22 Year Old Woman’s Ear Liquefies From Spider Bite

A 22 year old woman from the Netherlands recently discovered just how nasty some spider bites can be. In this case the bite, or more specifically the venom of that of a recluse spider.

These spiders are notoriously known for what their venom is capable of doing to the skin, muscle and bone around the bite. Thankfully they are not known for being aggressive and it is fairly rare that they will actually bite. Unlike other spider venoms, which normally attack the nervous system, the recluse’s venom starts to immediately destroy the tissue around the area of the infected skin. This is a process called necrosis, which is a form of cell injury where cells begin to prematurely die due to external factors such as toxins, infection or trauma.

 

 

The nasty result of necrosis is liquefied skin that is left looking blackened. The infected tissue often has to be surgically removed by cutting away the dead skin in order for the wound to heal. (See below photographs).

 

The concern here is that the destroyed tissue can easily lead to infection if the poison gets into the blood stream. The danger here is if this happens then the process of necrosis can spread to the blood itself and get transported throughout the entire body.

Thankfully we do not live in an area that the recluse call home and like mentioned earlier they are not typically aggressive spiders. The recluse usually live quite closely and peacefully around humans. Keep in mind that there are many other things that cause necrosis, even some insect bites and bacterial infections. Such bacterial infections have even been linked to hearing loss known as Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Sensorineural Hearing Loss is a hearing loss in the inner ear due to the failure of the auditory nerve.

To put your mind at ease though take a look at the map below where the recluse normally inhabit, and as you can see British Columbia is not within the range of where they typically dwell.

 

 

What does a recluse spider look like and how can you identify one? Some other spiders may look similar so be sure to take a glance at the photos and key identifiers listed below.
 

o   No spines on the legs, only fine hairs

o   Six eyes arranged in pairs, with one pair in front and a pair on either side.

o   Uniformly light-colored legs - no stripes, no bands

o   Recluses make small retreat webs behind   objects, never out in the open.

o   It is about 3/8 of an inch in body length.

o A dark violin shape on the cephalothorax.

o Uniformly coloured abdomen which can vary from cream to dark brown depending on what it has eaten, however, it will never have two colors of pigment at the same time. 

 

                               

                                                                                           

 

Mustache?

Hi There!

My name is Christa Lalonde, I have worked at CVOH as Noland Trombley's hearing assistant for approximately 4 months.

The part I enjoy most about my job is getting to meet and help such a wide variety of interesting people. So many patients share fascinating stories, you never know who is going to walk through the door! We have had the pleasure of serving many people, such as veterans, even holocaust survivors, who have given us the gift of hearing their stories.

Previous to working at CVOH I was a makeup artist in film and television, working with such notable actors as "Stone Cold Steve Austin", Ariel Winter (Alex on Modern Family), and Steven Segal. My favorite projects usually included constructing hair pieces such as mustaches and beards, a hobby that I have kept up since leaving the industry.

I hope you enjoyed reading a little about me! Now why not stop by our Vancouver Store on West Broadway today and give us a chance to get to know you?

http://www.cvoh.ca/hearing/company/locations/vancouver/

Hear What Rebecca Has to Say

Hi I am Rebecca!

 

I have worked with Crystal Hearing Centre for 3 years.
 
I really enjoy working with seniors.  It is very rewarding knowing I have helped in the process of someone being able to hear the people that are important to them again.  I have had clients come in to our store and comment that it is so wonderful to hear their grandchildren for the first time or it is so nice to hear the birds again.  I can see in their eyes just how happy they are.  I get to be part of the joy and excitement they experience as they are hearing better.  The smile on their face tells this story. 

A quick snap shot of some of my favorite things include; being with my family and friends, hiking, skiing, food, wine, music and being outside around nature. Truly just enjoying life.

Come into Crystal Hearing Centre for our Free Evaluation.  It could change your life for the better.


Change the World! check out our Nominate A Family Program at http://www.cvoh.ca/hearing/

 

 

Meet Maegan From Langley!

Hello existing and future consumers! My name is Maegan; I have been working as an Optical Specialist at Crystal Vision and Hearing in Langley for five months.

 

I must say that during my first week here I thought this job was too good to be true. I have been interested in optical for over a year but I just hadn’t found the right company to work for until now. Crystal Vision and Hearing has so many great opportunities and being a family run business they are extremely friendly and welcoming. I enjoy getting to know every customer who walks through the door; regular and new comers, building relationships is really what makes my job very rewarding. 

 

Though optical has been an interest of mine for a while, fashion has always inspired me and the two go hand in hand when you’re looking for the ideal pair of glasses! You want the quality and the right fit but they can also be a great fashion statement! Outside of work I have a small family that consists of my boyfriend of four years and our troublemaker eight month old kitten, Zeus! During the summertime I enjoy going boating with my parents and traveling. I’ve travelled parts of Europe, Hawaii, Vegas, and Disneyworld. During the cold and rainy season I like to stay into watch a good movie and put my feet up! I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know a little about me and I’d love to help you out with your vision needs.

 

Thanks,

 

Maegan Woolley

 

 

 

Ontario Baby’s Emotional Reaction To Mother Singing Rod Stewart Wows Internet

Ontario baby’s emotional reaction to mother singing Rod Stewart wows internet

"My Heart Can’t Tell You No.”

Music is a powerful tool, it can be used to communicate in ways where spoken and written words would simply fail us. We are reminded of this while watching this Ontario mom’s baby girl be brought to tears and overwhelmed by the voice of her own mother. The ability to hear sound, and especially the voices of those close to us can be something we take for granted. Watch the video in the link below, then stop and take a moment to be thankful for the ability to experience something so beautiful.

http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-on/ontario-baby-emotional-reaction-mother-singing-rod-stewart-183309385.html?vp=1
 

Welcome!

My name is Jackie, I manage the White Rock optical store, and have been with Crystal Vision since 2010. I have really enjoyed working for Crystal Vision. If someone would have told me 10 or 15 years ago, that I would have been managing an optical store, I would have laughed at them. I'm a people person, and have been in retail for many years, as my family in Ontario, own many Tack Shops, as well as a distributing company.

I think the one thing I enjoy about working for Crystal Vision, is being able to help people. Our store has a great deal of seniors, and there's just something about being able to help them with their needs.

What professional advice would I have to share with our clients?

Well for sure that would be ensuring that the client is fully educated about our products, and what is best for their lifestyle. So many times we hear "Oh I was never told that." and chances are they've been wearing glasses for many years.

My hobbies, well we have 5 acres and about 10 horses there. So most of my free time is spent at home, and of course with much pleasure. There is always something to do on the farm. Whether it be gardening or fixing fences, or feeding all the animals....and I enjoy all of it!

To sum it up, I'm very fortunate to be able to go to work every day, at a job I like, and have all that I have at home too.

Coscto Hearing Aids- A Few Words From Our Friends At Siemens.

Hello Siemens Supporter,

GN Resound now supplies Costco with the Kirkland Signature brand of hearing instrument.

Please take a moment to review our thoughts on overcoming this particular objection.

Focus on service rather than products.  Costco does offer tremendous value for the products they dispense; however, the differentiating factor between a big box retailer and an independent hearing health professional such as Crystal Vision is service.  Patients will typically only buy their first (if any) hearing aid from Costco and then become quite disappointed in the lack of available service throughout their ownership of the hearing aid.  Costco has very low patient retention success simply because of service.

Try to equate the Costco experience to another recognized medical device – such as a pacemaker.  I would concede to the patient that if he/she was to buy a pacemaker from Costco, it would undoubtedly be cheaper than buying it via hospital or cardiac surgeon, but that really is not going to help the patient and their need for medical treatment. 

Medical treatment is about the proper balance between product and service.  As the patient becomes to enjoy their improved lifestyle with hearing aids, they will begin to place greater emphasis on the service needed by their hearing health professional to keep their hearing aid in working order and acoustic refinement.

Costco simply does not have capacity to serve their patients throughout their lives, as evidenced by the lack of repeat patients served by Costco.  Many Costco clinics have a three-month wait list for patients to see their clinician – patients quickly begin to get frustrated and soon forget about the great pricing offered by Costco.  Pricing becomes much less important than the availability of service.

Siemens offers the highest level of technology available and I am here to serve you.

Tom O'Leary

Territory Manager - Western Canada
Siemens Hearing Instruments Inc.

http://www.cvoh.ca/hearing/products/product-tag/siemens/

2nd Annual Turkey Giveaway at CVOH

Hello,

Thank you very much for reading our blog.

This is our 2^nd annual turkey giveaway at Crystal Vision & Hearing. We believe in family as we are a family owned and operated company. Thanksgiving is one of those family celebrations where everyone gets together and chooses to have a meal of turkey. We will hand deliver turkeys to your door at this time of year. We feel it’s very, very important that family gets together.

To have the perfect Thanksgiving requires 3 things. There’s lots of stimulating conversation going on around the table, so you have to be able to hear all those individual stories because they all happen at once. The 2^nd thing you have to be able to see. You want to be able to see how people have changed since the last time you all sat together as a family, so a good set of eyes is important. The 3^rd thing, the turkey has to be very tasty!

When you come in for any hearing system or platinum progressive lenses a turkey will be hand delivered to your door. Not just a turkey but we will include our family’s famous recipe, which has been locked up in the vault for years.

From our home to yours we wish you & your family the most memorable Thanksgiving yet,

George Wiens
Crystal Vision & Hearing

 

Watch our latest video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-R_3WeGqJTM&noredirect=1

5 Reasons you should visit a Specialist

Why you should visit a specialist:
 

1. Hearing loss is insidious, any one over 40 should have their hearing tested by a professional as the loss is usually very gradual. In this time the person generally develops "new normals" for communicating.

2. There may be medical conditions that a professional can identify and pass on to a physician (Otitis media, otosclerosis, etc.)

3. A professional is trained to understand various hearing losses, the severity of that hearing loss, and the best form of treatment or amplification.

4. Preventative measures: a professional's help can stop the often overlooked condition of speech recognition degeneration. That is, the longer a hearing loss is left, the more the patient has difficulty understanding words even though they may be loud enough. Like muscles, the brain needs sound stimulation. Poor stimulation = poor speech discrimination.

5. Professionals can and should promote good social connections. Without this, one suffering from hearing loss begins to retreat from social interactions and in many cases can become more reclusive.

http://www.cvoh.ca/

Why Do Hearing Aids Cost More Than Laptops?

Hear what Andy from CVOH has to say in regards to the questions raised in the below article.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-06/why-do-hearing-aids-cost-more-than-laptops

A good article but one that doesn't tell the whole story. One of the major issues surrounding this notion of overpriced hearing aids is what exactly the patient or customer is buying. I tell my patients frequently that if they focus only on the purchase of the hearing aids, they have a right to feel somewhat "taken". Rather, it is incumbent on us, as specialists, that we invite the patient to be a part of a rehabilitation process. This process is long and can present many challenges to improved hearing. This is after all, not the same as purchasing a set of glasses. The eye exam is done and the optometrist determines that glasses are required. The eye wear is ordered, fit, and after a few days, the patient's vision is vastly improved. Not so with hearing. The acclimatization process is longer; therefore the good relationship between patient and specialist is vital to the long term success of the program. Specialists must recognize quickly that the patient is having difficulty with the improvements made. There may be a number of reasons for this:

-family pressures: spouses or children not involved in the process.
-incorrect amplification (levels and/or instruments)
-sensitivity to amplification.

Whatever the case, a specialist must adapt quickly to ensure patient comfort and confidence. After a patient has been fit with the hearing aids a specialist must be diligent in determining how well the patient is adjusting to various listening environments and what changes need to be made if challenges occur.

The second issue at play is the insidious nature of hearing loss. The loss of hearing, once again, cannot be equated to vision loss. One notices much earlier the loss of vision and tends to be more proactive than with hearing. It is normal for someone with hearing loss to delay intervention for 10 to 20 years before acting. In this time the effects of hearing loss slowly take place. It is for this reason, then, that rehabilitation can take several months and requires patience and a positive outlook from both the patient and the specialist. Those who say "get hearing aids and you'll immediately love your improved hearing" need not apply. Conversely, those who are prepared to engage the more long term rehabilitative model usually find themselves satisfied, not only with their hearing aids, but with what they've paid.

 
Andy Rolleman
Hearing Instrument Specialist