Better Hearing Blog
By the Numbers
One of the most important characteristics of a hearing instrument is the number of “frequency channels” it has. Sounds are processed and amplified by a hearing instrument on the basis of their frequencies and volumes. The hearing specialist refers to the wearer’s audiogram to tell which frequencies need amplification. Thus, the more frequency channels a hearing instrument has, the better able the hearing specialist will be to fine tune the hearing instrument. However, more is not necessarily better. While some hearing instruments come with more than 20 channels, wearers don’t always benefit from the extra channels (and higher cost). The hearing specialist can help hearing-instrument users make the determination of how many frequency channels they need to maximize speech audibility.
Studies have tried to address the question concerning the benefits of multiple channels and what is optimal. The difficulty in answering that question arises from the fact that hearing aids designed with the same number of channels do not perform the same. However, more than 15 to 20 channels can cause sounds to become “muddy.” To schedule a hearing assessment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. An audiogram is a graphic representation of a hearing test, which determines the softest sound that the tested individual can hear at each specific frequency (pitch).
WHO Says
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared that the single largest cause of preventable hearing loss is exposure to loud noise, such as that associated with loud music and heavy industry. However, this does not mean that people who do not work in machine shops or go to concerts with amplified music are exempt from noise-induced hearing loss. It is generally agreed that prolonged or repeated exposure to sounds exceeding 85 decibels (dB), which is equal to the noise of heavy city traffic, can cause hearing loss. The louder the sound, the less time it takes for noise-induced hearing loss to occur. This is something to bear in mind when operating a food processor/blender (90dB), motorcycle (95dB), or lawnmower (100dB).
When you are exposed to loud noise over a long period of time, symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss will increase gradually. Over time, the sounds you hear may become distorted or muffled, and it may be difficult for you to understand speech. You may not even be aware of the loss, but it can be detected with a hearing test. To schedule a hearing exam, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER, New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Noise-induced hearing loss typically affects the ability to hear upper-frequency sounds, which inhibits the ability to understand conversation.
Going in the Right Direction
One of the most helpful features in hearing instruments involves the use of “directional microphones”, which effectively improve speech understanding amid background noise. In their simplest sense, these microphones amplify sounds directly in front of the user more than the sounds coming from the back and sides of the user. Hearing instruments with this feature have two or more microphones separated by a specific distance, which enables them to detect the difference in the arrival time of sound to each of these microphones. The instrument then uses this information to respond to the sounds. For instance, the least sensitive portion (“null”) of the microphone response will be directed toward the area of the most noise, thereby reducing background sound.
All hearing aids contain one or more microphones to pick up sound, a processor that amplifies and processes sound, a receiver or speaker that sends the signal into your ear, and a battery for a power source. 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. Hearing instruments with “fully adaptive directional microphones” continuously map the type and location of sound in the user’s surrounding environment and direct the microphones’ “null” accordingly to blunt background noise.
Poor Hearing Raises the Risk of Falling.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one in every three people over the age of 65 falls each year, and that one out of five falls results in serious injury (broken bones, head injury, etc.). Because falls often severely compromise seniors’ independence and health, they should do everything they can to minimize their risk of falling. One step in this direction involves getting a hearing test and addressing any hearing impairment. According to one study involving 2,017 people between the ages of 40 and 69, even a mild degree of hearing loss was found to triple the risk of falling, with the risk increasing by 140 percent for every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss.
Many older adults are afraid to fall, so they limit their activities and social engagements to prevent it. Avoiding social activities can contribute to depression, feelings of helplessness and physical decline. Have your hearing tested each year and use hearing aids when recommended. To schedule a hearing assessment, please call BETTER HEARING CENTER. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. We may take walking for granted, but this motion requires a high degree of spatial awareness, some of which is provided by hearing cues.
Not all Eyes and Ears
Distance Cousins
We know that the senses work together in ways that help our brains discern what is going on around us. For instance, the eyes and ears often work in tandem to help us calculate the position of an object in our visual field. Because light travels faster than sound, our brains take note of the delay between the time that light from a distant object enters our eyes and its sound enters our ears in order to calculate distance. With this in mind, researchers recently conducted experiments that showed that our brains can recognize sound delays as small as 42 milliseconds. All this happens without our conscious awareness when we gauge the distance of any far object that emits sound.
Hearing loss is a common health condition that affects nearly 50 million Americans. But contrary to popular belief, hearing loss doesn’t just affect the elderly. A study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine found that 1 in 5 Americans age 12 and older have hearing loss severe enough to adversely impact communication. To schedule a hearing assessment, 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. For every five seconds between seeing a flash of lightning and hearing the sound of its thunder, there is a one mile distance between you and the lightning.
