HELPFUL HINTS

HELOISE

LITTLE ROCK — DEAR HELOISE: We keep several plastic newspaper bags in the side pockets of our vehicles for trash. Not only do our cars stay clean, but we can do our part to maintain the beauty of our nation.

- Judy Baker, MarshallDEAR HELOISE: My daughter remarked that postage stamps would make a great gift for a bridal shower, with all the thank-you notes to write. I purchased a roll and put it on a little crystal ring holder - the type you can get at the stores that sell stuff for a dollar. This made a really cute and useful gift for under $50, and what a great way to store stamps.

- Stephanie Peek, Maumelle

DEAR HELOISE: Is it hearing loss or inattentive listening? As an audiologist in Oshkosh, Wis., may I ask you once more to raise public awareness about our precious sense of hearing?

Did you know that as our ears age, most of us can expect difficulty understanding fast speech or in a background of noise? If a person has hearing loss, digital hearing aids will help in some remarkable ways, but they won’t help you hear faster. What will help is to ask people around you to speak clearly, or teach yourself to listen better by doing a new computer program. Easily done on a home computer, this program has been shown to improve listening skills.

Hearing should be evaluated by an audiologist every three to five years to determine if the understanding complaints are due to hearing loss or merely due to poor listening skills.

May is Better Hearing Month. One in 10 Americans has hearing loss.

- Juliette Sterkens, audiologist in Oshkosh, Wis. Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail

HELOISE@CompuServe.com

Style, Pages 43 on 05/22/2008