Wherever you are, enjoy and celebrate the sounds of summer! Thanks from your Audiologists,

Holly Hosford-Dunn PhD & Sharon K Hopkins MA

Who ARE These People??

TAI's Internation Survey of Cerumen Management (Wax Removal) Techniques

We pride ourselves on offering full services to our patients, including ear wax removal.  This service is called "Cerumen Management" and we've both gone through many hours of training prior to attempting it on patients.  Not so in India, where "Ear Wallas" work on the beaches and on city corners, jumping into unsuspecting people's ears (see above) and removing wax "plants," then charging the dazed person for the assault.  Some people think it's a scam, others swear that they hear much better afterward. Rest assured, this will NOT happen to you in our office!

Likewise, we're drawing the line after reading that "erotic ear cleaning" is the new rage in Japan.  According to reports from Britain, about 100 "parlours" have opened in Tokyo in the last 6 months, offering 30 minute ear cleaning sessions for about $35.  While it's true that we love working with all our patients, we're going to have to pass on this new version of an old service! Cerumen management in our office will remain just plain boring old wax removal. 

 Serious and Exciting Health Notes

On a single day this week, three important health items made the front pages.  Though none have to do with improving hearing, all have to do with improving quality of life in aging populations. 

1.  A spinal fluid test has been shown to predict Alzheimer's Disease with great accuracy. This is a phenomenal finding!  It costs less than $300, according to published reports, but lab standardization remains to be done before clinical protocols are set up. 

2.  DNA tests are likely to detect colon cancer and pre-cancerous colon conditions, even those missed by colonoscopy.  This research, if validated, will reduce the need for colonoscopy and potentially save many lives. 

3.  Severe depression may be relieved by a common anesthetic that's been in use for 50 years.  Ketamine has so far been shown effect in drug-resistent bipolar depression. Another exciting research finding which, if verified by future studies, may mean a world of difference for treatment of all kinds of depression.