sounds

How Hearing Aids Work

by
how-hearing-aids-work

If you think hearing aids are just some devices that will make you hear louder, think again. Today’s hearing aids are compact technologically advanced communication devices that make various sounds understandable. The device also filters out background noise and improves speech comprehension. If the person suffers from hearing loss, hearing aids can take some effort off the brain and make listening easier.

Parts of hearing aids:

All hearing aids include five basic components:
  • Microphone
  • Amplifier
  • Speaker
  • Battery
  • Computer processor

Note: A Hearing Care Professional will program the computer chip to ensure your hearing aids work according to the level of hearing loss and individual needs.

So how do hearing aids work?

  1. Microphones pick up nearby sounds
  2. Then the sounds are analyzed and adjusted by the processing chip customized to your type of hearing loss
  3. The Processed sounds are then sent to the amplifier
  4. The amplified sound is then sent to your speaker
  5. The speaker transmits sounds into the inner ear through a thin wire that goes to a receiver in the ear
  6. These sounds are then transformed into electrical impulses in the inner ear
  7. The brain picks up these electrical impulses and processes them into sounds.

Modern-age hearing aids offer advanced options to keep you connected on the go. Connect your hearing aids via Bluetooth to your mobile phone and you can then control your devices, stream music and even television.

How to decide which is the right hearing aid for you?

A hearing professional will check your hearing and recommend a hearing aid pair according to your needs. Remember - hearing aids can’t completely restore normal hearing, but they can absolutely improve your ability to hear in otherwise difficult situations.

How to care for your hearing aids?

Like all things, proper maintenance and care will extend the life of your hearing aid. Some of the tips are as follows:

  1. Keep them away from heat and moisture.
  2. Clean your ears often so that dirt and earwax don’t accumulate in the hearing aids. Clean the hearing aids regularly as well, as instructed by your hearing professional.
  3. When not in use, turn the aids off.
  4. Replace dead batteries immediately.
  5. Avoid using hair products while you are wearing hearing aids.

Are you looking for help with hearing loss?

We know that hearing loss can be a difficult and frustrating experience for those who suffer from it. It can affect your social and professional life.

At Sky Medical we offer solutions that will enhance hearing for you or your loved ones. We have an extensive range of products to help you achieve the best possible results.

Learning about Hearing & Hearing Loss

by
learning-about-hearing-and-hearing-loss

Q. What is hearing loss?

A. Hearing loss is measured in decibels hearing level (or dBHL). This number represents the softest level you or your child can hear.

Q. What is a hearing level?

A. The Hearing level can be measured for pure tone sounds, as well as for speech sounds, and can be reported for both ears (bilateral) or for each ear individually (unilateral). The amount of hearing loss someone has is ranked as mild, moderate, severe, or profound.

Q. What are the different degrees of hearing loss?

A. Hearing loss varies in degrees, from normal to profound. In some cases, you cannot hear low pitch sounds and in other cases you cannot hear high pitch sounds, as below:

Normal hearing
You can hear quiet sounds down to 20 dBHL.

Mild hearing loss
Hearing loss in your better ear between 25 – 39 dBHL.
You have difficulty following speech in noisy situations.

Moderate hearing loss
Hearing loss in your better ear between 40 – 69 dBHL.
You have difficulty following speech without a hearing aid.

Severe hearing loss
Hearing loss in your better ear between 70 – 89 dBHL.
Require powerful hearing aids or an implant.

Profound hearing loss
Hearing loss in your better ear from 90 dBHL.
You need to rely mainly on lip-reading and/or sign language, or an implant.

Q. What are the different types of hearing loss?

A. Sensorineural Hearing Loss
In the past, sensorineural hearing loss was referred to as “nerve deafness”. We now know that in most cases the problem stems from the inner ear rather than from the hearing nerve. However, we continue to group the two problems together, because the inner ear and the hearing nerve are connected and need to work together. It’s another reason why hearing loss should be treated promptly – the ‘downstream’ neural parts of the hearing system need input from the ‘upstream’ sensory parts in order to grow and stay healthy.

Causes, Signs and Treatment of Sensorineural Hearing Loss
The causes of sensorineural hearing loss are varied but can be generally put into two categories: congenital and acquired.

Congenital hearing loss is present at birth and is the most common problem seen in newborns. It can be either inherited or caused by abnormal development in the fetus. Before the development of a vaccine, maternal rubella or German Measles was a common cause of congenital hearing loss.

Acquired hearing loss can be caused by a wide range of factors such as trauma, presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), noise exposure from machinery or firearms, Meniere’s disease and meningitis. A tumor on the hearing nerve can cause rarer neural hearing loss. When present in both ears, sensorineural hearing loss will mean you may have difficulty understanding, even when speech seems loud enough. When in one ear, you may have difficulty locating sounds or hearing background noise.

Treatment for sensorineural hearing loss varies, depending on the severity of your hearing loss and whether you are affected in one ear or both. If you have mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss in one ear then a conventional hearing aid is the most common treatment option. However, as hearing aids require some degree of useable hearing, they can’t help in the case of profound hearing loss.

If you have mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss in both ears, hearing aids can help most people. For more severe levels of hearing loss, sometimes hearing aids just do not help enough. This is because sensorineural hearing loss causes sounds to become distorted. Amplifying sounds through hearing aids makes them sound louder, but not necessarily clearer. Even good quality hearing aids can sound distorted if the inner ear is severely damaged.

If you have severe to profound hearing loss and hearing aids are no longer working for you, you may want to learn more about cochlear implants.

Q. Want to learn more about Hearing Loss?

We know hearing loss doesn’t have to stop you, whether it is mild or severe. To learn more about your options for treatment, contact us today!