This story is sponsored by Elevated Hearing in Mount Vernon.
Robin M. Graham, Doctor of Audiology, of Elevated Hearing Center is Mount
Vernon’s expert in audiology and hearing aids, providing advanced and thoughtful care to each patient served. Because of her experience working in various different practice settings, such as private practices, hospitals and Ear, Nose and Throat offices, she is versatile and ready to care for each individual that walks through the doors of Elevated Hearing Center.
Dr. Graham’s mission is to help people hear and be able to reconnect with their family and friends again. Elevated Hearing Center provides services that test hearing, testing, fitting and repairing hearing aids, ear cleaning and overall education on how one can take care of their hearing.
“I treat everybody that walks through my doors like family and work hard to make sure that they have a solution that works well for them,” Dr. Graham said.
In 2021, The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders revealed that approximately 28.8 million Americans could benefit from the use of hearing aids. Having an expert in the area to accommodate for tests and hearing aid care is an incredible benefit.
“The key to success with hearing aids is detecting hearing loss early and starting treatment as soon as possible. The earlier you start treatment the easier it is for you to adjust to the amplification and the better you will do in the long run. Especially in more challenging environments,” Dr. Graham said.
“There is a lot of research out there about untreated hearing loss and how it can lead to social isolation, depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. I believe it’s the lack of stimulation that goes along with untreated hearing loss that aids in that continued decline,” Graham said.
“Wearing hearing aids is like rehabilitation for your auditory system and it is the only way to maintain your ability to distinguish and process speech sounds. When you lose that ability you are not as successful with hearing aids. You can definitely wait too long.”
Graham said the biggest cause of hearing loss is age related, but noise exposure is also a factor, as well as infections, ototoxic medications, viruses and genetics. In regards to noise exposure, The American Academy of Audiology explains that long and repeated exposure to noise above 85 decibels, think the sound of a lawn mower, can damage hearing.
Now, hearing aids are being offered over the counter (OTC) for those who have hearing loss determined by perception only. They are self-fit and self-programmed. This provides many more people access to amplification. Elevated Hearing Center can provide information regarding prescription hearing aids verses over the counter hearing aids if a patient is interested.
“If someone has questions about over the counter devices verses prescription
hearing aids, I hope the community will feel comfortable coming to me with those questions before making any decisions. I’m happy to be a part of that decision,” Dr. Graham said.
To learn more about Elevated Hearing, visit their website or Facebook page.
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