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Older woman receiving a hearing assessment, illustrating hearing screening vs hearing test.

What’s the Difference Between a Hearing Screening and a Hearing Test?

The television is a little louder than it used to be, and conversations across the dinner table take more effort to follow. These changes can be easy to brush aside, especially when you still hear most sounds around you. Once you decide to have your hearing checked, you might not know whether a quick screening or a full hearing test is the right option for you. When you’re weighing hearing screening vs hearing test options, the main difference is how much information you get. A screening checks whether further testing may be needed. A full hearing test investigates your hearing in

My Child Passed Their Hearing Test but Still Struggles: Understanding Auditory Processing Disorder

It is a conversation we have often, usually in September or October. A teacher has raised a concern; the child does not seem to be listening, misses instructions, or falls behind when the classroom gets noisy. A hearing test is arranged, the results come back normal, and the family is left with the same question they started with: if the hearing is fine, what is going on? For some of these children, the answer may be auditory processing disorder (APD). Photo by CDC What Is Auditory Processing Disorder? Auditory processing disorder (APD), also called central auditory processing disorder, affects how the

a student struggling to hear in a classroom

How Can Hearing Difficulties Affect a Child at School

A child may follow conversations easily at home but struggle to understand a teacher in a busy classroom. They might copy what another student is doing, miss part of an assignment, or give an answer that doesn’t match the question. These moments can look like distraction or confusion, even when the child is trying hard to keep up. Hearing difficulties at school can affect much more than a child’s ability to notice sounds. They may influence learning, classroom participation, friendships, confidence, and energy levels. Because the signs aren’t always obvious, parents and teachers may not immediately realize that hearing could be

a hearing aid fitting appointment with a audiologist showing the patient how to put in his hearing aid

What Happens During a Hearing Aid Fitting and Follow Up

Choosing hearing aids can feel like the biggest step in improving your hearing. Once you’ve selected the devices, you may expect to put them on, turn them on and head home. Hearing aids need more preparation than that. They have to be programmed for your hearing, checked while you’re wearing them and adjusted so they feel comfortable. A hearing aid fitting is the appointment where those pieces come together. Your audiologist sets up the devices, verifies how they’re performing and teaches you how to use them. You’ll then try them during your regular activities and return for follow up care based

The Ontario Infant Hearing Program: A Parent’s Guide to Newborn Hearing Screening

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash Few things matter more to new parents than knowing their baby is healthy. Among the screening tests offered shortly after birth, the newborn hearing screening is one of the most important yet often overlooked. Hearing plays a critical role in a child’s early development, supporting speech and language acquisition, communication, learning, and social interaction. Identifying any hearing differences as early as possible gives families and healthcare professionals the best opportunity to provide timely support. Ontario has had a universal newborn hearing screening program in place since the early 2000s, delivered through the Infant Hearing Program

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PRESBYCUSIS

The term “presbycusis” refers to the slow and progressive loss of hearing that affects both ears to the same degree, usually starting around the age of 50. This age-related loss of hearing most often starts in the high-frequency range, where conversation is conducted. As a result, those suffering from presbycusis are likely to find that their ability to understand speech is hindered more than their ability to hear sounds. This is particularly true in cases where presbycusis sufferers are trying to hear a conversation in noisy environments. The term “cocktail party effect” refers to the ability to focus on a single

NOTABLE HEARING-IMPAIRED MUSICIANS

Eric Clapton recently expressed concerns that he had tinnitus and was “going deaf.” The same rang true for Ludwig van Beethoven who moved from hearing buzzing in his ears (tinnitus) at the age of 26 to progressive hearing loss and, finally, total deafness by age 44. Even so, he continued to compose music. He was able to do so by holding a pencil in his mouth and touching the other end to the soundboard of the piano as he played. Using the same principle that makes a bone-conduction hearing instrument work, Beethoven was able to conduct sound vibrations through the pencil,

REGROWING HAIR (CELLS)

The type of hearing loss known as “sensorineural” is a result of inner ear or auditory nerve dysfunction. This is due in part to damage of the tiny “hair cells” that reside within the cochlea. These sensory receptors convert sound waves into electrical signals that are transmitted through the acoustic nerve to the brain. However, once hair cells become damaged by loud noises, they are unable to regenerate themselves. As a result, hearing loss that is associated with hair cell death is permanent. While hearing aids can effectively assist in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss, researchers continue to search for

COOL, CALM, AND CONNECTED

As increasing numbers of people have come to view hearing aids as a technology extension of the smartphone, their coolness factor towards hearing aids has also risen. No longer are they regarded simply as a means of improving hearing health. Hearing instruments with Bluetooth connectivity have attained a new status as communication and information-gathering devices. Although they were once only compatible with Apple’s iOS mobile operating systems, newer Bluetooth hearing instruments offer universal connectivity. This makes them usable with an Android device or even a classic flip phone that is Bluetooth-ready. The latest Bluetooth hearing instruments can answer a phone call

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