Category — Hearing Aids

One of the most difficult things in the world for many individuals to deal with is hearing loss. Though hearing loss might seem like a normal part of the aging process that people should learn to deal with, the social repercussions of these problems is much greater than most realize. Losing your hearing is not something that is easily dealt with and it can be a tough adjustment for people who have spent their entire lives with good hearing. So how are those people with poor hearing adjusting? What sorts of things are they going through?

Hearing loss affects most people at some point in their lives. Whether it’s a family member whose hearing isn’t what it used to be or your own hearing is waning, this is a very common problem. With age or occasional injury, comes a decrease in normal hearing. Luckily, there are solutions to hearing loss; these can bring back normal living.

The effects of hearing loss are immense and often permeate all aspects of life. The physical effects are those associated with hearing loss: being unable to hear conversations, misunderstanding what people say to you, and sounds being muffled. All of these can be frustrating to family members and others, as your hearing loss can be misconstrued as you not listening or not wanting to pay attention to a conversation.

Think You’re Losing Your Hearing? Digital Hearing Aids Can Virtually Restore Your Hearing.

Perhaps you have had trouble communicating with your family, and are embarrassed about your hearing problem.  Maybe no one knows about it because you do not want to admit to it.  Have you been having trouble at work because you are not able to hear the instructions given to you? Maybe you are noticing your friends and family getting aggravated at having to repeat themselves time and time again whenever you say something.  Are you frustrated with your own problem? If any of these situations seem familiar to you, then a digital hearing aid may be the very solution you need to help alleviate any stress you experience in the workplace and in your personal, family relationships.

Losing one’s hearing can devastate a person. Not only does this mean that one will no longer be able to hear the birds in the morning or be able to listen to their favorite television programs, but it can definitely make a person feel isolated. After all, one’s hearing is an essential piece of communication. If a family member can no longer hear, he or she may struggle to understand what is going on around them and may feel as if they have limited means by which to communicate their needs and emotions. This is where hearing aids can really make all the difference. By investing in hearing aids, a person can improve their quality of life, improve communication with their family, and succeed in work and school. The following are some ways to find the best possible hearing aids for your loved one so that they can lead a full and happy life.

I have been asked this question at least 4 to 6 times a week.  You may think this sounds strange; however, this is asked by people who are close to, or are friends of, someone who has a hearing loss.

It’s not that they haven’t tried or told their family member or friend to get a hearing aid.  The person who is losing out and misunderstanding conversations often doesn’t see the need — or their ego prevents them from taking steps to get help.

Over the last 35 years of helping people hear better, I have found the best way to encourage someone who has put off for years getting help is to realize you are perhaps the reason they are not getting that help.

Many are confused by the term “open fitting” in relation to their hearing.  The term “open fitting” is describing how the feeling would be when you are wearing your hearing aid.  You want an open, not an occluded or plugged up, feeling.

Open fittings are used when a patient has a high frequency hearing loss.  This means that they hear most of the lower tones in a normal range.  With this type of loss, fitting the hearing aid with any mold that occludes or fills up the ear canal would, in most cases, prevent the wearer from hearing the low tones.  This causes your voice to sound hollow or you would get a plugged up feeling, like when you talk with your nose plugged up.

Many people are surprised that most hearing aids need to be replaced every three to five years.  It does seem logical that with the capacity to reprogram most hearing aids they would last much longer.

The problem is not the reprogramming capability but usually a quality issue when you consider where you wear your hearing aid (inside an ear canal that is swimming in ear wax or maybe behind your ear where perspiration and sweat are constantly bombarding your aid).  Most people wear their aids from 8 to 16 hours a day.  Continually being exposed to these conditions simply affects all the components of your hearing aid over time.  This is why most insurance companies who participate will help purchase hearing aids every three to five years.

Sons or daughters are often the caretakers for their parents.  Or at least they are usually consulted with before any major purchases such as a hearing aid.

My advice is, of course, to make sure they have seen their Doctor and get a hearing test to be sure a hearing aid will benefit them.

The next issue that is most important when getting a hearing aid is the servicing aspect of the aid.  Purchasing a hearing aid is the most important first step.  However, without proper cleaning and servicing, that great-sounding amplification won’t last long.

No one knows I’m not hearing a lot of the conversation.  That’s right.  No one knows I didn’t get what was said unless I asked or said: what, repeat that, excuse me or what was that again.  After awhile I actually just got tired of asking people.  Most of the time they didn’t even know I wasn’t getting it, or at least I think they didn’t know.

Hearing aids have changed most of those situations for me.  I know I don’t get everything,  but I know I get almost all of it.  What a difference this has made — not only for my family but most importantly, for me.

Baby Boomers are changing the attitudes of everyone about hearing aids.  The past view of Hearing Aids is less than desirable…from making someone look old to not even working for people who have a sensory neural hearing loss.

It is so great to see how attitudes are changing about wearing hearing aids.  To me it is downright refreshing.  For the past 35 years I have done everything within my power to try to convince people they should at least try wearing a hearing aid.  It has been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to motivate most people to at least try to see if they would benefit from amplification…even when the patient agrees they have a hearing loss and know their hearing loss is causing much pain in their lives.