Listen and Learn -12-28-24

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to listen and learn. It's where
we find out more about our health and our hearing.
I'm Danny and with us is concept by Ioway hearing
instrument specialist Kat Klower Kat A happy post Merry Christmas
and happy pre New Year.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yes, I hope everybody had a great Christmas. I know
we're still we have not done our gathering yet, so
it's still the season. And of course twenty twenty five
is just around the corner, so I'm sure there will
be some partying and New Year's resolutions and all the
things that come with it.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Oh my gosh, they're better be That's all I can say.
There better be some fun and frivolity still left in
twenty twenty four, and there is. There's lots of it.
And you know, if this is kind of a pre
reminder for you or a reminder for you as we
get down to the end of the year, because there's
not much time left in twenty twenty four to take

(00:57):
advantage of it by making sure you take advantage of
this great promo today before it runs out, which is
three hundred and seventy five dollars off per device on
the Best or Better series package and twenty four months
no interest financing. If you get a hold of concept

(01:20):
by Iowah Hearing Centers by one o'clock today to schedule
your complimentary hearing exam, that's your complementary hearing exam, which
you can do by calling eight seven seven six three
two thirty six ninety. That's eight seven seven six three
two thirty six ninety, or by going to their website,
which is Iowa Hearing dot com and that is all

(01:41):
spelled out Iowa Hearing dot com. Now, Kat Klower, let's
talk about our health and hearing and I like that.
We're gonna start to talk about twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah, so you know, the new year rolls around, we
start thinking about, you know, what kind of changes we're
going to make in the new year. New Year's resolutions.
And this is something personally that I do every year.
It's something I enjoy doing. Kind of pick your focus
and work on things that you want to improve, and

(02:16):
I always think kind of like this feeling of a
new year and a new new you. Basically, so we're
going to talk about some common New Year's resolutions that
people probably typically make and how they relate to better
hearing and better quality of life. I have about six

(02:37):
tips or six New Year's resolutions, however you want to
look at it, and we're just going to get started,
and we're going to get started with number one, and
number one being the one that I think probably is
the most common one, and that's getting fit. You know,
we all want to move more, be active. And it's

(03:00):
no secret that obesity can raise the risk for stroke,
heart disease, and diabetes and other serious health problems, but
most people might not realize that it's also linked to
a greater risk of hearing loss as well. So getting that,

(03:21):
you know, resolution to move more can really be beneficial
for a lot of reasons, but it can also be
helpful for your hearing. I read an article about five
benefits of exercise, and I think some of these benefits,
a couple of them might be what you expect, but

(03:43):
a couple of might be a little surprising. So the
benefits discussed were better sleep, and we know how important
sleep is, you know, for various aspects of our health.
Better bathroom habits, which I'm not really sure how that
relates to this, but hey, it does, fewer colds, and

(04:04):
here we are, you know, in cold and kind of
Lucy's in our winter months. And then it also a
benefit is healthier eyes and enhanced hearing. And you think, huh,
what does this happen? And one of my favorite studies
about hearing and exercise was done with about seventy thousand

(04:28):
female nurses and in the study, they were followed for
twenty years, and they found that the women who walked
at least two hours per week, I mean, and I
think that's not a whole lot. We're not talking about
an hour a day. We're talking about two hours per week.
We're associated with a lower risk of hearing loss. And

(04:53):
there's been other research that's been done that links higher
fitness levels to better hearing. And what happens is exercise
may protect against hearing loss by improving that blood flow
to our inner ear. So our inner ear, the cochlea

(05:13):
is fed by our microvascular system, so when you improve
that blood flow, it helps retain your better hearing. And
the cochlia also converts sound ways into nerve signals that
are sent to the brain, and as we age and

(05:34):
are exposed to loud sounds, we're at risk for hearing loss.
But exercise can lessen this and exercise may also prevent
the loss of neurotransmitters, which carry those signals between the
nerve cells. So it's just kind of a win win
because exercise reduces that risk for diabetes cardiovascular disease, and

(05:58):
both of these conditions are also linked to hearing loss.
So I think this is a great New Year's resolution,
and don't feel like, don't feel overwhelmed like I have
to like get into some hardcore working out. Just getting
up and moving more is going to benefit your overall
health and your hearing as well. Okay, Number two tip

(06:24):
ditching tobacco. So smoking, the number one preventable cause of
death in the United States and the culprit behind many
lung cancer cases, also increases the chance for hearing loss.
If you smoke or you're regularly exposed to second hand smoke,

(06:45):
you are twenty percent more likely to have hearing loss.
So resolving to quit smoking and to live tobacco free
puts you ahead of the pack for your hearing, your lungs,
your heart, and your general good health. So I think
a lot of people understand how smoking effects overall health,

(07:07):
but they may not be aware that it also increases
that risk for hearing loss. So another great New Year's
resolution again, a new year, new you. And with we're
turning into the new year, we've got this great promotion today, Danny,
I'm going to let you tell them about it. And

(07:30):
if you're feeling that financial crunch from the holidays, we
have that great financing option as well.

Speaker 1 (07:36):
Oh and I love it. This is really great deal.
The promo, as Kat was alluding to, is three hundred
and seventy five dollars off per device on the Best
or Better series package. And oh, this is a great
way to finance twenty four months no interest financing with

(07:57):
approved credit if you call in schedule that c complementary exam.
And again that's not going to cost you or your
insurance company anything. To schedule that exam and have that
exam with Concept, you've got to do it by one
o'clock today. In other words, get a hold of them,
call them, get online, make sure you are doing that
by one o'clock today to take advantage of that great promo.

(08:20):
Here's the number for Concept by Iowa Hearing Centers. It's
eight seven seven six three two thirty six ninety again
eight seven seven six three two thirty six ninety. Their
website is Iowa Hearing dot Com again all spelled out
Iowa Hearing dot com. Make sure again that you do
that by one o'clock today so you can qualify for

(08:43):
this great promo. Kat Klower is a hearing instrument specialist
with concept by Iowa Hearing Centers and always such interesting topics.
Kat and this is really a great way to kind
of prethink, to really think about what we want to
do in twenty twenty five to make ourselves and our
hearing more healthy.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, so let's roll into another common New Year's resolution.
I think this time of year a lot of people
think about maximizing their income. So whether it's a certain
kind of investing you want to do, or maybe it's
career goals. And it's the time of year you hear

(09:24):
a lot about improving your overall health. But I also
hear and see articles about ensuring your financial wellbeing as well.
And you may think, how can finances and hearing be related.
Untreated hearing loss can reduce annual household earning by thirty

(09:45):
thousand dollars. According to one study, Treating your hearing loss
can curb the chances of income loss by up to
one hundred percent, depending on the degree of loss. If
you are still in the job field, you know you're

(10:05):
not retired yet. You also need to remember it's important
to get that baseline hearing test at age forty and
every five years afterwards. So it is so much better
to get that baseline early and monitor it and treat

(10:26):
hearing loss sooner as opposed to later. It's always better
to get ahead of it and not behind it. It's
those subtle things when we start to lose our hearing.
Often we don't realize the things that we're not hearing.
And when you think of the job setting, maybe you're

(10:47):
walking down the hall and someone behind you says your name,
you don't hear them. You just keep on walking. Maybe
that gets interpreted a certain way and you're not even
know where that that situation's happening. And just don't put
yourself at risk. Just come in for those regular checkups.

(11:09):
It's an easy process, and our testing process is complementary
at all of our clinics here in Iowa, Okay. Another
I think great New Year's resolution is maybe you're wanting
to spend more time with friends and family, and I

(11:32):
would say along with that, not just spending time with them,
but maybe also letting them help you. I always think
the Beatles had it right when it comes to getting
by with a little help with your friend from your friends.
We need that right. And when you come for your

(11:54):
hearing evaluation, I think it's it's great to bring a friend,
bring a companion, bring a family member to your hearing appointments,
But really I think to all your health appointments because
an extra set of eyes and ears, as well as
an additional perspective, can make a difference in understanding how

(12:17):
you're listening. Difficulties affect you and your loved ones, and
it helps match your right solutions to your needs. And
maybe you're listening and you're thinking, what is she talking about?
Why do I need to bring somebody with me? You know,
what is the benefit of that? And I can tell

(12:38):
you over the years, I can have the patient in
front of me and I'm asking them lifestyle questions so
that I can make the appropriate recommendation for that person.
And they may not have much to say, like I'll say,
you know, are you very socially active? Are you involved

(12:58):
in very many things? You use much technology? And they
really don't have much to say, but then if they
have someone with them, they'll be like, well, you know,
they belong to Rotary, or they do this, or every
Wednesday morning they get together with their friends and have coffee.

(13:19):
You know, they say they don't use technology, but then
the other person will say, well, they no longer go
to church services, but they watch them every week on
their tablet. These are the helpful nuggets that are going
to help me help you. So I always think it's
better to have a friend with you and go through

(13:43):
the process together. And then another thing that people may
be thinking of as a New Year's resolution is embracing technology.
I think we can all relate technology is not going anywhere.

(14:05):
Just kind of a fun fact. I went hiking on
Christmas Day with my family, and you know, we were
trying to find our trail head and then trying to
figure out which trails connected to get us back to
where we started. And we found the trailhead and they

(14:26):
have the little container for the trail map, but it's empty,
and they now have a QR code and you just
scan the QR code and you go to a digital
hiking map. But I do think not everybody even knows
how to use a QR code. So technology has invaded

(14:47):
all aspects of our life now, and if you are
looking to adapt more technology into your lifestyle in twenty
twenty five, you should know that smartphones can stream audio
directly to your hearing devices. Here a Concept, we help
you with all of that Bluetooth stuff. If I say

(15:11):
Bluetooth and you're like, I don't even really know what
that can do for me, that's part of your hearing
care packages. Here at Concept we do all your Bluetooth
pairing for you and your troubleshooting, and we just teach
you how to use all the fun stuff and down
the road eventually you're probably going to get a new phone,

(15:35):
a new device, and then you just call Melissa and
you say I got a new phone, and you come
in and see us and we repair everything and take
care of it for you. And that benefit of hearing
phone calls directly in both your ears, or listening to iHeartRadio,

(15:57):
listening to audio books. These are a great thing and
these can help you fit your other goals because I
always think if I'm streaming an audiobook or listening to music,
I'm going to walk longer because it's going to keep
me engaged so it kind of fits those exercise and
other goals and keeping us cognitively engaged. And also remember

(16:23):
you can stream audio directly from your television to your
hearing aids and you can do that with a TV connector,
and a TV connector comes complimentary with our Better or
Best package, and we're offering that great promotion on those
two packages today.

Speaker 1 (16:44):
Yes, and also three hundred seventy five dollars off per device. Yeah,
you heard that right. It's three hundred and seventy five
dollars off per device on the Best or Better series
package and you get that great financing. We're talking twenty
four months no interest financing with approved credit. When you

(17:09):
call or get in touch with Concept by Iowa Hearing
Centers by one o'clock today to schedule that complementary hearing exam,
here's the number eight seven seven six three two thirty
six ninety again eight seven seven six three two thirty
six ninety. You can even do it at their website.
Their website is phenomenal. It should be bookmarked for you

(17:31):
because there's so much great information there about Concept and
where they're located, about the people who work there, and
of course a very convenient way for you to schedule
that complimentary hearing exam. It's Iowa Hearing dot Com all
spelled out Iowa Hearing dot Com. Again, do that by
one o'clock so you can qualify for that great promo.

(17:53):
Kat Klower, an hearing instrument specialist with Concept by Iowa
Hearing Centers, is with us today. We've been taught about
New Year's resolutions, and I just find it fascinating because
you know, new Year's resolutions, we need them to keep motivated,
and it's so cool that a lot of them will
help us take our health in hearing to a higher level.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
That's right. It just adds to that quality of life.
And that leads to the last or the sixth New
Year's resolution that I have that I think a lot
of people think about, and that's living life to the fullest.
Have you resolved to living a fuller life? And the
upcoming year is twenty twenty five going to be the

(18:37):
year that is taking a dream vacation or to simply
enjoy more fully your relationships with your friends and family,
because staying engaged, hearing, understanding, and being able to confidently
contribute to discussions can improve your relationships, your hearing loss

(19:01):
is a great way to ensure health and happiness. In
twenty twenty five and here at Concept by Iowa Hearing Centers,
we've got the great quality technology and the knowledge and
staff to help you make the most of your hearing

(19:25):
so that you can live life to the fullest. And
I do want to take a moment and talk about
the technology and the hearing devices that we are currently
fitting here at Concept. So what is new and when
I mean new, what is new in the last let

(19:45):
me do the math four months of the hearing of
the hearing world here at Concept. Up until this time,
all hearing aids, all manufacturers all had one sound processing
chip in the hearing device. We are now at the

(20:06):
point at concepts our hearing devices in the better and
best package have two sound processing chips in both devices,
so that one chip is an updated, faster processing chip
like the one that's been used for probably the last

(20:26):
few years. But that additional chip is now an AI
trained chip. So we talk about technology. This is where
technology benefits people because that AI trained chip was trained
with twenty million sound files and its only purpose is

(20:48):
to separate speech from noise. So when you go back
to that last resolution living life to the fullest, and
you want to take that dream vacation and you want
to be able to hear and understand and challenging environments,
or you're committed to those relationships with friends and family
and you get into those larger gatherings, you're going to

(21:11):
get a greater benefit from the device. And going back
to the very first resolution, where maybe you really want
to focus on staying fit. Our hearing devices are water proof,
they are sweat proof, they are dust proof. So if
you are really into bicycling, you're into running, you're into

(21:37):
playing pickleball, or maybe just your lifestyle takes you outdoors
a lot, they will pulled up to an active lifestyle.
And when I say they're waterproof, I mean they're truly waterproof.
They will They can be submerged in water for up
to an hour. And I've had multiple people test this

(22:02):
and it wasn't intentional, but hey, life happens. I have
active patients. I've had people wear them in the swimming pool,
not realizing it, finding it, you know, thirty minutes later
at the bottom of the pool and they were fine.
I've had people get jumped in the water with their

(22:23):
hearing devices. They were fine. They have had people lose
it outside overnight find it. It's been fine. They are
very durable, so you know they're going to keep up
with an active lifestyle. They're going to have great sound quality,

(22:45):
and they're going to have all those other great things
like the technology, the blue tooth, the rechargeability. I had
a new patient come in right before Christmas. They were
looking to use their expanding up before the end of
the year, and they wanted to get new hearing devices.
And he said, do you have the rechargeable hearing aids?

(23:09):
And I said, I've been doing rechargeable hearing aids for
the last eight years, so I am a big advocate
of the rechargeable hearing aids. There is no price difference.
But why change a battery? You know why I have
to change a battery every three to seven days. Make

(23:31):
it easy. The easier we can make it for you,
the more you're going to use the device, treat your
loss and live life to the fullest. Get that quality
of life in twenty twenty five. So as we enter
this new year, thank to yourself. Have you had that baseline?

(23:52):
Are you forty years old? Have you had your hearing
checked in the last five years. Have you had your
hearing check since graades. Today's the day to get it
on the schedule. Pick up the phone and give us
a call by one o'clock today.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
It's very very easy to schedule that complimentary hearing exam
with Concept by Iowa Hearing Centers MAT number eight seven
seven six three two thirty six ninety Again eight seven
seven six three two thirty six ninety. Their website also
very convenient, all spelled out Iowa Hearing dot com. That's
Iowa Hearing dot com. Please do that by one o'clock

(24:32):
today because the promo you qualify for is three hundred
and seventy five dollars off per device on the Best
or Better series package and twenty four months no interest
financing with approved credit. Yeah, you don't want to miss
out on that one, so make sure you contact Concept
by Iowa Hearing Centers and get that taken care of today.

(24:52):
I want to thank Kat Klower, Hearing instrument Specialist with
Concept by Iowa Hearing Centers for all the great information
and by the way, Kat, happy New year.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
Well, thank you and thank you everyone for listening. As
the holidays continue, have fun with friends and family. But
also be safe and thank you for listening.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
Today, Listen and Learn is brought to you by Concept
by Iowa Hearing Centers on WOC