Questions to Ask Your Audiologist Before Buying Hearing Aids
The problem with hearing aids is of course whether it is the hearing aid for us and whether or not we need one in the first place. Obviously for this kind of decision, we need an audiologist’s advice.
The health care professional with expertise on hearing loss and, therefore, of hearing aids is called an audiologist.
How can audiologists help those with hearing problems?
There are two problems associated with hearing loss. First, unless a baby is tested for hearing problems at birth, people do not usually detect hearing problems until hearing is already 50 percent damaged; and, second, whether or not we believe there is hope for ever being to hear well again.
First, they can determine the type of problem, the degree of the problem, the probable cause of the problem, the possible relief, and how such relief can be achieved. So perhaps these are the first questions to ask and whether or not a hearing aid is a healthy option.
Second, since they must have knowledge of all products available in the market that can help those with hearing problems, they can professionally present options for treatment and choices of products to go with the solution chosen. Once the decision is to go for a hearing aid, the next question is what hearing devices are available, in the local market or even online. So questions like “should I go visible or invisible?” or “should I go for comfort of for hearing efficiency?” The other obvious question to ask is what to look for in a hearing aid.
There are simply a wide variety of hearing devices to choose from and without a health professional to help make a choice, the hearing problem may get worse . There are also fitting problems to deal with as well as adjustment problems. Making properly-fitted, affordable hearing aids and cochlear implants and providing accessible follow-up services in all parts of the world will benefit many people with hearing loss .
Third, since every treatment ends up with economic considerations, and most insurance already recognize hearing problems as a disability, then questions about insurance coverage and treatment plans must be asked and answered and whether or not counselling is part of the sales service.
If one is clear about all these considerations, then and only then can one can invest on a hearing device.
If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Music Habits Can Affect Hearing
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that acquired hearing loss may be due to excessive noise, including occupational noise such as that from machinery and explosions and recreational exposure to loud sounds such as that from use of personal audio devices at high volumes and for prolonged periods of time and regular attendance at concerts, nightclubs, bars and sporting events . In 2015, WHO warned that 1.1 billion young people (or about 50%) were at risk of hearing loss due to personal listening devices and music venues in which sounds may reach dangerously loud levels for hours on end . Initial studies among children show that the use of portable music player was associated with high-frequency hearing loss.
What affects hearing have something to do with the inner ear. In it is a complicated structure called cochlea which converts sound into electrical signals that are picked up by neurotransmitters mainly to the brain which also converts this into images or information. There are also fine hairs called cilia that are sensitive to different sounds and it is incredibly sensitive to the amplitude of sound waves. Noise can damage hair cells, membranes, nerves, or other parts of the inner ear, all of which may cause temporary or permanent hearing loss but loss of even about 30% of the cilia may produce damage resulting to inner ear baldness that cannot be repaired .
In physics, sound is nothing but a vibration that travels as waves through a medium (air, for example), measurable in terms of amplitude, wavelength, and frequency. This frequency is also called pitch. The amplitude measures the intensity of the sound. Sounds with high amplitude is loud. Other qualities of sound are volume and tone. Very loud noise and frequent exposure to it is responsible for noise-induced hearing loss. Whatever the sound heard, however, is nothing but a perception of it by the one listening to it. What is noise to one, may be music to another. Then there is noise music.
Damage to the cochlea may only be one problem associated with people’s music habits. Since noise and music are differentiated at the perception level of the brain, how people may appreciate and tolerate noise and music may also be affected. Musical Ear Syndrome (MES), a term first coined in 2004 by Neil G. Bauman, Ph.D. refers to a condition in which those with hearing loss experience musical auditory hallucinations .
Hence, it is vital to protect your hearing. For those with hearing loss, it may need a hearing aid to cope with it. Make sure to get a hearing aid prescription before purchasing a hearing aid. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Does Hearing Deteriorate with Age?
1 in 2 adults over age 65 experience hearing loss in different levels. This age related condition is referred to as presbycusis or hearing loss due to aging.
Just like other age related conditions, it can also be caused by other health factors such as diabetes, poor blood circulation, use of certain medications and a family history of hearing loss
As for avoidable causes, this can seriously result from smoking and the most common culprit – exposure to loud noises.
The main symptom of presbycusis or age related hearing loss is difficulty hearing voices of females or children because of an inability to hear high pitched sounds. It will also be difficult to hear others speak clearly and it will be hard to hear background noises.
This occurs because the tiny hair-like sensory hearing cells in your cochlea (inner ear), known as stereocilia of hair cells are the first to get damaged and they don’t regenerate.
These hair cells are responsible for translating the sounds the ears collect into electrical impulses that the brain will be able to read or interpret so the absence of these cells results to an inability of the brain to relate to the sound and it translates to us as difficulty in understanding what we hear or not hearing it at all because the brain couldn’t send a signal.
According to health journals, the hearing impaired person will then experience certain sounds seeming overly loud but at the same time have difficulty hearing in areas that are noisy. There is difficulty hearing the difference between “s” and “th” sounds and sometimes this is accompanied by Tinnitus or ringing in the ears.
The person will find himself having to always turn up the volume of the television or radio a little louder than normal because he can’t hear clearly.
He will always ask people to repeat themselves because he is unable to understand conversations especially over the telephone.
Even if age related hearing loss is unavoidable, it is still best to delay or stop it from happening by following basic prevention techniques like avoiding repetitive exposure to loud sounds, wearing ear protection in loud places and controlling one’s blood sugar since people with diabetes are most prone.
As for those who have it already, wearing hearing aids will help them hear better as well as assistive devices like telephone amplifiers.
Lessons in sign language or lip reading can also help those who totally lost most of their hearing go on with their daily routines.
If you have a hearing problem, it’s time you speak to a hearing specialist and if necessary, use hearing aids as they can definitely help. If you’re a teacher, pay close attention, and if you experience any difficulty hearing, go to a hearing professional immediately to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Is Deafness Hereditary?
Hearing loss, of which deafness is only one kind, is an impairment or disability involving the function of the ears. Like all other human conditions, it can be caused by factors internal or external to the person or a combination of both. In general, though, the cause of deafness is not known but at present there are reportedly about 400 different types of hereditary hearing loss known.
In the US, for example, while most babies are born with perfect hearing, it is estimated that about 2 to 3 in every 1,000 healthy babies are born with some form of deafness, making it one of the most common birth defects. While this may look genetic in origin, some of these may be caused by infections suffered by the mothers while pregnant. This number of hearing impaired babies may increase as soon as the baby is exposed to such external factors as noise in the environment. Other factors may come into play as the child grows like malnutrition or some infection to the inner ear.
Nadol (1993) reported that an estimated 4 percent of people under 45 years of age in the US and 29 percent of those 65 years or over have a handicapping loss of hearing, while a similar study in Great Britain showed approximately 25 percent of the population questioned had some hearing difficulty . This does not mean, however, that these people have genes for deafness. But it can mean they may have genes with predilection towards deafness when exposed to certain conditions. As of 2013, hearing loss affected about 1.1 billion people .
It is estimated that 50% to 60% of babies born with a hearing impairment have inherited the genes that lead to hearing loss but it is also reported that 25% or more of hearing loss in babies is due to “environmental” causes such as maternal infections during pregnancy and complications after birth . For example, there are some medicines that can cause hearing loss, but only in people who have certain mutations in their genes involved in hearing. One of these genes is one labelled GJB2. Mutations in this gene is now known to be the cause of the most common form of hereditary deafness. Such mutations are found to run in families.
Whether deafness is completely hereditary, however, could be determined after more studies on GJB2 and other genes affecting hearing.
If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure that you get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Screening for Hearing Loss Among Seniors in Hong Kong
When hearing loss begins with a person’s inability to recognize high frequency sounds, they miss the higher pitched consonants and hear only vowels. They begin confusing what they hear with another word that sounds similar and respond according to what they thought the word might be.
Family and friends may be too quick to label that person as suffering from dementia because their reactions and statements are not related with what the rest of what people had been talking about because he could hardly understand what he heard, if he is still able to hear anything, or the right signals aren’t getting through the auditory system to the cognitive processing or memory centers.
More so, elders who confuse words or are unable to hear even though they are aware they are being spoken to become anxious and frustrated. Many just choose to keep quiet instead of asking others to repeat what they said or ask that they speak louder. Some become aggressive or irritable when grandchildren, children and every caregiver lose their patience with them. They feel people do not like them because it takes too much effort and trouble to communicate.
While it is easy to notice when parents in their senior years begin to have problems with their eyesight, people with hearing problems can remain seated for a long period of time and not say anything about hearing little of the conversation and feeling isolated.
All of these could lead to depression.
This is why screening for hearing loss is recommended for every adult who has reached fifty going into their senior years to prevent hastening the onset of hearing impairment and its implications.
A thorough examination of the auditory canal and tympanic membrane can identify causes of hearing loss.
The common screening tests include a whispered voice test and audioscopy.
Older patients who admit to having difficulty hearing may be referred directly for audiometry
Audiometric testing is required to confirm hearing loss
A patient’s environment history can identify risk factors for hearing loss, especially noise exposure and use of ototoxic medications.
A lot of other conditions can interfere with the conduction of sound vibrations to the inner ear and their conversion to electrical impulses sent to the brain for processing.
Modern methods are continuously being developed to aid the more commonly used audiometric testing.
There has been a study conducted that the tablet-based pure-tone test and word-in-noise test are reliable and valid screening tools for hearing loss among the elderly in Hong Kong elderly.
Whatever options are chosen, it is widely known that the Hong Kong health authorities give the best health care service to their elderly and these include programs to screen for loss of hearing to alleviate future problems.
If you think you suffer with hearing loss and need a hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com