Category — Hearing Aids

Are you experiencing hearing loss, but shying away from purchasing a Hearing Aid due to comfort concerns?

According to recent hearing loss studies, there are over 31 million Americans who have hearing loss, but only 20 percent seek help.

I believe the reason why 80 percent of people who need hearing aids do not buy them, is due to quality and comfort concerns. If you are among those putting off the life changing decision of purchasing a Hearing Aid, Hearpod may be the solution for you.

HearPod is not just another hearing aid, it is the culmination of years of research using a combination of the latest 100-percent digital technology and ultra-comfortable anatomically-designed shells. Most people find these shells even more comfortable than custom shells. Our uniquely-designed silicone pillow provides comfort and is effective for moderate to severe hearing loss.  Read more... (251 words, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

I recommend the first step before purchasing a HearPod is to see your Doctor first. Your Doctor will examine your ears and run hearing tests to make sure a hearing aid will provide the best solution for your hearing loss.

If you have seen your Doctor and have a copy of your audiogram or hearing tests results, then please visit my MyHearPod.com and let us guide you through the process of selecting and ordering your new HearPod Hearing Aid.

We will guide you through the process in 3 easy steps:

1. Send us your hearing test results by email or fax
2. Select the right HearPod for your needs and ear canal
3. Place your order  Read more... (162 words, estimated 39 secs reading time)

HearPod offers several In-the-Ear HearPod models that are anatomically designed for a small medium and large ear canal.

The MicroPod is our tiniest instrument that can fit a small to a large ear canal simply by changing the size of the silicone pillow.

The MiniPod is designed for a medium to large ear canal.

The EzPod is designed for a large ear canal.

Our InvisiPod can fit any size of ear canal from a tiny to large canal. Simply change the size of silicone pillow that makes every HearPod fit like a custom comfortable fitting every time.

The question is: How do you know how big your ear canal is?  Read more... (214 words, estimated 51 secs reading time)

HearPod is one of the first truly innovative hearing systems of today providing every patient with an amazing quality of prescription fit hearing.

We use the highest rated digital chips and a unique fitting system that can last for years. Perhaps most importantly, our customer service support is the best in the nation.

HearPod provides:
• Door to Door Service, all from the comfort of your home
• 24/7 customer service toll free line
• A full year supply of 52 batteries (one for each week)
• Custom programming for your unique hearing loss using your audiogram
• The ability to fine tune to each HearPod to your hearing needs
• 6 FREE silicone pillow tips
• Free instructional online videos
• Free UPS ground shipping
• Free certificate for a custom fit mold for all 32 channel HearPods
• A full no-questions-asked 45 day money back guarantee  Read more... (204 words, estimated 49 secs reading time)

The newest digital chips have made adjusting hearing performance, especially in noise, a very seamless process for most. I have been told by so many of my patients that within a day or two they have forgotten they are hearing with a hearing aid. The reason is, of course, the control of sound for each patient’s hearing loss and the proper adaption of compression which most manufactures have gotten very good at. Most manufacturers are so good now that the loud growth tests we used to run on each patient very seldom needs to be done anymore.

Anyone can be assured that they will be very surprised by the sound quality and clarity provided by today’s technology.  Read more... (227 words, estimated 54 secs reading time)

Today’s digital hearing aids have changed all of that.  We now can actually create a very normal dynamic range of hearing for most patients.  We can measure where the patient hears soft sounds at the different frequency of speech.  Then we can measure where sounds get too loud in each frequency and plug that into a digital chip and we have provided our patient a very normal dynamic range of hearing.  If properly fit and by the hands of someone skilled, most will find it is a very small adjustment for them because what is being provided is natural and clear.  Most will begin at a lower level than needed and over a period of time they will be brought up to normal targets.  Read more... (343 words, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

It used to take many weeks, even months, for patients to adjust and get accustomed to hearing with analog hearing aids.  The reasons are many.

Analog hearing aids provided amplification for all frequencies unless the proper slope was ordered for the patient.  The fitter had to understand acoustic performance of sound inside the ear.  If they did not know how to modify every mold or ear piece for specific hearing losses, the patient had to adjust on their own to sounds being over exaggerated or unnatural. The lack of control of the loud sounds in specific areas of the hearing range also made it difficult for patients with recruitment to even get adapted to amplification.  Also the use of compression could not be utilized to provide a normal dynamic range of hearing like with today’s digital hearing aids.  Read more... (231 words, estimated 55 secs reading time)

The Speech Mapping showed this.  Speech Mapping gives us a readout of the frequency correction within + or – 3db of the hearing aids correction in the speech range.  This is measured by inserting a probe microphone into the ear canal alongside the hearing aid.  So what is measured is what the correction is for the patient while they are wearing the hearing aid.

The second measurement we started performing was the HINT or Hearing in Noise Test, which was developed to measure the patient’s improved ability to understand words in noise.  When I started this testing 10 years ago I found out that most instruments performed miserably.  There were some, fortunately, who performed at the level they were advertised.  The sad part is that if you bought a hearing aid and were told it would help in these situations, unless you were lucky enough to choose the very few who could perform what they advertised, you were very disappointed.  Read more... (274 words, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)

Everyone today wants to get their money’s worth regardless of what they are purchasing.  I think we have all purchased something high priced and later found it just wasn’t what it was advertised.

I can tell you for sure that there is a huge difference between hearing aid manufactures, especially in the results and benefit provided for patients. I have learned my lesson the hard way.  I made the mistake of believing what manufactures told me about their hearing aids’ performance levels.  I believed them when they told me their hearing aid would accurately correct my patients hearing loss.  I believed them when they told me their instruments would help people hear better in noisy situations.  I believed what I saw on their fitting screens while using their software when I fit a patient with their hearing aid.  I believed them when they said they had a new circuit or technology that would make a huge difference for my patients.  Read more... (276 words, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)

Moisture will build up on the electrical components inside your instrument usually very slowly.  Signs of moisture are crackling or distortion of sound. Your hearing aid performance may be intermittent, sometimes it sounds good and then other times it doesn’t. It may even go on/off at times. All makes and models are affected by moisture.

What can be done?  First of all if you see any moisture or water on your instrument, wipe and clean it off.  Secondly, I recommend every moment your hearing aid isn’t in your ear to put it into a Dri-Aid Kit.  A Dri-Aid Kit usually consists of an absorbent material inside a container of some sort. There are numerous kinds and designs available on the market, some very inexpensive and others quite pricey.  When placing your instrument in the container with the moisture absorbent material, the idea is to draw the moisture out of your hearing aid.  Read more... (258 words, estimated 1:02 mins reading time)