Category — Hearing Aids

Often, in cases of hearing loss, a patient will spend a significant amount of time in denial of the problem.  Regardless of how many friends or loved ones tell them there is a problem, the patient will just not admit to a medical condition.  Under constant pressure, a hearing loss patient may lash out against those who try to remind them there is something wrong.  It is not uncommon for people in denial of a medical condition to lash out at those closest to them first.  This generally includes immediate family members and close friends.  Read more... (370 words, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

The FDA has strict regulations regarding the labeling and sales of hearing aids. Those devices that do not specifically follow the FDA regulations are not allowed to advertise themselves as hearing aids, only listening or sound amplification devices. Most of the FDA regulations cover the labeling of the actual device and the requirements for information that must be included in the user’s manual for a hearing aid.

FDA regulations consider a hearing aid as any device that is specifically designed for, or represented as, a device that assists a person with a hearing impairment. The companies who sell hearing aids are called “dispensers”. The dispenser of hearing aids is advised to recommend the patient purchasing a hearing aid should first consult a hearing professional prior to the purchase.  Read more... (368 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

High frequency hearing loss can prevent the patient from hearing high pitched voices, such as those of women and children, and consonants in words.  This type of hearing loss can also make it difficult for a patient to understand words in conversations in noisy social situations.

This is where digital technology has been a huge blessing for many who have a high frequency hearing loss.  Modern digital hearing aids are able to be programmed to amplify specific sound frequencies, depending on the results of a professional audiogram.  The digital circuitry in modern hearing aids converts incoming sounds into digital codes which are then analyzed by the hearing aid and amplified per the programming. The benefit being only the frequencies you need help with will be amplified.    Read more... (311 words, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)

It has been found, through various medical studies, children with mild to profound hearing loss tend to fall behind their peers when learning language and communication skills.  Infants and children learn by sound input, which includes adults’ reactions to their actions and sounds, the spoken words and tone of voice of parents and caregivers and other environmental sound cues.  Hearing aid use in young children, as young as one month old, has been found to have significant benefits.  Read more... (454 words, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

HearPods are not your usual over the internet hearing aid company. They offer hearing aids that are both custom programmable and economical.  Hearing loss is a serious issue that affects millions of people around the world.  By visiting your doctor for a professional audiogram, hearing aids can be selected to fit any specific type of hearing loss.  Even those with minor hearing loss can be assisted by early use of hearing aids.  Read more... (365 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

HearPods offer an excellent selection of hearing aids, depending on your level of hearing loss and your personal preference.  HearPods are available in three different styles, ranging from the non-prescription fully digital HearPal, to the custom programmed Micro, Mini and InvisiPod.  HearPods provides a full range of styles of hearing aids, from over the ear to completely in the ear canal style.

Basic hearing aids are available non-programmed and without a prescription.  This basic model is called the HearPal and is designed to be just the right amount of hearing assistance for those not yet needing prescriptive hearing aids.  The HearPal still fits inside the ear canal, so as not to be obviously seen by others, and is a digital hearing amplification device.    Read more... (322 words, estimated 1:17 mins reading time)

Hearing aids have evolved from trumpet shaped funnels to micro sized digital devices.

Hearing aids began as trumpet shaped horns made of almost any available material, from sea shells to wood.  The small part of the trumpet was held up to the ear to direct sound through the funnel, amplifying the sound into the ear canal.  Until the late 19th and early 20th century, all hearing aids were without any powered assistance.

The earliest recorded notation regarding man made hearing aids was made around 1588 by Italian author Giovanni Porta, who described wooden aids carved to resemble animal’s ears.  Early hearing aids were usually produced for a person’s specific style and taste, as opposed to the type of hearing loss they were experiencing.  Read more... (372 words, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

The full range of normal hearing is experienced through both ears, not one or the other.  Many people diagnosed with hearing loss are initially unable to decide whether they want to wear one hearing aid or two.  It is widely held by hearing professionals that a person with hearing loss should try wearing two hearing aids before making a final decision on whether to wear one or two permanently.  There are several reasons to choose to wear two hearing aids, called binaural hearing aids, as opposed to a single hearing aid.  Read more... (389 words, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

There are generally four different styles of hearing aids available for those suffering from hearing loss.  Each style is slightly different in functionality and size and should be selected for personal taste and based on the prescription provided by a hearing professional.  The different styles of hearing aids are available in digital models that can be custom programmed to a specific hearing test analysis.

One style of digital hearing aid available tucks in behind your ear.  Many manufacturers have miniaturized the size and can be invisible to anyone near the wearer.  This type is a behind the ear style and does, as the name implies, sit just behind the ear.  The portion behind the ear is a unit containing the electronics and battery and is connected to a small arm or tubing that hooks over the top of the ear.  Connected to the arm is the portion of the hearing aid which rests inside the ear canal and transmits sound into the ear canal.    Read more... (439 words, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

The ability to fine tune digital hearing aids makes them more effective than analog aids.

There are currently two types of hearing aids available for those with hearing loss, digital and analog.  While there are similarities between the two types of devices, there are also vast differences which make digital hearing aids much more effective than analog.  In the past, the initial cost of digital hearing aids had placed them out of reach for many budgets.  Today’s digital hearing aids are generally available through over-the-counter manufacturers who offer more affordable pricing.  Read more... (359 words, estimated 1:26 mins reading time)