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Peter McCarthy: Thanks for joining us here on DelAware. I’m Peter McCarthy. May is recognized nationally as Better Hearing and Speech Month, an opportunity to kind of remind you that hearing health is part of really overall health. Uh, Dr. Michael Mechelli is joining us. He is an owner and audiologist at Brandywine Hearing Center. They have offices, and you probably have seen them, in Wilmington and Newark, Dover, Millsboro. You can check things out at Audiology – Wilmington, DE – Brandywine Hearing Center . Thanks for coming in. I appreciate the time today.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Oh, my pleasure. Good morning.
Peter McCarthy: Good morning. Um, why don’t we kind of start broadly and then we’ll kind of focus in on some things. When someone is suffering, Doctor, from from hearing loss, obviously there are isolated and and special circumstances with everybody, but what is happening inside the ears of people that, you know, decimates hearing to some degree?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: The most common reason uh people are experiencing hearing loss and most of the patients that we see, unfortunately, partly due to the aging process.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: There can be a number of different reasons that cause that hearing loss. For most people, it’s uh the inner ear, what we call the cochlea. If you remember in school learning about the little parts, right? The snail shell shaped part of your ear, there are nerve fibers that frankly just begin to wear down. Uh, that can be from noise exposure over time. It can be from medication. There are, of course, genetic reasons that that affect that, but for many of the people we see, it’s the aging process and we those processes just begin to wear down.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. And this is uh we’re talking about a broad base of people. I I mean there are millions and millions of people that suffer some level of hearing loss throughout their lives, yeah?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Right. Right. And, you know, we see that um uh about a third of adults over uh age 65 have some hearing loss. When we get to in the 70s, we estimate it’s more than half of adults have some degree of hearing loss.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. Uh, Doctor, when we grew up, our parents used to tell us, you know, “Turn that down, you’ll go deaf,” this kind of a thing. You know, at the time we kind of mocked it as kids, perhaps. But there’s there’s real truth in that, isn’t there?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Oh, absolutely. You know, for years we had many people having hearing loss because of industry. They worked in factories before there was protective uh devices and before there were rules and laws that made us wear hearing protection. Now, unfortunately, we’re seeing hearing loss occur younger and younger because of AirPods and earbuds and all the things, and we actually have really what we call a 60/60 rule, which is you should keep your volume to less than 60% of the volume and after 60 60 minutes take a break. Take the headphones out, give your ears a little bit of a chance to rest.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. And that’s great advice for for parents that are listening because kids are, you know, the the earbuds are omnipresent. Right. They It seems like they’re always in and it’s great for parents to know some rules kind of of thumb to to let their kids uh, you know, yeah, use them but use them in moderation.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Right. Right.
Peter McCarthy: What What about this this element of things, you know, we we go to our primary physician for regular checkups and our and our dentist the same way. Should we be doing doing the same thing with our ears um going to your office on a somewhat normal and regular basis to get checked out?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Yeah, certainly after a certain age, and we really recommend about 60 to 65 we should be coming in for an initial baseline hearing test. Let’s see where things are for you. Hopefully, things are great.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: And then at that point, we’re usually recommend about every two to three years unless you start to notice a change. If you’re starting to ask people to repeat what they’ve said, you’re turning the TV up louder, you’re starting to feel that, well, why is everybody mumbling? Well, it’s time to come in for a hearing test.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. What does the office visit look or sound like? That people walk in, they come in, you’re there and and what are the kind of tests you put them through?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: So, it’s a really easy process. We do some just some chatting about what you’re experiencing, what where are you having difficulty, what seems to be working well for you.
Peter McCarthy: Mhm.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Uh, we do a nice check of your ears, we’ll look in your ears with an otoscope and check for wax and make sure that that isn’t a concern. We always want to check that first. And then the hearing test itself is really easy. It’s about 20 minutes uh in a soundproof booth with headphones where you’ll listen to some different tones, you’ll listen to some lists of words, and we get a real sense of where your hearing is.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. If a person, Doctor, has perhaps hearing loss more prevalently on one side than another, obviously you want to get this addressed, but can that throw off kind of a a person’s balance and things like that?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: You know, the balance center is part of the ear as well and a little bit of a separate part.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: However, we really are seeing um uh not from some studies and a lot of our patients feel this way. If your hearing is worse on one ear than the other, there is that sense of a loss of balance. We really use sound in our hearing to have our sense of where we are in space. Right. So, to um that needs to be addressed as well, even if you feel, well, it’s just one ear, there are all sorts of uh effects of that.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. Dr. Michael Michael Mechelli is joining us. He is with Brandywine Hearing Center. They have offices, of course, in Wilmington and Newark, Dover, and Millsboro as well. And uh we’re talking about uh hearing loss and and potentially because it is Better Hearing and Speech Month, so just really curbing attention to uh this particular situation.
Let’s talk about this. In fact, you have a commercial on the air which is which very much grabs people’s attention because it has the tone perhaps similar to what people might be going through, Doctor, if they have tinnitus. I used to call it tinnitus. Tinnitus.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Right. Tinnitus. Tinnitus.
Peter McCarthy: And and this is I can only imagine what it would be like to live with tinnitus, how it just distracts from all elements of your life. But talk about tinnitus, what we know about it and and treating it as well.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Sure. Yeah, tinnitus is incredibly distracting when you’re experiencing it, right? And if you’ve heard that high-pitched sound in that ad, it it gets your attention.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. It certainly does.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: And it’s the the difficult part with it is there’s no escaping it. When you have tinnitus, you can’t really make it go away on its own um and you can mask it with sounds and that’s what a lot of people wind up doing. But, you’re trying to go to sleep at night, it’s quiet, and it’s there.
Tinnitus is, for most people, a symptom of hearing loss. It’s that same issue in the cochlea, in the inner ear. Those nerve fibers are degrading, they’re sending a signal to your brain, your brain is designed to do something with that signal, so it turns it into a buzzing or a whistling or a humming.
The good news is there is now an FDA-approved treatment for tinnitus called Lenire um and we are the first provider in the state of Delaware to offer it and the only one in New Castle County. Uh, it is a 12-week treatment plan, so it is something that you do for a while and it really helps to reduce the amount of tinnitus that people are experiencing. Uh, our patients are finding it life-changing.
Peter McCarthy: Uh, talk more about it. Are we talking here about a an implant or are we talking about uh more like exercises or what is the
Dr. Michael Mechelli: It’s an at-home device and it has it’s really sort of interesting. It is headphones that you wear and a device that fits on the tip of your tongue. And what that does, I know it sounds very strange, what it does is it delivers a mild energy pulse to a completely different nerve. It’s called the trigeminal nerve. And for 30 minutes a day, twice a day, you listen to sounds that are generated based on your tinnitus and hearing from a handheld device um with this device on your tongue. It’s very soothing, it’s very relaxing, but it retrains your brain to start to ignore the tinnitus.
Because that’s really the treatment. If we can get you to stop focusing on that sound and learn that it’s something that’s there just like, you know, the refrigerator in your kitchen, when it cycles on, you don’t notice it unless it makes a sound you’re not used to. Then you pay attention. That’s what’s happening with tinnitus. Your brain has decided to focus on this sound that many people experience, and we can teach you to learn to ignore that sound so it’s just something in the background.
Peter McCarthy: It It’s fascinating how things like this come about where initially you would try to attack the sound and and in this case, it’s kind of the opposite approach and and yet effective just the same.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Right. Right. It really is. We just have to learn that it’s there, it’s in the background, and your brain can stop paying attention to it, and that is a very successful treatment.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. How long have you been uh putting this to use, Doctor?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Uh, just since last year. It’s it’s been approved by the FDA for a couple of years. They did a very slow roll out to clinics and we were the first one in Delaware that they offered it to.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. Let me talk a little bit about your background. How did you get into this field?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: You know, it’s very interesting. A lot of people who are audiologists like myself think that they’re going to be speech therapists instead.
Peter McCarthy: Okay.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: So, I went to undergraduate uh Ohio University in southeastern Ohio. I was a hearing and speech major. I thought, oh, I want to work with kids. I would like to work in the schools. I got into speech therapy and realized, yeah, that really wasn’t my best uh calling.
Peter McCarthy: Mhm.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: But the stuff I was learning about ears and hearing aids and and how to help other people with that was just fascinating, so I just sort of shifted my track.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. Has it changed a lot over the years that you’ve been in practice, the approaches we take to hearing loss?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Absolutely. When I first started, I’ve been an audiologist for 30 years. When I first started, hearing aids were analog devices, and maybe we would have a a little spot or two on a hearing aid with a screwdriver we could adjust the high pitches and the low pitches. Now they’re completely digital devices. We program them by computer, we have multiple settings, we have tremendous help with background noise, uh they’re rechargeable. We have so many different features and ways of helping hearing loss. These are not your father’s hearing aids. Uh, they are very, very different devices.
Peter McCarthy: It It’s been a It’s been a minute since uh, for instance, my grandfather had one where it would start to buzz and you’d say, you know, “Gramp, turn down your…” Right. We’ve come a little way since then.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Right, exactly. Feedback is not really an issue most of the time now.
Peter McCarthy: You You brought up an interesting point here, too, that that hearing loss comes in different forms. In other words, some people just straight up have trouble hearing even one-to-one talking like we are right now. Others run into hearing situations when they are in the midst of a big crowd, let’s say, and trying to focus on one-on-one. Um, and we also are able to address that kind of hearing loss as well with these devices?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Absolutely. So, for most of the people who come to see us, it’s not that they can’t hear anything. They’ve often lost some of the high-pitch sounds. Those high-pitch sounds are really important for clarity. That’s where understanding comes from. Those high-pitch S and F and TH sounds give us all of our clarity.
When you’re someplace with background noise, it’s the low-pitch sounds that carry and you hear those well. It just blocks out everything. But with newer hearing aids, we have features such as directional microphones and now even true artificial intelligence built into hearing aids that can really help to filter out that background noise and give you back that clarity.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. No one can know this for sure until they come into your office to see you, but how would you characterize how deep can a hearing loss be and you still be able to help someone?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: That’s a hard question to answer. Yeah, there really, even with very severe hearing loss, we can often provide a lot of benefit. Hearing aids today are more powerful, we can generate more sound without the hearing aids whistling like Grandpa’s hearing aid used to do. Um, and and we have apps where you can control the hearing aid from your cell phone and stream phone calls wirelessly. Even with really severe hearing loss, we can be very helpful. And if we reach a point where we can’t, there’s always cochlear implants, which are tremendous devices and have come a tremendous way, too.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. I’m guessing there is a fair amount of hesitance among people when they they come to realize that there’s something going on with their hearing. But from going there to taking that step into getting the help, there might be some some hesitation. They really should try to get by that.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Yeah, absolutely. You know, we find actually, studies show that it takes about seven to 10 years from the time somebody says, “No, I’m having difficulty hearing,” before they do something about it. And the earlier we adapt to hearing aids, the better we do with them for the rest of our lives.
So, you know, we we wind up sort of treating the hearing loss by avoiding situations, by turning up the television. That’s not the way to treat this. The way to treat it is to see a professional, find out good options, there’s financing available, there are insurance plans that help with hearing aids, there’s always an option, and we can always help.
Peter McCarthy: And And, too, and this is not brand new, but the size of these things in in many cases, I mean, they’re they’re minuscule. They’re a non-factor in terms of the physical presence now, Doctor.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Exactly. They they don’t look like they used to. There are hearing aids that fit just in your ear canal and, of course, there are the ones that you’ve probably seen which are very small behind the ear with a little wire that goes in the ear canal. Most of the time people don’t hear don’t see them. What they notice is you’re not hearing. They don’t notice the hearing aid. They notice you’re having difficulty.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. And and something else, too. You talk about a ripple effect of of getting this kind of help. Yes, you hear better, but it also expands into better relationships. You know, who knows what you’ve been missing, literally, by having a hearing loss with family and friends and those interactions?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Absolutely. I mean, so many people just avoid situations, they they don’t want to go out to dinner, they don’t want to interact with their family, and they’re just missing out. And that, unfortunately, we’re also learning, can lead to cognitive decline.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: So, there are a number of studies that are showing now that when you do withdraw, when you stop interacting, that’s when that can start to set in. And, you know, we don’t say that hearing loss causes cognitive decline or or causes dementia. However, we are seeing a direct correlation and the most treatable way to help prevent that cognitive cognitive decline is helping your hearing.
Peter McCarthy: Well, when you think about it, too, it kind of makes sense because, especially as people get older, you know, the medical field is telling you to kind of stay involved. And staying involved comes on many different levels, and one of those is obviously, you know, mental and emotional that can come with being able to hear the things going on around you.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Exactly. I mean, it can be everything from a safety concern, you know, if you don’t hear if you’re still driving and you don’t hear the sirens behind you, if uh you don’t hear the fire alarm or the smoke alarm in your home, but even things like just that, “I don’t want to go out, I don’t want to see my friends because every time I do, they’re talking about something and I miss what they’re saying.”
Peter McCarthy: Yeah.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: That’s that’s a a slippery slope.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah. Speaking of a slippery slope, um someone listening right now has a spouse, has a a parent who they are, as as we talk, understanding, yeah, this person has a hearing problem, I want to address that with them so they can get the help they need. That can be maybe a bit of a a tricky talk initially, but I guess you just have to reinforce the fact of the things that we’re talking to, that the technology is there, use the technology, and and then experience the benefits of it in all these facets of your life.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Exactly. Uh, we we can say things like, “You know, hey, maybe it’s just a little bit of wax. Let’s go get it checked,” and that often helps get people in the door. Or, “We just need that baseline test. Maybe we’re not having a concern, but let’s see where things are now.”
Peter McCarthy: Perfect.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: And let me be the one who addresses the the real concern and and provides the guidance of what we can do.
Peter McCarthy: Um, insurance coverage for these types of things?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: There’s some. Uh, some of the Medicare Advantage plans, which really act more as a discount plan for hearing aids, are available. We have financing available. We even have the region’s only leasing plan, which allows you to pay monthly for hearing aids. Nobody else offers that.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah, that’s fantastic. Dr. Michael Michael Mechelli is joining us with Brandywine Hearing Center. People listening and uh they want to take that next step, how can they find out more about what it is you and your colleagues do?
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Well, the easiest thing to do first is take a look at our website, Audiology – Wilmington, DE – Brandywine Hearing Center . You’ll see all of our uh contact information for all of our offices. We’re happy to have you come in for just a chat, a conversation, the hearing test. It’s often complimentary. There’s no obligation. We make things really, really easy. But Audiology – Wilmington, DE – Brandywine Hearing Center is the best place to start.
Peter McCarthy: Yeah, fantastic. I mean, you talk about news you can use, I think we’ve just provided a a few minutes of of just that for a lot of people out there, many who realize what they’re what they’re up against in this uh situation and others who, you know, may now realize a little bit better after we chatted. Great to have you in. Um, we’ll we’ll talk again down the road, certainly, but thanks for coming by today, Doctor.
Dr. Michael Mechelli: Oh, thank you for having me. It was my pleasure.
Peter McCarthy: My pleasure as well. Right now, it is 9:54 here on DelAware.