Hearing Aid Guide

The ears function as one of the most important sensory organs in our body. Without them, the world would be a null and deafening space – devoid of music, laughter and voices. Imagine not being able to hear a loved one talk or to appreciate the Broadway musical that everyone is raving about. Although our ears make a small part of the whole sum, the body is simply incomplete and abnormal without them.

But having a good-looking pair of ears does not necessarily mean that your hearing is perfect! There are many causes of hearing loss ranging from inborn abnormalities to developed loss. While hearing loss could happen at any age, medical studies have proven that those born during the Baby Boom era (especially men) have been subject to hearing loss at a certain point in their lives. Baby Boomers may experience impaired hearing at a younger age than those of other generations.

While hearing aids help a person, they do not necessarily cure the hearing problem. And yet given this wonderful opportunity, still people with hearing problems choose not to seek professional help. Perhaps not until the hearing function is entirely gone! As the years move on, the hearing becomes fainter and along with this process, comes the isolation that the patient is subjected to. As sound is necessary for good communication, a person with impaired hearing can become insecure, anti-social, introverted, dysfunctional, frustrated and often embarrassed.

Hearing loss should be addressed to at once! Not only because you need to hear but also because you have to continue living your life normally. Hearing aids are designed to be discreetly small yet powerful enough to restore your hearing conditions to normal. Don’t make the mistake of waiting! The best way to find out if you have a hearing problem is to seek professional medical opinion.

Potential Causes of Hearing Impairment or Loss

Not all causes of hearing loss can be attributed to belonging to the Baby Boom generation or old age. There are so many other known causes, whether natural or otherwise. Any damage that is done to the eardrum can be a single cause of hearing impairment. In the same manner, untoward accidents that injure the body including sections of the face nearing the ears can likewise affect one’s hearing.

• Outer Ear

Hearing impairments that arise from outer ear problems can be regarded as less-serious because they are only normally caused by ear blockage such as the presence of excessive ear wax. Anything that gets in the way of the ear canal can cause mild hearing loss. Ear wax or cerumen can easily be removed by an ear specialist using a specially designed instrument or a water flushing device. Irrigation is done on the ear canal, resulting in an excretion of wax or other object blocking the ear canal. When the wax is compacted and shuts the ear canal completely, a hearing loss is naturally expected. Apart from ear wax, other potential problems include outer ear infections, foreign bodies in the ear canal, injury, birth defects and a growth or tumour in the ear canal.

• Middle Ear

Problems surrounding the middle ear section that can cause hearing loss substantially are ear infections, fluid presence in the ear, Otosclerosis, birth defects and tumours. Ear infections typically create swelling in the middle ear along with the possible accumulation of pus. Infections are treated with antibiotics and decongestants. Meanwhile, fluid in the middle ear pertains to chronic otitis, sometimes called glue ear. More common in children than in adults, glue ear can be treated by draining. On the other hand, Otosclerosis is a hereditary disease characterized by the presence of an abnormal bone in the middle ear. This can be corrected by surgery, just like birth defects in the middle ear. Finally, tumours in the middle are more serious problems because they may be malignant and can lead into cancer. However, some tumours are benign and can also be removed by surgery.

• Inner Ear

The inner portion of the ear is the most delicate; therefore any problems in that area are considered to be severe. Otosclerosis, Presbycusis, Fistula, head injury, Meniere’s syndrome, noise, infections, sudden deafness and neural problems are among the most common inner ear problems. Surpisingly, too much exposure to noise can damage the ear drums permanently and can result to profound hearing loss. Loud music, gunfire, motorcycles and power tools are among some of the ear-drum destructors.

Different Types of Hearing Loss

• Conductive Hearing Loss

Any interference in the transmission of sound from the outer through to the middle and finally to the inner ear is called conductive hearing loss. This is the easiest hearing problem to treat in most cases. However, if the problem goes beyond merely flushing the ear wax or removing a foreign object that caused blockage, then hearing aid treatments can cure this problem effectively after the patient has undergone surgical or medical procedures without success.

• Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Any problem that concerns the an area in the middle ear or on the acoustic nerve found in the inner ear or both is referred to as sensorineural hearing loss. Most ear specialists call this condition “nerve deafness”.  In essence, ‘sensory’ hearing loss is caused by damage in the inner section of the ear while ‘neural’ hearing loss is caused by damage to the acoustic nerve. In the field of internal medicine, sensorineural hearing loss always presents a challenge as many variations of hearing loss and corresponding causes fall under this category.

• Central Hearing Loss

Central hearing loss can be classified as a learning disability because the main problem exists in the central nervous system in the brain. People born with central hearing loss problems often confuse speech and audio, thinking they don’t have a hearing problem because their hearing senses are clear – they experience difficulty in the interpretation of what is being said to them. Analytically, the problem revolves around a person’s ability or inability to clearly define many competing sounds. Clearly, there is an auditory processing disorder. Today, there are tests designed to specifically diagnose this ailment.

• Functional Hearing Loss

Perhaps the most interesting type of hearing loss, functional hearing disorders springs from purely emotional or psychological problems rather than actual physical damage to any part of the ear. Those who are being treated with functional hearing loss appear to be completely deaf and fail to respond when in fact, there is nothing wrong with their hearing. In many cases, people suffering from functional hearing loss are misdiagnosed. They begin other forms of treatment which in the end, proves to be failure each time. The challenge for a physician is in properly and accurately determining this type of hearing loss.

• Mixed Hearing Loss

A mixed hearing loss is characterized by a combination of two or more types of hearing losses, usually in the conductive and sensorineural categories. The conductive hearing loss however is given more importance and attention because there are different effective therapies that can be used as treatment for this type of disorder.

Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss

Has the quality of your hearing notably declined? Has it been affecting your daily life? Apart from genetic factors that may cause a substantial and gradual difference in your hearing, there are many other possible reasons for sudden hearing impairment problems. Obviously, any physical head injury that has damaged your face or any surrounding area near your ears is enough reason to believe that you have a hearing loss problem.

Most often, people fail to recognize that even a recurring hearing problem can lead to serious permanent hearing loss. Here are some of the tell-tale signs to help you identify if you have indeed a hearing loss problem:

• You exert effort to try to hear what another person is saying. Straining to hear a sound, even when a person or a radio is already near you gets you emotionally and physically stressed.
• You complain why everybody whispers or mumbles when they speak.
• You have to look at a person’s face or a person’s mouth directly to make you understand what he is saying.
• You find it necessary to make a person repeat what he is saying to you.
• You unconsciously turn up the volume when watching television or listening to music. You are unaware that the people around you are complaining of extremely high levels of volume.
• You frequently give wrong answers to questions being addressed to you directly. This could be an embarrassing situation.
• You cannot understand conversations, and fail to remark appropriately when you are in a noisy environment such as in the car, restaurant, mall, or movie theatre, while the people around you can perfectly understand each other.
• You cannot hear clearly on the telephone or any mobile device.
• You fail to recognize important sounds such as doorbells, telephone rings and alarm clocks.
• You have to turn one ear in the direction of the person talking to you
• You have a persistent pain in the ear or continuous excretion of fluid.
• You constantly have headaches and dizzy spells.
• You experience buzzing, ringing or other irritating sounds in your ear.

These signs and symptoms are all indicative of a hearing problem. Whether serious or not, medical advice should be sought so that the ailment can be remedied at once. Professional ear specialists will perform a series of medical tests to further understand your problem and to give you the right therapy or medication.

Different Types of Hearing Aids

Just because a hearing aid cannot be visible to other people is not enough reason to purchase that type o f hearing aid. The kind that best would fit you will also be based on the type of hearing problem you have. Below are the following types of hearing aids:

1. Behind the EarA piece of plastic device (called a mold) that fits perfectly in your ear is connected by a tiny tube to a small case behind your ear. The BTE has good feedback levels, have bigger dials for control and is generally best for older people having a problem in handling small controls with their fingers. However, this type of hearing aid is often times difficult to use with headphones. Another disadvantage of the BTE is that it is not too secure – if you are an active person (one who regularly exercises), this aid has the most chances of falling off from your ear.
2. In the EarThis device can fit into your outer ear securely and is also not clearly visible to other people. The problem with the ITE is you will have to make sure that you are capable of handling tiny buttons and control dials. Feedback might be a problem for this type of hearing aid.
3. In the CanalThe small plastic device is inserted halfway through your ear canal. This is one of the more undetected types of hearing aid, as it is placed discreetly in the interior of the ear. Although it could be an advantage to hide your hearing aid, the problem begins when it gets damaged by ear wax or other excretions. Also, finger dexterity is essential for control of tiny buttons or dials. The ITC is also hard to use when on the telephone or other listening and speaking gadgets.
4. Completely In CanalThe hearing device is inserted completely in the ear canal, making it the most discreet type of hearing aid. It is compatible to use with a telephone and headphones and has the least wind noise among all the other hearing aid types. Just like the ITC, this type can be damaged by excessive earwax and ear excretions. The dials and buttons are also very small so you will have to get used to operating this tiny gadget.

What to Look for in a Hearing Aid

Technology has indeed made great things possible. Prior to the invention of hearing aids, senior citizens and other people with hearing problems had to contend with their incapacity to hear clearly. There were no choices available then except perhaps some therapeutic exercise routines to ease the discomfort and improve the hearing. Today is an entirely different story: hearing aids are constantly being honed and improved, benefiting the entire world. New products are being introduced one after the other, making it difficult to instantly decide on a purchase.

How does a hearing aid work?

In order to understand the need, it is vital to know how a hearing aid system operates. First and foremost, a hearing aid has 3 different parts: the microphone, the amplifier and the speaker. The microphone is responsible for receiving sound and converting it into electrical signals before sending it to the amplifier. The amplifier then increases the volume of the sound and sends it to the ear through the speaker. With that system in mind, here are the features you should look for:

• Open fit

Using an open fit hearing aid is the answer to the problem of other hearing aid users who have reported hearing certain distractions such as echoes and hearing themselves chew. An open fit hearing aid is essentially the BTE (behind the ear) type which has the device attached behind your ear and a tiny wire and loudspeaker inserted into the ear.

• Digital feedback reduction

Whistling noises are often heard when the hearing aid has poor feedback reduction. Always look for this feature when buying yours or your loved one’s hearing aid.

• Digital noise reduction

A hearing aid with this feature will be able to identify between speech and background noise. This significantly reduces any annoying background noise by separating it from the sound of speech.

• Directional microphones

A directional microphone lets the user focus attention on the person directly speaking to him in front without other confusing sounds on the sides or oat the background.

• Automatic ally adaptive

Some hearing aids have self-adjusting systems to adapt to the environment such that in a quiet place, the volume level increases while in a noisy place, the directional microphones and noise reduction features do their thing. Amplification is automatically adjusted or increased depending on the noise levels in that specific area.

• Bluetooth compatibility

When using a mobile device, the user will not have to lift the phone next the ear because it will ring via the hearing aid. To take the call, the user can simply press a button.

Conclusion

Many things have to be evaluated before buying a hearing aid – once the device is attached to your ear, it will already form a part of yourself and your daily life. That is exactly why it entails several steps to determine which type of hearing aid will be best for you because ultimately, you will have to adjust and get used to an external medium that will become an instrument in curing your internal hearing problem.

If you or your loved one is experiencing a hearing problem, the first step to take is to visit an audiologist who will perform some basic tests to find out the degree of your predicament. These tests include pure air conduction audiometry, pure tone bone conduction audiometry, and speech audiometry. All these tests will prove if you indeed have a serious or minor problem and will help determine if you will be needing a hearing aid or not.

Now, even if you have purchased the best hearing aid, it will be good not to expect an instant, perfect cure. You need to understand that it might take more than a week to adjust to the new device. Others even take up to a month. Be sure to explain this to your loved one because it could be startling for them to hear louder voices or noises so suddenly.

It will take time to get accustomed to the hearing aid. The only way to ensure the success of the curing the hearing problem is by being patient and by constantly getting the support of your family, friends and audiologist.