Hearing Aid Blog

How Nature Protects the Eardrum

December 28, 2009

The eardrum is a highly sensitive membrane and nature has taken various precautions to protect it from damage:

Cerumen (earwax): The external part of the ear canal contains sweat and sebaceous glands. The glands produce a waxy substance known as cerumen or earwax, which traps bacteria and dust. Cerumen is only produced in the outer third of the ear canal where it can be removed. Never try to clean down inside of the canal yourself. If you have a problem, consult your hearing care professional or physician.

Protective hair: The external part of the ear canal is covered with tiny hairs that act like a curtain to protect the eardrum from dust and dirt. If dust or bacteria do succeed in penetrating the curtain they are trapped by the cerumen.

Ear canal: The eardrum is further protected by bends in the ear canal. This helps prevent objects accidentally entering the ear and damaging the eardrum.

Cerumen and hearing instruments: When you first start wearing a hearing instrument, it often seems like a foreign object in the ear. This feeling disappears after a short familiarization period. All the same, hearing instruments can stimulate the production of cerumen. Some instruments are equipped with a protective cerumen filter to help prevent earwax from entering the instrument. If the outlet of the hearing instrument is blocked by earwax, the volume may be reduced or even cut-off altogether.

A Good Hearing aid fit is Vital

There are two reasons to make sure a hearing instrument fits well – one acoustic, the other anatomical.

The acoustic reason – A loosely fitting hearing instrument can cause feedback (whistling). This happens when the instrument does not fit snugly and the amplified signal finds its way back to the microphone. For comfortable, interference-free hearing, a snug fit in the ear canal is essential.

The anatomical reason – A hearing instrument that does not fit snugly can work its way out of the correct position when its wearer is chewing, yawning or simply talking. This is because the shape of the ear canal is influenced by movements of the jaw. You can feel this by putting the tip of your finger into the ear, then slowly opening and closing your mouth.

Useful Tips for Caring for Your Hearing Aids

Modern hearing aids are durable, easy-to-use and reliable.  Nevertheless, a few simple precautions will ensure that your instruments continue to give you many years of trouble free service.

  • Avoid getting your hearing instruments dirty. Always make sure your fingers are dry and clean before handling your hearing instruments. The microphone inlet is only a few tenths of a millimeter wide and can become blocked easily.
  • Avoid sharp knocks and impact. Insert and remove your hearing instruments over a soft surface (a bed or sofa). Protect your hearing instruments from heat. Never leave your hearing instruments where they may be affected by extreme heat. Protect them from direct sunlight (at home and in a parked car) and do not leave them near radiators. Protect your instruments from dampness. Remove instruments from your ears before showering, bathing, or swimming. Do not leave them in the bathroom where they could suffer water damage. Dry any perspiration inside and around the ears regularly. Dampness and condensation can damage the circuitry in your hearing instruments. We recommend that you leave the battery compartments open overnight and use the special drying kit available from your hearing care professional.
  • Keep your hearing instruments out of the reach of children and pets. Dogs are irritated by the feedback (whistling) sound and attracted by the owner’s scent. Often the result is a chewed up hearing instrument. The hearing instrument battery can be dangerous if swallowed. Consult a medical professional immediately if the battery is accidentally ingested.
  • Avoid contact with make-up or hair spray. The fine particles produced by make-up or hair spray can easily block a microphone inlet. Always remove hearing instruments before using such products.

Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aids

If you are having problems with your hearing aid, there are a few things you can do yourself to try to fix it.


Problem: The volume drops

  • Low battery – replace it.
  • The sound outlet is blocked with earwax – clean with a small brush.
  • Change the cerumen filter.
  • Blocked microphone inlet – consult your hearing care professional.

Problem: The instrument “whistles” in the ear

  • The instrument is not correctly inserted in your ear. Try again.
  • The instrument is in the wrong ear – swap it over.
  • The fit of the instrument is too loose – consult your hearing care professional.

Problem: The instrument does not work

  • There is no battery in it – insert one.
  • The battery compartment is not closed – shut it.
  • The battery is dirty – clean the battery surface.
  • The battery is dead – replace it.

Problem: The instrument slops out of your ear

  • The ear canal is wet or dirty – wipe the hearing instrument and your ear with a soft, dry cloth.

Problem: The instrument hurts your ear

  • The instrument is not correctly positioned – remove and re-insert it. If the problem persists, consult your hearing care professional.

Problem: The instruments is difficult to insert

  • Place a small drop of non-irritating lubricant on your finger and smear onto the ear canal entrance before inserting your instrument. Ensure that no lubricant enters the sound outlet or microphone apertures.

Important:
If the suggestions above do not solve the problem, contact your hearing care professional.

We’re now on facebook.

December 19, 2009

A&A Hearing Group – Montgomery Village, MD

A&A Hearing Group – Chevy Chase, MD

Lyric Hearing

December 12, 2009

LYRIC® HEARING
Invisible. Effortless. 24/7.


We are proud to be one of the select offices in the United States to offer Lyric Hearing to its patients. Lyric was featured on Good Morning America as a new hearing technology that is not only tiny and invisible, but also delivers exceptional sound quality without daily hassles.



Watch A Video on How Lyric Works >>

Lyric is the first extended wear hearing device that is 100% invisible. It is comfortably placed in the ear canal by a Lyric trained hearing professional and can be worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for up to 4 months at a time.1 No surgery or anesthesia is required.

Unlike many other hearing aids, Lyric is positioned completely inside the ear canal, so it uses your ear’s natural anatomy to funnel sound to your eardrum. This unique design and placement helps reduce background noise and feedback and provides exceptionally natural sound quality. Because it remains in the ear canal 24/7 for months at a time, you don’t need to worry about daily hassles like putting the device on or taking it off, or changing batteries, so you can forget about your hearing loss and spend time connecting with friends and loved ones.

Lyric Benefits

  • 100% Invisible
    • Once placed, Lyric is 100% invisible
  • Effortless Hearing, 24/7
    • Lyric can be used during your daily activities, such as exercising, showering, talking on the phone, and sleeping.
    • There are no batteries to change, no maintenance is needed, and no daily insertion or removal is required.
  • Natural Sound Quality
    • Lyric’s placement deep in the ear canal allows the outer ear (the pinna) to direct sound into the ear canal naturally, resulting in reduced background noise and feedback, and exceptional sound quality

A recent study shows that of the patients surveyed, 99% preferred Lyric over their previous hearing aids,2 95% preferred Lyric sound quality over their previous hearing aids,3 and 96% would recommend Lyric to a friend or loved one4.

Please call us today to make an appointment to see if Lyric is right for you. Receive a Free Lyric Screening and Risk-Free 30-day Trial.

For more information about Lyric, please visit www.lyrichearing.com.

1 Individual replacement needs may vary.
2 Based on a telephone survey of 67 patients who have worn Lyric for at least 30 days.
3 Based on a combination of results from three surveys totaling 86 patients who had worn Lyric for at least 30 days
4 Based on a telephone survey of 90 patients who have worn Lyric for at least 30 days.

Lyric is not appropriate for all patients. See a trained Lyric professional to determine if Lyric is right for you.

Hearing with our skin

Hearing with our skin

If your ears can’t hear what someone is saying what about listening with your skin?
According to a study in the journal Nature, sensations on the skin can help people understand speech.
Just like looking at someone’s lips in a noisy place, or if you have a hearing loss, feeling, can also help you hear.
“From our brain’s point of view, we can hear with our eyes,” says Bryan Gick, a professor of phonetics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
“From my point of view, we’re whole-body perceiving machines,” Gick says. “We just take all of the information that comes at us in our environment and merge it into a percept of something that happened in the world.”
Where does the Integration Happen?
David Ostry, a professor of psychology at McGill University in Montreal says these days the big scientific question isn’t whether our brains routinely integrate sensory information, but how.
“It’s up for grabs where within the brain this kind of integration is happening,” he says.
One possibility is areas in the brain that process sensory information, Ostry says. But he notes it’s also possible that integration takes place in the motor cortex, which controls our muscles.
Researchers say what they learn about how other senses influence hearing could help people with hearing loss, as well as people such as commercial airline pilots, who often have to decipher speech in a noisy environment.

If your ears can’t hear what someone is saying what about listening with your skin?

According to a study in the journal Nature, sensations on the skin can help people understand speech.

Just like looking at someone’s lips to help you hear better,  feeling sounds can also help you hear.

“From our brain’s point of view, we can hear with our eyes,” says Bryan Gick, a professor of phonetics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.  ”We’re whole-body perceiving machines,” Gick says. “We just take all of the information that comes at us in our environment and merge it into a percept of something that happened in the world.”

Where does the Integration Happen?

There’s no question that our brains routinely integrate sensory information, but how our brains do that, is still unclear.  One possibility is that integration takes place in the motor cortex, which controls our muscles.

Researchers say what they learn about how other senses influence hearing could help people with hearing loss, as well as people such as commercial airline pilots, who often have to decipher speech in a noisy environment.

Hearing Aid Maintenance

Hearing aids, like cars, need regular maintenance to keep them operating at their best. Hearing aids are fragile, little machines and conditions of the ear can damage the hearing aid over time.  Ears contain wax, moisture, skin and oil that are enemies of hearing aids.   There are few things you do every day to keep your hearing aid “healthy”.  Everyday maintenance should include wiping off your hearing aid with a dry cloth and brushing off any wax or debris that is on the hearing aid using a hearing aid brush or a dry toothbrush.  Never use a wet cloth or alcohol on a hearing aid.  After use every night , you should open the battery door to allow air circulation that helps keep the hearing aid dry inside.  Storing the hearing aids in a dehumidifying container is strongly recommended and will help keep your hearing aid dry.  Never dry the hearing aids by microwave, stove or oven.  Another enemy of the hearing aid are pets.  Cats and dogs are attracted to the smell of hearing aids and many hearing aids have been eaten or destroyed by Fluffy or Fido.  Avoid using hairspray while wearing your hearing aid.  Never shower, bath or swim with hearing aids.

Like taking your car into the mechanic for an oil change, hearing aids need to be regularly brought in to the “hearing aid mechanic”.  Even if your hearing aids sound fine, hearing aids need to be professionally cleaned to prevent any problems.  All hearing aids need to be listened to, looked out and cleaned by a professional every four to six months.  Hearing aids that go behind the ear also need to have their tubing changed every four to six months.  Over time, tubing will turn yellow, harden and eventually crack causing problems with sound.

These tips will help to prolong the life of your hearing aid and help to keep you hearing well.

The Gift of Communication

December 10, 2009

Give the Gift of Communication for the Holidays with the Hamilton Caption Telephone, Model 800i.  Every patient can use a little help on the phone and the 800i provides just that- A 40 dB amplified phone with large real time captions.  This great phone includes a large screen with adjustable font PLUS it is direct dial- no need to call a relay.  (high-speed internet connection required) All for ONLY $99.00!

CapTel® 800i

Degree of Hearing Loss Varies from Person to Person

December 9, 2009

Between the two extremes of hearing well and hearing nothing, there are many degrees of impairment. The terms used to describe the degree of hearing loss are mild, moderate, severe, and profound. Most hearing losses are mild to moderate.

Mild hearing loss:  Unable to hear soft sounds, difficulty perceiving speech in noisy environments.

Moderate hearing loss:  Unable to hear soft and moderately loud sounds, considerable difficulty in perceiving speech, particularly with background noise.

Severe hearing loss:  Speakers must raise their voice. Group conversation is possible only with considerable effort.

Profound hearing loss:  Some very loud sounds are audible but hearing conversation without a hearing instrument is impossible.

The Impact of Hearing Loss on Speech Perception

Hearing loss in the inner ear (sensorineural hearing loss) mainly affects high frequency sounds. These high-pitched sounds such as “s,” “f,” “sh,” “t” play a key role in our ability to understand speech clearly. This is why a person with this type of hearing loss will often say, “I can hear but I don’t understand what’s being said.” Hearing loss drastically reduces the ability to understand speech.

The Hearing Test

The performance of the ear is tested with a special measuring instrument, the audiometer. The object of the test is to precisely register the extent of the hearing loss. This can only be done when there is no background noise to distort the result. Since the extent of the damage may be different in each ear, they need to be tested separately. In order to do this the sound signals are transmitted via headphones. Both the perception of the sound and the understanding of speech are tested. The key observations are “when do I begin to hear the sound” and “when does the sound become unpleasantly loud.” This test is usually carried out for several frequencies (or pitches), at a range of different loudness levels. The result is presented in the form of a sound-audiogram. The audiogram is a special graphic representation of the evaluation of a person’s hearing ability. The audiogram enables us to establish the degree, type, and progression of a loss of hear. Regular checks give a clear picture of any changes in the hearing system.

What do the horizontal numbers in the audiogram mean?

The frequencies (pitches), measured in Hertz (Hz) are marked on the horizontal axis. The pitch of the sound increases from left to right. Lower numbers mean lower-pitched sounds (e.g. bass voices, drums) and high numbers correspond to higher-pitched sounds (e.g. birdsong, soprano voices).

What do the digits on the left-hand side of the audiogram mean?

The hearing loss for each frequency measured can be seen on the vertical axis. The higher the number, the louder the sounds. The level is measured in decibels (dB).  0dB indicates the softest sound normally heard by the healthy ear.  120 dB is the loudest sound usually considered tolerable by human beings.

Analog, Digitally Programmable, Digital?

Every hearing instrument has at least one microphone which picks up sound from the environment, an amplifier which transforms the signal to compensate for hearing loss and a receiver that directs the signal, which is adapted for the hearing loss, into the auditory canal. This is similar to a hi-fi system although these hearing systems are much smaller and adapted specifically to the needs of the hearing-impaired individual.  Thanks to increasingly small micro-processors, digital technology has been introduced in to the most modern hearing systems. Digital hearing instruments are programmed by a hearingcare professional via computer. Acoustic signals are transformed into a binary code at high speed and with great precision. Complex calculations provide the ultimate flexibility in providing individualized solutions to hearing loss. Additional hearing system features can be offered: e.g. various hearing programs, automatic program selection, noise cancellers, and adaptive directionality. Remote control operation is also possible.

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