At Kubick and Kubick Hearing Center, we are passionate about your hearing. Our goal is to provide you with an individual program suited to your auditory needs. We understand the struggle and challenges related to hearing loss. With our expertise and understanding, and your active participation, we will guarantee that you will improve the quality of your life. Our state-of-the-art testing and fitting equipment allows us to provide you with an extensive line of digital products that have been proven to be the leading edge of hearing technology. Today's products are designed to make telephone communication clear and static-free. They remove feedback and automatically adjust to different situations in your environment.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We provide the best available hearing technology on the market today. We offer hearing aids from the following manufacturers:

Our Services:

• Hearing Test & Evaluation
• Custom Molds
• Repairs & Cleaning
• Warranty Availability
• 30-Day Trials

HEARING LOSS

Your ears are very complex and sensitive organs that control the sense of hearing as well as balance. Different parts, systems, and connections within your ear work together to receive sound waves that are transmitted to the brain where meaning is attached to them. Gradual hearing loss affects people of all ages and is the third most common long-term (chronic) health problem in older Americans. (1) It affects up to 40% of people age 65 and older and up to 80% of people older than 85. (2) Hearing loss is a common problem that most likely effects the elderly but in recent years teenagers and younger adults suffer from hearing loss as a result to the way they listen to music, such as stereos or ipods.

Types of Hearing Loss:
Conductive hearing loss disrupts the mechanical transmission of sound waves through the outer and middle ear. If sound cannot be conducted into the inner ear, it cannot be heard. Sometimes earwax might just temporarily produce this type of hearing loss but also foreign bodies, infections, and damage to the ear can conclude conductive hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss exists when the sensory cells in the inner ear can no longer pick up any sound to transmit to the brain. It occurs once the sensory hair cells die in the inner ear due to aging (presbycusis) The loss maybe mild or sever but it is always permanent.

Mixed hearing loss may happen from an infection that damages the eardrum and the trio of bones in the middle ear. The infection can spread into the inner ear where the sensorineural hearing maybe affected.

Causes of Hearing Loss:
- Aging - Wear and tear from sounds over the years.
- Loud noises - Occupational noise such as factory work. Recreational noise such   as motorcycling, listening to loud music, or shooting firearms.
- Heredity - Your genes.
- Medication - Some antibiotics, high doses of aspirin, or   
  anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Illness. High fever from meningitis.
- Earwax, foreign bodies, tumors …etc.

Warning Signs of Hearing Loss:
- Difficulties understanding what people are saying.
- Feeling your ears are plugged.
- Missing large parts of conversation in areas that are noisy.
- Difficulties talking on the phone.
- Listening to the radio and tv at higher volume.

Signs in Children:
- Child’s poor response to sound as a newborn.
- Delays in speech and language development.
- Family history of hearing loss.
- Behavior problems.
- Frequent ear infections or persistent fluid in the middle ear.

References
Citations: Bogardus ST jr, et al. (2003). Screening and management of adult hearing loss in primary care: Clinical applications. JAMA, 289(15): 1986-1990. Yeuh B, et al. (2003). Screening and management of adult hearing loss in primary care: Scientific review. JAMA, 289(15): 1976-1985.
Other Work Consulted: Vernick, D, and Grzelka, C. The Hearing Loss Handbook. New York: Consumer Union of United States,1993.