Signs of Hearing Loss

Because hearing loss can develop over several years, most people are not aware of the extent of their hearing loss until family or friends bring it to their attention. Even then, the problem is often ignored or explained with excuses such as fatigue or "people are mumbling".

Signs of hearing loss include:

Asking others to repeat themselves
Misinterpreting a spoken message
Turning up the volume levels on the television
Difficulty hearing on the telephone
Difficulty hearing in public gatherings.
Difficulty understanding conversation within a group of people.
Avoiding group situations, where listening may be difficult or where one may feel embarrassed about misunderstanding what is being said.

Reasons for Hearing Loss

The the natural aging process
Exposure to loud or constant noise
Illness or birth defects
Hereditary
Traumatic injury
Tinnitus
Meniere's Disease
Ear Wax Build Up

How a Hearing Aid Can Help

Hearing aids are the most effective therapeutic devices available for most people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Hearing aids that are properly fitted and used can improve functional listening abilities. In turn, better listening ability enhances the lives and well-being of many people with hearing loss and their families, friends, and co-workers.

How Your Hearing Works

In normal ear functions, sound waves travel through the air to the outer ear, which collects the sound and directs it through the ear canal to the middle ear. The sound waves strike the eardrum and cause it to vibrate. This vibration creates a chain reaction in the three tiny bones that are located in the middle ear. Motion of these bones generates movement of the fluid contained in the cochlea.

The cochlea, is lined with thousands of tiny sensory receptors known as hair cells. As the fluid in the cochlea begins to move, these hair cells convert the mechanical vibrations into electrical impulses and send signals to the hearing nerves. The electrical energy generated in the hearing nerves is then sent to the brain and interpreted as sound.

The ear is consists of three parts:
the Outer ear, Middle ear, and Inner ear.

• Outer ear: the visible outer portion of the ear and ear canal
• Middle ear: the eardrum and three tiny bones
• Inner ear: the fluid-filled, snail-shaped cochlea which contains thousands of tiny hair cells.
  

Types of Hearing Loss

There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed.

A conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the ear canal, eardrum or middle ear.
A sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. A sensorineural hearing loss is typically a permanent type of hearing loss that usually can be helped with hearing aids.
A mixed hearing loss occurs when someone has a combination of a sensorineural hearing loss and a conductive hearing loss.

How Does a Hearing Aid Work?

A tiny microphone within the hearing aid picks up sounds from the enviornment and reports them to a small processor that amplifies the sound. The hearing aid then will amplify the tones of the sound and send it into the hearing canal. These tones can be adjusted based on the severity of the hearing loss.

Types of Hearing Aids

There are several types of aid available including the Behind the ear (BTE), in the ear (ITE), in the canal (ITC) and the Completely in the canal (CIC).

Analog Hearing Aids
Digital Hearing Aids

Analog hearing aids work by amplifying sounds picked up by a tiny microphone and then converts the sound into small electrical signals. The signals are then transmitted into the human ear. They can be altered by adjusting the hearing aid to the individual needs of the hearing aid user within the limits of the technology.

Digital hearing aids are become more popular with users of hearing aids now. They differ greatly from the older, analog style hearing aids. Digital hearing aids transform sounds into bits and manipulate that sound before amplifying it into a signal. A digital hearing aid can be programmed to the users needs by a computer. A digital hearing aid with advanced directional microphones will help people who suffer from hearing loss, particularly in noisy surroundings. The disadvantage of digital hearing aids is that they are more expensive.

Hearing Aid Maintenance

Here are a few important tips for caring for your hearing aid:

Cleaning your hearing aid

Make a habit of cleaning your hearing aid daily for optimal preformance of your hearing aid. Using a small brush (often provided), remove earwax or other particles that may have accumulated around the canal, volume control or battery compartment. Then wipe the outside off, gently, with a soft lint-free cloth.

Hearing Aid Batteries

All hearing aids run off of battery power, custom to each hearing aid. So, make sure that you are using the correct size and cell for your hearing aid. If you don't remember what type of battery your hearing aid runs off of, check the battery that is in the hearing aid now or check out hearing aid manual.

Replacing the hearing aid battery is a simple process. This should be done over a towel laid over a table to make sure you don't drop the hearing aid and damage any of the electrical components. Replacing the battery is as easy as opening the battery door by placing your fingernail underneath the non-hinged edge and pulling outward. Do not open the door too far, as you may risk breaking off the hearing aid compartment door. Remove the old battery by pushing it out the top or pulling straight out. Put the new battery in by lining up the plus and minus signs to what is in the compartment. For assistance in changing your battery, consult with your audiologist or refer to your hearing aid manual.

Hearing aid don'ts:

Don't take a bath while wearing your hearing aid. You must never allow any liquid, water, rain or otherwise to enter your hearing aid. This could damage the electrical workings of the hearing aid.

Do not expose your hearing aid to excessive heat, such as setting it on the stove, leaving it in the car dashboard or anywhere that it could be exposed to direct sunlight. Excessive heat could damage the electrical components.

Do not allow hair spray or perfumes to enter into the hearing aid.

Do not leave the hearing aid on when it's not in use. This can cause feedback which can irritate dogs ears.

Never try to repair your own hearing aid, this may cause irreversible damage to the hearing aid.

How to Read your Hearing Test Results

Typically when you see your audiologist for a hearing test, they will use an audiogram. An audiogram is a chart of a person's hearing ability. There a few different types of audiograms, or hearing tests, but most use a standard set of symbols to represent items on the chart. Ranges have been established to help people identify how much difficulty they should expect from their hearing loss. The typical ranges for an adult are:

-10dB to 25dB = Normal range

26dB to 40 dB = Mild hearing loss

41 dB to 55 dB = Moderate hearing loss

56 dB to 70 dB = Moderately Severe hearing loss

71 dB to 90 dB = Severe hearing loss

over 90 dB = Profound hearing loss.