One of the more common questions we are asked is, “My older hearing aid is damaged or isn’t functioning the way it used to – do you think I should purchase a new one, or have it repaired?” The answer is “It depends.” The question of whether to repair or replace hinges on many factors,
Acute external otitis or otitis externa – commonly called swimmer’s ear – is an infection that affects the outer ear canal. The infection is known as swimmer’s ear because it frequently comes about due to moisture staying in the ears after swimmingwhich provides a moist environment that encourages the growth of microbes. Swimmer’s ear can
A number of the problems that cause hearing loss for our patients can’t be reversed which is quite frustrating for our hearing specialists. One of the principal reasons for hearing loss, for example, is damage to the tiny hair cells in our inner ears that vibrate in reaction to sound waves. What we think of
A common patient question is whether their hearing aid will increase sounds which can be already excessively loud for them, making those sounds louder still. This is a normal question, one for which there is thankfully a reassuring answer. Put simply, as long as they’re correctly fitted and adjusted today’s hearing aids are made so
Although it might seem to be a simple question to ask how long hearing aid batteries will last, it’s actually not. Precisely how long hearing aid batteries last is dependent upon many variables. Battery life depends on the model of your hearing aid, and may vary widely across models developed by the exact same manufacturer.
Hearing loss may take a variety of forms and arise from many different causes, and to fully understand them you need to understand the way in which we hear. Sound enters through the outer ear, which is the portion of the ear on the exterior of the head, but also encompasses the eardrum and the
In the past, the sophisticated electronics of cell phones often interacted badly with the electronics of hearing aids, causing interference between the two devices that was perceived as static, squealing or whistling noises, or lost words. Thankfully, advances in technology and new government regulations have made the question “Will this phone work with my hearing
For anyone who is finding it tougher to hear ladies voices or children’s voices than to hear male voices, it could be an indication that you have suffered some amount of high-frequency hearing loss. Women’s and children’s voices have a higher frequency than men’s voices – 165 to 255 Hertz, instead of 85 to 180
Tinnitus is widespread in the United States with approximately 50 million sufferers over the age of 50. Tinnitus causes people who have it to hear continuous sounds “in their heads” that people surrounding them cannot hear – buzzing or roaring sounds, high-pitched whistling or ringing, or rapid clicking. For some tinnitus sufferers, this constant barrage
“Should I wear 1 or 2 hearing aids?” This is a relatively common question originating from the fact that hearing aids are a significant investment.For the majority of cases, the many benefits of using two hearing aids surpass that added expense, but there are certain scenarios where this isn’t the best advice. Obviously, if you
Central Auditory Processing Disorder, or CAPD, is a hearing disorder in which the trouble lies not with the ears, but with the brain. People with Central Auditory Processing Disorder have no difficulty hearing sounds – especially speech – but, their brains don’t interpret the sound inputs correctly. That’s why the disorder is sometimes summarized as
One component of hearing loss that is rarely discussed is the basic decrease in safety of those who have experienced it. For instance, imagine that a fire starts in your home; if you are like most people you have smoke detectors to sound an alert so that you and your family can evacuate the house