What can I do about my tinnitus?

Tinnitus can take many forms and seems to be different for most individuals. Tinnitus is sound perceived by an individual and no one else. My patients have reported hearing buzzing, ringing, humming, chirping, pulsating, crickets, knocking and sizzling to name a few of the sounds. Some get a combination of sounds. The cause of it can vary, but the most common cause is damage to the cochlea or inner ear, many times it is damage caused by noise exposure. Since the ear is directly connected to the brain via the 8th nerve, it is believed to originate in the ear/brain connection. When the cochlea is damaged, it can no longer provide the brain the information that the brain expects to receive. The brain then "pumps" the ear for more information, causing the ear to emit an internal noise. That noise can be barely audible or it can be so prominent that some people can no longer cope. Usually it is more noticeable in quiet situations, as external noises can usually mask the internal noise. It is important to see a doctor to make sure it is not a sign of something more serious. A hearing test is usually the first test performed. Most tinnitus sufferers do have hearing loss but not all. Wearing hearing aids helps about 80% of the time.  I will discuss other remedies in a future post. 

The Medi-Cal Misunderstanding

On January 15, 2013 California implemented a change in the reimbursement policy for hearing aid providers. The change effectively cuts our reimbursement by over 50%! last year they made a retroactive 10% cut and actually took back money from us that they already paid. Try running a business and budgeting for that!
A few years ago they completely cut reimbursement for all Audiology testing such as hearing tests and hearing aid evaluations.
Providers will no longer be able to service Medi-Cal patients for hearing related services and stay in business. As I write this, we are in the process of closing down one if our offices and laying off staff members. If not resolved soon there will be more closures and layoffs. My business is not the only one affected and all of the providers I've spoken to will be forced to do the same.
The real victims here are the hearing impaired Medi-Cal patients, who instead of being able to choose from a small list of local providers, will have to travel 15-30 miles to find a provider willing to accept the ridiculous reimbursement being offered.
I for one continue to fight for my patients rights. I have sent numerous letters to Governor Brown and Toby Douglas and have visited our local legislators to implore them to reconsider. Our professional groups are also working to fix this issue. We are now asking our Medi-Cal patients to send letters as well. if you want to help us please let me know.

It just makes sense

There are 5 human senses. Which one is most important? Or are they all important? If we lose even part of any one of our 5 senses, it would diminish the enjoyment and appreciation we have for life. Can you imagine if we didn't have such sensitive taste buds and couldn't enjoy our favorite foods like we used to? Or if our sense of touch was gone and we could no longer appreciate that soft blanket or how it feels to touch a baby's soft cheek!
Each and every sense that most of us were blessed to be born with plays a role in our life's enjoyment.
Of course you knew the sense that I appreciate the most; the sense of hearing!
I am so grateful to be able to hear. I do not take for granted the ability to easily enjoy having a great conversation in almost any environment. I am truly thankful that I am able to hear and enjoy music, movies, television, and even talk radio! Hearing well means being aware and involved in our environment.
Hearing should not be taken for granted and I for one am proud to say that better hearing just makes sense.

Our team is the best!

Last night I watched two NBA basketball games. The Los Angeles Lakers were in Portland playing the Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers were at Staples Center playing the Memphis Grizzlies. Any other year I would have been more interested in the Laker game. This year is different because the Clippers have a group of players who play together as a team while the Lakers superstar parts are still struggling to find their identity.
Is teamwork that important to the success of a franchise or business? The answer is definitely yes! At Arcade Hearing Aid Center, we believe our teamwork is one of our biggest strengths. Much of that credit goes to our front-office personnel. Faith and Fabby make sure our patients are treated with respect, kindness, and understanding. We know our patients appreciate them because we get compliments about them on a daily basis. I have worked at many clinics and I see the difference that having a great team behind you can make for us and our patients. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful staff.
Now if I have to compare Arcade Hearing to either the Lakers or Clippers, I prefer the Laker comparison because, like us, the Lakers have such a long tradition of excellence. However, this may be the time for businesses to strive to be more like the Clippers. Go teamwork!

Our new location!

We have completed our move to the new location! Our new address is:
1911 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica Ca 90403
(310)829-6444

Please begin using our new phone number immediately. We had some problems the last few days. Verizon was supposed to forward calls to our new number but didn't. We apologize for any inconvenience that may have caused. We believe we have contacted everyone who left a message.
Anyhow, our team has been working hard to organize everything at the new place and we are almost there!
It is our hope that most will find our new location more convenient. We have a parking lot in the back and plenty of metered spots in front. We are close to both Saint Johns and UCLA/Santa Monica Hospitals and many of the worlds best doctors. It is sad to leave Downtown Santa Monica but, as George Jefferson used to say, "We're moving on up!"

Big Business VS Small Business

It seems like more and more Hearing Aid Manufacturers are opening up or buying Hearing Aid Clinics. This may mean that the end is nearing for the "Little Guys." Back in the day, most Hearing Aid Clinics were run by individuals or were family run. These clinics were able to provide a level of service and personal touch that cannot be achieved in a big corporate environment. The more detached that the leaders of a company are, the harder it is to create a caring, friendly place to go to.
These clinics can usually only offer the one manufacturers product. This puts you the consumer at a disadvantage because it limits your choice, which is not a good thing.
Supporting local business, supporting small business, supporting individual business, and supporting family business is what you are doing when you choose Arcade Hearing Aid Center. We appreciate your support and hope we can continue to remain independent. We firmly believe that individual and personalized service is one of the major factors of success with hearing instruments. We are thankful for all of our supporters and look forward serving you well into the future.

Farewell to Downtown Santa Monica

A couple of months ago the owners of our building on 2nd Street announced their plans to demolish the building and go "bigger and better." Arcade Hearing Aid Center moved into the "Arcade" style building in 1950 when it was brand new. After 62 years there, it is going to be a little emotional leaving.
The good news is we have found another location in Santa Monica and are already preparing for our grand re-opening on November 1st.
Our new location is 1911 Wilshire Blvd. near 20th Street. We believe this location will be more convenient for our valued patients as it is very close to both St. John's and Santa Monica/UCLA Hospitals and many of the worlds finest Doctors. There is parking available in the back and usually ample street parking as well. We feel very fortunate that this space was available. Our former space was a great location but it continues to get more congested and parking can be a huge issue.
As for our phone numbers, it appears we will not be able to keep the ones we have been using for over 60 years, because we are moving to a different zone in Santa Monica. At least for the first few months we can be reached thru the old numbers but eventually that will change. We will inform via our website www.arcadehearing.net and our patient newsletter.
We hope to make this move as seamless as possible and will be open our normal hours.
We invite everyone to come see our new location. See you soon!
Update! Our new phone number is (310)829-6444 and fax is (310)829-6777
We will be forwarding calls from our old number for a few months if you forget but eventually we will completely transition to the new numbers.