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“Should I replace or repair an older hearing aid?” is among the more common questions we are asked. The truthful answer needs to be, “It depends.” Choosing between replace or repair does not have a one perfect answer. It really depends upon the situation and the tastes of the individual asking the question.The first thing to take into account is that all hearing aids – irrespective of how high-end they were or how well they were made – will occasionally begin to perform less well, or fail. They operate, after all, in an atmosphere (your ear canals) that is inhospitable to them because it contains moisture and ear wax. Ear wax is natural and essential because it safeguards the delicate lining of the outer ear, but it can be hard on hearing aids; water that is left in the ears after showering or swimming can be even tougher on them. Additionally, there is always the possibility of breakage from an accident or dropping the hearing aids, and the internal tubing and other components inevitably break down over time, so after a few years you can expect your aids needing repair or replacement.Likely the major factor you should think about when making the “repair or replace” decision is how you feel about your current hearing aids – do you like them, and the sound quality they deliver? If you like them and are accustomed to the sound that they generate or really like how they fit, repair may be the better option for you.Cost is obviously another major consideration. While new hearing aids may cost thousands of dollars, repairing your existing hearing aids may be possible for a few hundred. Balancing this, however, many people have insurance that will fully or partly cover the cost of new hearing aids, but that won’t pay for repairing them.If you choose to pursue a repair, the next normal question is “Should I return them to where I purchased them?”While online advertisers will try to position your hometown hearing professional as just a middle-man, that’s not accurate. There are several benefits of staying nearby. Your local audiologist will be able to establish if repairs are genuinely necessary, may be able to make minor repairs on their own, or have relationships with local tradesmen that work on your brand of hearing aid so you will reduce the length of time you are without it.For hearing aids which do need lab or manufacturer repairs, the clinic will coordinate all the paperwork for you. Don’t assume the price will be higher for these value-added services, because hearing professionals work with repair labs in larger volumes.More options are open to those who decide to replace their existing hearing aids. You’ll want to be open to new styles and technology understanding that anything different takes getting accustomed to. Newer hearing aids are more compact and provide superior programability to obtain the sound quality you prefer. So the decision whether to “replace or repair” is still yours, but hopefully this advice will assist you.

If you suffer from some form of hearing loss, do you ever find that listening to people talk is work, and that you need to try really hard to understand what people say? You are not alone. The sensation that listening and understanding is tiring work is common among individuals with hearing impairment – even those that use hearing aids.Regrettably, the repercussions of this sensation may not be restricted to loss of hearing function; it may also be connected to loss of cognitive abilities. In recent studies, researchers have found that hearing loss substantially increases your chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s.One of these research studies, from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, followed 639 individuals between the ages of 36 and 90, for a total of 16 years. At the end of the research, scientists found that 58 people (9 percent) had been diagnosed as suffering from dementia, and that 37 of them (5.8%) had developed Alzheimer’s disease. The level of hearing loss was positively correlated with the probability of developing either disorder. For every ten decibel further hearing loss, the risk of developing dementia went up by 20%.A separate research study of 1,984 people, also 16 years in duration, showed comparable results linking dementia and hearing loss. In this second study, investigators also found decline of cognitive capabilities among the hearing-impaired over the course of the study. The hearing-impaired participants developed reduced thinking capacity and memory loss 40 percent faster than individuals with normal hearing. An even more startling conclusion in each of the two studies was that the connection between hearing loss and dementia held true even if the individuals used hearing aids.The link between hearing loss and loss of cognitive functions is an open area of research, but scientists have offered a few hypotheses to explain the results observed to date. Scientists have coined the term cognitive overload in association with one particular hypothesis. Some believe that if you are hearing impaired, your brain tires itself out so much just trying to hear that it has a diminished capacity to understand what is being said. Maintaining a two-way conversation requires understanding. A lack of understanding causes interactions to break down and may result in social isolation. A second theory is that neither hearing loss nor dementia is the cause of the other, but that both are caused by an unknown mechanism that could be environmental, vascular or genetic.Although these study results are a little depressing, there is hope to be found in them. If you use hearing aids, visit your audiologist on a regular basis to keep them fitted, adjusted, and programmed correctly, so that you’re not straining to hear. If you don’t have to work as hard to hear, you have greater cognitive power to comprehend what is being said, and remember it. Also, if the 2 symptoms are connected, early detection of hearing impairment might at some point lead to interventions that could avoid dementia.

What do Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Eric Clapton, and Ludwig van Beethoven have in common, besides all being musicians? As a result of years of performing, they all have permanent hearing loss. When musicians come to me for treatment, I feel obliged to inform them of a lamentable fact of life – playing music may damage their hearing. Exposure to loud music causes noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which can produce a temporary ringing in the ears (tinnitus); if you continue to expose yourself to the loud music, the condition can become permanent.Not just big-name stadium rock stars are susceptible, all musicians are at risk. Players of all genres from classical, to club and small venues, even while rehearsing at home a musician can cross the threshold to overexposure resulting in NIHL. You can experience hearing loss when exposed for a prolonged period of time to any sound over 85 decibels (dB). An electric guitar played onstage generates 120dB, but a violin can produce 103dB, and thus cause almost as much hearing loss. In fact, audiologists researching hearing loss in musicians have found that overexposure to sound while rehearsing adds up to more hours than they spend on stage performing.Musicians can take steps to protect their hearing despite this unavoidable exposure to sound that exceeds acceptable levels, even in seemingly quiet rehearsal settings. When investing in high-quality ear protection beyond what can be had from drug-store Styrofoam ear plugs, performers can trust their hearing is protected. Such earplugs were invented over 20 years ago by a company called Etymotic Research, and their design is still used by most of the manufacturers of specialized earplugs for musicians. These musicians earphones are better for your purposes because they allow you to hear the full frequency range of both music and speech, but at lower volumes that don’t damage hearing.You can find universal-fit musicians earplugs in most stores that sell musical instruments, starting at about $15 a pair. For musicians that want to protect their hearing and hear the full range of their music, I recommend custom-molded earplugs with Etymotic filters. The custom molded ear plugs will be more comfortable, will block more undesirable sounds while allowing you to hear the full range of music, and will be easier to maintain. When it comes to protecting your hearing from permanent damage it is well worth the added expense so you can enjoy performing your music for years to come.

Our patients often ask us why they seem to have significantly greater difficulty hearing in busy rooms than in other conditions. When they are talking to people one-on-one, or in small groups of people there is no problem, and they seem to hear just fine. Not so in crowded situations. Whether in large public space outdoors such as a football game or indoors at a party, they report being unable to distinguish the speakers’ voice over the background noise. This is true even when the speaker is close by and addressing them directly. People who complain of this also often mention having trouble hearing the consonants “H,” “F,” and “S,” no longer being able to distinguish one from the other.If this situation sounds familiar to you, it may be an indication that you have suffered some degree of high-frequency hearing loss. Human speech, especially the consonants “S,” “H,” and “F,” fall into the range of sounds between 3000 and 8000 Hertz, which scientists define as “high-frequency.” In crowds, there is a mix of frequencies, ranging from the low frequencies of background music or people walking or dancing to the higher frequencies of human speech. Individuals with high-frequency hearing loss will report that the low-frequency sounds are much louder to them. To them it is as if the ‘background noise’ has been amplified relative to the human speech they are trying to focus on.At least 18 percent of the population suffers from some form of high-frequency hearing loss. One of the possible causes for this condition is aging, but high-frequency hearing loss has in recent years been increasing in teenagers and younger adults as well, possibly as a result of being exposed to overly loud music, and suffering noise-induced hearing loss. High-frequency hearing loss can also be the result of diabetes, a side affect of certain prescription drugs or genetic factors.The important thing to remember is that if you have suffered some degree of high-frequency hearing loss, it can be effectively treated. We can prescribe hearing aids that have been adjusted to reduce the volume of low-frequency sounds and boost the volume of the higher frequencies, so that you can hear better in crowds.The first step is to visit one of our specialists, and make sure that the problem is caused by a loss of hearing. Our audiologist can perform a variety of tests to identify the underlying cause of the problem and recommend the best treatment options for your specific situation.

Hearing aids and cellular phones haven’t always gotten along as well as they do now. The sophisticated electronics in both products often caused static, lost words or squealing interference noises. Fortunately, advances in technology and new government regulations have made the issue “Will this phone work together with my hearing aid?” simpler to answer. The regulations mandated new labeling requirements and ratings that help you to find a cell phone that works well with your hearing aid.The first thing you need to understand is that hearing aids operate in two different modes – microphone or “M” mode, and telecoil or “T” mode. In M mode, your hearing aid uses its built-in microphone to pick up audible sounds from the environment and amplify them so that you can hear them. In T mode, the hearing aid uses telecoil technology instead. The hearing aid is able to pick up the electromagnetic signals from inside the phone directly. The T mode is important when shopping for a phone, because at least 60% of hearing aids sold in the U.S. have one.The two modes – M and T – are each rated on a scale of 1 to 4 where 1 is the lowest sensitivity and 4 is the highest. To be sold in the United States as hearing aid compatible (HAC), a mobile phone or cordless handset must have a rating of at least M3 or T3.Hearing aids and cochlear implants have a similar M and T rating system to certify how sensitive they are in each mode, and how resistant they are to radio frequency interference. When shopping for a phone, to determine its compatibility with your hearing aid, simply add its M and T ratings together with those of the phone to create a combined rating. A combined rating of 6 or more is considered excellent, a hearing aid/phone combination that would provide highly usable, interference-free performance. A sum of 5 is considered normal and should work fine for typical cell phone users. If the combined rating is 4, this is thought of as acceptable but not very usable if you make a lot of extended phone calls.If you are shopping for a mobile phone online, you can usually use this combined rating to determine how compatible the phone you are interested in buying will be with your hearing aid. In the end, nothing beats a real world test so you may want to wear your hearing aid to the mobile phone shop and test out a few different phone in real conditions.

The selection and purchase of a first hearing aid can be an overwhelming task for just about anyone. Consumer Reports published a comparative report on hearing aids after followtaling over a dozen people for six months while purchasing their first hearing aids. Their report was dismaying: two-thirds of the aids purchased ended up being misfitted, or amplified the sounds either too much or too little. Customers wound up paying widely-varying prices for the same units, and did not always receive the kind of information they were looking for from the vendors.To spare you this experience, in this article we’ll try to provide a few tips to help you when shopping for your first hearing aid.  Here are our suggestions:

1. Consult a professional hearing specialist – You can do this either by calling us for an appointment, or by consulting another certified hearing specialist in your area; either way we suggest you read the BHI guidelines before your first appointment. Those guidelines will help you to know what to expect, and what types of questions to ask.
2. Decide which type of aid is best for you -This is decided while working with the specialists, who will use tests they conduct during Step 1 to determine your type and severity of hearing loss. Settling on the perfect hearing aid for you will take into account the type of hearing loss you are experiencing as well as your budget.
4. Do your research – After determining the type of hearing aid you need, use the Internet to look up information about different models. Your research should focus on any reports of problems or repairs, consumer reviews on comfort and reliability, as well as price comparisons.
6. Locate a reputable vendor – The vendor may be the specialist you saw in Step 1, or can be someone recommended by them. Your hearing aid vendor should be trained and equipped to make molds of your ears to fit your hearing aid properly. While it is possible to buy hearing aids on the Internet, this is not recommended because most models have to be custom-fitted.
8. Make sure the aids fit and work properly – Your first fitting should include tests by your vendor to ensure comfortable fit and good function of your new hearing aid. Most reputable vendors will do this, and provide a “satisfaction guaranteed” warranty, complete with free followup fittings or adjustments, if necessary.

We wish you good luck with selecting your first hearing aid, and want you to know that we are here to provide help if you need it.

Hearing loss may appear in many forms, and may appear suddenly, as the result of injuries or trauma, or over time, as the result of aging. The hearing loss itself may be transient or permanent, and can vary from mild (having difficulty understanding casual conversation) to severe (complete deafness). On top of that, a person can experience a loss of hearing in either a single ear or both ears.Probably the most commonly noted symptom of hearing loss is gradually becoming unable to hear and understand conversations correctly. You might perceive other people’s voices as if they were speaking too softly or are too far away to be heard properly, or their voices may appear to be muffled and indistinct. Alternatively, you might be able to hear people talking but discover that you are having difficulty distinguishing individual words; this could become more pronounced when multiple people are speaking simultaneously, or when you are in busy rooms.Other indications that you may have suffered some hearing loss include having to turn up the volume on your TV or radio much higher than you did in the past, being unable to distinguish certain high-pitched sounds (such as ‘s’ or ‘th’) from one another, and having more difficulty hearing women’s voices than men’s voices. If you have pain, tenderness, or itching in your ears, have periods of vertigo or dizziness, or hear a persistent buzzing or ringing sound, these symptoms can also be indications of hearing loss.Because it may arise gradually, many people with hearing impairment don’t realize it. This can occasionally lead to habits or behaviors designed to hide their hearing loss from other people. Examples of these types of signs include asking people to repeat themselves frequently, avoiding dialogues and social situations, pretending to have heard stuff that you really didn’t, and feelings of isolation or depression.If you have experienced any of these signs or symptoms, schedule an appointment with one of our specialists. We can help by administering tests to see if you do have hearing loss, and if you have, we can help figure out what to do about it.

One topic that is rarely discussed when it comes to hearing loss is how to keep people who have it safe inside their homes. Picture this situation: you’re at home and a fire begins, and like most people today you have smoke detectors installed to warn you so that you and your family can evacuate before the fire becomes serious. But this time imagine further, and contemplate what would happen if your smoke alarm goes off at night after you’ve gone to sleep, removing your hearing aid first as you usually do.Virtually all smoke alarms (or similar carbon monoxide detectors), including nearly all devices accredited and mandated by city and state governments, emit a loud warning sound between the frequencies of 3,000 to 4,000 Hertz. And while the majority of people can hear these sounds easily, these frequencies are among those most affected by age-related hearing loss and other forms of auditory problems. So even if you were awake, if you are among the more than eleven million people in America with hearing loss, there is a possibility that you would not hear the alarm.Luckily, there are home safety products which are specifically created for the requirements of the hearing impaired. For those with slight to moderate hearing loss, there are smoke detectors that emit a 520 Hz square-wave warning tone that they can generally hear. For people who are completely deaf, or who cannot hear whatsoever when they remove their hearing aids or turn off their cochlear implants (CIs) at night when they go to bed, there are alert systems that blend extremely loud alarms, flashing lights, and vibrators that shake your mattress to warn you. For comprehensive home safety, many of these newer devices have been designed to be easily integrated into more extensive home protection systems to warn you in case of intruders, or if emergency services are pounding on your doors.Many who have hearing aids or who have cochlear implants have chosen to boost the efficiency of these devices by setting up induction loops in their homes. An induction loop is simply a lengthy strand of wire that encircles your living room, bedroom, or children’s rooms, which activates the telecoils embedded in your devices to raise the volume of sounds, and therefore may help you not to miss any important or emergency signals.And of course there is the lowly telephone, which many of us tend to ignore until we need one, but which can become crucial in any sort of emergency. Most present day telephones now can be found in models that are hearing aid and CI-compatible, which allow their use during emergencies. Other models incorporate speakerphone systems with very high volumes that can be easily used by the hearing impaired, and more importantly, can be voice-activated. So if you fell and hurt yourself away from the phone, you could still voice-dial for assistance. There are additional accessories for mobile phones, such as vibrating wristbands that can inform you of an incoming phone call even if you are asleep.Other safety tips are less technical and more practical, like always keeping the telephone numbers of fire departments, ambulance companies, doctors, and emergency services handy. We are as concerned about your basic safety as we are about your hearing, so if we can be of service with any further tips or suggestions, feel free to give us a call.

The question of precisely how long hearing aid batteries should be expected to last is not as simple to answer as it seems, because battery life hinges on numerous factors. Battery life will depend on the model of your hearing aid, and can vary widely across unique models created by the same manufacturer. The way you use your hearing aid will also affect battery life; the more hours a day it is turned on, the more rapidly you will use up batteries.There are even different battery lives in the exact same size of hearing aid battery depending on the manufacturer, and depending on whether you are purchasing that manufacturer’s “premium” line or their “normal” line of batteries. Battery type is another key factor in longevity. For example, zinc-air batteries will start to lose power the instant you remove the adhesive tab on the bottom and will continue to lose power even if the hearing aid is turned off while other types will only drain when they’re in a hearing aid that is powered on.Because the expense of hearing aid batteries adds up, if you are looking for a new hearing aid, you should do some research to find out which types and models of hearing aids have the best battery life, because that may influence your choice. The same research suggestion is true if you have an existing hearing aid and are trying to find the batteries with the longest life for it; you can learn a great deal from consumer ratings and comparative reports.To make things somewhat easier for you, hearing aid batteries are produced in 4 common sizes, each of which is marked with a distinct color code, which is always the same no matter who the manufacturer is. The following list of battery life is estimated, of course, but it should give you a general idea of how long batteries of each size should last:

• Size 10 – Yellow tag – 80 hours
• Size 13 – Orange tag – 240 hours
• Size 312 – Brown tag – 175 hours
• Size 675 – Blue tag – 300 hours

For the longest battery life, remember to turn your hearing aid off when you’re not using it. Store your unused hearing aid batteries at room temperature, indoors, and in their original, unopened packaging to ensure their longest possible life.

To understand the difference between analog and digital hearing aids, you need to first appreciate the history of analog versus digital, and the different ways that they amplify and process sounds. Analog technology emerged first, and as a result most hearing aids were analog until digital signal processing (DSP) was invented, after which digital hearing aids appeared. At this point, most (90%) of the hearing aids purchased in the United States are digital, although analog hearing aids are still offered because they’re often less expensive, and because some people prefer them.Analog hearing aids handle incoming sounds by taking the electrical sound waves as they emerge from a microphone and amplifying them “as is” before sending them to the speakers in your ears. Digital hearing aids take the sound waves from the microphone and transform them to digital binary code. This digital data can then be manipulated in many sophisticated ways by the microchip within the hearing aid, before being transformed back into regular analog signals and sent to the speakers.Analog and digital hearing aids carry out the same work – they take sounds and boost them to enable you to hear better. Both analog and digital hearing aids can be programmable, which means that they contain microchips that can be customized to alter sound quality to match the user, and to create various settings for different listening environments. As an example, there can be distinct settings for low-noise locations like libraries, for busy restaurants, and for large areas such as stadiums.But beyond programmability, the digital hearing aids often offer more controls to the wearer, and have additional features because of their ability to manipulate the sounds in digital form. For example, digital hearing aids may offer numerous channels and memories, permitting them to store more environment-specific profiles. Other features of digital hearing aids include the ability to automatically reduce background noise and eliminate feedback or whistling, or the ability to prefer the sound of voices over other sounds.In terms of price, analog hearing aids are in most cases less expensive, although some digital hearing aids are nearing the cost of analog devices by eliminating the more advanced features. There is commonly a noticeable difference in sound quality, but the question of whether analog or digital is “better” is entirely up to the individual, and the ways that they are used.

Excerpt: “The audiologists at Arizona Balance & Hearing Associates agree that getting the word out about the National Hearing Test is very important. Just as important is having local audiologists available in Phoenix to perform comprehensive hearing tests and offer individualized counseling for people who score outside the normal range on their screening.”Read full press release at:https://www.prweb.com/releases/hearing-test/Phoenix/prweb10392522.htmDownload PDF: Click Here

Around 6 million U.S. teenagers have some form of hearing loss, which signifies an increase of approximately 33 % over the last twenty years. While authorities claim that this hearing loss is in part caused by sustained exposure to high volumes of music from phones and MP3 players, participation in marching band is yet another contributing cause. As nearly every city high school and college has a marching band, participation is a very common activity among teenagers.Unsafe decibel levels for teens.Volume, or noise level, is measured in decibels (dB). Adults and children can suffer hearing loss from exposure to noises over 85 dB. Marching band includes a variety of instruments, some of which easily cross over that threshold during rehearsals and performances. For example, Duke University students were exposed to decibel levels of 99 over a half hour during drumline practice. However, playing those instruments indoors for rehearsals can be even more harmful to teens’ hearing. Unfortunately, many youths don’t reduce the volume of their instruments when playing inside.Prevention and protection strategies. Musicians earplugs are effective at reducing the sound levels that reach the inner ear. These professional earplugs are designed to fit perfectly in the teen’s ears. Musicians earplugs can be expensive, which may be a problem for parents. Another effective strategy for protecting young people’s hearing is to reduce the length of time they are exposed to potentially harmful sound levels by breaking up the rehearsals into shorter sessions. Increased awareness among teens and band leaders of the importance of reducing instrument sound levels when playing indoors is also key. Parents, teens, and band leaders should work together to increase awareness and to implement strategies for protecting the hearing of marching band members.

Navigating through the world with hearing loss can be difficult at times, particularly when you need to depend on your hearing for health and safety. Many individuals with hearing problems find that driving a car can become a challenge. Fortunately, just because you have difficulty hearing doesn’t mean that safe driving is out of the question. Keep these safe driving tips in mind the next time you get behind the wheel.Keep up with car maintenance: You know that if your motor is making a strange sound there is probably a problem with it. However, if you can’t pick up on audio clues that something is wrong with your vehicle you may end up driving an unsafe car. Stay up to date with routine maintenance to make sure your car is in proper condition.Don’t drive if you are not comfortable: If your hearing loss makes you feel uncomfortable while driving a car it’s best to avoid it. Take advantage of public transportation or other driving alternatives. Driving while stressed or uncomfortable may make you more likely to make dangerous errors, so don’t get behind the wheel unless you are feeling safe and confident.Reduce distractions: If your hearing isn’t ideal you will have to be more reliant on your other senses, such as vision. Therefore, you can put yourself (and your passengers) in danger if distractions such as electronic devices or food draw your eyes away from the road. Similarly, listening to the radio can make it even more difficult to hear sirens, horns, and other important traffic cues. Get rid of any influences that get between you and the road to make sure you aren’t missing crucial information.Drive with your hearing aid in mind: If you wear a hearing aid be sure you don’t get behind the wheel without it. It’s also important to make sure your car’s environment is conducive to proper hearing aid functioning. Rely on your car’s climate control system to maintain a comfortable temperature rather than opening the windows. The draft caused by rushing wind can reduce your hearing aid’s effectiveness, potentially putting you at risk.Hearing loss doesn’t have to keep you from driving if your doctor approves. Stay safe out there!

When many people think of post-combat injuries among veterans, they think of missing limbs, post-traumatic stress, and brain trauma. Hearing loss, though, may not often come to mind. Check out these 5 surprising facts about hearing loss among veterans to learn more.The most common post-service malady happens to be hearing damage or loss. – Hearing loss is even more common than PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Loud explosions from bombs aren’t the only threat to hearing – general combat and everyday military noise can cause harm as well. Improvised explosive devices, loud weapons, and other sounds such as the engines of ships, planes, and tanks can cause tinnitus and temporary to permanent loss of hearing. Hearing loss is especially common among post 9/11 veterans. Indeed, the numbers of soldiers who suffered hearing loss or tinnitus after the attacks on the World Trade Center swelled to 414,000.Soldiers are more likely to suffer hearing damage than civilians. – According to the Center for Disease Control, post-combat soldiers are 30 percent more likely to have severe hearing impairment than nonveterans. Even more concerning is that among those who served from September 2001 to March 2010, veterans were four times more like to suffer hearing loss than nonveterans.Hearing loss may be more prevalent now than it was for soldiers in the past. – Larger and louder weapons technology very likely contributes to higher numbers of veterans with hearing loss. Intensely loud field generators, bombs such as “bunker busters,” and even modern helicopters can cause hearing impairment if soldiers don’t take precautions.Many veterans suffering from hearing impairment don’t seek medical help right away. – According to experts, many soldiers with hearing loss or tinnitus choose to live with the problem, rather than getting help. Astoundingly, it takes an average of 7 years for a person to get help for hearing damage.Breakthroughs in neuroscience may help those who suffer severe tinnitus. – Some scientists assert that low serotonin levels may be linked to how severe a person’s tinnitus can be. Low serotonin can cause insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Tinnitus therapies combined with antidepressants have aided some veterans who are chronic sufferers of tinnitus.