Hearing Testing

A hearing (audiometric) test is part of an ear examination that evaluates a person's ability to hear by measuring the ability of sound to reach the brain.

The sounds we hear start as vibrations of air, fluid, and solid materials in our environment. The vibrations produce sound waves, which vibrate at a certain speed (frequency) and have a certain height (amplitude). The vibration speed of a sound wave determines how high or low a sound is (pitch). The height of the sound wave determines how loud the sound is (volume).

Hearing happens when these sound waves travel through the ear and are turned into nerve impulses. These nerve impulses are sent to the brain, which "hears" them.

It is very important for people of all ages to get their hearing tested periodically. 
If you think you are having trouble hearing it would be a good idea to at least take an online hearing test.

The best place to go for hearing aids in Houston is the Center for Audiology.

Lyric Hearing Aids Review

A overview of the cost, quality and fame surrounding this hearing aid

The Lyric hearing aid has generated a lot of buzz. Even outside of the hearing-impaired culture, the Lyric hearing aid has been featured in Popular Science magazine for its innovative technology, as well as being showcased on the Today Show and Dr. Oz. What makes the Lyric hearing aid different from other traditional hearing aids, and why so much buzz around this tiny device?

The Difference?

The Lyric hearing aid is an extended wear style of hearing aid. For many of us who are used to seeing only the older, daily wear style of hearing aid, the concept of extended wear in a hearing aid can be strange. Extended wear hearing aids are tiny devices, placed in the ear canal by an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor or other hearing specialists, and intended to be worn for months at a time without removal. Lyric hearing aids revolutionize the hearing aid market, allowing users to shower, sleep, use a cellular or home phone set, and even wear standard iPod style headphones, while still experiencing the benefits of the hearing aid.

How long can it be worn

The Lyric hearing aid is designed for four months of uninterrupted wear, requiring replacement three times a year. It is worth noting that while the Lyric is designed for four months of continuous wear, it is not guaranteed for four months of wear. The Lyric hearing aid does not contain a changeable battery, eliminating the need to purchase and switch out hearing aid batteries. The battery of the Lyric hearing aid is proprietary, and once the battery life has been fully used, Lyric will be replaced by a professional. The replacement procedure is reportedly painless, non-surgical, and takes about ten minutes.

Challenges

One of the challenges of Lyric is that due to the constant wear nature of the product, the battery integrity and product life can be diminished from the four month intended wear. There is a correlation between lifestyle and replacement frequency, such as protection of the ears while bathing, but Lyric has mitigated this with a clever purchasing plan.

The Cost

Rather than paying by the hearing aid, Lyric users pay the price up front for a year’s subscription to hearing aids. The payment does come with a 30 day free trial, allowing any potential users to try Lyric to see if it is right for them before committing to the several thousand dollar yearly price tag. However, the benefit of this system is that so long as users are near a Lyric specialist, they can have as many devices replaced as needed. Additionally, while Lyric needs to be inserted by a specialist, the device comes with magnetic tools that allow the user to adjust volume as needed, or in case of an emergency or dead battery, remove the device.

To find out more about this hearing aid contact the the Center for Audiology in Houston.

Understanding Hearing Loss

From KXAN.com:

Many people suffer from hearing loss. In fact, the latest available statistics show that over 10% of the U.S. population report difficulty hearing! That's over 31.5 million people! And as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, that number promises to increase dramatically!

Are you are one of those millions of people who do not hear as well as they once did? If so, you are certainly not alone. Consider these statistics reported by Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Better Hearing Institute :

• 3 in 10 people over age 60 have hearing loss; 
• 1 in 6 baby boomers (ages 41-59), or 14.6%, have a hearing problem; 
• 1 in 14 Generation Xers (ages 29-40), or 7.4%, already have hearing loss; 
• At least 1.4 million children (18 or younger) have hearing problems; 
• It is estimated that 3 in 1,000 infants are born with serious to profound hearing loss.

In addition, studies have linked untreated hearing loss to emotional, physical, mental, psychological and even economic disadvantages! And, to make matters even worse, there are many "myths" about hearing loss that prevent those with hearing loss from doing anything about it.

Click here to view a video about the consequences of untreated hearing loss and the myths that surround it!

Causes of Hearing Loss

One of the most common "myths" about hearing loss is that only "old people" suffer from it! In fact, the reverse is true! The majority (65%) of people with hearing loss are younger than 65 and six million people in the U.S. between 18 and 44 suffer from hearing loss (Better Hearing Institute website).

The truth is that there are several causes of hearing loss with "exposure to noise" ranking high among the reasons. The primary causes of hearing loss are:

• Exposure to noise 
• Medicine 
• Aging process 
• Disease 
• Head trauma

Click here to find out more about the causes of hearing loss:

Types of Hearing Loss

Not all hearing loss is corrected through the use of hearing aids or alternative listening devices. Type of hearing loss determines the specific treatment required.

There are four types of hearing loss:

• Conductive: This could be caused by something as simple as earwax buildup! 
• Sensorineural: This is caused when tiny hairs in the cochlea are missing or damaged. 
• Mixed: This is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss 
• Central: Strokes and central nerve diseases are often the cause of this type of hearing loss. 

Hearing Clearly in Large Crowds

The NYT has an interesting article that discusses a hearing aid technology that has been around a while but is becoming more widespread: Telecoil.

As the article explains:

The basic technology, called an induction loop, has been around for decades as a means of relaying signals from a telephone to a tiny receiver called a telecoil, or t-coil, that can be attached to a hearing aid. As telecoils became standard parts of hearing aids in Britain and Scandinavia, they were also used to receive signals from loops connected to microphones in halls, stores, taxicabs and a host of other places.

People in the United States have been slower to adopt the technology because telecoils were traditionally sold as an optional accessory, at an extra cost of about $50, instead of being included automatically with a hearing aid. But today telecoils are built into two-thirds of the hearing aids on the market as well as in all cochlear implants, so there is a growing number of people able to benefit from loops.

The bottom line is the installation of these telecoils are truly good for business. Someone who has trouble hearing is more likely to visit a place where they can enjoy the performance. It's interesting to note, that they are even being installed in train station fare booths where hearing aids don't work very well due to the noise. As more businesses see the benefits perhaps more businesses such as museums and theaters will make this technology more readily available.

Dementia: Hearing Aids Can Help

The Chicago Tribune reports that hearing aids may assist in helping dementia patients might help increase memory, reduce anxiety and increase social interaction among dementia patients, local health experts say. 


"Whether you have dementia or not, you need to hear," said Ronna Fisher, audiologist and founder and president of Hearing Health Center in Chicago and three suburbs. "It's not normal not to hear. Hearing is what makes us happy in our relationships. If you can't hear, you stop talking." 




 Improved sensory perception won't stop the progression of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease, experts said, but increasing the ability to hear will help reduce a patient's loneliness and confusion. "Getting hearing aids does help them," said Diane Morgan, memory support coordinator. "When their hearing is down, they experience paranoia or anxiety because they can't hear what's being said to them."


 Fisher, whose father suffered hearing loss at an early age, said she began noticing in 2008 that when her dementia patients were fitted with hearing aids –– especially deep-insert hearing devices that remain in the ear for three months at a time –– they socialized more and their memories improved. In a study released this year, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the National Institute on Aging found that seniors suffering from hearing loss were more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. 


Among other things, the research suggests that hearing loss could lead to social isolation, a risk factor for dementia. The research should offer hope to physicians treating dementia patients, said Dr. Marsel Mesulam, director of the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern's medical school. "Doctors and health care providers treating elderly patients should not throw up their hands treating dementia," Mesulam said. "




They can look at other factors that are treatable, like hearing loss or vision." Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a term used to describe the common symptoms of memory loss and declining cognitive abilities that interfere with daily life, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — A garage sale to raise funds to buy children hearing aids is Friday, Saturday at Sunday at 3356 Cessna Drive.

People can donate items. The money raised will be used to buy hearing aids for 6-year-old Michael Sharp, of Columbus, who has severe hearing loss and speech problems. Any money left over will be given to the office of Dr. Jane Bowman, of Columbus, to help purchase hearing aids for 11 other children.Information: 581-0604 or 350-9135.

Hearing Aids: More Important Than We Thought?

New studies from the Journal of Neuroscience are showing that hearing loss in older adults ;can lead to loss of brain volume. The MRI's results suggest that even moderate declines in peripheral auditory acuity lead to a systematic downregulation of neural activity during the processing of higher-level aspects of speech.