Better Hearing Blog

Whether you use a cell phone or wear a hearing instrument, you want to get the most life out of the batteries that make them work. With this in mind, take care to store them in a cool, dry place. While overheating can lead to loss of energy, leaking, and rupture, there is no advantage to storing batteries in the refrigerator; doing so can cause condensation inside the battery package, which can damage batteries and shorten lifespans. Most zinc-air button batteries last for up to three years when kept at room temperature in a dry environment Most hearing instrument batteries are powered by oxidizing zinc with oxygen in the air; therefore, do not remove the tab until ready to use.

An extremely important fact to keep in mind is that any battery is toxic if swallowed, and it is crucial to keep all batteries (and hearing instruments) away from children and pets. Swallowing a battery is a medical emergency and demands immediate attention by a physician. At BETTER HEARING CENTER, your well-being is our number one priority. Can we help you achieve better hearing? We are trained to work with people to identify, treat, and prevent hearing loss. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.

P.S. Wait at least one minute after removing the plastic tab from a zinc-air button battery before inserting it into a hearing instrument. Doing so allows the battery to fully power up and maximizes its effectiveness.

Men between ages 20 and 69 years have twice the risk of speech-frequency hearing loss as women do. In women affected by hearing loss, their lessened hearing ability appears to be more prevalent after menopause. With this in mind, many believe that female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) may exert a protective effect over hearing ability that begins to decline around the time of menopause. If this were the case, then it makes sense that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) would lower the risk of hearing loss. However, a recent observational study found that women who underwent HRT had a higher risk of hearing loss. The longer women took these replacement hormones, the higher their risk of hearing loss became.

Our primary mission at BETTER HEARING CENTER is to help as many people as possible improve their hearing and thus their lives. We hope to help through education, advanced technology, and friendly, compassionate service. For a knowledgeable understanding of the body’s healing mechanisms and a deep commitment to knowing what’s available today to help each individual’s hearing loss, we welcome your call. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.

P.S. The study mentioned above should prompt additional research involving a randomized clinical trial. In the meantime, women undergoing hormonal replacement therapy may want to have their hearing tested

Music lovers may want to consider that the type of sound processing provided by technically advanced hearing instruments to help wearers make speech more understandable may also make music enjoyment more difficult. Current hearing instruments utilize wide dynamic range compression, which is sound processing that leaves loud sounds untouched while amplifying softer sounds. Although this type of processing helps wearers better understand what their conversation partners are saying, it can distort music. Further complicating the situation is the fact that recorded music is subjected to compression limiting, which squeezes louder and softer sounds together into a narrower range, thereby increasing the perceived volume. Too much compression limiting can affect the quality of music even for people with normal hearing.

We bring you this blog about better hearing in order to provide our readers with information that we hope they will find helpful whether they already wear hearing instruments, or perhaps feel they may have an impairment and wish to explore their options. It’s all about YOUR hearing at BETTER HEARING CENTER. You’ll find compassionate, skilled individuals here, ready to start (and keep you) on the road to better hearing. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.

P.S. While everyone’s hearing ability is different, music lovers may want to consider a hearing instrument with less processing ability.

“Personal sound amplification products” (PSAPs) are over-the-counter hearing assistance devices that include software and tools ranging from smartphone apps to wireless headsets. While they tend to be less expensive than conventional hearing instruments, they are not considered to be medical devices and do not meet the same standards. PSAPs also do not require diagnostic testing by a hearing professional or the help of a hearing specialist to adjust their settings. Thus, PSAP users are on their own when it comes to making sound adjustments, which poses the potential to cause additional hearing damage by over-amplifying sharp noises. Some PSAPs are inconvenient and intrusive, such as requiring holding a microphone up to another person’s face. You get what you pay for.

Today, there are more choices than ever before for consumers purchasing hearing instruments. How do you decide which is the right kind for you? The best way is to place your trust in the hands of a Doctor of Audiology with a reputation for skill, knowledge, compassion, and integrity. We believe you’ll find this at BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are the only hearing center that has served the Concord, New Hampshire, area for more than 55 years. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.

P.S. PSAPs are less costly because they are unregulated and not customized to an individual’s needs.

Older individuals who are experiencing hearing loss may want to schedule an appointment with the ophthalmologist after they have their hearing tested. According to a study of nearly 2,000 adults with an average age of approximately 70, those with hearing loss were more likely to also have vision loss, and vice versa. It seems that cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the two most common causes of vision loss in older individuals, are both independently associated with hearing loss. Researchers hypothesize that there may be a number of reasons for this link. Both conditions are regular consequences of aging, and both share common risk factors such as smoking, hardening of the arteries, and diabetes.

Approximately one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss and nearly half of those older than 75 have trouble hearing. Hearing loss can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor’s advice, to respond to warnings, and to hear doorbells and alarms. For more information, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Future consultations and hearing aid maintenance will ensure that your hearing care experience continues to satisfy you. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.

P.S. According to the study mentioned above, for each line of the eye chart that a study participant could not see, there was an 18% (for the visually impaired) and 13% (for the best-corrected visually impaired) increase in the likelihood of hearing loss.