Better Hearing Blog
The Sound of Music
Hearing instruments are primarily designed to amplify speech, not listen to music. Human speech is largely between 30 decibels (dB) and 85 dB. While human speech has a range of about 50 dB, music has a range of about 100 dB, which most hearing instruments cannot efficiently process. With this in mind, hearing instrument users may want to disable their “feedback reduction systems” while listening to music. Doing so eliminates the possibility that high-frequencies from flutes, pianos, and other musical instruments will be read as feedback (and automatically reduced or eliminated). In addition, it may help to disable the “noise reduction system,” which may otherwise treat music as background noise. The less processed sound is, the better music quality.
Hearing loss can affect individuals of any age at any time. It also has many causes, symptoms and effects when untreated over time. BETTER HEARING CENTER offers the latest in hearing technology with unsurpassed customer service and care to our patients. Our team is committed to providing you and your loved ones with clear and up-to-date solutions. For more information, please call us today. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Some newer hearing instruments claim to provide an “ultra high-definition audio experience” that improves the listening experience in every situation.
Diabetes Hearing Loss
While nerve damage (neuropathy) associated with diabetes is commonly concerned with the hands and feet, hearing loss can be another complication of uncontrolled diabetes. Research indicates that people with uncontrolled type-1 or type-2 diabetes are twice as likely as other individuals to experience hearing loss. It seems that diabetes affects hearing in a number of ways, beginning with rising blood sugar levels contributing to a breakdown in the nerves in the ears, similar to the way that it causes tingling and other symptoms in the fingertips and toes. The problem is that diabetics are not always aware that they suffer from hearing impairment as readily as they realize that the nerves in their fingers and toes are affected.
Hearing loss from diabetes is usually gradual. It can sometimes take quite a while before you realize there’s an issue. If you find yourself constantly asking people to repeat themselves, or if you find that you have difficulty focusing on a conversation when at a restaurant or other noisy public place, you might be experiencing hearing loss. To schedule an appointment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER, New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. It may be a good idea for people with any form of diabetes to have their hearing tested.
Importance of Treating Hearing Loss
Generally speaking, there are two types of hearing loss. “Sensorineural” hearing loss, which occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain, usually lends itself to treatment 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 be corrected medically or surgically. The danger in not treating ear infections, impacted ear wax, and other common causes of conductive loss is that sound deprivation leads to dramatic changes in the inner ear that may cause irreversible hearing loss.
To schedule an exam, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We understand hearing loss is a complex problem that requires a multi-faceted treatment protocol. We realize the importance of guidance and personalized care for each individual to treat hearing loss. As your professional hearing experts, our goal is to provide you with excellent service. Let us help you get back to the world of hearing at New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Possible causes of conductive hearing loss include fluid in the middle ear from colds, allergies (serous otitis media), perforated ear drums, benign tumors, infection in the ear canal (external otitis), swimmer’s ear (otitis externa), and ear malformation.
Advanced Features
Because today’s more advanced hearing instruments contain microchips, they can be expected to perform many of the operations found in other computer-driven devices. For instance, just as activity trackers worn on the wrist can keep track of how many steps we take throughout the day, hearing instruments with self-learning features can remember the volume and program preferences used in specific listening environments. Users can then train their hearing instruments to “learn” to use these preferred settings by pushing a button on the instrument or using the remote control. Over time, the hearing instrument will eventually learn to turn on the preferred setting as needed. For instance, the hearing instrument may turn to a lower volume setting in the morning.
You can’t reverse hearing loss, but a hearing specialist can apply the appropriate care and technology to lessen their effects and improve the quality of sounds you hear. Unfortunately, many people with a hearing impairment are either unaware or ashamed of their condition, and therefore, do not use the advanced hearing aid technology that is available. To schedule a hearing assessment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Hearing instruments with “data logging” features can internally record the number of hours that hearing instruments are being used, which programs are used, and how often and how much the volume is increased or decreased.
Early Signs of Hearing Loss
Because hearing loss can be subtle and gradual, those with impaired hearing don’t always recognize that they have a hearing problem. Here are some questions that may help you identify a hearing impairment that may be compromising the quality of your life: Do you automatically draw close to conversation partners in anticipation that you can only hear what they have to say if they are standing or sitting very close to you? Do you automatically tilt your head when talking to others in an effort to put your best ear forward? Lastly, do you often ask people to repeat their words or speak louder? A “yes” answer to one or more questions should prompt you to get a hearing test.
Many people delay seeking treatment for hearing loss out of denial, fear or embarrassment. If you suspect you have a hearing loss, seek treatment as soon as possible. Untreated hearing loss has been linked to a number of other health problems, both physical and psychological. BETTER HEARING CENTER offers a full range of hearing instruments and assistive devices and continues the tradition of better hearing through education, technology, and customer service. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. The only way to confirm the type, degree, and configuration of a hearing loss is by undergoing a hearing test.
Easy Does It!
There is little question that hearing instruments used to treat age-related hearing loss help hearing-impaired seniors hear their conversation partners better. Seniors fitted with hearing instruments also have less risk of depression and dementia. As welcome as these benefits might be, those fitted with hearing instruments for the first time sometimes stop using them. This problem of discontinued use largely stems from the reintroduction of ambient noises such as background conversation and traffic noise to which new users of hearing instruments are unaccustomed. With this in mind, hearing specialists recommend that new users get used to their instruments gradually. Instead of wearing their instruments all day, it may be better to start a few hours at a time.
If you are new to hearing aids, it may take a few weeks before you are completely comfortable with them and can take full advantage to their benefits. If you have questions or concerns about your progress, be sure to call your hearing professional for help. Hearing aids often need to be adjusted several times during the trial period. To schedule an appointment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Age-related hearing loss, “presbycusis,” makes it particularly difficult to hear higher frequencies (at which women and children tend to speak).
