Printer Friendly Page
And just as importantly, hearing loss treatment was shown to reduce: (from the Better Hearing Institute)
1. They don’t know how to recognize a hearing loss: Most hearing loss is gradual, and therefore the signs of hearing loss are often unknown. Both the person with the hearing loss, as well as family and friends learn to adapt to the hearing loss over time. Many people do not realize they are adapting. Once a hearing loss is recognized, due to making mistakes in public or asking someone to repeat several times, the need for treatment arises.
2. One ear hears better than the other: Although you may have one better ear, it does not mean that the hearing in that ear is normal. The better ear is often favored for the telephone, group conversations and often dictates where one sits at functions. Most hearing loss affects both ears, and about 90% of patients are in need of hearing aids for both ears.
3. Stigma and cosmetics: Some people reject hearing aids because they are concerned with the stigma of hearing loss and thus try to hide it from others. They believe others will think they're getting older, less competent, less attractive, and so on. Cosmetics no longer need to be a barrier to obtaining amplification. Since the 1990s, technological advances have permitted the hearing aid industry to develop hearing aids that range in size and some are almost un-noticeable once in the ear. However, the smaller hearing aids are not acoustically appropriate for all hearing losses.
4. Misdirected medical guidance: Most physicians receive very little training in the areas of hearing loss and hearing aids. Much of this misinformation is given (unintentionally) by family physicians who do not specialize in hearing problems. For instance, many physicians have told their patients that they're not candidates for hearing aids if they have hearing loss in one ear and good hearing in the other (unilateral hearing loss); if they have "nerve deafness" (an obsolete term for sensorineural hearing loss); or if the hearing loss still allows them to conduct a conversation in quiet. Therefore, if a concern about hearing ability arises, seeing a hearing specialist is recommended.
5. Not realizing the importance of hearing: We live in such a visually oriented society that often hearing plays a secondary role. As you probably know from your own experience, people who cannot hear well often experience anxiety, insecurity, isolation and depression. People gradually withdraw from family and friends because without auditory contact, they lose the feeling of being connected. We interact with one another through communication. Some individuals have been thought to be senile because they were not able to communicate well with family members. Others have missed out on opportunities at work because they could not hear specific instructions. Children have been misdiagnosed and labeled as delayed, inattentive or hyperactive due to hearing loss.
6. A misbelief that hearing aids don't work: A significant number of people with hearing loss mistakenly believe that hearing aids are not effective. Recent research, however, indicates that 76% of hearing aid users report satisfaction (defined as satisfied or very satisfied) with the ability of modern hearing aids to improve their hearing, while 66% report that hearing aids have significantly improved the quality of their life. A significant number of people report satisfaction with their hearing aids in quiet situations (87%) as well as in very difficult situations such as restaurants, places of worship or large groups. Research with more than 25,000 consumers demonstrates that not everyone benefits equally in all listening situations, nor do all types of hearing instrument circuitry perform the same in difficult listening situations. It is critical that the individual work with his/her audiologist to program the hearing aids and fine-tune them to improve the majority of listening situations.
7. Failure to trust in a hearing aid dispensing professional: The data shows that nearly 90% of consumers are satisfied with their hearing aid dispensing professional. It is certainly worth mentioning that the training, education and experience among dispensers of hearing aids has greatly increased over the years for both audiologists and hearing aid specialists.
8. Unrecognized value of hearing aids: Hearing aids have an impressive list of potential benefits, including greater earning power, improved interpersonal relationships, reduced discrimination toward the person with the hearing loss, reduced difficulty in communicating, reduced anger, frustration, depression and anxiety, enhanced emotional stability, reduced social phobias, greater belief that you are in control of your life, increased self-esteem, improved perceptions of mental acuity, improved health status, greater level of outgoingness (e.g. extroversion) and the list goes on and on.
9. Hearing aids are too expensive: Today’s hearing aids range in price and provide many helpful features at all levels. Although some people with hearing loss simply do not have the disposable income to afford today's modern hearing aids, there are programs to help individuals obtain amplification.
The audiologists at Hearing Aids of Texas, P.A. have many years of experience with hearing aid evaluations, fittings and modifications. Due to the vast number of hearing aid companies today, we concentrate on four main national and international brands of hearing aids: Phonak, Sonic Innovations, GN ReSound, and Starkey, while retaining the ability to work with several other companies. All hearing aids come with a repair warranty and loss and damage coverage, plus personalized service for you and your hearing aids from our facility.
New hearing aid users: For patients that do not own or currently wear amplification, a hearing aid evaluation is scheduled. This is an hour-long appointment where the audiologist and individual (and family member, if present) discuss activity level and situations in need of listening improvement. These needs and activities then determine the most appropriate technology level of amplification (either hearing aids and/or assistive listening devices) for the patient.
Approximately two weeks later, the hearing aid dispense will occur. This is an hour-long session where the hearing aid(s) is programmed for the patient’s hearing loss and individual needs. By law, there is a 30-day trial period to allow you to adjust to the aid and have additional programming sessions.
Experienced hearing aid users: For those individuals who already own hearing aids, whether purchased at a different facility or whose hearing aids are no longer in warranty, a hearing aid consult can be scheduled. Our audiologists will be more than happy to service your hearing aid(s); however, a fee of $30.00 per half hour will be charged.
Today’s digital hearing aids differ from those offered even a few years ago. Most hearing aids today come with directional microphones, which help an individual hear better in noisy situations. Additionally, they contain noise reduction circuitry to help make soft, non-speech sounds (air conditioning, refrigerator noise, background noise, etc.) more tolerable. Hearing aids today also feature program or memory buttons, which can be programmed for different listening situations. Many of the hearing aids have automatic features that switch between these different programs. The hearing aids will also alert the individual to change the battery when necessary. Feedback, or “squealing” has also been problematic with older technology; however the current technology greatly reduces the occurrence of feedback. Hearing aids come in a variety of styles and sizes, some sit behind-the-ear (BTE), while others sit in-the-ear (ITE) and some sit completely-in-the-canal (CIC). The most appropriate size and style will be based on the degree and configuration of the hearing loss in addition to the needs of the individual (lifestyle, dexterity, etc.).
A hearing aid takes in sound through the microphone, sends it through filters to amplifiers, which send it to a receiver. The clean and amplified sound is then transmitted into the ear canal. The sound must travel through the ear canal, make the eardrum vibrate, sending the sound through the bones of the middle ear to the inner ear (cochlea). The inner ear has hair cells that help to transmit the sound to the nerve. When these hair cells are damaged, they cannot send a clear signal to the hearing nerve. Even though the sound coming from the hearing aid is clear, if the cochlea is damaged, it will not be able to process the sound clearly.
An assistive listening device, or ALD, is any type of device that can improve function of day-to-day communication. It can be used with or without hearing aids to overcome the negative effects of distance, background noise or poor room acoustics. ALDs are classified by how the signal is transmitted: infrared systems, frequency modulation (FM) systems, induction loop systems, various amplifiers and one-on-one communicators.
An infrared beam of light carries a signal from the source to a volume adjustable receiver worn by the individual with hearing loss.
For the television - For some individuals, they report difficulty in only one area – watching television, for example. An infrared system is most often used for this need. It is a wireless device that connects into the television and an electrical outlet. A charging unit sits atop the television and provides power to the headset. The person using the receiver must be in the line of sight of the signal to hear. The television can be set comfortably for those without hearing loss and be adjusted for the personal need of the individual with hearing impairment. Additionally, use of closed-captioning on the television can provide missed words or a better understanding of dialogue when background music on the show is too loud.
It consists of a transmitter microphone used by the speaker and a receiver used by the individual with hearing loss. The receiver transmits sounds to the hearing aid via direct audio input or through the telecoil and a looped cord worn around the neck.
When traveling, it is often difficulty to hear in the car or on bus tours. The speaker would wear the transmitter and regardless of where the individual was sitting, he/she would hear the speaker as if directly in front of them.
For both adults and children, listening in classrooms, large conference rooms and restaurants can often be a challenge, even with hearing aids. Once again, this device decreases the distance between the listener and the speaker.
This is a permanently installed system that places a specialized wire, or loop, under a carpet or attached to the walls of the room. The microphone used in that space creates an electromagnetic field. The listener uses the telephone coil (t-coil) on the hearing aid to pick up the signal. Volume is adjusted through the hearing aid.
This is a personal, wired device, that allows the speaker to talk directly into the microphone, and allows the listener to hear through a headset. No hearing aids are required for the system to work.
Sometimes, an individual has poor dexterity in his/her hands and cannot manage a hearing aid or hearing aid batteries. Additionally, if one is bound to a wheelchair or a bed, or resides in a nursing facility, hearing aids are often lost or damaged. A personal communicator can deliver sound directly to the individual. It is large enough to not be damaged or lost and small enough to be very portable. The device is also helpful for listening in the car, as it overcomes road noise very well and it can be used for watching television by placing the microphone near the TV speaker.
These vary from basic amplifiers for telephones, amplified answering machines, wake-up alarms, paging systems, computers, and home safety alerting devices.
A variety of corded and cordless amplified phones are available today that are hearing aid compatible. They provide adjustments for not only volume of the incoming voice, but also tone. Some also provide a speaker-phone option and/or caller ID. Amplified answering machines are also available.
Some people with hearing loss sleep very soundly and cannot hear a non-amplified alarm clock. There are very loud alarm clocks that also blink and/or vibrate the mattress or bed. Other situations of importance are the telephone ringing, smoke detector signaling and someone at the door. If the phone rings, the smoke detector goes off or the doorbell is pressed, a light in the home will flash on and off to alert the person. The attachment to the light can indicate from where the source of the signal is coming. Additionally, for those with infants and small children, a monitor can be placed in the baby’s room to allow the parent to know if the child is awake or crying.
Some individuals have specialized computer programs that can be attached to an answering machine, and be able to modify the spoken message to a written message. Beyond that, many individuals with hearing impairment use email and text messaging as a main form of communication.