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When is the Right Time to Upgrade Your Hearing Aids?

Have you noticed your hearing aids aren’t quite keeping up with your needs lately? Or perhaps you’re struggling in settings where they used to perform flawlessly. Like any piece of technology, hearing aids have a lifespan. Over time, wear and tear, evolving technology, and changes in hearing health could leave you wondering if it’s time for a hearing aid upgrade. Upgrading your hearing aids may unlock improved performance and features that better align with your current needs. In this post, we’ll cover everything from understanding the lifespan of hearing aids to signs you might benefit from an upgrade. Together, let’s see

How Do I Know If I Have Hearing Loss?

Ever find yourself asking people to repeat themselves more often than you’d like? Or maybe you’ve noticed you’re turning up the volume on your television a little bit higher than usual? If so, you’re not alone. Hearing loss is more common than most people realize, and millions of individuals experience it every year. For some, it creeps in gradually, making it easy to overlook, while others face it suddenly. But here’s the good news: recognizing the signs early can make all the difference. Early detection not only helps protect your quality of life but also opens the door to effective solutions.

Image with various hearing related icons

Well Hearing is Well Being

Good hearing and communication are important through all stages of life Statistics Canada reports that 21% of adults have mild hearing loss2 whereas 7% of adults2 experience “moderate or worse” hearing loss. And hearing loss is generally prevalent over age 50. Hearing loss can be avoided through preventative actions like protecting your ears from loud sounds, practicing healthy ear care and keeping up with immunizations. Those at risk of hearing loss should have their hearing checked regularly because hearing loss can be addressed easily when it is identified in a timely manner. How can you take control of your hearing health?

Separate photos of a man playing guitar and a man using binoculars while hunting

Custom Hearing Protection

Did you know that 1.1 billion people around the world are estimated to be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss? While working in a loud environment or being surrounded by noise may not be something you can always avoid, protecting your hearing IS! 50% of young people admit to listening to their music too loudly and 70% of people exposed to loud noise seldom wear hearing protection. And excessive exposure to noises higher than 85dB can damage your hearing. Here’s some common noise decibels for reference… Gun shot: 140 Jackhammer: 130 Motorsport: 100 Hairdryer: 90 Airplane cabin: 80 We’ve all been

Group of people standing together shoulder to shoulder

Gift of Hearing Contest

According to the CDC, the prevalence of hearing loss is twice as common as diabetes or cancer. And although more common in adults ages 50 and up, hearing loss a ects all ages, demographics and people across the globe. About 40 million adults ages 20-69 in the U.S. alone have noise-induced hearing loss, and approximately 3 in every 1,000 babies are born with detectable hearing loss in one or both ears. At Ear and Hearing Clinic, we believe that hearing well is essen al to being able to live life to the fullest! We are dedicated and passionate about crea ng

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ROCK TAKES ITS TOLL

As a Baby Boomer, attending your share of rock concerts may have caused you to have the same problem as many of your musical heroes. Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, and Neil Young have all professed to have hearing loss. One symptom you should be on the lookout for is difficulty hearing your partner’s side of the conversation in a noisy restaurant. This hearing problem is usually symptomatic of “presbycusis,” or age-related hearing loss, caused by the death of hair cells in the inner ear. These cells are important because they translate sound vibrations into brain signals. Once they’re damaged – usually

TRANSMITTING SOUND THROUGH BONE

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds are not conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones, called ossicles, of the middle ear. Patients who experience conductive hearing loss primarily use bone anchored hearing instruments to assist them in hearing better. This is also the choice for those who have unsatisfactorily tried using a powerful air conduction hearing instrument or a bone conduction instrument held in place with headbands. As the name implies, bone-anchored hearing instruments are actually fixed to the wearer’s skull. The microphone and sound processor capture and transmit sound vibrations to the titanium

WHISPERED SOMETHINGS

For many people, hearing loss treatment isn’t something they consider until they are unable to hear loud word exchanges. It is perceived unnecessary until those individuals are being kept out of the conversational loop due to their inability to hear. There is, however, every reason to believe that even mild hearing loss deserves some form of treatment. Recent research has shown that whispers can have a relaxing effect. The fact is, even a missed whisper can have a detrimental effect on a person’s quality of life. From a physiological standpoint, whispers induce feelings of euphoria and relaxation because they stimulate the

ECHOES FROM ANCIENT CAVES

Recent research may provide new insights into humans’ closest extinct relative, the Neanderthals. One of the many ways that Neanderthal anatomy differed from our own came to light after a fossilized ear bone from a young Neanderthal child was discovered. The findings included a skull, jaw, vertebrae, ribs, and hand phalanges. But what was most interesting was a very complete left temporal bone with an auditory ossicle inside, including a complete “stapes.” This bone, which lies in the middle ear of humans and other mammals, conducts sound vibrations to the inner ear. In Neanderthals, the stapes was decidedly different in its