Common tips include focusing on one person at a time, choosing areas where background noise is minimized, and focusing on face of the person to whom you’re talking. The last tip is especially important for those skilled in reading lips.

The number of skilled lip-readers might soon be growing, thanks to research out of the eighth International Conference on Auditory-Visual Speech Processing. A study presented at the conference found that for the first time ever, computers are able to read lips better than their human counterparts. The computers were able to do so well by exploiting small but simple differences in images lip shapes, rather than the more complex full-video required by human lip-readers.

This technology has been used in a new series of videos to that were able to teach humans to read lips for one-syllable words: no easy task.

The study’s lead author, Sarah Hilder said, “With just four hours of training it helped them improve their lip-reading skills markedly. We hope this research will represent a real technological advance for the deaf community.”

Hopefully, this new lip-reading technology can seamlessly combine with the ever-changing hearing-aid technology to foster better, easier communication for the 36 million Americans suffering from hearing loss.

The name is a little cheesy, but this small RIC (Receiver-In-Canal) hearing aid accommodates the latest in hearing technology, while providing a very comfortable hearing aid for its user. They are super light that you will forget that you’re even wearing it.

The Widex Passion have a program called Zen that plays random, non-repeated and infinite tones and chimes with no sudden changes in tonality or tempo. Great if you go birdwatching or hiking.

At the heart of Passion440 is the Dual Integrated Signal Processing (ISP) technology. Dual ISP doesn’t just analyse and process isolated sounds; it brings the details to life by creating a dynamic listening experience while giving you control of the preferences that suit you best.

I think the coolest feature is the SmartSpeak feature which actually uses recorded speech to inform you of various hearing aid functions, such as low battery power and program modes–SmartSpeak is available in over 20 languages.

If you want to check out Widex’s Passion 440, give us a call to help with your hearing aid questions & needs.

Hearing loss is usually stereotyped as an older person’s issue or disease.

The senior citizen cupping his hand to his ear and yelling “what did you say?” to the toaster is practically a cliché. It’s understandable, in a way – hearing does degenerate as you age.

But over half of the 36 million American hearing-loss sufferers are under the age of 65.

What options does a young hearing-loss sufferer have?

The Nios Micro, the world’s most technologically advanced pediatric hearing aid. This hearing aid comes with SoundRecover (especially helpful because fellow children’s voices tend to be higher pitched),  RealEar Sound, and WhistleBlock technology.

Depending on the model, it can also come with a wide variety of other features, including Voice Zoom, for speech intelligibility, and NoiseBlock processing, which filters out background noise in a way that even healthy ears can’t.

As a bonus, it comes in 13 (!) different styles. Even a picky child can find the right one for themselves.

Hearing loss isn’t just for the old. If you think your child might be suffering from it, do not hesitate to visit an audiologist, or give us a call–we’ll be happy to answer any questions.

With all of the fascinating technology being developed on a near-daily basis, hearing aids seem – and have become – thoroughly modern devices. However, the history of hearing aids stretches back several decades, to a brilliant physicist and author named Harvey Fletcher.

Fletcher’s prototypical hearing aids were worn on the body, and consisted of an ear mold connected to a case about the size of a deck of playing cards. This case was connected to the mold via a loop, and attached to the belt or pocket of the wearer. Because of their great size, they were capable of great feats of amplification; through their bulkiness and unwieldiness they have been replaced  by “behind the ear” hearing aids. Still, for the time, they represented a watershed moment in hearing amplification.

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids are tubes that wrap, fittingly enough, behind the ear of the hearing loss sufferer. They provide sound through air conduction through this length of tubing. Because they keep the ear open, they allow the user to retain use of whatever hearing they have left, and are therefore appropriate for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

Hearing  aid technology progressed further with the development of In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aids. These devices go directly into the ear canal. Further advancements have created digital hearing aids that are programmable and can come with a number of exciting and helpful accessories.

Even less obtrusive in every-day conversation are implantable hearing aids. These aids can be implanted directly into the bone of people who suffer from hearing loss, in a procedure that can be recovered from in mere hours. Extended-wear hearing aids have also been introduced, allowing hearing loss sufferers to hear clearly on a daily basis without worrying about taking an aid in or out frequently.

The history of hearing aids is fascinating, and ever changing. The sheer amount of accumulated knowledge that has resulted in the modern class of hearing loss technology is astounding.

Can individuals with hearing aids use mobile phones normally?

For those without hearing loss, using mobile phones poses little problem. You simply hold your phone into your ear and let the sound flow naturally. For those with impaired hearing, however, mobile phones can add simply another layer to the hearing difficulty.

Enter Click’nTalk. An easy, convenient accessory from Phonak that clicks directly onto the end of your mobile phone, instant transmitting it into a wireless transmitter. Using the Phonak HiBAN (Hearing instrument Body Area Network) link, the device digitizes the sound and send it to both receivers simultaneously, ensuring rich, full sound. Furthermore, because the sound is now digital, you can reap all the benefits your digital hearing aid provides over an analog one.

No charging. No programming. Click’nTalk is a sleek and innovative solution to cell-phone difficulties.

Without properly functioning batteries, hearing aids are little more than extremely expensive earplugs.

The most common type of battery is known as “Zinc Air”. This type of battery is operated by the oxidation of zinc with the oxygen present in air around us. Because Zinc is readily available, these batteries are easily produced and retain terminal voltage until 80-85% depletion. Furthermore, they are easily stored and last a long time – provided the tab isn’t pulled.

Zinc-Air batteries for hearing aids come equipped with a tab, that, once pulled, will activate the battery and begin the process of depletion. When pulled, the tab allows water and oxygen in the air to mix with particles of zinc and an electrolyte (usually potassium hydroxide), forming zincate and releasing electrons. Once this process is started, the tab can’t be reattached, so it is best to keep tabs on until the battery needs to be used. Because t he tabs are held in place with sticky glue, they can come off in hot environments without the wearer knowing . It is generally not a very good idea to place these batteries in extremely hot environments for extended periods (for example in cars in the summer).

No matter your hearing aid, proper battery usage is crucial to maintaining good function.

Why not?

One study indicated that 25% of people that rejected hearing aids did so because the felt like those hearing aids did a poor job in eliminating background noise.  This rejection of potentially helpful hearing aid technology was one of the impetuses for a recently concluded three-year double-blind study to test the real-world benefit of directional hearing aids.

Ninety-four subjects, all previous users of omni-directional hearing aids were fit with directional hearing aids for a month, followed by omnidirectional hearing aids for a month. For each hearing aid, they were given objective and subjective hearing tests and asked to respond on their experience.

The data showed that while subjective testing failed to produce a clear preference, directional hearing aids fared notably better in objective hearing tests.

A significant conclusion can be drawn from the test that the use of directional microphones in hearing aids can help users identify speech-in-noise. Identifying speech-in-noise is one of the primary concerns for any wearer of a hearing-aid; it is what allows the user of the aid to distinguish between the clattering of dishes and the funny story of a coworker.

This study helps show the vast improvements and the brilliant science going into hearing aid technology.

But can hearing aids help save the economy?

That’s what a UF professor whose work helped develop the project is saying.  Alice Holmes, a professor in UF’s Department of Communicative Disorders at the College of Public Health and Health Professions, has worked with other UF researchers to pioneer a new type of hearing aid.

This hearing aid is programmed not to the tonal beeps of past hearing aids, but rather to be responsive to speech sounds such as “ata” and “aba.”

It is Holmes’ contention that many people, especially in an older state like Florida, are prematurely forced out of the workforce by poor hearing. A scant 20 percent of the 31 million Americans with hearing loss that could be benefited by the use of an aid actually take advantage of hearing aid technology, some no doubt frustrated by ill-fitting or unhelpful hearing aids.

Furthermore, by allowing hearing aids to be programmed more quickly and efficiently, the new technology hopes not only provide a lifestyle benefit to the patients, but an economic boon to the audiology clinics. Hearing loss ranks second to only arthritis as a permanent disability in the older community, Holmes says.

As hearing aid technology gets better, and better, we continue to reap benefits. This additional potential boost to the economy is a welcome one.

Hearing loss, especially in a large, busy city, can negatively affect your ability to properly react to dangerous elements.

So why are people so hesitant to get hearing aids?

A variety of reasons:

>>Hearing aids can be bulky.

>>Hearing aids can be unseemly.

>>Hearing aids can be a hassle–where’s the guarantee that when it comes to a crowded party or loud restaurant? Will these hearing aids even work properly?

Enter the Audéo SMART, the world’s smallest hearing system with full wireless functionality.

It’s a small, compact, discreet hearing aid that uses wireless functionality to ensure that you can hear properly no matter what the circumstance is. Wirelessness in hearing aids is a fairly new development that allows you to adjust your aid to the environment. You can even use them in conjunction with a wireless microphone–no more frustrated yelling over too-loud music.

The Audéo SMART is also highly customizable. It comes in 11 colors and 3 different strengths depending on your need and budget:

>>The SMART IX is a high-end CRT (canal receiver technology) hearing solution, for those that demand the best out of their hearing aids. It incorporates the latest innovations in hearing aid techonology.

>>The midrange SMART  allows flexible control with high-performance and includes SoundFlow advanced.

>>Finally, the SMART III proves that hearing aids don’t have to destroy your wallet, combining the freedom of wireless connectivity with SoundFlow Standard.

The Audéo SMART is a highly exciting advance in hearing aid technology. Flexibility, Freedom, Value: this line truly represents the vanguard of instruments fighting hearing loss.

Hearing aids are like other medical products used to assist anyone who has a disability. To make a comparison,  you don’t always need a prescription from a doctor to buy your medicine and sometimes can get what your looking for over the counter–this is now happening in the world of hearing aids.

The question we need to really ask ourselves as well as other hearing professionals is, it a good idea to buy a hearing aid without having it properly  made to one’s degree of hearing loss? Anyone who gets a hearing aid or is thinking of getting one should first see an audiologist to see what the best option would be.

The audiologist will first test your hearing to see if there is any hearing loss–and how strong it has become. If necessary, the audiologist will then recommend whether or not you should get a hearing aid. This is extremely important. If someone buys a hearing aid without seeing an audiologist beforehand, one of two outcomes will result–both of which are negative and will only hurt the patient in need.

The first possible outcome is that the hearing aid would be too weak. As a result, it would  not only be a waste of your money, but the patient’s  hearing would not improve as a result. The second outcome is that could be too strong of a hearing aid. This would be disastrous. If it is too powerful it would cause noise induced hearing loss. This hearing loss is irreversible and will never be restored to what it once was.

An audiologist suggesting a custom hearing aid benefits the patient and at time hearing loss could be fixed without the use of a hearing aid depending on the type of hearing loss.

So getting a custom hearing aids with assistance from an audiologist is the best practice. Every individual has different levels of hearing loss. When it comes to hearing aids, see an audiologist to get help with your hearing problems, don’t take the cheap way out and damage it.