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Hearing Aid News

04/02/2008
Ever since I have been in this field for some 33 years now, the consumer has been looking for an "invisible" hearing aid.  About twenty years ago, manufacturers developed the "completely-in-the-canal" or CIC hearing aid that was virtually invisible from the front.  However, there were all sorts of problems and compromises with this size in the beginning.

Recently, a manufacturer has developed an "invisible" hearing aid that has lots of advantages over the CIC style of instrument.  Probably the best feature of this new model is that the receiver of the device is located down in the ear canal.  Now, a receiver in the ear canal is not new technology, but an "open fitting" with receiver in the canal is new.

Many new users of hearing aids complain that "their head sounds like it is in a barrel" and they are told that they will get used to this sound quality.  But, with an open fitting the barrel sound is usually eliminated because the ear is not stopped up with a closed fitting.  A closed fitting is similar to talking with your fingers in your ears, your voice sounds very different to you and many hearing aid users never adapt.

By putting the receiver in the canal, feedback or whistle sounds are virtually eliminated.  The consumer also can have more power in the instrument without feedback.

Another new feature is Noise Tracker, which reduces background noise without affecting speech understanding.  Natural Directionality takes advantage of the fact that the brain uses one ear to focus on sound while the other ear focuses on our surroundings.  Wind Rush Manager enables the user to be more comfortable in outdoor activities.  On top of all of this, these new instruments are the smallest ever manufactured and are available in designer colors! 

12/28/2007
Toy safety has been a hot topic during 2007.  As it does every year, the Sight & Hearing Association cautions parents to watch out, or rather listen, for another toy danger: noisy toys.  In this organization's latest Noisy Toys study, 15 of 20 toys sounded off at over 100 decibels (dB).  At that level, a child's hearing is at risk of damage in less than 15 minutes of playing time.

For the tenth year, this nonprofit organization and researchers from the University of Minnesota tested toys taken right off retailer's shelves for potentially dangerous sound levels.  All of the toys in their study measured over 90 dB directly at the speaker of the toy.  And 15 of the 20 toys are meant for children 3 years of age or older.  Sounds that are 85 dB or louder can permanently damage your ears.  The louder the sound, the less time it takes to cause permanent damage.

Because of a child's shorter arm span, toys are often potentially more dangerous to hearing because children hold them closer to their ears.  At ten inches from the toy's surface, two of the toys measured louder than 90 dB.  The top offender on this year's list is "Car Ghost Light Ramone" by Fisher Price and blared in at 118.5 dB(A).  SRM Entertainment's "Power Gear Extreme Command System" topped out at  114.5. These toys are loud enough to risk hearing damage in less than one minute.

To protect a child's hearing listen to the toy before you buy it.  If it sounds too loud to you, it's too loud for your child.  Put masking or packing tape over the speaker on the toy to reduce the volume.  Buy toys with volume controls for your child's hearing preservation and your sanity!

09/25/2007
Lots of us with grandkids may be interested in these factoids.  The vast majority of larger hospitals now offer newborn hearing screening before discharge from the hospital.  All children should be screened for hearing loss before 1 month of age.  85% of all children experience at least one ear infection.  Second-hand smoke in the home increases the risk of middle ear infections and respiratory allergies in children.  Infants may begin to use hearing aids as early as 2-4 months of age.  Federal laws mandate that all school districts must provide specialized education to children with hearing loss.  Even a mild hearing loss can seriously impact a child's ability to learn in a school environment.

The following are factoids about adults.  Excessive noise is the number one reason for hearing loss.  Continued exposure to noise of 85 dB or louder, over time, will eventually harm your hearing.  If you cannot carry on a conversation in the presence of noise, it is too loud for your ears and can potentially cause hearing loss.  1 in 4 workers exposed to high levels of noise will develop a hearing loss.  Professions at risk of hearing loss include firefighters, police officers, factory workers, farmers, construction workers, military personnel, heavy industry workers, musicians, and entertainment industry professionals.

Hearing loss can be prevented by using earplugs or earmuffs when engaging in activities around excessive noise.  If you have pain in your ears after leaving a noisy area or you hear ringing or buzzing in your ears immediately after exposure to noise, consider this as a warning sign that the sounds are TOO LOUD.  Dangerously loud recreational activities include video arcades, firecrackers, live music concerts, gunshots, movie theaters, health clubs and aerobic studios, sporting events, motorboats, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and "boom cars".                               

08/24/2007
Many people are aware that their hearing has deteriorated but are reluctant to seek help.  Perhaps they don't want to acknowledge the problem or believe they can "get by" without using a hearing instrument.  Unfortunately, too many folks wait years, even decades, before getting treatment.

Studies have linked untreated hearing loss to:

Hearing loss is not just an ailment of old age.  It can strike at any time and at any age, even childhood.  For the young, even a mild or moderate hearing loss can bring difficulty learning, developing speech and building the important interpersonal skills necessary to foster self-esteem and succeed in school and life.

07/30/2007
At the risk of being redundant, I have been asked many times to talk about and to speak on this subject.  We are a retirement community, therefore we have a large per capita population of veterans.  Granted there are not a lot of WWII veterans left, but they are the ones who got my field of audiology started.

When the veterans of WWII came home from battle, that's when our government realized our veterans had suffered permanent hearing loss as a result of excessive noise exposure.  My field of audiology was born to test these veterans and figure out what to do with their hearing losses.

As an audiologist for more than 30 years, I have seen hundreds of veterans with hearing loss.  They may say that they can hear you, but that they can't understand you especially if it is noisy.  They can't understand you if the TV is on, they can't understand you if you are doing dishes, they can't understand you if several people are talking at once.  These are signs that these veterans have permanent hearing loss.

Any veteran is entitled to benefits if it can be shown that their hearing loss is service related.  Veterans may also be entitled to other benefits such as Vietnam veterans who have developed diabetes from Agent Orange exposure.  I have seen numerous Vietnam veterans who have recurrent rashes all over their bodies, but especially on their feet.  Many Vietnam veterans I have seen have suffered from unusual cancers such as bladder cancer.

If you are a veteran or you know a veteran, please encourage them to go see Gordon Thibodeaux who is our new Veteran's Service Officer to apply for veteran's benefits.  He is located in the courthouse annex where you go to pay your taxes. 

06/03/2007
I am asked over and over why insurance and Medicare do not cover hearing aids.  My pat answer especially with Medicare is that insurance could not afford the coverage because so many people need hearing aids!  One third of people over 60 and one half of those over 85 have hearing loss that can only be remedied by the use of hearing aids.

Legislation recently introduced into Congress would provide Medicare coverage for hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation services for seniors with hearing loss.  Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) introduced the Medicare Hearing Enhancement and Auditory Rehabilitation (HEAR) Act of 2007, H.R. 1912, on April 18, 2007.  Please, contact your representatives to tell them to support this vitally important piece of legislation!

One of the best kept secrets in Texas is the fact that anyone with documented hearing loss can qualify for a FREE amplified telephone.  Most programs that provide services or products are usually based on income qualifications where this program only requires the fact that a person has hearing loss.

There are other sources for obtaining hearing aids when a person cannot afford them.  The Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services can provide hearing aids but eligibility is based upon employability and income.  Medicaid also allows hearing aids every 6 years for those folks eligible.

DETCOG has recently obtained funds which are available to those over 60 needing hearing aids.  This program will pay $1000 toward the purchase of hearing aids for those in need.

Our district of the Lions Club of Texas has a program in place called HARP that will provide hearing aids to needy persons within this district.  Anyone needing services should contact the Lions Club of Hemphill or any club within this district.

As a last resort, there is a source from the Starkey Foundation which provides hearing aids to folks who qualify based on income need only.  It is an intensive qualification to make sure that there are no other financial means to qualify for services.

02/24/2007
I am often asked why do hearing aids cost so much?  Hearing aids are sold in relatively low volume or approximately 1.7 million hearing aids per year even though there are 30 million hearing impaired individuals in the U.S.  Compare this to the fact that several million stereos are sold each year so the demand brings the price down.

Also adding to the price tag is the amount of time and money spent by manufacturers on research and development.  One manufacturer claims to have spent over twenty million dollars developing a single model.  Last year, the manufacturer I prefer introduced four new models.

The amount of time spent by an audiologist with a hearing aid patient is very significant.  Data indicate that an average of five direct contact hours is spent during the first year a patient receives hearing aids.  This time is critical for new users, particularly to assist during the acclimatization process.

Mail order companies can afford to sell hearing aids at lower prices because the components they use are inexpensive, and the patient receives minimal or no instructions on proper use and care.  Fine tuning adjustments can mean the difference between success or failure with hearing aids.  With mail order hearing aids, the patient may be charged for every subsequent contact with the company.  So, in the long run the patient may pay as much or even more.

Additionally, the minimum amount of education for a dispensing audiologist is a Master's Degree while mail order companies are often staffed by sales people having minimal technical training.  Audiologists are concerned about communication because it is one of the most important skills humans have.  So if wearing hearing aids allows you to resume normal activities and communicate with loved ones, the cost becomes a lot more justifiable. 

02/05/2007
Frequently consumers ask me why hearing aid batteries don't last very long.  Well, there can be several reasons for this problem.  I usually start by telling folks to REALLY find out how long their batteries ARE lasting.  To do this, I recommend that they put that sticker they peal off their zinc-air battery on their calendar to accurately track battery life.

Many times shortened battery life can occur because the consumer has not turned the hearing off at night.  Just because the user is not using the hearing aid while sleeping does not mean that the battery is not draining.  If a hearing aid is left on every night while the user is asleep it will drain the battery just as if the user is using it 24/7.

The majority of hearing aids dispensed today are digital technology.  While digital technology is an advance over analog instruments, digital hearing aids take more juice from a battery to operate.  Frequently I am asked why a hearing aid battery does not last a long time like a watch battery.  It does not take much energy to turn the hands of a watch, while it takes much more energy to power a micro-computer which is what a digital hearing aid is.

Before zinc-air batteries, consumers would find that their batteries would start to "fade" as the voltage decreased so they would have to turn the volume up on their hearing aids.  Zinc-air batteries should provide a constant voltage over the life of the battery so that the battery "dies" rather than fades away.

I am asked occasionally if consumers should put their batteries in the refrigerator like we used to do with our camera film.  Please, do not put your hearing aid batteries in the refridge especially if they are zinc-air batteries.  These batteries have holes in the top to operate correctly and the moisture from the refridge shortens the battery life.