High Tech Hearing Aids

Most people over the age of 60 start to experience some hearing loss. However hearing loss doesn’t just affect pensioners, it also affects many young adults, and even children. This problem has become more apparent in recent times because the modern world just keeps getting louder.

If you suffer from hearing loss, then it’s important to get yourself tested so you can start your treatment as soon as possible. There is no real cure for hearing loss, only really prevention, however you can learn to cope with your hearing loss.

How can I treat hearing loss?

There are many different types of hearing loss, and so there are also many different treatments available for it, the cause of your hearing aid determines which type of treatment would be best suited to you.

If you are suffering from temporary hearing loss:

Temporary hearing loss can be caused by infections, blockages, damage, and even diseases. These can all be cured.

If it is caused by an ear infection then this will often clear up by itself, however you might want to get some antibiotics from your doctor to speed up the process.

If your hearing loss is caused by blockages then your doctor will be able to remove the blockages, your local GP can do this, you don’t have to go to a specialist. Often the earwax is removed with a special machine, there are also a number of solutions you can buy over the counter to remove ear wax.

If your ear is injured then you will probably need surgery. While you are recovering the hearing devices may be a help.

Hearing Aids

Most forms of hearing loss can be treated effectively with a hearing aid, these all work by amplifying sounds and then transmitting this sound further inside the ear. There are lots of different hearing aids to choose from, there are so many that you may struggle to see the wood for the trees! You should see your audiologist to get some advice about which one would suit you best.

Permanent hearing loss cannot be cured, however the new hearing aids are very effective and provide many new features to help the user return to as normal a life as possible. Hearing aids are by no means cheap.

Lots of people that are in need of hearing aids don’t wear them simply because they are too expensive. Surely being able to hear clearly again is worth the cost?

Cochlear Implants

If your hearing loss is very severe then hearing aids may be no longer effective, in this case a cochlear implant could be considered. This is where a device is implanted inside you, it is located in the auditory nerve, this transmits electronic signals which are converted into sound.

The sound produced from a cochlear implant is not perfect, it often sounds very electronic, but it can be a help if nothing else is working.

It’s important to go and see your doctor as soon as possible, the sooner you get diagnosed, the sooner you can hear again!

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Which battery do I need?

Hearing aid batteries have been standardised across the board now, and as such are fairly easy to identify. There are four sizes available, size 10, size 312, size 13 and size 675.

They are colour coded for ease of recognition. Size 10 batteries are coded with yellow labels and packaging, size 312 are coded brown, size 13 are orange and size 675 are blue.

Most of the smaller hearing devices from Phonak, Resound or Oticon will use a size 312 (brown) or a size 10 (yellow) battery. Some of the larger digital hearing instruments will use the size 13, and a few power aids such as the Oticon Sumo or the Phonak Naida will use the size 675.

As a rule, the larger the battery, the more life you will get from it and the longer you will be able to listen to your hearing instruments without needing to change the battery. Newer hearing devices, do generally tend to be smaller which is clearly desireable from a cosmetics perspective. These smaller hearing instruments tend to use 10 or 312 batteries. Try to find a quality battery brand such as Rayovac, whihc are specifically designed and manufactured for hearing aid wearers. These will most likely provide better performance with your hearing devices than other brands. You may find that some brands of hearing aid batteries will provide a recycling facility where you can send them back and these can be reused.

If you are unsure which hearing aid batteries are right for you, ask your hearing supplier for advice.

Most hearing audiologists will offer free hearing test and also advice on current or new devices.

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After February 18, 2008 most major wireless companies will have switched to an all digital network in the US. This switch spelled the end of the oldest US cell phone technology, “Advanced Mobile Phone Services”, otherwise known as AMPS. The newer digital phones which the majority of cellular customers already had, allow services to handle a significantly larger volume of simultaneous calls, provide better voice quality, and give users the ability to transfer data via e-mails, text messages, and so forth.

Unfortunately, these newer phones also use higher frequencies which are more likely to interfere with hearing aids. The interference often creates a buzzing sound, making cell phone signals more difficult to hear. With AMPS disappearing, hearing aid wearers will generally be unable to make use of this lower frequency option any longer.

However, some digital phone models do offer a viable alternative. Determining which cell phone will be a good choice for those wearing a hearing aid has been made easier based on rating systems that have been implemented industry wide.

Here are some considerations:

Sources:

consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/10/cell_phones_amps.html

fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/analogcellphone.html

tap.gallaudet.edu/voice/DigitalCellFAQ.asp

accesswireless.org/hearingaid/

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It is a psychological need of an audibility-impaired individual to not to be noticed because of this deficiency. It is this sense that drives such patient to avoid wearing his device in public places. The open fit hearing aids aim cater for this psychological factor and boost the patients confidence and of course communication in his/her public appearances. These open fit hearing aids come with optional external speakers to be attached depending upon the need of the user.

Design Of The Open Fit Hearing Aids:

The open fit hearing aids are designed in such a way that the only part in front of the ear is a tiny cylindrical transparent wire, which transports the sound to the ear. A sound magnification system is an essential part of the device and is concealed behind the ear. Several open fit hearing aids include a minute speaker placed in the canal of the ear to achieve more comprehensible magnification of sound.

The Target Audience:

The open fit hearing aids are basically designed for people whose hearing impaired ness is specific to specific frequency of sounds, generally the high frequencies. Such anomalies are found among people who have been exposed to noisy sounds of high amplitudes for a longer period of time.

The Price Range:

The open fit hearing aids are among the devices easily affordable by many. This factor makes them ideal for a larger range of audience as they provide more comprehensible magnification of sound at a reasonable cost. Though there exists a variation of costs among different varieties, but they do not exceed the reasonable cost range. The weightless design, almost undetectable transparent wire going to ear and an affordable price makes these open fit hearing aids.

Technical Problem Solved!

A great problem with most hearing aids is that the user does not get to hear his/her own voice, so he/she awkwardly talks louder. The open fit hearing aids tackle this problem beautifully by the inclusion of minute speakers in the earplugs, which when programmed enable the user to hear his/her own voice.

These open fit hearing aids can be tried on by the users in offices of hearing devices companies and choose on the basis of their ease of use. The ear specialist often place their orders directly to these companies to have them as close as possible to the patients needs, but still minor discrepancies can be eliminated by the users feedback.

Even though the costs of the hearing devices are showing a decline, but still when buying such device, it is always in user favor to be able to try it on and have subsequent changes made as required. In short, the open fit hearing aids provide a superb solution at an affordable price and best options.

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If you are trying to choose hearing aids, you will have to do a hearing aids comparison to figure out exactly what kind of device you are going to both be able to afford and that will work best for you. Do you want a in the ear or behind the ear? Can you afford a digital hearing aid or do you need to find an analog one?

When you look at the costs of the ITE and BTE hearing aids, consider the fact that the ITE ones may be a little more expensive, but that is because they have to be custom molded for your ear canal. Some think that this will give them the ability to hear better, but the reality is that you can pay the same price for a BTE that will offer you better components and programming.

Digital hearing aids are the latest and greatest in hearing aid technology. They receive the sounds that they hear and then filter everything through digital coding that enables you to hear something that is just as pure as if your hearing was 100% healthy. While a lot of the basics in these items will be the same, they differ in quality significantly because of the processor, receiver and microphone.

When you are doing a hearing aids comparison on analog devices, you are also going to want to take a look at the programming that is offered. The best devices may not have the digital clarity of the other hearing aids, but a good unit can come pretty close.

Something that you have to keep in mind is that analog hearing devices are much cheaper than digital ones. For some, the improved quality sound is just not worth the price. Your profession or general demeanor may mean that simply do not need that and if that is the case, you may just be better served by getting a top line analog device instead of a middle of the road digital one.

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