Hearing aids Articles

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.

About The Author

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

Haunting Student Loan Debts

Haunting Student Loan Debts

by: Henry Byers

In today's ever changing economy, it's hard enough for the average working individual to make ends meet, without a wage garnishment, while supporting themselves or their families. Sometimes living pay check to pay check with the regular bills and sudden unexpected expenses is hard enough without having an old student loan debt rear its ugly head to bite you in the wallet. Borrowers who have not made voluntary and timely payments to the institution from which a loan was made, may face a wage garnishment through their current employer.

Under the Higher Education Act, the Department of Education and security agencies can require employers to deduct a minimum of 10% of the indebted employee's pay check each pay period toward repayment of the debt. This wage garnishment may continue until the entire balance of the outstanding debt is paid. This method of wage garnishment is used only for the borrowers who refuse to voluntarily repay their defaulted loan and is not used with those borrowers who continue to make regular and timely payments.

Employers who have received an Order for Withholding of Wages must conform to the order by law. Employers will only receive information that is necessary to conform with the wage garnishing order and are prohibited to discharge the borrower from employment, or subject the individual to disciplinary action due to wage garnishment. Any individual who is discharged from their job or disciplined is allowed to seek restitution in federal or state court if such action occurs. Administrative Wage Garnishment is a tool of last resort used by the U.S. Department of Education to recover defaulted student loans through wage garnishment. Thirty days prior to the issuance of the Order of Withholding, a notice is sent to the borrower notifying that individual of the Department of Education's intent to garnish wages and of the borrower's rights and appeal procedures.

To avoid wage garnishments, the borrower has an opportunity to enter into a written agreement under terms agreeable to Department of Education to establish a voluntary repayment arrangement. If the borrower has any objections to the existence, amount, or enforce-ability of the debt, a hearing can be arranged to present and obtain a ruling; also of any objection that wage garnishment of the borrowers disposable pay would produce an extreme financial hardship. A wage garnishment action can be withheld by filing a timely request for a hearing. No action will be taken until the hearing is completed and a decision is issued.

Borrowers may also object to a wage garnishment if the validity of the claim is in question or if the current enforce-ability of the claim is barred by law. The borrower is responsible for providing documentation or evidence to corroborate any objections raised in defense to the enforcement of the debt. It would be in your best interest to learn all you can about garnishment law.

About The Author

Henry Byers, Retired IRS Manager and IRS Wage Garnishment expert at eGarnish Group LLC ( http://www.irs-wage-garnishment.info ) publishes other articles related to IRS Wage Garnishment at http://www.garnishment-attorney.info and http://www.irs-bank-levy.info

The Legalities And Issues With An IRS Levy

The Legalities And Issues With An IRS Levy

by: Henry Byers

An IRS levy is an order from the Internal Revenue Security directing TVA to withhold a specified amount of an employee?s pay to satisfy a tax debt. If the IRS determines that we owe back tax then it may issue an IRS levy requiring the deductions from the pay till the back taxes are paid. They may ask the person to sign an agreement of consent authorizing the amount to be deducted. The IRS levy can allow an amount to be exempt from withholding based on the o employee?s tax filing station and the number of exemptions claimed.

A legal step taken by Internal Revenue System to seize anyone?s property in order to satisfy his debt is IRS levy. They are different from liens. Lien is just a claim used as security for tax debt whereas in IRS levy they actually take the property to do so. If one cannot make arrangements to settle the debts then the IRS seizes or sells any type of personal or real property which one possesses. For example, the IRS can seize and sell property like boats, houses, cars, etc. Even they can levy property that is actually the debtors? but is help by someone else like the wages wit the employee, balance at the bank account, license, rental income, etc.

An IRS levy is issued only when he requirements are met. The first condition is when IRS sends a notice or demand for the payment of the tax assessed by them. Secondly, when the person refuses or neglects to pay the tax and lastly when a final notice of Intent to Levy i.e. a legal notice of IRS levy is sent 30 days before the levy. A person receives one more notice with this notice known as Notice of Your Rights to Hearing. These notices can be given anywhere at our business place, at home or can be registered with the return receipt.

One may ask the IRS to review the case or can even request to Office of Appeals by filing a request to the IRS officer listed in our notice. This request filing should be done within 30 days of the receipt of the IRS levy notice.

When the IRS levy, levy our wages, salary or bank account, the levy ends when it is released or when on e pays the tax debt or at the expiry of the time of legal collection of tax. When the IRS levy, levies the bank account, the bank holds the funds in deposit for 21 days. This time is given as the relaxation period to solve the problem at hand. After 21 days, the bank sends the money to the IRS along with the interest, if applicable, to the IRS.

If IRS makes any mistake, like while levying bank account, the bank charges are borne by the debtor. In such a condition one is entitled to have the reimbursement for such charges. For this reimbursement one has to file a claim to the IRS within one year after the bank has claimed the charges.

There are two different types of IRS levy programs. One is FPLP i.e. Federal Payment Levy program and the other is SITLP, which is State Income Tax Levy Program. Under the FPLP, the IRS may levy money from the federal payments received like Social Security benefits, retirement from the Office of Personnel Management, federal employee?s salaries, etc. FPLP electronic levies the federal payments made through Department of Treasury, Financial Management services. When these agencies levy through FPLP, they take 15% from each of the payments till the account is resolved. One can call IRS employee for assistance if he is already working with them.

Under the SITLP, IR levies the state tax refund. This implies to individual state tax refunds only. Inclusion of business tax refunds in the future is under consideration. If the state tax refund is levied, the state issues a notice of advice about the levy. If one receives an advice, legally, for the Rights of Hearing then this IRS notice of advising is not issued.

About The Author

Henry Byers, Retired IRS Manager and IRS Tax Levy expert at eGarnish Group LLC ( http://www.irs-bank-levy.info ) publishes other articles related to IRS Tax Levy at http://www.irs-garnishment.info and http://www.garnishment-laws.info

Natural Testosterone Supplements

Natural Testosterone Supplements

by: Chester Ku-Lea

Testosterone Support Supplements (or Testosterone Aids) are meant to enhance your performance, increase muscle gains and make you bigger. Testosterone is the master male hormone. Testosterone supplementation can increase male sex drive, strengthen bones, muscles, decrease body fat, improve thinking ability, boost energy levels and guard against the onset of depression and heart disease.

Testosterone

Testosteroneis a powerful anabolic hormone that stimulates and controls the development of muscle, bone, skin, sex organs, and most other masculine, physical features. Recently, scientists have discovered that testosterone also aids mental function, enhancing both visual and perceptual skills. Male testosterone is produced in the testes by a group of cells known as the Leydig cells. These cells begin secreting high doses of testosterone during puberty to trigger increased lean muscle mass, sex organ development, bone formation and higher energy levels. Testosterone levels peak during a man's early to mid twenties.

Testosterone in Elderly Men

As a man ages, the amount of testosterone produced by the cells decreases. By the age of sixty, the average man will have lost nearly 50% of his testosterone supply. In addition, other factors (such as stress, lack of sleep, physical inactivity, the use of prescription medication and drinking) can cause testosterone levels to drastically decline. Although there is a growing awareness of the vital role testosterone plays in a man's overall health, the vast majority of men still don't recognize the key symptoms of testosterone deficiency.

Testosterone Deficiency & Symptoms Of

Testosterone deficiency symptoms include depression, fatigue, low sex drive, irritability, loss of facial/body hair, thinning and/or wrinkling of skin, weight gain, and the weakening of both bone and muscle tissue. Eventually, imbalances of testosterone can set the stage for the development of more serious disease. Low testosterone levels can also disrupt the body's blood sugar metabolism, leading to obesity and diabetes. Chronic deficiencies may also promote the early onset of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Benefits of Testosterone Support Supplementation

? testosterone supplements can increase your sex drive

? testosterone supplements increase muscle while decreasing fat

? testosterone supplements improve energy levels

About The Author

Chester Ku-Lea is a health nutrition consultant and is the owner of

www.AstroNutrition.com - a provider of premium health nutrition and sports supplements.

chester@astronutrition.com

The Bacteria And Other Microorganisms That Are Involved In Dental Infection

The Bacteria And Other Microorganisms That Are Involved In Dental Infection

by: George Meinig

This article is part of Dr. George Meinig's,DDS, FACD, research information of the extensive and investigative research of Dr. Weston Price's,DDS, FACD, research work.

It might be of interest that the wall Street Journal, on the morning of my typing this page, reported that one year ago a small group of Scientists had met and exchanged data on the first drugs discovered by major pharmaceutical companies to arrest the AIDS virus. Their euphoria was blown just six months later when they found the AIDS virus wasn't being controlled but was mutating, and in its new form the infection was able to begin all over again.

The article went on to say that because of the organisms' ability to adjust and change, scientists now feel it may be a long time, if ever, before there is a cure for AIDS. Isn't it interesting that so long ago Dr. Price found bacteria trapped inside of teeth were doing the very same thing?

In the case of mutating streptococci germs or other bacteria housing themselves in dentin tubules, the obvious question is: "So what; how can they escape?"

The cementum itself won't allow the bacteria through its dense substance, except through accessory canals. However, the cementum is not able to stop the toxins of the bacteria from seeing through it structures.

In another investigation, Dr. Price explored this possibility using extracted teeth. He cemented small steel tubes into the root canal from the tooth's root end. He then hooked these up to a device which would pump water into the root canal under pressure. He found that when a dye was introduced, the colored water not only traveled through the dentin tubules but seeped through the entire structure of the cementum, the roots' outer, seemingly impervious, protective covering.

In addition to these ways for bacteria to escape into the bloodstream, bacteria can also leak out from around the root canal filling material. dentists diligently try to pack the root canal filling material so it doesn't permit bacteria trapped in the dentin to leak through the root-filling material and out through the root-canal opening at the end of the root, but tests by Dr. Price and others have shown that leaks occur.

What about those people who have had root canal fillings for years and have remained in good health? Dr. Price found these individuals represented about 30 percent of those treated. They had excellent immune systems able to control germs present.

Nevertheless, when these same healthy people suffered a severe accident,had a case of the Flu, lost their jobs, or suffered some other unusually heavy stress which overtaxed their immune systems, they could develop a degenerative disease problem because their defense mechanisms had become overwhelmed.

About The Author

Dr. George Meinig,D.D.S.,F.A.C.D. is a Founder of the Association of Root Canal Specialists Discovers Evidence That Root Canals Damage Your Health Learn What to Do.

Learn how Dr. George Meinig discovered that a meticulous 25 year research program, conducted by Weston A. Price, DDS, under the auspices of the American Dental Association's Research Institute was buried.

To subscribe newsletter: Visit: www.1stultimategumsolution.com

Edited and prepared by Sung Lee, alternate author.

Moving Help & Tips

Moving Help & Tips

by: Chris Gunnels

Moving your goods yourself can save you a great deal of money; here are ways to save on moving hassles as well.

Steps:

Take an inventory of your possessions. Use this list to determine the number of boxes and the size of the truck you will need for your move.

Interview prospective truck rental companies, and ask what kinds of services and insurance coverage they offer. Be sure to check the quality of the company's rental vehicles as well.

Rent the appropriate size vehicle (trailer, truck or van). Most rental companies provide free guides to choosing a vehicle size.

Ask about the rental vehicle's pick-up and drop-off points; arrange the drop-off point to be as close to your destination as possible.

Make necessary travel arrangements, such as hotel reservations for a move that will take longer than a day, or separate plane or car arrangements if any family members will be traveling separately.

Rent or purchase appropriate moving aids, such as pry bars and appliance dollies for heavier furniture and appliances.

Sell or donate unwanted items - this will reduce your load and help make the moving process much easier.

Arrange to have family members or friends help you load your belongings at your old home and unload once you reach your destination.

Tips:

Good packing materials and equipment are worth paying for.

Think carefully about what you really need to take with you and what might be cheaper to replace or rent.

Find help! Friends and family are an invaluable resource during this hectic time.

Warnings:

Consider your health - don't take on more than you can handle.

For better moving tips or supplies go to http://upackindustries.com.

About The Author

Chris Gunnels

I started as way for normal people like you and i to find a way to minimize our moving costs

chris@upackindustries.com

Listening Deeply: Feeling a Connection with Sound

Listening Deeply: Feeling a Connection with Sound

by: Alanna Kaivalya

One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was go to air shows. There, I could feel the planes flying over me, even before I could see them. Having been born with a hearing impairment made me particularly sensitive to sound, and I had to figure out a way to do more with sound than just listen, because that was difficult. With this challenge, I discovered early on that sound could be felt, as well as heard. It was always clear to me that others didn?t have this same relationship with sound; they were almost oblivious to it. Most people respond to music, and can dance to a beat, but beyond that hearing tends to be a lost art.

All people can relate to music; sound can soothe the soul. There seems to be something about the rhythm and beat that makes people stop and take notice ? they can focus on the sound for a period of minutes, which is usually very hard to accomplish! Music may remind people of a time in their lives, or inspire a particular memory, or mark an occasion. Most people understand the power of music, at least on a superficial level. So what is it about sound that people are missing?

The missing piece is the feeling, the understanding of how ingrained sound is in all of us. Western society has become so dependent on sight that it?s almost impossible to get people to look away from the TV, or a car crash, or the computer screen. Many people wear glasses to correct their vision, but only 1 in 10 people who needs a hearing aid will wear it. Why have our eyes taken over and left us unable to really listen?

I have a theory ? it?s one that I?ve been developing for a long time, but I think it?s a sound one: The eyes disconnect us, while the ears connect us. Why is this important? The eyes see and filter information, and then the brain has to interpret it. The ears, however, have no filter, so although the brain is given all the data, it can interpret the information however it wants. No matter what we do, our eyes will distort and mask what is really possible, and our brains can mask and distort. This distortion makes us see things as apart from us; everything is ?out there.? Our ears, however, are open. Our ears give us an experience; we even can feel sound internally, if we practice, just as I did as a kid.

It?s important to re-train our interpreter ? the brain ? to hear sounds more clearly and not rely so heavily on our eyes. Nada yoga, the yoga of deep listening, is a practice that can help us to hear and feel sound. Nada yoga encourages us to tune in to our world and to stop interpreting so much with our brains. When we take time to focus on a sound ?a song, for instance ? it can soothe our brains. When we tune into ambient noise and stop labeling everything as ?good? sound or ?bad? sound, our brains become trained to accept all sounds. When we listen to the people with whom we are in relationships, we also become more tuned in to our inter-connectedness, because they often say similar things to what we would say in a given situation.

Science tells us that all of us are vibration; the entire universe is composed most fundamentally of vibration ? sound. If that?s the case, it is clearly important to listen to the vibrations you can hear. That first crucial step eventually will lead you down a path of understanding everything as vibration. When you can feel that vibration, then you are connected with everything, because it?s all vibration, including you. This vibration cannot be seen with the eyes; in fact, the eyes mask it and make us see things as different, separate, and not connected. Only the ears can allow us to hear, and eventually feel, our similarities ? if we listen deeply enough.

About The Author

Alanna Kaivalya is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti instructor who specializes in nada yoga and deep inner listening. Born with a hearing impairment, listening closely has allowed her to create a deep sense of connectedness with her world. To invite her to teach a workshop, download her podcasts or to invite her to teach, contact her via her website: http://www.jivadiva.com.

Types of Batteries

Types of Batteries

by: Jeff Anderson

Are you confused by the terms thrown around on batteries.such as Magnesium or Zinc-Carbon? We will walk you through a brief definition of each type of Alkalinee Batteries. Types of alkaline non-rechargeable batteries include:

Zinc-Carbon. Zinc-carbon cells, also known as "Leclanch?" cells, were the first widely used household batteries. Rated at 1.5 volts per cell, they are much lower in cost compared to alkalines, but also have a lower energy density. Available in AAA, AA, C, D and 9-volt sizes, common applications are toys, remote controls, flashlights and other household items. Zinc-carbon cells, also known as "Leclanch?" cells, were the first widely used household batteries. Rated at 1.5 volts per cell, they are much lower in cost compared to alkalines, but also have a lower energy density.

Zinc-Chloride: Heavy-duty zinc chloride batteries (ZnCl2) are the result of technological advances in zinc carbon battery manufacturing. A powdery mix serves as the cathode component of the zinc chloride battery. The mix is made of manganese dioxide (the active ingredient), carbon black (for electrical conductivity and moisture absorption), and zinc chloride electrolyte (which assists the chemical reaction).

Magnesium batteries - have twice the service life of a zinc cell of equivalent size. It is able to retain its capacity during storage due to a protective film that forms on the surface of the magnesium anode. The cost is competitive.

Alkaline-manganese Dioxide - These batteries were developed in the early 1960s and still hold a strong position in today's market. Alkalines are a very popular, multi-use premium battery. Rated at 1.5 volts per cell, they are available in the common AAA, AA, C, D and 9-volt sizes. They have a very good shelf life and are excellent for high drain rate applications, such as electronics applications. Alkaline batteries can deliver 50-100% more total energy than conventional carbon zinc batteries of the same size, making them popular for consumer applications.

Silver Oxide Cells: commonly found as button cells that power small electronic devices such as watches, calculators, hearing aids and other small specialty devices. Rated at 1.55 volts per cell, their advantage is small size, high energy density and long shelf life. Hope this summary helps.next time - you will be a battery expert!

About The Author

Jeff Anderson knows his batteries. He knows what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid. Let him guide you to finding out more about batteries. Contact him at Jeff@summitbatteries.com or visit the blog at his site www.summitbatteries.com.

Family Tree Templates

Family Tree Templates

by: Trevor Dumbleton

If you want to create your family tree, but do not know where to start, family tree templates can get you started on your genealogical adventure. By giving you a pre-designed family tree that you can fill in, you can easily assemble your chart of lineage and, while doing so, learn the proper format for family trees.

Family tree templates take the form of blank family trees that can be populated with the names of the people in your immediate and extended family. Often, these templates will include instructions that will explain how to fill in each rectangle with whose name and with what information. All you need to do is follow the directions and with family tree templates, you can have an impressive chart of your familial relationships in no time.

By providing you with instructions, format, and explanations of what everything means family tree templates can help you learn how family trees are made, assembled, and organized. Thus, if you want to continue your exploration of genealogy, you will have that much more understanding of what a family tree is, how it works, and how you can start building your own from scratch, if you so desire. Or you can simply use more family tree templates when you want to expand your genealogy beyond the scope of your current template. Some templates are even designed to be easily added onto previous templates, making it that much easier to expand your family tree into more and more distant relations.

Family tree templates can be easily found and are usually fairly inexpensive. Book stores and some office supply stores usually carry them, and there are more than a few web sites that sell genealogy supplies, including family tree templates. With just a little bit of searching, you can start your adventure into your ancestry with these easy to use aids that will ensure you are doing everything correctly.

If you want to learn more about yourself by learning about your ancestors, your investigations will be much easier to organize and understand with a family tree. And if you want a little help when you first start building a family tree, family tree templates can give you the boost you need. Easy to find, easy to use, and easy to understand, they are an invaluable tool for the beginning genealogist who wants to see just how deep and how broad a family tree can become.

About The Author

Trevor Dumbleton - http://www.familytreeshistory.com/ is a categorized resource directory to help explore the world of genealogy, or family trees, including the history of our ancestors.

Viatical Settlements, Or Life Insurance Settlements

Viatical Settlements, Or Life Insurance Settlements

by: Donald Lusan

When I first heard of viatical settlements, or life insurance settlements, I shuddered at such a dastardly idea. I even put into words my deep feelings. You see I spent many years in the life insurance business and have seen the product work for the betterment of so many. I could not conceive of a pleasant result when one deprives the beneficiaries of what was due them. I guess I had not given the idea much thought, thus my extreme response.

Although I still do not feel it right to deprive beneficiaries of their life insurance proceeds so that an insured can get his or her hands on the proceeds of policies during their lifetime through life insurance settlements with investors, after much study and deep thought I can only conclude that there are situations where this is, not only justified, but is absolutely necessary.

If you bring into the picture the unfortunate person who is HIV positive or has developed full blown AIDS and are desperately doing everything they can just to stay alive with these extremely expensive drugs then you will, like I have, learn to appreciate the need for life insurance settlements.

Some people have no cash value life insurance they can borrow from; no nest egg they can draw on. All these people have is their life insurance policy. They therefore sell their policies to the highest bidder. They get 50% to 60% of the face amount of the policy which they use to pay for treatment and for the drugs they need to keep themselves alive.

Let us not elude ourselves that it is only people with aids who need life insurance settlements. There are certain cancers, heart, liver and kidney conditions that can devastate our lives and put us in a financial quandary. I am sure there are many more illnesses that I have not even thought about. I therefore conclude, because I am now more informed, that life insurance settlements can truly be necessary and that when people take this path it must be with great reluctance and heartbreak.

About The Author

Donald Lusan

For more than 40 years Donald has been known for his extensive knowledge of the life insurance business. He has represented some of the largest and best life insurance companies in the United States as well as Canada. His advice is invaluable.

Donald's website is: http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net