Hearing Aids Types » Hearing Loss

How much can hearing aids help my hearing loss?

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:34:10 +0000

Like prescription eye glasses, hearing aids are not going to help restoring your hearing. They help you hear better. Hearing aids are primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss that results from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells.

The most common type of hearing loss is sensorineural hearing loss. Many people who have this kind of hearing loss due to a damage done by disease, aging, or injury from noise or certain medicines.

How does exactly a hearing aid work? It simply magnifies sound vibrations entering the ear. Surviving hair cells detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals that are passed along to the brain.

Just like eye glasses, the more severe a person’s hearing loss is, the greater the hearing aid amplification needed. But be aware that even the greatest amplification can have limits. If your inner ear is too damaged, even large vibrations will not be converted into neural signals. In fact, under this condition, a hearing aid won’t help.

Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Get Your Hearing Checked

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:42:56 +0000

If you are over age 65, get your hearing checked. Many people lose their hearing slowly as they age.

1 in 3 Americans between ages 65 and 74 has a hearing problem.
1 in 2 Americans over age 75 has a hearing problem.

If you have hearing loss, you aren’t alone. Start by asking your doctor for a hearing test. Your doctor may refer you to a hearing specialist.

Hearing problems are serious

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:42:26 +0000

Hearing loss can be frustrating and even dangerous. If you have hearing loss, you may:

Have trouble hearing doorbells or alarms
Miss important directions or warnings
Feel lonely or depressed

Hearing problems can get worse if they are not treated. That’s why it’s important to get your hearing checked.

If you find out you have a hearing problem, you can take steps to deal with it before it gets worse.

Source: National Health Information Center

If you are over age 65, get your hearing checked

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:41:25 +0000

If you are over age 65, get your hearing checked. Many people lose their hearing slowly as they age.

One out of three (1 in 3) Americans between ages 65 and 74 has a hearing problem.
Half of adults (1 in 2) over age 75 have a hearing problem.

If you have hearing loss, you are not alone. Start by asking your doctor for a hearing test. Your doctor may refer you to a hearing specialist.

Source: National Health Information Center

How Loud Is Too Loud?

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:56:56 +0000

150 Firecracker

120 Ambulance siren

110 Chain saw, Rock concert

105 Personal stereo system at maximum level

100 Wood shop, Snowmobile

95 Motorcycle

90 Power mower

85 Heavy city traffic

60 Normal conversation

40 Refrigerator humming

30 Whispered voice

Protect Your Ears:

Know which noises can cause damage. Wear ear plugs when you are involved in a loud activity.

110 Decibels

Regular exposure of more than 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss.
100 Decibels

No more than 15 minutes of unprotected exposure recommended.

85 Decibels

Prolonged exposure to any noise at or above 85 decibels can cause gradual hearing loss.

Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Hearing Loss occurs due to daily exposure to excessive noise

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:06:46 +0000

Hearing Loss: It occurs due to daily exposure to excessive noise in the work place, by continous receiving of phone calls , listening music in large volume, all the time using the earphone etc. It can be by birth or due to exposure to the noisy environment. One can get hearing loss problem on one ear only or in both the ears. Hearing loss can lead to deafness.

Hearing Aid: Hearing aid is a small electronic device that can be wore either in or behind the ear.It makes the sounds a bit louder so that after wearing a person can participate in daily activities.It can help people in both quiet and noisy situations. It consists of three parts: a microphone, amplifier and a speaker.The amplifier increases the power of the signals and then sends them to the ear through a speaker.

What other factors play a role in hearing loss?

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:13:05 +0000

Another cause of hearing loss is the ear infection otitis media, which can lead to long-term hearing loss if it is not treated. A severe blow to the head also can cause hearing loss.

Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

What impact can hearing loss have on an older person’s life?

megdilts — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:38:40 +0000

People with hearing loss have trouble fully participating in everyday life. They may mistake words in a conversation, miss directions or warnings, or leave a ringing doorbell unanswered. Older people who can’t hear well may become depressed or withdraw from others to avoid feeling frustrated or embarrassed about not understanding what is being said.

They may become suspicious of relatives or friends who they believe “mumble” or “don’t speak up” on purpose. Hearing loss can cause older people to become more isolated and can even put them in harm’s way if they are unable to respond to warnings or hear sounds of impending danger.

It is easy to mistakenly call older people confused, unresponsive, or uncooperative just because they don’t hear well.

Source: National Institute on Aging, U.S. National Library of Medicine

What types of hearing loss are most common in older adults?

megdilts — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:36:17 +0000

Presbycusis and tinnitus are two of the most common types of hearing loss in older adults. Presbycusis comes on gradually as a person ages and mostly affects people over 50. Doctors do not know why presbycusis happens, but it seems to run in families.

Having presbycusis may make it hard for a person to tolerate loud sounds or to hear what others are saying. This type of hearing loss sometimes involves damage to the inner ear, which is permanent.

Tinnitus, also common in older people, is the ringing, hissing, or roaring sound in the ears frequently caused by exposure to loud noise or certain medicines. Tinnitus can accompany any type of hearing loss, but it can be a sign of other important health problems, too, such as allergies and problems in the heart and blood vessels. Tinnitus can come and go, or it can stop altogether.

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine

How common is hearing loss?

megdilts — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:34:35 +0000

Approximately 15 percent, or 32.5 million, of American adults say that they have some degree of hearing loss. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Roughly one-third of Americans 65 to 74 years of age and 47 percent of those 75 and older have hearing loss.

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine