Communication Strategies ~

Do you know someone who has had a stroke? Do you know someone with Parkinson's disease? If so, you may know someone who has needed the services of a speech-language pathologist. A speech-language pathologist is a professional who works with people of all ages in the areas of speech (saying words clearly), language (understanding and using spoken words, written words, signs, gestures, pictures or symbols), swallowing (chewing and swallowing without coughing or discomfort) and cognition (memory and problem solving). How can you help? There are some helpful hints you can use when talking with someone who has difficulty communicating:

• 
  Use short, simple sentences
• Start a phrase with the person's name to gain his/her attention
• Rephrase or say things in a different way instead of just repeating the same phrase
• Try to ask yes/no questions · Ask the person to repeat if you don't understand what he/she said
• Give the person extra time to respond
  

Concha Audiology and Rehabilitation, PLC is pleased to offer speech/language pathology services through the Coralville Clinic. Give Vicki a call if you have questions about speech, language, swallowing or cognitive issues.

Look Who's Here!!

Beginning in May, we have welcomed a new addition to the Concha Audiology family. Along with our premier Audiologists Del Concha M.A., CCC-A, F-AAA, and Jessica Egge M.A., CCC-A and Speech Pathologist Victoria Concha M.A., CCC-SLP, we have added another Audiologist!

Our new Audiologist's name is Lindsey Tubaugh M.S., CF-A and she will be evaluating and assisting patients in our Keokuk office. Lindsey will be in the office full-time starting in mid-June to see to all of your Audiology needs. As always, call Elsie in Keokuk for an appointment! Lindsey Tubaugh, M.S., CF-A comes to us from Providence, Utah. She received her B.S. degree in communication disorders and Deaf education from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. She completed her graduate coursework in Audiology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Lindsey has played an active role in research and was awarded the excellence in research award by the Utah Speech and Hearing Association. Lindsey enjoys working with patients of all ages to help increase their quality of life through communication. Her professional experience includes newborn hearing screening, balance function testing, fitting and programming hearing aids, and counseling patients on communication strategies. Lindsey and her husband Seth reside in Keokuk, Iowa and enjoy spending time together, especially camping and fishing. Lindsey looks forward to meeting the people of Iowa and hopes to form lasting relationships with each one of her patients.

Pesky Earwax?

Believe it or not, earwax, also known as cerumen, is a good thing. It is a vital part of the self-cleaning mechanism of your ears. It coats the skin in your ear canal, protecting it. It also has water-repellant properties. If you have too little wax, you may experience dry, itchy ears. On the other hand, too much earwax can give you a plugged up feeling, temporarily decrease your hearing, or even contribute to external ear infections. If you use a hearing aid, the natural self-cleaning of the ear is restricted, and may contribute to a build up of earwax. Earwax is unable to work its way out and may become uncomfortable or make your hearing aid squeal. Maybe you have heard the saying, "Don't put anything smaller than your elbow into your ear." While it is hard to see exactly how far your elbow can fit in your ear, it is a good rule of thumb. Call it your "rule of elbow," if you will. This rule means no cotton swabs, no bobby pins, no keys, no matches, no pens, and no tissue corners! Your only accomplishment will be to push most of the wax in deeper, and maybe even damage the delicate skin in your ear canal. It is often harder for this skin to heal, due to limited blood flow, and you may find yourself with a painful external ear infection. So what can you do about earwax, you ask? Many people choose to use a bit of mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide to loosen the wax on a regular basis. Letting this sit in one ear at a time for several minutes allows the wax to soften. Then gently rinse out your ear with water, so that the softener you use does not sit too long on the skin. This can be rough on your skin, just like how your fingers wrinkle up after too long in the bath. You may need to do this several days in a row if you have a large amount of wax in your ears. To prevent a build-up of wax, it is enough to perform this procedure once or twice a month. If you think you might have hole in your eardrum, it is best to visit a professional for ear cleaning. Even water behind your eardrum can lead to a nasty middle ear infection. You may also simply wipe away wax from the entrance to your ears as it works itself out.

Many people choose to leave the ear hygiene to the professionals. This is often the safest bet. Many audiologists have training and experience in this arena. You may also visit your family doctor or ear, nose and throat doctor. Three main methods for earwax removal exist. Many people have experienced getting their ears rinsed out with water at some point. This is a quick and easy method, but it is occasionally uncomfortable and messy. It should not be performed if you have a hole in your eardrum. Another common method is removal with tools. The professional eases the wax out with special instruments. This is usually relatively comfortable, but may be difficult with very soft or very hard wax. The third method is suction. Not every professional has this equipment available. Although it can be very noisy, it is usually quite effective in removing wax. If you have had a bad experience in the past, see what other methods your professional has available. Just remember, whatever you do, don't "stick it in your ear"!

Concha Audiology, PLC will evaluate your hearing at no charge to determine if you qualify for this no obligation, 30 day 100% money back guarantee trial period. All those who qualify and can benefit, will be fit with one of the world's most advanced 100% digital hearing aids. Your satisfaction is our goal. Don't be left out! Call now for an appointment. As always, feel free to bring a friend or family member with you!!

We are proud to say we have 4 permanent locations to serve you:

We also have a website that may answer some of your questions or you may e-mail our Audiologists. Our website is www.conchahearing.com and our e-mail is delconch@interl.net.