There are several things to take into consideration when you begin to compare pricing on hearing aids. While you may be looking for the “best hearing aid” for the price you are willing to pay, it is almost impossible to discern which hearing aid is the best, without considering the features that would be right for you. The severity of your hearing loss is the number one determining factor, along with lifestyle (level of activity, types of activities, etc), and your manual dexterity. The smaller a hearing aid is, the less visible it will be, but it will also be more difficult to handle if your hands are shaky or you have visual impairment as well as hearing loss. All hearing aids don’t handle all situations the same way. Consider the differences of shopping for a hearing aid for a high school student vs. shopping for the right hearing aid for your grandmother. Perhaps you are an avid swimmer, who needs a waterproof aid, or perhaps you attend many loud social functions and you want the best technology for eliminating background noise. When shopping for a hearing aid, we need to keep all of these things in mind.

That being said, there are a few features that might be more worth it for certain individuals to invest in, and for others to bypass on the road to discovering the appropriate hearing aid. Visibility is an important factor for many people who might be sensitive about their hearing loss, but some of the things that go hand-in-hand with the models that fit completely in the ear include: short battery life, and susceptibility to wax and moisture. These models tend to run on the higher end in terms of pricing, and might not be worthwhile for someone who has a severe hearing deficit. This is just one example of how difficult it can be to find the hearing aid in the model and price that fits your lifestyle best, but please don’t be discouraged!

There are many options for brands as well as models. Most brands offer a model that is the most budget-friendly, but might not come with all of the bells and whistles like one of the more expensive counterparts. Each brand offers different fits, different technology options, and add-on features, and your audiologist will be the one to help you discern which of these options suits you best.

My recommendation to anyone on the market for a hearing aid is to make two lists. First, make a list of what you would like it to be able to accomplish. For instance: I would like my hearing aid to make one on one conversation clearer, it should help to eliminate background noise, it should be easy to use, assist me in hearing my phone and television without keeping the volume controls up too high, and feel comfortable on my daily jog. Second, make a list of what you would like to avoid in a hearing aid. Maybe you don’t want anyone to know it’s there, or maybe you don’t want to feel it in your ear. Perhaps you aren’t the most technologically savvy individual and you need something that is simple to turn on and off. Take these 2 lists to your doctor when it’s time to pick out a hearing aid. Your audiologist will be helpful in picking out the correct hearing aid for you, and in no time at all you will have a device that feels tailor made for your needs.

Depression is a problem that can affect just about anyone at any age, but according to a study conducted by the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, 15 of every 100 adults over age 65 in the U.S. reported feelings associated with depression. There are many contributing factors to the diagnosis of depression, but one very serious correlation has been drawn between those who are suffering from hearing loss and feelings of depression and isolation. In 1999, The National Council on Aging discovered older adults who suffered from hearing loss that went untreated were more likely to report feeling anxious and depressed than those whose hearing loss had been properly treated. Symptoms such as sadness, feeling tired, increased irritability, loss of appetite and even chronic health problems such as headaches or GI complications are just a few of the indicators of depression. Due to feeling helpless and overwhelmed it is not at all uncommon to see these individuals display depression, or even aggression to accompany hearing loss at any age. On top of being socially isolated, it is sometimes the case that the person suffering from hearing loss may not know how to cope with those feelings and may even be resistant to hearing aids and devices.

Once a person is cut off from their social circle they can very quickly begin to lose the level of quality to their life. Being unable to hear conversations between family members and friends can lead to isolation, especially if the problem goes untreated. These seemingly unnecessary feelings of loneliness and sometimes even embarrassment might even cause avoidance of public gatherings altogether. Below is a list of symptoms to indicate that you or your loved one may be suffering from hearing loss. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) recommends a consultation with an audiologist for any of the following:

• Difficulty understanding speech, especially in a setting with background noise
• Avoidance of social gatherings and public settings
• Increased volume on the television and/or radio
• Frequent requests for repetition

If these behaviors have been identified, a visit with your audiologist can lead to an immediate boost in the quality of your/your loved one’s life. The instruments and possible treatments for hearing loss have grown in leaps and bounds due to recent technology. Something as noninvasive and easy to use as a phone amplifier can bring simplicity back to conversations, not to mention the variety of hearing aids and devices available for fitting. After an assessment of your hearing, an audiologist can help to discern the best course of action for treatment. While identifying and accepting this problem can alleviate a lot of the stress and social isolation of hearing loss, it is not always easy. There are many options when it comes to support groups and programs for learning to cope with the prospect of a hearing aid or an aural rehabilitation program. One very interesting option is a self-driven, computer module for listening and communication enhancement (LACE).  You can learn more about them on their website: http://www.neurotone.com/lace-interactive-listening-programonce.

While hearing loss can be a contributing factor in depression, there are often multiple reasons for these feelings. Once hearing loss has been identified, and treatment has been initiated, it is important to monitor for continued signs and symptoms of depression, and involve a mental health professional or family doctor if necessary.

Children learn speech by imitating the sounds that they hear around them, and without the tools of hearing and speech many developmental milestones can be delayed and feel almost impossible. There is a myth circulating about children needing to be a certain age to have their hearing tested. Doesn’t my child have to be able to talk to accurately respond to a hearing test? Absolutely not. If you suspect that your child is hearing impaired, they can be tested as early as 4 or 5 months old with the appropriate techniques. Using a model based on human reflexes, doctors can administer hearing tests to even the smallest of babies; and as a parent with a concern about your child’s hearing you will want to know as soon as possible how you can help them to overcome these obstacles.

Here are some warning signs that your infant or child may be hearing impaired:

• Your baby can sleep through very loud noises, without stirring.
• He or she doesn’t startle when they hear a loud, unexpected noise (like an ambulance siren).
• Your baby doesn’t respond to your voice. Babies as young as 4 months old should begin to smile or coo in response to a familiar voice. By 9-15 months they should be able to detect different tones in your voice (and should respond to a warning or alarmed voice).
• They don’t notice rattles or other noise-making toys.
• They don’t make eye contact. Even at a very young age it is a natural response to make eye contact or smile when being spoken to.
• Does your baby make different noises for different needs? If not, this could be a signal that they cannot differentiate.
• By 9 months, your baby should be able to make connections between certain words and hand motions (ex: “bye-bye” with a wave).
• By 15 months it is natural for a child to use his or her voice to attract attention, and by 24 months they should be able to put names to common objects.

As you can see, many of the cues used to identify a child that may have a hearing problem are identical to those of a child with a developmental delay in speech. The only way to differentiate between these two serious concerns is to visit your audiologist. Your pediatrician can help you to detect whether or not your child is reaching the usual milestones for their age, and refer you to an audiologist that can administer the appropriate test. Using a test known as Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA), it is possible to use lights as positive reinforcement for response to sound, and to “condition” even a very young child to look toward a new sound. This method is used most often in children under two and a half years old, and can be very effective in helping to determine a hearing problem from a speech delay.

Hearing impairment is one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in the United States. While hearing loss can be an extremely sensitive topic to bring up with a loved one, living with a hearing impaired individual who refuses to seek help can be a very difficult situation to navigate.  In many cases the spouse or family member of the affected person will fall into a pattern of co-dependency. In this situation, you may feel that you are helping by speaking loudly, repeating yourself, and interpreting conversations for your hearing impaired loved one. In fact by engaging in these behaviors you are making it easier for them to deny that there is a problem at hand. If your family member suffering from loss of hearing can rely on your ears, it gives them less motivation to seek out help. Here are some practical tips to encourage your loved one to get the help they need:

• Stop repeating yourself. This may feel a little bit like tough love, but if you eliminate this step and stop saying things twice (unless asked), it forces your loved one to say, “Excuse me?” This simple exchange makes it easier to start the conversation about a possible need for a hearing aide.

• Don’t shout. You may not even realize you’re doing it, but if you’re going to bed with a sore throat at the end of a day spent with your family member you are enabling them to deny the problem.

• Be informed. If you are reading this article, you’re on the right track. Looking up local audiologists, and hearing aide options prior to opening the door to this discussion will make presenting the problem easier. Nothing goes better with a problem than a list of solutions.

• Write it down. Having a conversation about hearing loss might just be an exercise in frustration, try writing down your concerns with some reasonable suggestions for how to seek help.

• Be sensitive. Try to imagine how socially isolating and difficult it must be for your loved one. Many people decide to address their hearing loss based on the concerns of their family members, but being pushy or bossy at this point will most likely have an adverse effect on your loved one.

• Be direct. Make sure your hearing impaired family member understands that you believe communication could be easier, and less stressful. Make sure they understand the impact their hearing loss is having on your relationship.

Due to the commonly gradual nature of hearing loss, it is easy to make adjustments to accommodate the problem without seeking outside help. There are so many viable options out there for hearing impaired individuals that suffering social isolation, losing telephone communication, and strain on interpersonal relationships is no longer necessary. It may not be an easy topic to address at first, but getting your loved one to an audiologist and on the path to improved hearing can make a world of difference.

Imagine a hearing aid so tiny that it could fit snugly inside of the curve of your inner ear without anyone even knowing it’s there, and then imagine that without taking it out you could completely submerge your head in water. For most people with hearing loss, this has been a fantasy for years. Now, for the first time ever with the newest technology in hearing aids, it is becoming a reality. Just as other technical devices have gotten smaller over time, hearing aids are only getting tinier and more digitally advanced.

20% of American adults have mild to severe hearing loss, as the population ages to 75, the statistics show that almost half of them are hearing impaired. However, only 1 out of every 5 people who suffer from hearing loss is currently wearing a hearing aid. Some of these people put off getting help simply because they are self conscious about how a hearing aid would look. Others, who are more athletic, might not see how a hearing aid would fit into their lifestyle. These people have now been presented with an entirely invisible choice.
The newest device by Lyric is the very first to be studied in swimmers, and is impossible to detect inside the ear. It sits 1/6 of an inch from the ear drum, and two flanges, and the natural curve of the ear keep it from falling out. It doesn’t need to be taken off in the shower, or during athletic activity, in fact; it doesn’t need to be taken out at all. There is no amplification of background noise, and virtually no feedback. This hearing aid can be worn 24 hours a day, and there is no indication that it is even there.

This device works in the majority of cases, but there are certain exceptions. The Lyric cannot help people with small ear canals, or those with abnormal bone protrusions. It works best for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, and is less useful for those with severe hearing loss. Speak to your audiologist regarding whether or not this might be a new option for you.

“Turn it down!” This phrase is most likely familiar to you. When your mother told you to turn down your stereo, or video game, you probably thought she was just being a nag. Little did you know that she was ahead of her time, and (as this is usually the case with mothers) she was right! Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is a very serious and increasingly common cause of concern in healthcare today, and it is drastically changing the face of hearing loss in our society.

Did you know that simply blow drying your hair on a daily basis can cause mild hearing damage? Add to that the music you listen to (especially if it’s a really good song), the screeching of ambulance sirens whizzing by, the sounds of planes taking off and landing, the drilling at a construction site, and a car horn honking, and you’ve got yourself an average day in the city, and a recipe for disaster.  Sound pressure is measured in decibels (dB), with 0dB being the quietest sound audible by the human ear, and anything measuring above 85dB is damaging to your hearing. Something as benign as a hair dryer operates at 90dB, and the damage of prolonged exposure is permanent.

When the microscopic hair cells (stereocilia) found inside your ear are damaged or broken, they lose their ability to carry mechanical vibrations to the auditory nerve. Loud impact noise, like an explosion, or routine exposure to noise above 85dB can harm these stereocilia and produce irreversible damage to your hearing. A clap of thunder, a bulldozer idling, and very commonly just the volume of the television or radio over time; these every day occurrences are causing hearing loss in our community in people that are younger, and would otherwise have perfectly healthy hearing ability.

Noise is defined as excess or unwanted sound. This occupational or recreational hazard is almost entirely preventable with the use of earplugs, sound barrier walls, and volume controls. The loss of hearing over time is often painless and gradual. Some people may experience a ringing in their ears, known as tinnitus, but many will lose hearing slowly and unnoticeably with very few warning signs. One very clear sign of damage is the feeling that you’re “used to” the noise. Just because the noise in your environment doesn’t make you flinch, or hurt your ears, doesn’t mean you have built up a tolerance for it. In fact, it means just the opposite. You have probably already lost some percentage of your hearing. It is recommended that you have your hearing checked annually if you are routinely exposed to noise. An audiologist can conduct a simple, painless hearing evaluation to determine the level of loss. Go see your audiologist right away with any signs or symptoms of hearing loss, and do yourself a favor…turn it down!

Some helpful hints to keep in mind in your selection process:

• Smaller hearing aids, while hidden from public view tend to have less power and battery life.
• Analog hearing aids will amplify all sounds and may offer the user control over settings, but need to programmed prior to use, these are less commonly found today.
• Digital hearing aids change the sound into a digital signal, and automatically create sound profiles to eliminate background noise, and may have more to offer in terms of programming and flexibility

The next thing you will want to consider is placement. This is one of the most important deciding factors when it comes to purchasing a hearing aid. The choices are:

Behind The Ear

These aids fit over your ear and rest on the outside in the back of your ear, and carry sound to a mechanism placed inside your ear. These can vary in level of visibility, as the newer models are quite small and streamlined, and are effective in almost all cases of hearing loss.

Open Fit

These hearing aids don’t plug the ear canal, and use a small tube or wire to conduct sound into the inner ear. They are small, and difficult to spot, but are usually only effective in cases where high frequency hearing has been lost, and low frequency hearing is still intact. These devices may also be less programmable due to their small size.

In The Ear (Full Shell)

This device is custom fit to your outer ear. These aids are the easiest to place, and may have easily accessible volume controls, however they are highly visible. Due to placement they may be more likely to pick up on wind noise, but are effective in hearing loss from mild- severe. The battery is larger in these aids and tends to last longer.

In The Ear (Half Shell)- Very much like the full shell version, this piece is custom fitted to the outer “bowl” of your ear, but will only occupy the lower half making it slightly less visible. It is easier to handle than a hearing aid that fits in your ear canal, and features directional microphones (better for conversation) and volume control. These aids are used for patients with mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

Completely In the Canal

These aids are the smallest available and are custom fit to the inside of you ear canal. They are very unlikely to pick up wind noise, and are very useful on the telephone. Due to placement, they lack volume control, and tend to run out of batteries much more quickly than other models. This device would be recommended in mild to moderate hearing loss.

In the Canal

These are very similar the above mentioned Completely in the Canal model, however they rest a little bit closer to your outer ear. They contain volume control options that may be difficult to operate due to small size. These are also easy to use with the telephone, and may be helpful in mild to moderate hearing loss.

The best way to choose a hearing aid for yourself is to remain informed. Any questions regarding features and fits should be directed at your doctor. After considering all of the options, you and your doctor can decide which would be the best fit for you and your lifestyle.

Symptoms by definition are experienced by the patient, while signs are noticed from an outside perspective. Some symptoms that you may experience secondary to a loss of hearing include:

• The necessity to turn up the volume on the radio or television
• Frequent requests in conversation for repetition
• Muffling of voices and sounds
• Difficulty being able to extract conversation from background noise
• Avoidance of certain situations, or social isolation
• Tendency to stare at people’s mouths while they’re speaking
• Fatigue at the end of the day related to straining to hear
• Missing bits of information, for example: the punch line to a joke

Some signs that your loved one may have a decrease in auditory function include:

• Requests in conversation for frequent repetition
• Lack of response to questions, when not asked face to face
• The ability to sleep through loud noise
• Higher than average volume on the television or radio

Once the decline in auditory function has begun to hamper your daily life it is time to call your doctor. While hearing loss can be experienced very differently from person to person, based on age or type of auditory disability; there are more options for treatment now than there have ever been.

Audiologists are the only professionals who are university trained and licensed to identify, evaluate, diagnose, and treat audiologic disorders of hearing. Audiologists may practice in Private Audiology Offices, Hospitals, Medical Practices, Universities, Public Schools, Private and Public Agencies.

All individuals with suspected hearing loss require audiological evaluation to determine the type, degree, and cause of the hearing impairment. Insurance companies and managed care organizations are realizing that efficient cost-effective hearing health care requires that primary care physicians refer patients directly to audiologists to determine whether rehabilitation or medical/surgical treatment is indicated. Insurance companies recognize that only 20% of all individuals with hearing loss require medical or surgical treatment for their hearing loss. Rehabilitation treatment consists primarily of design, selection and fitting of hearing aids and/or assistive listening devices. These services are provided directly by audiologists.

Why should I see an audiologist?

Audiologists hold a master’s, research doctoral (Ph.D.) or clinical doctoral (Au.D.) degree from an accredited university with special training in the prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of persons with hearing impairments. Audiologists are required to complete a full-time professional experience year and pass a demanding national comprehensive examination following completion of their master’s or doctoral program. Additionally, they are required to obtain 10 continuing education hours per year to maintain their license. By virtue of their graduate education, professional certification, and licensure, audiologists are the most qualified professionals to perform hearing tests, dispense hearing aids and assistive listening devices, provide rehabilitation services and refer patients for medical treatment.

How do I know if I have a hearing loss?

The only precise way to determine if you have a hearing loss is to have your hearing evaluated. There are a series of simple questions you can ask yourself to confirm you are having hearing difficulties: Do you often ask people to repeat what they have said? Do you need to turn the television or radio louder than others around you? Do you have trouble hearing on the telephone? Do people seem to mumble? Do you have difficulty listening to conversation when in a restaurant or noisy listening environment? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions it may be time to have your hearing tested.