The Top 5 Hearing Aid Myths Exposed

April 26, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Sometimes, it seems as if we love to mislead ourselves. Wikipedia has an entry called “List of common misconceptions” that consists of hundreds of widely-held but false beliefs. Yes, I know it’s Wikipedia, but take a look at the bottom of the webpage and you’ll notice approximately 385 credible sources cited.

As an example, did you know that Thomas Edison didn’t invent the lightbulb? Or that sugar does not actually make kids hyperactive? There are myriad examples of beliefs that we just assume to be accurate, but once in a while, it’s a good idea to reassess what we think we know.

For many of us, it’s time to reassess what we think we know about hearing aids. Almost all myths and misconceptions about hearing aids are based on the problems connected with the older analog hearing aid models. But since the majority of hearing aids are now digital, those issues are a thing of the past.

So how current is your hearing aid knowledge? Read below to see if any of the top 5 myths are preventing you or someone you know from obtaining a hearing aid.

The Top 5 Myths About Hearing Aids

Myth # 1: Hearing aids are not effective because some people have had bad experiences.

Reality: To begin with, hearing aids have been proven to be effective. A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association comparing the effectiveness of three popular types of hearing aids determined that:

Each [hearing aid] circuit markedly improved speech recognition, with greater improvement observed for soft and conversationally loud speech….All 3 circuits significantly reduced the frequency of problems encountered in verbal communication….Each circuit provided significant benefit in quiet and noisy listening situations.

Moreover, since the release of this investigation, hearing aid technology has continued to get better. So the question is not whether hearing aids work — the question is whether you have the right hearing aid for your hearing loss, professionally programmed in accordance to your preferences by a competent professional.

Negative experiences are most likely the result of receiving the wrong hearing aid, buying hearing aids online, contacting the wrong individual, or not having the hearing aids customized and professionally programmed.

Myth # 2: Hearing aids are big, cumbersome, and unsightly.

Reality: This one is relatively easy to disprove. Just perform a quick Google image search for “attractive hearing aid designs” and you’ll discover a variety of examples of stylish and colorful models from multiple producers.

Additionally, “completely-in-the-canal” (CIC) hearing aids are available that are virtually or fully invisible when worn. The newer, attractive designs, however, compel some patients to choose the slightly larger hearing aid models to showcase the technology.

Myth # 3: Hearing aids are too expensive.

Reality: Today, some flat screen televisions with ultra-high definition curved glass retail for $8,000 or more. But this doesn’t make us say that “all TVs are too expensive.”

As with television sets, hearing aids range in price depending on functionality and features. While you may not want — or need — the top of the line hearing aids, you can almost certainly find a pair that suits your needs, preferences, and finances. Also remember that, as is the scenario with all consumer electronics, hearing aids are becoming more affordable each year, and that the value of better hearing and a better life is almost always worthy of the expense.

Myth # 4: You can save time and money buying hearing aids online.

Reality: Remember myth # 1 that asserted that hearing aids are not effective? Well, it was most likely caused by this myth. Like we stated before, hearing aids have been proven to be effective, but the one caveat to that assertion has always been that hearing aids have to be programmed by a professional to ensure performance.

You wouldn’t dare buy a pair of prescription glasses on the internet without contacting your eye doctor because your glasses need to be individualized according to the unique characteristics of your vision loss. Buying hearing aids is no different.

Yes, visiting a hearing specialist is more expensive, but think of what you receive for the price: you can be confident that you get the right hearing aid with the right fitting and settings, combined with follow-up care, adjustments, cleanings, instructions, repair services, and more. It’s worth it.

Myth # 5: Hearing aids are uncomfortable and difficult to operate.

Reality: If this relates to analog hearing aids, then yes, it is generally true. The thing is, almost all hearing aids are now digital.

Digital hearing aids dynamically process sound with a mini computer chip so that you don’t have to worry about manual adjustments; in addition, some digital hearing aids can even be operated through your mobile phone. The bottom line: digital hearing aids are being produced with optimum ease-of-use in mind.

Your hearing specialist can also generate a custom mold for your hearing aids, providing a comfortable and correct fit. While a one-size-fits all hearing aid will probably be uncomfortable, a custom-fit hearing aid conforms to the shape of your ear.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

How to Read Your Audiogram at Your Hearing Test

April 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Audiogram

You have just completed your hearing test. The hearing specialist is now entering the room and presents you with a chart, like the one above, except that it has all of these signs, colors, and lines. This is designed to demonstrate to you the exact, mathematically precise characteristics of your hearing loss, but to you it might as well be written in Greek.

The audiogram creates confusion and complexity at a time when you’re supposed to be concentrating on how to enhance your hearing. But don’t let it mislead you — just because the audiogram looks perplexing doesn’t mean that it’s difficult to understand.

After looking through this article, and with a little vocabulary and a few basic concepts, you’ll be reading audiograms like a pro, so that you can concentrate on what actually matters: healthier hearing.

Some advice: as you read the article, reference the above blank audiogram. This will make it easier to understand, and we’ll tackle all of those cryptic markings the hearing specialist adds later.

Understanding Sound Frequencies and Decibels

The audiogram is essentially just a graph that records sound volume on the vertical axis and sound frequency on the horizontal axis. (are you having flashbacks to high school geometry class yet?) Yes, there’s more to it, but at a fundamental level it’s just a chart graphing two variables, as follows:

The vertical axis records sound intensity or volume, measured in decibels (dB). As you move up the axis, the sound volume decreases. So the top line, at 0 decibels, is a very soft, faint sound. As you go down the line, the decibel levels increase, standing for steadily louder sounds until you get to 100 dB.

The horizontal axis records sound frequency, measured in Hertz (Hz). Starting at the top left of the graph, you will see a low frequency of 125 or 250 Hz. As you keep moving along the horizontal axis to the right, the frequency will gradually increase until it arrives at 8,000 Hz. Vowel sounds of speech are typically low frequency sounds, while consonant sounds of speech are high frequency sounds.

And so, if you were to begin at the top left corner of the graph and draw a diagonal line to the bottom right corner, you would be increasing the frequency of sound (switching from vowel sounds to consonant sounds) while increasing the volume of sound (moving from fainter to louder volume).

Examining Hearing and Marking Up the Audiogram

So, what’s with all the markings you normally see on this simple graph?

Easy. Start at the top left corner of the graph, at the lowest frequency (125 Hz). Your hearing consultant will present you with a sound at this frequency by way of headsets, beginning with the smallest volume decibel level. If you can perceive it at the lowest level (0 decibels), a mark is made at the crossroad of 125 Hz and 0 decibels. If you can’t perceive the 125 Hz sound at 0 decibels, the sound will be presented again at the next loudest decibel level (10 decibels). If you can hear it at 10 decibels, a mark is created. If not, advance on to 15 decibels, and so on.

This identical tactic is duplicated for every frequency as the hearing specialist proceeds along the horizontal frequency line. A mark is created at the lowest perceivable decibel level you can perceive for every sound frequency.

As for the other symbols? If you observe two lines, one is for the left ear (the blue line) and one is for the right ear (the red line: red is for right). An X is generally used to mark the points for the left ear; an O is applied for the right ear. You may observe some additional symbols, but these are less crucial for your basic understanding.

What Normal Hearing Looks Like

So what is seen as normal hearing, and what would that look like on the audiogram?

People with regular hearing should be able to perceive every sound frequency level (125 to 8000 Hz) at 0-25 decibels. What would this look like on the audiogram?

Take the blank graph, find 25 decibels on the vertical axis, and draw a horizontal line entirely across. Any mark made underneath this line may reveal hearing loss. If you can hear all frequencies underneath this line (25 decibels or higher), then you more than likely have normal hearing.

If, on the other hand, you cannot perceive the sound of a certain frequency at 0-25 dB, you likely have some kind of hearing loss. The lowest decibel level at which you can perceive sound at that frequency establishes the extent of your hearing loss.

For example, take the 1,000 Hertz frequency. If you can perceive this frequency at 0-25 decibels, you have normal hearing for this frequency. If the minimum decibel level at which you can hear this frequency is 40 decibels, for instance, then you have moderate hearing loss at this frequency.

As an overview, here are the decibel levels linked with normal hearing along with the levels correlated with mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss:

Normal hearing: 0-25 dB

Mild hearing loss: 20-40 dB

Moderate hearing loss: 40-70 dB

Severe hearing loss: 70-90 dB

Profound hearing loss: 90+ dB

What Hearing Loss Looks Like

So what would an audiogram with marks of hearing loss look like? Seeing as the majority of cases of hearing loss are in the higher frequencies (referred to as — you guessed it — high-frequency hearing loss), the audiogram would have a downwards sloping line from the top left corner of the graph slanting downward horizontally to the right.

This indicates that at the higher-frequencies, it requires a progressively louder decibel level for you to perceive the sound. Furthermore, considering that higher-frequency sounds are connected with the consonant sounds of speech, high-frequency hearing loss impairs your ability to grasp and pay attention to conversations.

There are a few other, less widespread patterns of hearing loss that can turn up on the audiogram, but that’s probably too much detail for this entry.

Test Your New Knowledge

You now know the nuts and bolts of how to read an audiogram. So go ahead, book that hearing test and surprise your hearing specialist with your newfound talents. And just imagine the look on their face when you tell them all about your high frequency hearing loss before they even say a word.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, hearing test, Preventative Care Tagged With:

How to Persuade Someone to Get a Hearing Test

April 12, 2015 By Leave a Comment

We don’t need to inform you of the signs and symptoms of hearing loss; you already know them all too well. You have a different type of problem: persuading someone you care about to get their hearing tested and treated.

But exactly how are you supposed to get through to someone who denies there is even an issue, or that merely shrugs it off as “just part of getting old”?

It turns out that it’s not as simple as just telling them that they need their hearing examined. They won’t see the need, and you won’t get very far with threats, ultimatums, or other coercive approaches.

While it may seem like an impossible scenario, there are other, more subtle strategies you can employ. In fact, you can draw from the massive body of social scientific research that signifies which strategies of persuasion have been determined to be the most consistently successful.

In other words, you can use tested, researched, and proven persuasive strategies that have been shown to actually work. It’s worth a chance, right? And perusing the strategies might help you to think of additional ideas.

With that said, the following are 6 scientifically tested techniques of persuasion and how you might use them to persuade a loved one to get their hearing tested:

1. Reciprocity

What it is:

The basic principle of reciprocity is straight forward: if someone does a favor for you, you’re strongly compelled to return the favor for them.

How to use it:

Timing is everything. You plan on requesting your loved one to get their hearing checked at some point anyway, so why don’t you make the request right after you’ve done something special for them?

2. Commitment and Consistency

What it is:

We all have a strong psychological desire to think and act consistently.

How to use it:

The trick is to start with small commitments ahead of making the final request. If you start off by ordering your loved one to get a hearing test, you almost certainly won’t see much success.

Alternatively, ease into the topic by casually sharing an article on hearing loss and how common it is. Without mentioning their own hearing loss, get them to disclose that hearing loss is a larger issue than they had believed.

As soon as they concede to some basic facts, it may be easier to talk about their own personal hearing loss, and they may be more likely to admit that they have a problem.

3. Social Proof

What it is:

We tend to think in terms of “safety in numbers.” We are inclined to stick to the crowd, and we assume that if lots of other people are doing something, it must be trusted or effective.

How to use it:

There are at a minimum two ways to make use of this method. One way is to share articles on the many advantages of using hearing aids and how hearing aids heighten the quality of life for millions of people in the U.S. and across the world.

The second way to use the technique is to arrange a hearing test for yourself. Explain to your loved one that you want to check on the health of your own hearing, but that you would feel better if they went with you and had their own assessment.

4. Liking

What it is:

You’re more likely to be persuaded by individuals you personally like than by either a stranger or by someone you dislike.

How to use it:

Enlist the assistance of people you know your loved one likes or respects. Try to find that one person whom your loved one consistently seems to respond to, and have that person discuss and recommend a hearing test.

5. Authority

What it is:

We are inclined to listen to and respect the suggestions of those we perceive as authority figures.

How to use it:

Share articles on how celebrities, athletes, and other prominent figures use and benefit from hearing aids. You can also share articles from reliable sources that summarize the advantages of having your hearing tested. For example, the World Health Organization just recently published an article titled “1.1 billion people at risk of hearing loss.”

6. Scarcity

What it is:

Scarcity causes a sense of urgency when what we want is perceived as limited or in short supply. Scarcity creates the perception that, if we don’t act promptly, we may lose something on a permanent basis.

How to use it:

Recent research has connected hearing loss to quite a few dangerous conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, memory impairment, and rapid cognitive decline. Hearing loss also gets worse as time goes by, so the earlier it’s dealt with, the better.

To implement scarcity, share articles, such as our preceeding blog post titled 8 reasons hearing loss is more dangerous than you think, with your loved one. Show them that each day spent with untreated hearing loss worsens the hearing loss, deteriorates health, and heightens the risk of developing more dangerous conditions.

If all else fails, just give it to them straight. Explain to your loved ones how their hearing loss affects you, together with how it’s affecting your relationship. When you make it about your needs and feelings rather than theirs, the response is usually better.

Have you had success persuading someone to have their hearing tested? Let us know your approach in a comment.

Source

The six principles of persuasion were developed by Dr. Robert Cialdini, and can be found in his book titled “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.”

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, hearing test, Preventative Care

5 Reasons Why People Deny Hearing Loss

April 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

It takes the average person with hearing loss 5 to 7 years before pursuing a qualified professional diagnosis, in spite of the fact that the signs and symptoms of hearing loss are crystal clear to other people. But are those with hearing loss simply too stubborn to get help? No, actually, and for a few different reasons.

Perhaps you know someone with hearing loss who either denies the problem or refuses to seek out professional help, and even though this is undoubtedly frustrating, it is very conceivable that the indications of hearing loss are much more apparent to you than they are to them.

Here are the reasons why:

1. Hearing loss is gradual

In most occurrences, hearing loss takes place so gradually over time that the affected individual simply doesn’t notice the change. While you would recognize an instant change from normal hearing to a 25 decibel hearing loss (specified as moderate hearing loss), you wouldn’t perceive the modest change of a 1-2 decibel loss.

So a gradual loss of 1-2 decibels over 10-20 years, while producing a 20-40 total decibel loss, is not going to be noticeable at any given moment in time for those impacted. That’s why friends and family are almost always the first to detect hearing loss.

2. Hearing loss is often partial (high-frequency only)

The majority of hearing loss examples are categorized as high-frequency hearing loss, indicating that the afflicted person can still hear low-frequency background sounds normally. Even though speech, which is a high-frequency sound, is challenging for those with hearing loss to understand, other sounds can usually be heard normally. This is why it’s typical for those with hearing loss to assert, “my hearing is fine, everyone else mumbles.”

3. Hearing loss is not addressed by the family doctor

People suffering with hearing loss can obtain a mistaken sense of well-being following their annual physical. It’s quite common to hear people say “if I had hearing loss, my doctor would have told me.”

This is of course not true because only 14% of physicians regularly screen for hearing loss during the yearly checkup. Not to mention that the prime symptom for most cases of hearing loss — trouble comprehending speech in the presence of background noise — will not present itself in a silent office environment.

4. The burden of hearing loss can be shared or passed on to others

How do you treat hearing loss when there’s no cure? The solution is easy: amplify sounds. The issue is, although hearing aids are the most effective at amplifying sounds, they are not the only way to accomplish it — which individuals with hearing loss promptly find out.

Those with hearing loss oftentimes crank up the volume on everything, to the detriment of those around them. TVs and radios are played exceptionally loud and people are made to either shout or repeat themselves. The person with hearing loss can manage just fine with this strategy, but only by passing on the burden to friends, family members, and co-workers.

5. Hearing loss is pain-free and invisible

Hearing loss is mainly subjective: it cannot be diagnosed by visible examination and it generally is not accompanied by any pain or discomfort. If people with hearing loss do not recognize a problem, mainly due to the reasons above, then they probably won’t take action.

The only method to properly diagnose hearing loss is through audiometry, which will measure the precise decibel level hearing loss at multiple sound frequencies. This is the only way to objectively say whether hearing loss is present, but the tricky part is needless to say getting to that point.

How to approach those with hearing loss

Hopefully, this entry has manufactured some empathy. It is always exasperating when someone with hearing loss refuses to admit the problem, but keep in mind, they may legitimately not fully grasp the severity of the problem. Rather than demanding that they get their hearing tested, a more effective approach may be to educate them on the components of hearing loss that make the condition essentially invisible.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

What to Expect at Your Hearing Exam

March 26, 2015 By Leave a Comment

If the unknown causes anxiety, then a trip to the hearing specialist is especially nerve-racking. While the majority of us have experience with the family doctor and the community dentist, the visit to the hearing specialist might be a first.

It sure would be beneficial to have someone make clear the process in advance, wouldn’t it? Well, continue reading, because as you’ll discover, the process of having your hearing evaluated is normally simple, comfortable, and pain-free — with portions that can actually be fun.

So here’s how it will go:

As soon as you arrive at the office, you will check in with a staff member at the front desk who will hand you some forms to complete. Not long after filling out the forms, a hearing specialist will come with you into a room to get started on the hearing assessment, which consists of four parts:

Part 1: Case History

case history

The hearing specialist starts the process by getting to know you, your health related history, and your hearing loss symptoms. Preparing for this step is crucial, because this is where you get to convey to the hearing specialist the specifics of your hearing loss, what you hope for from treatment, and your personalized hearing needs.

This part is all about you: what do you want to accomplish with enhanced hearing? Do you want to play a music instrument again? Do you want to be more active in work meetings? Do you want to be more energetic at social gatherings? The more you can reveal to your hearing specialist the better.

Next comes the testing.

Part 2: Otoscopy

otoscope

The first diagnostic test to be performed is termed an otoscopy. An otoscope is used to visually inspect the ear canal and eardrum to establish if your hearing loss is associated with infections, earwax accumulation, or obstructions. If the reason behind your hearing loss is something as simplistic as earwax accumulation, you could possibly start hearing better within moments simply from professional earwax removal.

Part 3: Tympanometry

tympanometry

The following test is termed tympanometry, used to test the eardrum and middle ear. A gadget is placed into the ear that will vary the air pressure, calculating how your ear responds to numerous pressures.

To fully grasp this test, you have to first recognize that hearing loss falls into one of two broad classes:

  1. Sensorineural hearing loss — this is the most common hearing loss. It is also identified as noise-induced hearing loss and it involves destruction of the nerve cells of hearing.
  2. Conductive hearing loss — this hearing loss results from blockages or obstructions that limit sound transmission before the sound reaches the nerves of hearing.

Tympanometry is a test that can help to rule out conductive hearing loss, to make sure that there are no blockages, infections, or middle-ear-bone ailments. Conversely, Audiometry, which is reviewed next, will quantify sensorineural hearing loss.

Part 4: Audiometry

audiogram

The last group of tests will be completed in a soundproof room. These tests are jointly referred to as audiometry and will quantify your hearing range and sensitivity. Audiometry is the best process to measure sensorineural hearing loss.

With the use of an audiometer, the hearing specialist will be prepared to establish:

  • Which frequencies you can hear well and which you have a difficult time with.
  • The minimum decibel levels, at a range of frequencies, at which you perceive sound.
  • The precise calculations connected with your hearing loss (as recorded on an audiogram).
  • Your ability to fully understand speech, with or without background noise.

The test itself, from your perspective, will be comfortable and easy. You will be presented with sounds and speech through earphones and will be directed to specify when you can hear the sounds by pushing a device or raising your hand.

Reviewing results and planning treatment

Soon after the testing is complete, your hearing specialist will talk about your results with you. If your hearing loss necessitates medical or surgical treatment (due to infections or middle-ear-bone problems, for instance), your hearing specialist can make the applicable referral.

If your hearing loss can profit from assistive listening devices or hearing aids, your hearing specialist will collaborate with you to find the best option for you, your budget, your lifestyle, and your cosmetic considerations.

Pretty simple for a lifetime of better hearing, isn’t it?

Filed Under: Articles, Hearing

Exploring a Career in the Hearing Care Profession

March 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Although the majority of us stay current with our annual physical, dental cleaning, and eye examination, we notoriously fail to consider the health of our hearing. And when our hearing does start to diminish, it happens so slowly and gradually that we barely notice and fail to take action. It’s this lack of interaction with hearing care professionals that makes people wonder what the career actually involves.

And that’s a shame, because hearing care professionals serve as an important segment of the healthcare system. It’s through the hearing care professional that the correct performance of one of our key senses — one in which we often tend to take for granted — is maintained or restored.

Due to the fact that we take hearing for granted, we often fail to fully grasp just how invaluable hearing is. With precise hearing, we can increase focus, enjoy the details of sound, converse better, and strengthen working relationships. And the hearing care professionals are the ones who make certain that this essential sense is working properly.

If you’d like to learn more about this crucial but little-known healthcare field — or if you’re thinking about joining the field yourself — read on.

Attraction to the hearing care field

Hearing care professionals are attracted to the field for a number of reasons, but a few main motivating factors are habitually present. First of all, many practitioners have experienced, and continue to suffer from, hearing complications themselves. Seeing as they were themselves helped by a hearing care professional, the need to repay the favor for other individuals is strong.

For example, Zoe Williams, a hearing care professional practicing in Australia, has moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears. This could have caused an inability to communicate, but thanks to cochlear implants and hearing aids, Zoe is now able to communicate normally. Understanding first-hand how enhanced hearing leads to a better life, Zoe was motivated to enter the field and to assist others in the same way.

Other individuals are enticed into the hearing care field thanks to its unique combination of counseling, problem solving, science, and engineering. Alongside studying the science of hearing and the design of hearing technology, practitioners also learn how to work with individuals in the role of a counselor. Dealing with hearing loss is a delicate situation, and people present a number of emotions and personalities. Practitioners must be able to employ the “soft skills” required to manage these challenges and must work with patients on a personalized level to defeat hearing loss.

Training and preparation

Part of the overall appeal of working in the hearing care profession is the fascinating combination of topics included as part of the education and training. Those pursuing a career in the field master interesting topics in assorted fields such as:

  • Biology – topics include the anatomy and physiology of hearing, balance, the ear, and the brain, in addition to instruction in hearing and balance disorders and pharmacology.
  • Physics – topics include the physics of sound, acoustics, and psychoacoustics (how the brain processes sound).
  • Engineering – topics include the production and operation of hearing technology such as assistive listening devices, hearing aids, and cochlear implants, as well as the programming of digital hearing aids.
  • Counseling – topics include how to interview patients, how to teach coping skills, and how to train on the use of hearing aids, as well as other interesting topics in psychology and counseling.
  • Professional practice – topics include diagnosing hearing problems, performing and interpreting hearing tests, carrying out hearing treatments, fitting and programming hearing aids, professional ethics, and running a business.

Job functions

Hearing care professionals work in a wide range of settings (schools, hospitals, private practices) performing diverse tasks such as research, teaching, and diagnosing and treating hearing and balance conditions.

Regular responsibilities include performing diagnostic tests, interpreting hearing tests, and working with patients on identifying the best hearing treatment, often times including the use of hearing aids. Hearing care professionals custom-fit and program hearing aids to best fit the individual and will coach the patient on how to use and maintain them. Hearing care professionals also work with organizations and businesses to protect against hearing injuries in loud work environments.

Benefits

The benefits cited most frequently by people in the hearing care profession revolve around the opportunity to positively impact people’s lives on a very personalized level. Lifelong friendships between patients and hearing specialists are also common as a consequence of the personal nature of care.

When patients declare that they can hear again for the first time in a very long time, the emotions can be intense. Patients commonly describe a feeling of reconnection to the world and to family, in addition to strengthened relationships and an enhanced overall quality of life.

How many occupations can claim that kind of personal impact?

Filed Under: Articles, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

Avoiding the Biggest Mistake in Treating Your Hearing Loss

March 12, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Do you remember the Q-Ray Bracelets? You know, the magnetic bracelets that promised to grant immediate and substantial pain relief from arthritis and other chronic conditions?

Well, you won’t find much of that advertising anymore; in 2008, the producers of the Q-Ray Bracelets were legally obligated to reimburse customers a maximum of $87 million as a consequence of deceitful and fraudulent advertising.1

The issue had to do with rendering health claims that were not backed by any scientific confirmation. For that matter, powerful evidence existed to show that the magnetized wristbands had NO influence on pain reduction, which did not bode well for the producer but did wonders to win the court case for the Federal Trade Commission.2

The wishful thinking fallacy

Fine, so the Q-Ray bracelets didn’t function (besides the placebo effect), yet they ended up selling amazingly well. What gives?

Without diving into the depths of human psychology, the straight forward reply is that we have a powerful inclination to believe in the things that seem to make our lives better and quite a bit easier.

On an emotional level, you’d love to believe that using a $50 bracelet will eradicate your pain and that you don’t have to bother with high price medical and surgical treatments.

If, for instance, you happen to suffer from chronic arthritis in your knee, which approach seems more desirable?

        a. Scheduling surgery for a complete knee replacement

        b. Going to the mall to pick up a magnetic bracelet

Your instinct is to give the bracelet a try. You already wish to trust that the bracelet will deliver the results, so now all you need is a little push from the marketers and some social confirmation from having seen other people donning them.

But it is specifically this natural instinct, combined with the inclination to seek out confirming evidence, that will get you into the most trouble.

If it sounds too good to be true…

Keeping in mind the Q-Ray bracelets, let’s say you’re suffering from hearing loss; which solution sounds more appealing?

       a. Scheduling an appointment with a hearing specialist and obtaining professionally programmed hearing aids

       b. Purchasing an off-the-shelf personal sound amplifier online for 20 bucks

Just as the magnetic bracelet seems much more appealing than a visit to the physician or surgeon, the personal sound amplifier seems to be much more appealing than a trip to the audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.

Nevertheless, as with the magnetic wristbands, personal sound amplifiers won’t cure anything, either.

The difference between hearing aids and personal sound amplifiers

Before you get the wrong impression, I’m not saying that personal sound amplifiers, also referred to as PSAPs, are fraudulent — or even that they don’t function.

On the contrary, personal sound amplifiers often do deliver results. Just like hearing aids, personal sound amplifiers consist of a receiver, a microphone, and an amplifier that receive sound and make it louder. Thought of on that level, personal sound amplifiers work fine — and for that matter, so does the act of cupping your hands behind your ears.

However when you ask if PSAPs work, you’re asking the wrong question. The questions you should be asking are:

  1. How well do they deliver the results?
  2. For which type of person do they work best?

These are precisely the questions that the FDA answered when it produced its guidance on the difference between hearing aids and personal sound amplifiers.

As reported by the FDA, hearing aids are classified as “any wearable instrument or device designed for, offered for the purpose of, or represented as aiding persons with or compensating for, impaired hearing.” (21 CFR 801.420)3

Quite the opposite, personal sound amplifiers are “intended to amplify environmental sound for non-hearing impaired consumers. They are not intended to compensate for hearing impairment.”

Although the distinction is transparent, it’s simple for PSAP producers and sellers to get around the distinction by simply not pointing it out. For instance, on a PSAP package, you might find the tagline “turning ordinary hearing into extraordinary hearing.” This promise is unclear enough to skirt the issue entirely without having to define exactly what the catch phrase “turning ordinary hearing into extraordinary hearing” even means.

You get what you pay for

As outlined by by the FDA, PSAPs are basic amplification devices ideal for individuals with normal hearing. So if you have normal hearing, and you desire to hear better while hunting, bird watching, or tuning in to far off conversations, then a $20 PSAP is perfect for you.

If you suffer from hearing loss, however, then you’ll require professionally programmed hearing aids. Although more expensive, hearing aids offer the power and features needed to address hearing loss. Listed below are some of the reasons why hearing aids are superior to PSAPs:

  • Hearing aids amplify only the frequencies that you have trouble hearing, while PSAPs amplify all sound indiscriminately. By amplifying all frequencies, PSAPs won’t permit you to hear conversations in the presence of background noise, like when you’re at a party or restaurant.
  • Hearing aids come with integrated noise reduction and canceling functions, while PSAPs do not.
  • Hearing aids are programmable and can be perfected for maximum hearing; PSAPs are not programmable.
  • Hearing aids contain various features and functions that block out background noise, provide for phone use, and provide for wireless connectivity, for example. PSAPs do not typically come with any of these features.
  • Hearing aids come in diverse styles and are custom-molded for maximal comfort and aesthetic appeal. PSAPs are typically one-size-fits-all.

Seek the help of a hearing professional

If you think you have hearing loss, don’t be enticed by the low-cost PSAPs; rather, set up a consultation with a hearing specialist. They will be able to precisely measure your hearing loss and will make sure that you receive the most effective hearing aid for your lifestyle and needs. So although the low-cost PSAPs are tempting, in this circumstance you should listen to your better judgment and seek expert assistance. Your hearing is well worth the work.

Sources

  1. Federal Trade Commission: Appeals Court Affirms Ruling in FTCs Favor in Q-Ray Bracelet Case
  2. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Effect of “ionized” wrist bracelets on musculoskeletal pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
  3. Food and Drug Administration: Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff: Regulatory Requirements for Hearing Aid Devices and Personal Sound Amplification Products
Filed Under: Articles, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

8 Reasons Hearing Loss is More Dangerous Than You Think

March 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

warning sign

Hearing damage is hazardously sneaky. It creeps up on you through the years so little by little you scarcely become aware of it , making it all too easy to deny it’s even there. And then, when you finally recognize the signs and symptoms, you shrug it off as troublesome and frustrating due to the fact that its most harmful effects are hidden.

For around 48 million American citizens that claim some extent of hearing loss, the consequences are substantially greater than only inconvenience and frustration.1 Here are 8 reasons why untreated hearing loss is much more dangerous than you might think:

1. Link to Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

A report from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging indicates that individuals with hearing loss are considerably more susceptible to suffer from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, when compared with individuals who preserve their hearing.2

While the explanation for the connection is ultimately unknown, scientists suspect that hearing loss and dementia could possibly share a shared pathology, or that years and years of straining the brain to hear could bring on harm. An additional explanation is that hearing loss many times results in social solitude — a main risk factor for dementia.

Irrespective of the cause, restoring hearing may very well be the optimum prevention, which includes the use of hearing aids.

2. Depression and social isolation

Investigators from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health, have detected a strong relation between hearing loss and depression among U.S. adults of all ages and races.3

3. Not hearing alerts to danger

Car horns, ambulance and police sirens, and fire alarms all are specifically created to notify you to potential dangers. If you miss out on these alerts, you put yourself at an higher risk of injury.

4. Memory impairment and mental decline

Investigations reveal that adults with hearing loss suffer from a 40% larger rate of decline in cognitive function in comparison to individuals with normal hearing.4 The lead author of the study, Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University, stated that “going forward for the next 30 or 40 years that from a public health perspective, there’s nothing more important than cognitive decline and dementia as the population ages.” That’s why growing awareness as to the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline is Dr. Lin’s foremost concern.

5. Reduced household income

In a study of more than 40,000 households conducted by the Better Hearing Institute, hearing loss was revealed to adversely influence household income up to $12,000 annually, depending on the amount of hearing loss.5 individuals who used hearing aids, however, minimized this impact by 50%.

The ability to communicate on the job is essential to job performance and promotion. The fact is, communication skills are consistently ranked as the top job-related skill-set requested by managers and the leading factor for promotion.

6. Auditory deprivation – use it or lose it

In regard to the human body, “use it or lose it” is a slogan to live by. For instance, if we don’t make use of our muscles, they atrophy or shrink with time, and we end up losing strength. It’s only through exercise and repeated use that we can recoup our physical strength.

The the exact same phenomenon applies to hearing: as our hearing degrades, we get ensnared in a descending spiral that only gets worse. This is known as auditory deprivation, and a expanding body of research is confirming the “hearing atrophy” that can appear with hearing loss.

7. Underlying medical conditions

Despite the fact that the most common cause of hearing loss is connected to age and repeated exposure to loud noise, hearing loss is at times the symptom of a more significant, underlying medical condition. Potential conditions include:

  • Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes
  • Otosclerosis – the solidifying of the middle ear bones
  • Ménière’s disease – a disease of the inner ear affecting hearing and balance
  • Traumatic injuries
  • Infections, earwax buildup, or obstructions from foreign objects
  • Tumors
  • Medications – there are more than 200 medications and chemicals that are known to cause hearing and balance issues

Due to the seriousness of some of the ailments, it is imperative that any hearing loss is immediately evaluated.

8. Greater risk of falls

Research has unveiled a number connections between hearing loss and serious disorders like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and anxiety. A further study conducted by scientists at Johns Hopkins University has found yet another disheartening link: the link between hearing loss and the risk of falls.6

The research shows that individuals with a 25-decibel hearing loss, classified as mild, were almost three times more likely to have a record of falling. And for every added 10-decibels of hearing loss, the likelihood of falling increased by 1.4 times.

Don’t wait to get your hearing tested

The encouraging part to all of this negative research is the suggestion that retaining or restoring your hearing can help to minimize or eliminate these risks completely. For individuals that now have normal hearing, it is more crucial than ever to take care of it. And for all those suffering with hearing loss, it’s crucial to seek the help of a hearing specialist immediately.

Sources

  1. Hearing Loss Association of America: Basic Facts About Hearing Loss
  2. Johns Hopkins Medicine: Hearing Loss and Dementia Linked in Study
  3. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: NIDCD Researchers Find Strong Link between Hearing Loss and Depression in Adults
  4. Medscape: Hearing Loss Linked to Cognitive Decline, Impairment
  5. Better Hearing Institute: The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income
  6. Johns Hopkins Medicine: Hearing Loss Linked to Three-Fold Risk of Falling
Filed Under: Articles, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

Professional musicians at greater risk of developing hearing loss

February 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Continuous exposure to loud music: that’s what can damage your hearing. Hearing loss starts with recurrent exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels (decibels being a unit used to measure loudness). This means musicians are at a very high risk, considering the high decibels found at a concert.

Check out these common activities:

Whisper at 6 feet: 30 decibels (dB)
Regular dialogue at 3 feet: 60 – 65 (dB)
Motorcycle: 100 dB
Front row at a rock show: 120 to 150 dB

A musician’s hearing is what is most predisposed to damage from the performance of their craft. Fame, wealth, and screaming fans — these are a couple of the terms and phrases you’d pick in order to summarize the everyday life of a professional musician. The terms “hearing loss” or “tinnitus,” signify the negative side-effects of all that glory, wealth, and screaming.
The culprit of all that hearing loss is recurring subjection to deafening noise. In the long run, loud noise will irreparably destroy the hair cells of the inner ear, which are the sensory receptors responsible for sending sound to the brain. Like an ample patch of grass worn out from frequent trampling, the hair cells can in a similar fashion be wiped out from repeated overexposure to loud noise – the dissimilarity, of course, being that you can’t grow brand new hair cells.

Signs of Hearing Loss

In reality, musicians are close to four times more likely to acquire noise-induced hearing loss in contrast with the average person, according to scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology. The scientific study also discovered that professional musicians are about 57% more likely to suffer from tinnitus — a disorder connected with a repeated ringing in the ears.

Unfortunately, musicians don’t see an audiologist until it’s too late and they experience:

A ringing or buzzing sound in the ears
Any pain or discomfort in the ears
Difficulty comprehending speech
Trouble following discussions in the presence of background noise

The trouble is, when these symptoms are present, the damage has already been done. So, the leading thing a musician can do to deter long-term, permanent hearing loss is to schedule an appointment with an audiologist before symptoms are present.
If you’re a musician, an audiologist can recommend custom made musicians’ plugs or in-ear-monitors that will give protection to your hearing without limiting your musical performance. As a musician, you have unique needs for hearing and hearing protection, and audiologists or hearing specialists are the professionals specifically trained to provide this custom protection.
Considering the unique requirements of musicians — as well as the significance of protecting the details of sound — the best road to take is to schedule an appointment with an audiologist.

How musicians, and fans, can protect their ears

Rock shows are literally ear-splittingly loud, and continued unprotected exposure can cause some considerable harm, which several popular musicians know all too well.
Chris Martin, the lead vocalist for the band Coldplay, has dealt with with Tinnitus for a decade. According to Martin:
“Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem. I’ve had tinnitus for about 10 years, and since I started protecting my ears it hasn’t got any worse (touch wood). But I wish I’d thought about it earlier. Now we always use moulded filter plugs, or in-ear monitors, to try and protect our ears. You CAN use industrial headphones, but that looks strange at a party.”
Other significant musicians that suffer from hearing loss or tinnitus include Neil Young, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Bono, Sting, Ryan Adams, and more, many of which indicate regret that they hadn’t done more to take care of their ears all through their careers. Lars Ulrich from Metallica points out:
“If you get a scratch on your nose, in a week that’ll be gone. When you scratch your hearing or damage your hearing, it doesn’t come back. I try to point out to younger kids … once your hearing is gone, it’s gone, and there’s no real remedy.”

Even though musicians are at greater risk for acquiring hearing loss or tinnitus, they can slash their risk by taking protective measures. Plus, everyday folks who are subjected to loud environments should also seek protection.

Filed Under: Anatomy and Physiology, Articles, Choosing a Hearing Aid, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care, Tinnitus

Preventing work related hearing loss with high fidelity, custom-fit ear plugs

February 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Everyday work-related activities have high decibel levels associated with them – not just for people who work in loud environments. For example, a power saw can reach 110 decibels, a newspaper press 97, a chain saw 120, a sporting event 105, and a jet takeoff 150. Musicians, production line workers, construction workers, airport staff, emergency workers, plumbers, and craftsmen are all likely to develop extreme hearing loss and tinnitus.
Did you know that 85 decibels is the noise intensity at which repetitive exposure can cause significant hearing damage?
Did you know that 100 decibels is the sound degree reached by a rock concert? Bad news for anyone who plays in a band or who likes to go see one.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says an amazing 30 million people in the U.S. are subjected to dangerous sound levels, representing one of the biggest occupational threats over the previous 25 years.

Work-related hearing loss impacts countless numbers

This is a story that’s been around the block a time or two, and it happens more than you think. Just take in the fact that in 2009 alone, there were 21,000 incidents of occupational hearing loss reported.
Kevin Twigg of Stockport, England understands all too well about the occupational hazards of loudness. That’s because he worked on evaluating and repairing law enforcement car sirens — which get to between 106 to 118 decibels — for more than 30 years.
After retirement, severe tinnitus set in along with severe hearing loss that mandated the use of hearing aids. Having failed to adopt the safety actions that would alleviate the noise levels, Twigg’s employer was found liable in court, losing a case in which Twigg won big.

4 reasons why you should choose custom-fit ear plugs over the off-the-shelf foam variety

Why are custom-fit ear plugs so much better than those cheap foam ear plugs? We explore the reasons:

1. avoidance of the “Occlusion Effect”
With foam ear plugs, the user will perceive a hollowed out or boomy sound in their voice when speaking, singing, or playing an musical instrument. This bothersome noise is referred as the “occlusion effect.”
Custom-fit ear plugs are molded to the ear, forming a deep seal that helps prevent this distracting sound.

2. conservation of sound quality
Common foam ear plugs muffle speech and music. By reducing noise mainly in the high frequency range, rather than in the mid-to-low frequency range, music and voices appear to be unnatural and indecipherable. Foam ear plugs also decrease sound by 30-40 decibels, which is excessive for the prevention of hearing damage.
Custom-fit ear plugs will minimize sound more evenly across frequencies while lowering sound volume by a lower decibel level, thereby maintaining the all natural quality of speech and music.

3. price & convenience
Custom ear plugs can last up to four years, almost always at a price tag of well under $100.
Let’s do some math on the disposable foam plugs:
$3.99 for 10 pairs equals $0.39 per pair
$0.39 per pair X 5 days per week X 52 weeks per year X 4 years = $405.60
With custom-fit ear plugs, you will certainly save cash in the long run and will avert all of those outings to the store. No one likes shopping for ear plugs, so while the initial visit to the audiologist seems like a pain, in the long run you will also conserve time.

4. preserving the environment
Throw-away ear plugs produce a lot of waste:
5 days per week X 52 weeks per year = 260 pairs of foam ear plugs tossed out every single year.

How to protect your ears while at work

The ideal method at work requires the use of custom-fit ear plugs, sometimes referred to as musicians plugs. You just have to be fitted for them by your hearing consultant, who can tailor specifically to you, your job, and your needs.
This is much better than picking up disposabless at the community store, and it’s cheaper and better on the environment in the long run, too.

Schedule an appointment today

The benefits of custom-fit ear plugs speak can be seen in many facets of life. Particularly if you undergo exposure to loud noises at work, or attend several concerts, be sure to schedule a consultation with a hearing expert today. Custom-fit ear plugs will protect your ears the best.

Filed Under: Articles, Choosing a Hearing Aid, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care, Tinnitus
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