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Hear life happen at Catalyst Medical Center. We focus on hearing, balance and related disorders, treating hearing loss and preventing damage. Various testing methodologies are used to diagnose and treat ailments, helping to enhance the quality of life in patients of all ages.

The following services are provided:

• Hearing testing
• Hearing-aid fitting and services
• Limited balance evaluation
• Enhanced hearing options
• Tinnitus therapy
• Noise exposure education
• Noise protection
• Custom ear buds for electronic devices

ALL ABOUT YOU!
“I have three boys and my middle son Jackson loves to listen to music and to top it off he plays the drums. I have always been concerned about my son Jackson’s ears and his hearing abilities since he was 18 months old. At about that age I realized that he wasn’t talking. He would tap me on the leg and point to things. I knew what he wanted but he just wouldn’t talk. Everyone told me that it was because he had an older brother who would talk for him, he simply didn’t need to talk. As a mom, I knew better. At about 18 months Jackson began years of speech therapy where he was diagnosed with oral apraxia. During this time he was also suffering from bought after bought of ear infections which lead us eventually to two ear tube surgeries. He was also diagnosed around age 8 with auditory processing disorder. This makes it difficult for him to hear when there are background noises. He has come out of the years of speech therapy and years of ear infections with his hearing intact. So when he began to listen to music with headphones I knew I had to do something.

I had heard of the dangers of headphones in kids ears. I knew of the studies of how loud kids crank their music to decibel levels to rival a jet engine. But he is 15, how can I protect him? Yes I could say, turn it down, or don’t turn it past a certain level. But I needed to be real, I can’t be there all the time and frankly it is a pain to be a nag.

That is when I heard about the benefits of the custom fit ear buds that Catalyst Medical Center provided. This was a way for me to protect his ears when I was not there to remind him to turn down the music. Did I mention he also plays the drums?! He now wears his ear buds while practicing the drums and he doesn’t have to have the volume turned all the way up. He does still wear protective ear covers while playing the drums that go over his custom fit ear buds as he listens to music and drums along. Jackson has even talked to his drum teacher about his ear buds, and he has found out that his teacher uses the same type. Next up is for us to purchase the ones that block out most of the sounds so when he is playing with his band, he can still hear and play along. Yes the ear buds may cost a little more than a typical set of headphones, but compared to the cost of permanent hearing loss and the investment of speech therapy, doctor visits and tube surgeries, the cost is small. Plus they last about 10 years! Being 15 he loves to stand out and he loves the way these look in his ears. He got to custom blend the colors, so for him they were the colors of a football team that he loved.

As an aside, I had a pair fit for myself as well. I could never get ear buds to fit in my ear and I hated the look of the over the ear ones as I worked out at the gym. When I had my custom ear buds fitted I found out that I have a very narrow opening in my ears and that is why the ear buds would never fit. Now I can exercise and the ear buds are not constantly falling out.”
Melissa Schmalenberger, Fargo, ND

1 in 5 U.S. teens has a hearing loss Read more…
Are you or your kids damaging your hearing? 1 in 5 teens has a hearing loss. That’s 30% more than 15 years ago. Common sounds like lawn mowers, motorcycles and loud music can be harming your hearing and you don’t realize it. Hearing loss is more than a nuisance; it can cause problems at work or in school, and set the stage for hearing aids later in life.

Custom fit ear buds are a great way to protect your family’s hearing. The best part—you choose the colors and can even glitter, plus, they are comfortable to wear. People are plugged in to sound now, more than ever. How loud is too loud? An iPod gives off 105 decibels of sound. That’s like putting your ear next to a running lawn mower for hours.

Noise-induced hearing loss is NOT reversible, but it IS preventable.

Custom fit ear buds (above)