Better Hearing Blog
The Importance of a Hearing Test
One important reason for having your a hearing test is that any detected hearing loss will prompt you to have its cause diagnosed. Generally speaking, there are two types of hearing loss: “sensorineural” and “conductive.” Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. While this type of hearing loss cannot be medically or surgically corrected, it generally lends itself to improvement with a hearing instrument. Conductive hearing loss, which occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones (ossicles) of the middle ear, can often be corrected medically or surgically.
A hearing test includes several tests that measure how well you hear a variety of sounds, such as tones and speech. A baseline hearing screening is recommended at age 50, unless you’re experiencing symptoms of hearing loss sooner. For more information, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Our expertise is measured by our commitment to patient satisfaction, continuing education, and the application of current technologies. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. One possible cause of conductive hearing loss is an “acoustic neuroma,” a benign tumor that grows on the balance and hearing nerves inside the ear.
Hear Better, Live Longer
Hearing-impaired elderly individuals who elect to wear hearing instruments are likely to experience a higher quality of life than those with hearing losses that go untreated. Thus, the decision to be fitted with and wear a hearing instrument can be a significant factor in the lives of seniors, among whom the incidence of hearing impairment doubles with every decade of life. According to the World Health Organization, 360 million people around the globe have “disabling hearing loss,” which is defined as hearing loss greater than 40 decibels in the better-hearing ear. Treating this problem leads to better cognitive function, improved sociability, and longer life. There is a great deal of benefit to be gotten from a tiny instrument.
Hearing aids do not restore hearing to normal. They do not prevent the natural deterioration of hearing, nor cause further deterioration in hearing ability. However, they often improve one’s ability to communicate in everyday situations. To schedule an appointment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are the only hearing center that has served the Concord, New Hampshire, area for more than 55 years. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. As the population ages, we are learning that seniors need not necessarily experience restrictions that were once considered to be inevitable consequences of aging. Just ask the 70-year-old woman on the StairMaster at the gym.
Frequency Shifting
High-frequency hearing loss makes it difficult to perceive many of the high-frequency voiceless consonants such as the “t,” “k,” “f,” “th,” “sh,” and “s” sounds. As a result, those suffering from high-frequency loss find it difficult to understand conversation. Hearing instrument manufacturers understand that this problem cannot be fully overcome simply by amplifying the higher frequencies, particularly for those with severe to profound high-frequency hearing loss. This understanding has led to the development of a “frequency shifting” feature found in many instruments, which shifts high-pitch sounds to lower frequencies where hearing is typically better. While this feature may require a period of adjustment, it enables those with significant high-frequency hearing loss to better respond to speech and environmental sounds.
Hearing loss can affect anyone and has a profound effect on our ability to communicate with the people around us. Modern hearing aids are extremely effective and if fitted well by an experienced audiologist, they can make a real difference. To schedule a hearing exam, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Let us help you get back to the world of hearing at New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. High-frequency hearing loss is the most common type of hearing impairment.
Diet and Hearing, the Correlation.
While there is no evidence that dietary supplements prevent hearing loss or improve hearing, some studies suggest that a healthy diet is conducive to good hearing. One study found that a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates may impair hearing by adversely affecting vascular health. Another study found that women who ate fish at least twice a week were less likely to report hearing loss than non-fish consumers. The benefit may rest with omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish that may improve blood flow to the cochlea. Then there is the study that found that people who scored higher on the Healthy Eating Index had better hearing. Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight have also been linked with healthy hearing.
There are many ways to support and maintain healthy hearing. For example, protecting ears from noise pollution and getting a regular checkup from an audiologist, but nutrition also plays a key part in hearing preservation. Exercise matters, too, specifically with regard to cognitive ability and how the brain processes sound. To schedule a hearing assessment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. According to a 2015 study of nurses, there is a link between higher intakes of dietary beta-carotene (a potent antioxidant) and a lower risk of hearing loss.
Hardly Inconsequential
While some persist in viewing hearing loss as an inconsequential part of aging, significant hearing impairment has been linked with substantial physical, psychological, and social ramifications. These consequences include isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, falls and other accidents, and increased mortality rate. In addition to increasing friction between friends, workers, and family members, hearing loss contributes to cognitive decline and dementia. It is believed that hearing loss may compromise memory because additional effort is required to process auditory information. It is also possible that hearing loss and cognitive decline are both caused by shared factors, which means that both become simultaneously impaired. These are hardly inconsequential matters. Hearing impairment merits attention in terms of both diagnosis and treatment.
People “hear” with their brains, not their ears. When we have a hearing loss, the connections in our brain that respond to sound become reorganized. Fortunately, hearing aids can provide the sound stimulation needed for the brain to restore the normal organization of connections to its “sound center” so it can more readily react to the sounds that it had been missing. To schedule a hearing exam, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Let us help you get back to the world of hearing at New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Some research suggests that wearing a hearing instrument not only improves hearing, but also facilitates social interaction, reduces depression, and generally improves overall health.
Would You Like Some Assistance?
For those who would like to augment their hearing instruments with other devices that promote better hearing, the hearing specialist can suggest any of a number of “assistive listening devices” (ALDs). These apparatuses, which are often referred to as “binoculars for the ears,” utilize a microphone to pick up sound, transmission technology to deliver the signal, and a receiver to pick up the signal and deliver sound to the ear. They serve to both amplify sounds and eliminate unwanted background noise. One type of ALD system, known as “hearing loops,” can be found in theaters, conference rooms, and places of worship, while personal ALDs can be connected to the phone, TV, or other audio sources at home.
ALD’s are used by people with all degrees of hearing loss. This includes hearing aid users and cochlear implant users, as well as consumers who do not use either hearing aids or cochlear implants. To schedule an appointment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. Our expertise is measured by our commitment to patient satisfaction, continuing education, and the application of current technologies. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. The hearing loop, which is a wire that circles a room and is connected to the sound system, transmits the sound electromagnetically.