Archive for the ‘Treatment’ Category

Jan 12

Inexpensive Hearing Aids: Are They Right For You?

General, Tips & Tricks, Treatment, hearing aid technology, hearing loss 2 Comments »

Millions of Americans suffering from hearing loss are hesitant to correct it. One of the primary reasons is the prohibitive cost — even inexpensive custom hearing aids can run in the thousands of dollars, and are rarely if ever covered by insurance. While people of all ages suffer from hearing loss, older people — who are often on fixed incomes — are affected in much higher percentages. Because of this, mass-produced sound amplifiers from retailers like Radio Shack are gaining in popularity.
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Nov 09

Can Earwax be Harmful to your Hearing?

Causes of Hearing Loss, Tips & Tricks, Treatment, hearing loss 1 Comment »

There’s nothing appetizing about earwax.

No poems about how clogged and greasy thine lover’s ear is. No movies about how fascinating and dynamic it is. There is not a single-hour long television drama where the primary plot is driven by anything having remotely to do with earwax.

So what’s good about it? (more…)

Nov 03

Phonak’s SoundRecover Technology: A Break-through for Hearing Aid Frequencies

Technology, Treatment, digital hearing aids, hearing aid technology No Comments »

Hearing loss has a variety of negative impacts for it’s sufferer.

One common one is impairment that results in inability to distinguish high-frequency sounds. Traditionally, the greater the hearing loss, the more gain needs to be applied at that frequency. However, for some people, hearing sensitivity is so poor in the high frequencies that it is not possible to provide sufficient gain and achieve audibility. In many cases, the gain is limited by acoustic feedback or by discomfort, resulting from excessive loudness. Cochlear damage renders these sorts of frequency problems with hearing:

>>An inability to recognize certain speech sounds

>>Difficulty distinguishing high-pitched background sounds–like bird chirps and songs

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Oct 27

Unilateral Hearing Loss

Treatment, Type Of Hearing Loss, hearing loss No Comments »

Hearing loss can be difficult to bear at first, no matter its causes. As mentioned in a previous post about hearing loss, there are many different forms. One common form is Unilateral Hearing Loss also known as Single-Sided Deafness, which is deafness in only one ear.
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Oct 16

Conductive Hearing Loss: A Type of Hearing Loss

Treatment, Type Of Hearing Loss, hearing loss 3 Comments »

No one ever desires to have any sort of hearing loss, however, if you do suffer from hearing loss – conductive hearing loss is less serious than sensorineural hearing loss, ENTs and audiologists say.

The reasoning is simple- with condunctive hearing loss, it is medically possible to repair the lost hearing, but with sensorineural the hearing loss is  directly affects the nerves and is usually permanent – only assisted with technology. Only a small percentage of patients have a conductive hearing loss. There are many reasons for having conductive hearing loss that are considered:

- Fluid Trapped within the Eustachian tube: If there is an excess of fluid, it can cause some hearing loss. This is eminently treatable; the tube can be drained and hearing loss alleviated.

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Sep 22

Children’s Audiology: Diagnostic Signs An Infant Should See An Audiologist

Treatment, hearing aid technology 2 Comments »

People often connect that being deaf or having a hearing problem are linked to the elderly. If you see any audiologist, they will be quickly dispel this myth and tell you through audiological research anyone can suffer from hearing loss. Sometime it is difficult to notice, though. An older person can let you know  if they have a hearing problem, but what about infants or young toddlers?
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Sep 15

Hearing Aid Technology: Cochlear Implants Help Combat Hearing Loss

Technology, Treatment, digital hearing aids, hearing aid technology 3 Comments »

The way in which we hear is a rather complex system involving the smallest bones in the human body known as the  Stapes, but it also includes several small snail shaped object known as the cochlea. The cochlea are critical to the hearing process and if damaged can cause hearing loss–either mild or severe.

However, nowadays there is a cochlear implant surgery which can help improve your hearing significantly if you have a severe hearing loss. Let’s take a look  and see why cochlear implants can help those with profound hearing loss:
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Sep 08

Hearing Loss And The Ossicles: The Stapedectomy

Treatment, hearing loss No Comments »

As I mentioned in our last post, when it comes to our hearing the smallest bones in the human body are essential to our hearing. These bones however can have problems such as otosclerosis–a condition where the softer parts of the stirrup (stape) harden thus making it harder for the bones to vibrate causing hearing loss. If  not treated as soon as possible, this condition will cause deafness in both ears. There is a procedure to repair it with a surgery known as a stapedectomy. An audiologist would diagnose the problem but is performed by a specialized ear surgeon.

The Stapedectomy is a process where the stapes are removed from the inner-ear. Once removed, it is replaced by a prosthetic. After this process, the ear drum (which is gently opened to insert the stape) is resealed gently and held in place with a packing ointment or gelatin. The benefits to this surgery are rather remarkable.
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