High frequency hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss and has historically been the most challenging type of hearing loss to fit successfully. Until recently, that is. With Swiss manufacturer Phonak's SoundRecover, high frequency information can now be heard in a comfortable and seamless way.
SoundRecover was introduced a few years ago and has been tremendous! In our clinics, and around the world new and experienced hearing aid users and the professionals who fit them are singing the praises of Phonak products and the success of SoundRecover.
SoundRecover takes high frequency sounds and moves them over to lower frequencies, where hearing is usually better. The Phonak engineers call this frequency compression. Other companies have similar frequency transposition in their hearing aids, but none of them have had the end-user acceptability of Phonak.
Some may ask; Why not just crank up the gain/volume at those high frequencies where the hearing loss is the worse? That actually is becoming more and more possible now that
feedback suppression has improved so dramatically in the last few years. The simple answer is sound quality. Too many highs versus mid and low frequencies can make the sound tinny, brassy, microphony(sic), shrill, and just downright annoying! So we wind up turning them down to get rid of the poor sound quality and essentially give up on the high frequencies! When I fit peole with SoundRecover, I feel like Im not just giving up on the highs but helping people reach new heights. When people tell me they're hearing sounds they never heard before and understanding better than ever that is awesome!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Remote Microphones and Bluetooth/Wireless
One of the most under-utilized technologies available today for people with hearing problems is the Remote Microphone. Until recently, remote mics have only been available thru expensive and cumbersome FM systems. FM mics worked great, however, because it required wearing a bulky Behind the Ear(BTE) hearing instrument and a boot added onto the hearing instrument, along with a transmitter, and the fact it can add thousands of dollars onto the cost, most people chose not to use FM.
In 2012, things are different. The Hearing Industry has introduced an exciting new technology and actually offers it a fraction of the cost of the previous technology. Still, less than 10% of Hearing Aid users opt in to utilize it.
Resound and Oticon are the two leaders in this technology. Oticon requires using their Streamer with their wireless hearing instruments. Resound does not require a streamer and is therefore less cumbersome.
I believe we will be seeing more companies coming out with similar devices because it is truly a great, relatively inexpensive technology.
In 2012, things are different. The Hearing Industry has introduced an exciting new technology and actually offers it a fraction of the cost of the previous technology. Still, less than 10% of Hearing Aid users opt in to utilize it.
Resound and Oticon are the two leaders in this technology. Oticon requires using their Streamer with their wireless hearing instruments. Resound does not require a streamer and is therefore less cumbersome.
I believe we will be seeing more companies coming out with similar devices because it is truly a great, relatively inexpensive technology.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Too much already!
How long are we going to let ourselves keep damaging our hearing? Now that the civilized world has laws protecting our health in public places (like smoking bans), can we now include our hearing as something we would like to protect?
A recent study by the House Ear Clinic confirmed what many of us already knew, exposure to loud noise, such as that which we experience in a music concert, can cause irreversible damage to our hearing and can cause tinnitus. Hearing tests on individuals who just attended a concert without earplugs show a decrease in hearing following the concert and many cases of tinnitus. Tinnitus is a noise in the ear, usually a ringing or buzzing TTS stands for Temporary Threshold Shift and is common after attending a concert. With TTS, the hair cells in the inner ear are "knocked down" by the physical force of the loud sound waves. Many times they will recover but sometimes they don't. If they don't recover, this can become a permanent condition and something that will have to be dealt with the rest of your life!
What can be done about this? Well, for one, you can avoid loud music altogether. Don't go to concerts, don't use headphones, and don't crank up your home or car stereo. However, there are many people who cannot avoid these things or simply don't want to give these things up. For those people it is imperative that earplugs are used when exposed to these situations. We can also turn down the volume and take lots of breaks. If you do experience a sudden onset of hearing loss or tinnitus it is extremely important to get to an Ear Nose Throat Doctor(ENT) ASAP. A Hearing Test is also strongly recommended.
What about those who are ignorant about the harmful effects of loud noise? Many of these people find out about it after it's too late and the damage has been done. Do we continue to make people find out about noise damage the hard way? Many of these "victims" are teenagers and kids and we simply are not doing enough to protect them from permanent ear damage.
So what can we do? It sometimes is very difficult to convince others to turn it down or even just to wear earplugs. Even when venues hand out earplugs free of charge, many still choose to expose their ears and decline to use them so they can get the "full experience."
I believe that in the near future any public place will have regulations in place that limit the decibel levels to less harmful, and in my opinion, more enjoyable listening levels. In the meantime, listener beware!
A recent study by the House Ear Clinic confirmed what many of us already knew, exposure to loud noise, such as that which we experience in a music concert, can cause irreversible damage to our hearing and can cause tinnitus. Hearing tests on individuals who just attended a concert without earplugs show a decrease in hearing following the concert and many cases of tinnitus. Tinnitus is a noise in the ear, usually a ringing or buzzing TTS stands for Temporary Threshold Shift and is common after attending a concert. With TTS, the hair cells in the inner ear are "knocked down" by the physical force of the loud sound waves. Many times they will recover but sometimes they don't. If they don't recover, this can become a permanent condition and something that will have to be dealt with the rest of your life!
What can be done about this? Well, for one, you can avoid loud music altogether. Don't go to concerts, don't use headphones, and don't crank up your home or car stereo. However, there are many people who cannot avoid these things or simply don't want to give these things up. For those people it is imperative that earplugs are used when exposed to these situations. We can also turn down the volume and take lots of breaks. If you do experience a sudden onset of hearing loss or tinnitus it is extremely important to get to an Ear Nose Throat Doctor(ENT) ASAP. A Hearing Test is also strongly recommended.
What about those who are ignorant about the harmful effects of loud noise? Many of these people find out about it after it's too late and the damage has been done. Do we continue to make people find out about noise damage the hard way? Many of these "victims" are teenagers and kids and we simply are not doing enough to protect them from permanent ear damage.
So what can we do? It sometimes is very difficult to convince others to turn it down or even just to wear earplugs. Even when venues hand out earplugs free of charge, many still choose to expose their ears and decline to use them so they can get the "full experience."
I believe that in the near future any public place will have regulations in place that limit the decibel levels to less harmful, and in my opinion, more enjoyable listening levels. In the meantime, listener beware!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
What is SSD and is there any hope?
SSD stands for Single Sided Deafness. It is used to describe the hearing of someone who has normal hearing in one ear and a "complete loss" in the other ear. Until recently, the options for help were very limited and not very effective.
People with SSD now have some hope! The BAHA has been effectively treating SSD for a few years now. It usually is done with a surgical implant behind the pinna, which allows a processor to snap off and on. Most procedures are done unilaterally on the bad ear. The processor receives the sound, amplifies it, then sends it via bone conduction where it is heard in the better cochlea. There is also a headband version. The BAHA is not classified as a hearing aid and in many cases may be covered by insurance.
Another option that has come out recently is Phonak's new Cros hearing aid. I have personally fit over a dozen patients with this and nobody has returned it! All of my patients, wether with a Cros or a bi-Cros, have reported significant improvement with this device. Battery life can be short (2-3 days) but it is worth the extra hassle.
Just a couple of years ago I had to counsel SSD sufferers that there really was no effective solution available. Now I am happy to report that this is no longer true! With the improvement in wireless technology, Phonak has managed to deliver this exceptional product in a discreet and comfortable package.
People with SSD now have some hope! The BAHA has been effectively treating SSD for a few years now. It usually is done with a surgical implant behind the pinna, which allows a processor to snap off and on. Most procedures are done unilaterally on the bad ear. The processor receives the sound, amplifies it, then sends it via bone conduction where it is heard in the better cochlea. There is also a headband version. The BAHA is not classified as a hearing aid and in many cases may be covered by insurance.
Another option that has come out recently is Phonak's new Cros hearing aid. I have personally fit over a dozen patients with this and nobody has returned it! All of my patients, wether with a Cros or a bi-Cros, have reported significant improvement with this device. Battery life can be short (2-3 days) but it is worth the extra hassle.
Just a couple of years ago I had to counsel SSD sufferers that there really was no effective solution available. Now I am happy to report that this is no longer true! With the improvement in wireless technology, Phonak has managed to deliver this exceptional product in a discreet and comfortable package.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Sonic: A new beginning
Sonic Innovations has recently released a new product called the Flip. The Flip is a Receiver in the Ear(RITE) hearing instrument that represents the first new development from Sonic (the name they now prefer) in years. Last year Sonic was purchased by industry giant William Demant and that gave the American company a huge boost in its development and research, allowing Sonic to continue to grow and thrive with new competitive technology. William Demant is the Danish parent company of Oticon, a leader in hearing instrument technology. Sonic has been able to use the existing technology from Oticon and put their own touches and technology to develop a unique and advanced product in the Flip.
One of the features that is unique is the fact that the Flip uses a size 13 battery and predicts over 225 hours of battery life! This is huge for people who like the RITE style but find it difficult to handle and change smaller batteries very often. It also saves some money in the long run. Because it is slightly larger, it is easier for people with dexterity issues to handle. It is still nearly invisible because it hides behind the ear even though it is larger than others. Another cool feature is the rotary volume wheel. This is one of those "old school" features that never should have gone away in the first place. Flip offers optional wireless connectivity to cell phones, tv's, mp3's, etc. via its Soundgate streamer.
Sonic has always been known for their industry-leading noise reduction and they have made that even better! So far my patients have loved them and have adapted to them very quickly.
One of the features that is unique is the fact that the Flip uses a size 13 battery and predicts over 225 hours of battery life! This is huge for people who like the RITE style but find it difficult to handle and change smaller batteries very often. It also saves some money in the long run. Because it is slightly larger, it is easier for people with dexterity issues to handle. It is still nearly invisible because it hides behind the ear even though it is larger than others. Another cool feature is the rotary volume wheel. This is one of those "old school" features that never should have gone away in the first place. Flip offers optional wireless connectivity to cell phones, tv's, mp3's, etc. via its Soundgate streamer.
Sonic has always been known for their industry-leading noise reduction and they have made that even better! So far my patients have loved them and have adapted to them very quickly.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
More new stuff coming soon
One of the developments in the last few years has been further miniaturization of hearing instruments. When the lyric came out a few years ago, it brought attention to the fact that there are a lot of people who want an "invisible" hearing solution. The problem with the Lyric is that, because it is not a custom made instrument and fits deep into the ear canal, it does not fit most people. It is also a very expensive long term solution that many cannot afford. The Lyric is also an analog processor that does not utilize the many advantages of having a much smarter digital processor.
Companies like Starkey came out with an IIC(invisible in canal) solution that is custom made and utilizes all of the new digital technology, making it more comfortable and better sounding, especially in background noise. Siemens and Phonak also came out with a mini CIC that is very discreet but not as deep fitting as the Starkey. This year a couple more companies have developed an "invisible" hearing instrument. Oticon and Unitron will be introducing their new products at the AAA convention in Boston later this month. Traditionally, these "invisible" devices have only been available in the top tiers of technology, but Unitron is making it available in all technology levels, making it more accessible to those who can't afford or don't need the upper level technology. Look for other manufacturers to also make theirs available in more affordable technology levels.
Companies like Starkey came out with an IIC(invisible in canal) solution that is custom made and utilizes all of the new digital technology, making it more comfortable and better sounding, especially in background noise. Siemens and Phonak also came out with a mini CIC that is very discreet but not as deep fitting as the Starkey. This year a couple more companies have developed an "invisible" hearing instrument. Oticon and Unitron will be introducing their new products at the AAA convention in Boston later this month. Traditionally, these "invisible" devices have only been available in the top tiers of technology, but Unitron is making it available in all technology levels, making it more accessible to those who can't afford or don't need the upper level technology. Look for other manufacturers to also make theirs available in more affordable technology levels.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
New products coming soon
A couple of blogs ago I promised to discuss some new products that have been released recently or will be soon. At the Starkey Hearing Innovation Expo in January we were allowed a sneak peak at some exciting new developments.
One of the coolest things was the wireless cic (completely in canal) that allows wireless streaming from a television directly to the hearing devices with nothing else to wear. One could be watching tv with the sound turned down while getting a customised audio signal directly into their ear canals. You can switch back and forth with a remote control.
Starkey also plans to come out soon with their mobile phone solution, which will be the first to not require any accessory to use. I think that will be popular as people do not want to wear anything extra if they don't have to.
With the Annual American Academy of Audiology Convention coming up, there will be lot more to come. Stay tuned.
One of the coolest things was the wireless cic (completely in canal) that allows wireless streaming from a television directly to the hearing devices with nothing else to wear. One could be watching tv with the sound turned down while getting a customised audio signal directly into their ear canals. You can switch back and forth with a remote control.
Starkey also plans to come out soon with their mobile phone solution, which will be the first to not require any accessory to use. I think that will be popular as people do not want to wear anything extra if they don't have to.
With the Annual American Academy of Audiology Convention coming up, there will be lot more to come. Stay tuned.
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