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“Hearing Technology
Associates is not just about
technology; it’s about quality
of life, improvement of
well-being and relationships,
even job performance—all of
those things. Hearing affects
a person’s entire life.”
—Dr. Gail Brenner
Hear Here
Gail B. Brenner, Au.D., owner of Hearing Technology Associates, LLC
and The Tinnitus & Sound Sensitivity Treatment Center of Philadelphia, P.C.
helps people overcome hearing loss and manage tinnitus
by LEIGH STUART | Photography by JODY ROBINSON
F
ifty-eight-year-old pharmaceutical industry professional Thomas Metcalf has
had a number of hearing issues for
approximately 15 years, afflictions that could
threaten his career if left unaddressed;
however, his career is on track and as strong
as ever.
The answer to how this is possible comes
down to one woman: Gail B. Brenner, Au.D.,
owner of Hearing Technology Associates and The
30
PHILADELPHIA LIFE/SUBURBAN LIFE
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12
Tinnitus & Sound Sensitivity Treatment Center
of Philadelphia, P.C.
“I have dealt with health care professionals
my whole life, but I have never worked with
someone who is as caring as Dr. Gail Brenner,
and who really looks at the whole person and
listens carefully and finds ways to help people
with hearing loss be fully functional in their particular environment,” Metcalf says.
For Metcalf, who is bilingual and utilizes his
French and English language skills regularly, communication is a major part of his job. Unfortunately, he suffers from not only conductive and
asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss but severe tinnitus as well.
As he participates in video and teleconferences often in his line of work, it is imperative
that Metcalf listen and respond to, and otherwise
participate in, conversations with colleagues and
clients. Thankfully, Dr. Brenner, who initially saw
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DDr. Brenner and her
staff ensure that each
patient’s hearing solution
is customized to his or
her individual needs.
Metcalf for his tinnitus, was able to prescribe
sound amplification that has allowed Metcalf to
hear clearly once again.
“To have a disability that can be compensated for with technology is really a fortunate thing,”
Metcalf says. “So many people with disabilities
don’t have technologies that can help them. Hearing loss is one disability that if you have the right
audiologist and the right technology, you can
compensate for that disability, and that’s what
Gail has done.”
Metcalf has been so pleased with Dr. Brenner’s work that now, even though he lives two
and a half hours from her Philadelphia office, he
feels just fine about making the long trip across
state lines to see her. This is because Dr. Brenner saved his life, in a way. “I’d be on total disability if I didn’t have these hearing aids,” he says.
“Hearing Technology Associates is not just
about technology; it’s about quality of life, improvement of well-being and relationships,
even job performance—all of those things,” Dr.
Brenner says. “Hearing affects a person’s entire
life.”
Dr. Brenner even cites research indicating
hearing can have a direct impact on one’s brain
function.
“Dr. Frank Lin at [Johns] Hopkins University [School of Medicine] is doing a tremendous
amount of research regarding how hearing loss
affects brain function and cognitive function,” she
says. “He has linked untreated hearing loss with
early cognitive decline, early onset dementia and
brain atrophy, especially in older patients. … People with untreated hearing loss can feel isolated, not stimulated and have more memory problems, and this has been confirmed with MRIs and
brain studies.”
The good news for people with hearing
problems is that, thanks to specialists such as Dr.
Brenner, there’s no need for one’s hearing impairments to go untreated anymore. Dr. Brenner has access to the newest, most modern technologies and techniques for assessing, diagnosing and treating hearing loss and tinnitus.
Hearing aids, for example, have become
more effective and discreet as science has progressed. This is of special importance today, as
medical advances are allowing people to live
longer, fuller lives. In fact, where the United States
had 39.6 million persons aged 65 and older in
2009, the country is projected to have 72.1 million individuals in that age bracket by the year
2030, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging. For such individuals, it is great news that hearing devices are becoming less obtrusive.
Yet, while hearing loss is often seen as a problem that impacts individuals of an advanced age,
Dr. Brenner sees patients of all ages. She says that
for those who need hearing assistance, it’s
never too early to start wearing hearing enhancement. It may be surprising to many, but Dr. Brenner says many people don’t even notice the first
signs of hearing loss. Because of this, the thorough consultations Dr. Brenner has with each
patient are of vital importance.
She asks patients questions such as, “Do you
often hear other people talk but have difficulty
understanding?” or “Do you sometimes struggle to hear clearly when there is background
noise?” or “Do you occasionally have trouble fol-
lowing conversation in small groups?”
She explains, “A person may think they have
perfectly normal hearing, but if they often
think other people are mumbling, or if they experience ringing or buzzing in the ears or
head, that can be the first indicator, an early sign,
that there may be hearing loss or ‘sound voids.’
That would be the time to have the hearing tested by an audiologist.”
Dr. Brenner says that everyone should have
a baseline hearing test by the age of 50 performed
by an audiologist, but individuals who work in
a noisy environment—musicians, construction
workers, etc.—should have their hearing
checked earlier and more regularly.
Hearing assessments take less than one hour
to complete and are covered by most insurances,
as they are considered preventative. “It is absolutely better to diagnose hearing loss early,” she
says.
In the end, Dr. Brenner says that each patient’s hearing solution is customized to suit each
individual patient; whether they want to hear their
grandchildren better, or just be able to listen to
their favorite records once again, there is a solution to help.
Metcalf relays a sentiment from one of history’s bravest physically challenged heroes to exemplify just how important our senses are to
communication.
“Helen Keller said, ‘Blindness separates us
from things; deafness separates us from people.’
When people start to have hearing loss—and I’ve
seen this in others—they can become isolated,”
he says. “They don’t hear the people around
them, don’t take part in conversations, and can
get very depressed. I think that’s why I encourage so many people to get digital hearing aids
that are available in all price ranges.
“I always say, ‘Go to Gail Brenner; she’ll
find a way.’ She deals with people from all
walks of life and finds a way to come up with
a solution.” n
Hearing Technology
Associates, LLC
www.hearingtechnology.com
143 Bala Avenue
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
610-747-1100
1015 Chestnut Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-413-0800
The Tinnitus & Sound
Sensitivity Treatment
Center of Philadelphia, P.C.
143 Bala Ave.
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
610-747-0757
PHILADELPHIA LIFE/SUBURBAN LIFE
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 12
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