Hearing Loss Specialist Monique Hammond
By LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
“There was suddenly so much more to hearing loss than not hearing well,” explained hearing loss specialist Monique Hammond in November when she recently joined the Rotary Club of Los Alamos by Zoom from her home in Minneapolis.
Hammond elaborated, describing how she had enjoyed a successful career as a hospital pharmacist, but in 2005 experienced “sudden deafness” in her left ear at a church fundraiser where loud music was played.
Also known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), it occurs as an “unexplained, rapid loss of hearing, usually in one ear, either at once or over several days. It is considered a medical emergency.”
The incident became a “life-changer”, Hammond said. In just a matter of four hours, she had lost all hearing in one ear.
For an accomplished pharmacist who had graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, she was devastated when she could no longer perform her job. In addition to hearing loss, she had lost her ability to communicate effectively in a challenging position that demands precision.
What Did You Say? by Monique Hammond. Courtesy image
Hammond resolved then to research the broad subject of hearing loss. After five years of study, she wrote a book on her findings called What Did You Say?
The Unexpected Journey into the World of Hearing Loss, now in its second edition.
The new editions contains information on noise-induced hearing loss research, assistive listening devices, aural rehabilitation for hearing aid and implant clients, and implantable hearing devices.
The book is available through Amazon and local booksellers.
During her presentation Hammond discussed various aspects of hearing.
She stressed two points:
- Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent; and
- Hearing loss affects people of all ages, including the very young.
She stated that “most children over the age of 12 have suffered enough hearing loss to interfere with their studies.”
Hammond cautions her audiences to “be careful, not reckless, about exposure to loud noises,” stressing that jobs in many professions, such as highway and home construction, power plants, drilling and mining, and music can easily cause premature aging of the ears.
“Hearing aids are just that … aids,” she reminded Rotarians.
Hammond, appointed by the governor of Minnesota, has completed two terms as vice chairman of the Commission of Deaf, Blind and Hard-of-Hearing Minnesotans, and she also is the past president of the Minnesota Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.
Hammond speaks regularly to employees and employers in vocations where loud noise is routine and is a popular speaker among members of the general public about hearing loss and the dangers of loud noise. Hammond also is a safety consultant on noise-induced hearing loss education and prevention and has worked in health care in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Information about Hammond may be found at https://hearing-loss-talk.com.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos meets in person 12-1 p.m., Tuesdays in the Community Room at Cottonwood on the Greens at the golf course. A Zoom option is available by contacting Rotary Club Vice President Linda Hull at 505.662.7950. Hull also is happy to provide information about the Club and its humanitarian service.
