HEARING LOSS IN ONE EAR VS TWO
Unilateral hearing loss makes it difficult to sense distance and sound direction. Known as the “head shadowing effect,” listeners with good hearing in only one ear must tilt their heads toward the sound source in order to compensate for the shadowing effect. Audiologists can address this problem with a CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signals) system, […]
EASY DOES IT
While many audiologists recommend that people with newly prescribed hearing instruments wear them all day when they are first fitted with the devices, not everyone can do so comfortably. Some individuals find that their sudden ability to hear sounds that they have not heard in some time is a bit overwhelming. Due to the abrupt […]
OPEN DISCUSSION
Open-fit hearing instruments have become immensely popular because they deliver natural sound quality. This is due, in large part, to the fact that the open-fit design eliminates the muffled effect that might come with other hearing instruments. While similar to a traditional behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing instrument, an open-fit instrument has a much more compact design. […]
HEAR BETTER, LIVE LONGER
Hearing-impaired elderly individuals who elect to wear hearing instruments are likely to experience a higher quality of life than those with hearing losses that go untreated. Thus, the decision to be fitted with and wear a hearing instrument can be a significant factor in the lives of seniors, among whom the incidence of hearing impairment […]
FREQUENCY SHIFTING
High-frequency hearing loss makes it difficult to perceive many of the high-frequency voiceless consonants such as the “t,” “k,” “f,” “th,” “sh,” and “s” sounds. As a result, those suffering from high-frequency loss find it difficult to understand conversation. Hearing instrument manufacturers understand that this problem cannot be fully overcome simply by amplifying the higher […]
GROWING ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING AGAIN
When hearing-impaired individuals are first fitted with their new hearing instruments, they may be somewhat overwhelmed by the many sounds that have eluded them for so long. It may take a while for them to become adjusted to hearing words and sounds that they have yet to become accustomed to hearing more clearly. With this […]
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME ASSISTANCE?
For those who would like to augment their hearing instruments with other devices that promote better hearing, the hearing specialist can suggest any of a number of “assistive listening devices” (ALDs). These apparatuses, which are often referred to as “binoculars for the ears,” utilize a microphone to pick up sound, transmission technology to deliver the […]
ADVANCED FEATURES
Because today’s more advanced hearing instruments contain microchips, they can be expected to perform many of the operations found in other computer-driven devices. For instance, just as activity trackers worn on the wrist can keep track of how many steps we take throughout the day, hearing instruments with self-learning features can remember the volume and […]
WHEN LESS IS MORE
Current digital hearing instruments process the sound that wearers hear to make speech more understandable. By utilizing “wide dynamic range compression,” modern hearing instruments amplify softer sounds while leaving loud sounds untouched. Although this kind of processing allows hearing-impaired individuals to better understand conversation, it can distort music. Compounding the problem for hearing-impaired music lovers […]
GET WITH THE PROGRAM
As we go through our days at home, at work, and at play, we subject our ears to a number of different listening environments. We might have a quiet conversation over coffee in the morning, while work may be conducted in offices with multiple distractions and steady background noise. Because one program on a hearing […]