to get public support against NSA spying. Silly the lengths humans will go to in their never ending sound and fury of primate politics signifying that they are all a bunch of monkeys wearing ties.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/

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Delta Hearing Aids High Tech Meets High Fashion

Delta Hearing Aids - High Tech Meets High Fashion
By David Faulkner

The wide variety of haring aids and hearing aid technologies now available can make it difficult for the hearing-impaired to decide which hearing aids will be most effective in their individual circumstances.

And, given that fifty percent of all people over the age of fifty--and that means millions of Baby Boomers--will experience high frequency hearing loss as the hair cells in their inner ears deteriorate and can no longer convert sound waves into the electrical impulses which travel along the auditory nerves to the brain, hearing impairment is becoming a mainstream health issue.

To make matters even worse, high frequency hearing loss can result from overexposure to loud noise or music; and sufferers of high frequency hearing loss need help understanding conversations in noisy environments. Those with broadband hearing loss, on the other hand, need help across the entire auditory spectrum with both high and low pitched sounds.

Oticon, Inc, is the manufacturer of Delta hearing aids. Their Delta hearing aids have a revolutionary triangular design, with cutting edge digital technology specifically aimed at the Baby-Boomer-and-younger generations who are experiencing hearing impairment in the mild to moderate range.

The brushed-metal Delta hearing aids, which come in an astonishing seventeen colors, have tiny receivers attached to transparent wires. Because the receivers are inserted into the Delta Hearing aid users ear canals, they have made possible new designs previously unavailable to the hearing-impaired. Delta hearing aids have both the cosmetic appeal of inner ear hearing enhancement and the technological capabilities of behind-the-ear hearing aids.

Delta hearing aids, with their digital technology, allow their users to adjust them so that they only amplify the sounds which the users have difficulty hearing. Those one-in-two people who suffer from high frequency hearing loss can amplify the high-register sounds, without having to magnify the bass frequencies to an unbearable level.

Delta hearing aids, in a Crayola-box range of colors from Sunset Orange to Green Chameleon, with Mother-of-Pearl for the more formal set, are turning traditionally, well ugly, hearing aids into fashion accessories!

You can also find more info on digital sound processing and discount hearing aids. FirstHearingAids.com is a comprehensive resource for people suffering from hearing loss to get information on hearing aid options, prices and maintenance.

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Disability Hearings

Disability Hearings
By Timothy Moore

Disability hearings are fairly informal events. Usually, such hearings are conducted at hearing offices (not a courtroom) where the only people present include the Judge (an ALJ, or administrative law judge), the claimant, the claimant's representative---if they have chosen to retain one---and medical experts chosen by the Judge.

AlJ hearings, as they are commonly known, usually last no more than an hour and sometimes only take 15 minutes. From any standpoint, this is not an extraordinary amount of time. Nevertheless, the time in which it takes to hold a hearing is of paramount importance to the person trying to win their disability benefits.

As very many claimants for disability benefits discover, winning a claim can make the difference between having a stable monthly income or living a life of uncertainty as to what will happen next. It can even make the difference between having a home and being homeless. It is not at all uncommon to find, when a case has dragged on for too long, that a claimant is being threatened with eviction from their home or foreclosure on their property.

The disability hearing before a judge is typically the single most important event that will occur in the disability process. It is a one hour event that will make or break a case. And for this reason, it should be prepared for properly.

Unfortunately, 99% of all claimants will not have the skills or knowledge necessary to properly prepare---AND WIN---a case. Therefore, even though it may not be absolutely necessary to have a representative before the hearing level (for example, at the initial claim and reconsideration levels) it is vital to have representation at the time of the hearing.

Here are some things to keep in mind if it looks as though you will have to go to a hearing:

1. go to the hearing. Believe it or not, some people don't attend their own hearings. Obviously, this is a huge mistake and you should not expect a judge to give you full consideration if you don't show up at your own hearing.

2. Don't be late for your ssd or ssi hearing. This is something that most judges have little tolerance for. And the same reasoning applies: if you can't be on time for your own disability hearing, the judge can only conclude that it is notthat important to you.

3. Be prepared. That is, be sure either you or your disability advocate has gotten and submitted to the judge copies of all your recent medical records. In most cases, you can't win disability benefits without all the records, especially the most recent records being submitted.

Follow these tips and you can maximize your chance of being successful on a disability benefits claims.

The author of this article is Timothy Moore, who, in addition to being a former food stamp caseworker, medicaid caseworker and AFDC caseworker, is a former disability claims examiner. He publishes a helpful FAQ on the disability process at http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/questions.html

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Comments Salespeople Hate Hearing / Part 2

Comments Salespeople Hate Hearing / Part 2
By Jim Masson

There are several comments that salespeople hate hearing from their prospects. I'm just looking is just one of them. It creates a sense of panic in the minds of thousands of salespeople every single day.

If you sell for a living in any type of retail environment you have heard it said countless times, haven't you? As a salesperson, sales manager and trainer with over 35 years experience, it amazes me how often I've witnessed salespeople hear this comment. They all hate hearing it, yet they keep inviting it, customer after customer by making a huge mistake right at the point of initial contact with their fresh prospect.

Before I explain my comment about 'inviting' the statement, let me explain why I'm just looking is the last thing a salesperson wants to hear when greeting a customer. The comment creates a serious threat to the relationship or rapport building that you must establish to help put your sale together. It allows only two courses of action for the salesperson to take and both lead away from the sale.

If the statement is accepted at face value, the salesperson will usually hand over a business card (or not), disengage and scurry for cover. The prospect will then usually linger for a few moments and head out the door, still looking. Often he or she will be looking for a more masterful salesperson.

If the statement is thought of as a simple throwaway comment, it will almost certainly be ignored by the salesperson who will then try to begin to qualify in some manner. This can easily be seen as extremely rude and 'pushy stereotypical sales behavior' which is not likely a relationship builder, right?

Ok, we see the problem when the statement is uttered but what made me suggest that salespeople usually invite it? The comment comes after the typical less than effective Can I help you? greeting used by your average salesperson.

If you're lucky, you will hear I'm just looking with that greeting. Often, you will just hear No and where do you go after hearing that? The greeting is such an important part of the selling experience. Don't blow it by using the dumbest greeting in the industry.

Asking yes or no questions can and does destroy selling opportunities hundreds of times everyday.

There are masterful greetings available as well as powerful strategies for winning over fear laddened prospects. Just one final thought, if I may. Of course the prospect is looking, otherwise he or she wouldn't be in you place of business, would they?

We offer complete, powerful and very affordable computer based sales training for company and educator use. Available at http://www.sellingatmastery.com/

Individual salespeople wishing to improve their selling skills and those wishing to learn how to sell are invited to please visit http://www.salestraininghere.com/

Both sites offer free valuable training bonus resources just as a thank you for stopping by.

There is a very lucrative affiliate offer that you will want to check out because getting paid is good!

We proudly offer a no nonsense risk free guarantee.

If you are serious about improving your sales results, earning more money and boosting your customer satisfaction record you can't afford to pass this opportunity up. Please visit us now! Get paid more, more often!

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Fire Alarm Strobe Systems and the Hearing Impaired

Fire Alarm Strobe Systems and the Hearing Impaired
By Mayoor Patel

There has also been some confusion regarding how employers may make their workplace environment accessible to persons with disabilities. Unfortunately, certain employers have attempted in the past to skirt around hiring a disabled person usually claiming the disability interfered with the employees capacity to co-exist in the workplace environment. The passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act in the 1990s provided guidance for employers wishing to help employees with disabilities and taking the ammo out of the guns of those looking to preclude disabled people from their business.

The Americans With Disabilities Act states, in part, that employers must provide reasonable accommodation to a handicapped employee provided the accommodation does not provide an undue hardship on the employer. What this means is that if an employee has a disability that affects life activities and workplace productivity to a significant degree, the employer must provide a remedy to any impediments to job conditions or over all comfort level the employees condition may yield, unless such a remedy would be out of the companys affordability or resources. While most assume that accommodations are exclusive to making changes in the workforce in terms of job performance, the reality is that reasonable accommodation actually refers to far more sweeping and inclusive workplace issues.

One such issue deals with fire alarms. When it comes to employees who are deaf, the ability to hear a fire alarm is an impossibility. There needs to be a back up, so to speak, that alerts hearing impaired employees of an alarm going off. A fire alarm strobe is the perfect solution to such an issue and it does not cause any undue hardship to an employer.

A fire alarm strobe is exactly what its name would suggest. A strobe light is attached to the alarm and when the alarm is sounded, the flashing, blinking, even spinning lights provide a clear visual notification that an alarm has been engaged and activated. With the aid of the flashing lights, a deaf person would be quickly alerted to the safety hazard of a fire having broken out and would be able to react accordingly. The inclusion of a fire alarm strobe to a business fire alarm system allows for the safety of welfare of all the employees and adverts a tragedy from happening.

Fire alarm strobe systems are relatively inexpensive and there is a model to fit any companys budget. Investing in such an alarm system is highly advised.

For vital information on all things concerned with Fire Alarms and Home Security visit Fire Alarms Strobe

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Spiritual Hearing

Spiritual Hearing
By Mark E. Baker

I would like to talk about what hearing really means in the Bible. The Word declares that faith comes from hearing.

Romans 10:17. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Word is telling us we have to hear before we believe. We often ask God for faith, but that is not what the Bible says. It comes from hearing and hearing the Word of God. Often times we have to hear something over and over before we get the revelation of it. Thats what the Word is saying when it says faith comes by hearing and hearing. No where in the Bible does it say that faith comes by praying, or faith comes by fasting. It comes only by hearing and hearing the Word of God. Praying and fasting are both certainly scriptural, and I'm not minimizing their importance, but they do not create faith. If you can hear the Word of God, you have the opportunity to believe. I'm not talking about the natural kind of faith that comes from the senses, I'm talking about the kind of faith that comes from our heart, or our spirit. This is the first step in receiving God's promises. We see example after example of this in God's Word. The process of the new birth comes this way as well.

Romans 10:13-14. For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

The question being asked is; how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? The answer to that question is they can't. You did not get born again without hearing the Gospel message did you? God gives us the ability to believe Him when we hear His Word. The promise comes when we act on what we have heard and believed. You see, we all have the right to choice. We all have the right to act on what we have heard and believed. God will respect our right to go to hell if we want. The question I would like to ask is, why would anybody want to?

Deuteronomy 30:19. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

It is our choice to choose life or death. God even tells us the right choice, He tells us to choose life. He can lead us to the truth but he can't make us partake of it! He can only prompt us by the Word and His Holy Spirit. We have to step into the light, we have to be obedient to what we have heard. We have to act on the faith that is produced when we hear.

The Word tells us Jesus went about teaching and healing. Jesus was producing faith in them by teaching them the Word. Faith has to come before you can receive healing, just like faith has to come before you receive Jesus as your Savior. You have to hear what the Word has to say before you receive either one of them. Faith for healing comes the same way. If you don't believe healing is part of the redemptive work of Christ, dont worry you're not going to receive divine healing. God is not going to force it, you have to choose it. I am not saying this to be offensive, I just want you to see the importance of this. Jesus taught every where He went, and He healed every where He went, right? Let's look and see what the Word has to say.

Mark 6:1-6. Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?'' And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.'' Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Jesus taught as He always did, yet He could not do any miracles or mighty works there. The Bible does not say He would not, it says He could not do mighty works there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. One translation says; He laid His hands on a few who were out of health and cured them.

Some have said Jesus was the Son of God He could anything He wanted. Its true, Jesus was, and is the Son of God, yet according to the Word we just read, He couldnt over ride their unbelief. They did not receive Him or the message He gave. The Word goes on to say that He marveled because of their unbelief. They would not receive His teaching; another way of saying this is, they would not hear the words that He spoke. That is the same as saying they would not receive Him. If we are rejecting His words we are rejecting Him. There is great importance put on God's words, we should take heed to hear them. If we will not hear His words, we are not going to receive from Him. There is no way to get around it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5. My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

We have a part to play in this, God is giving us instructions on how to receive his promises and be successful. Many people believe that blessings will just fall on us as God sees fit. Yet, He is telling us we must receive, we have our part to play in receiving. God never forces His will upon anybody. If that were the case we would all just get saved and go to heaven, yet we know this is not what the Bible teaches, we all have to receive salvation. We know that salvation is God's will, for the Word says that He is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to the knowledge of repentance. We know even though this is God's will, not all are going to get saved. If we won't receive the message, we will not get receive the new birth. God does not over ride our free will. We are free moral agents. We have to receive all the blessings of God in this same way. I believe hearing, is an integral part of receiving any of God's promises. I would like to look at a few scriptures in the Gospels and see this principal at work. Everywhere Jesus went, it seems, there were a few who stood out, these were people who did something above and beyond what others were doing, these people were written into the Gospel message as an example to us. There were times Jesus would tell people, your faith hath made you whole! Lets look at a few of these. (There are many more, I encourage you to do a study on this yourself.)

Mt:9:29: Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you.Mt:15:28: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.Mk:10:52: And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.Lk:17:19: And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.Lk:18:42: And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

Healing all that came to him in faith. As the scriptures we just read say. Jesus came along and demonstrated the reality of the Word of God. For the first time, these people saw the reality of their Covenant, and responded in faith! And received the blessing for it. You had to hear the salvation message preached before you could get saved didnt you? Faith comes by hearing. It works the same way for all of God's promises. You have to hear the Word first, and then receive it.

Mk:5:25-34. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, (Daughter), thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Jesus called her daughter because, she was a daughter of Abraham, and she had a right to the blessings that God had Promised Abraham through the Covenant He made with him. Let's break these verses down and see what this woman did that was different, and got her written into the Gospel message for all time. The first thing the Word of God says about this woman is that she heard of Jesus. Hearing created faith. Faith comes by hearing. She spoke faith. She lined her words up with what she believed. She said if I may touch the hem of his garment, I shall be healed of the plague. She acted on her faith. She made her way through the crowd and touched His garment. She received. She felt in her body that she was healed of the plague. She proclaimed it. She fell down before Him and told Him all. Then Jesus said an amazing thing, He said (Daughter), thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. He said her faith made her whole. He did not say His own faith made her whole, Jesus who can not lie said her faith did it. As a matter of fact He didnt even know what had happened until He had looked around, and proclaimed; who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. There arent any other recorded miracles in this portion of Scripture only hers. She acted above and beyond the others to receive her healing. We see that first of all she heard, then she spoke, she acted, she received, and she proclaimed, and Jesus said her faith made her whole. There is a lesson in this for us all, if we will only receive it. The new birth starts this way as well. If you haven't received the new birth and want to know you are a child of God then I would like to invite you to meet Him right now, all you have to do to come into a personal relationship with Him is pray this prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (Jn.6:37), So I know You wont cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' (Ro. 10:13).I am calling on Your name, So I know You have saved me now, You also said, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. (Ro.10:9,10).I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, with the heart one believes to righteousness and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21),And I am saved! Thank You, Lord!I can now truthfully say, I see myself as a born again child of God! Glory to God! Amen

I was raised Catholic, and was born again at the age of 17. I received God's call into ministry at the age of 19 and began to prepare for ministry. I graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center in 1979. The Lord has called me to teach. My desire is to help all that are seeking to come into a deeper understanding of what God has done for us through Christ Jesus and I have started a web site for this purpose called The Olive Branch; Please visit us for more free studies and resources to help you on your journey.Mark Bakerhttp://www.olivebranchministries.us

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