HEARING AIDS

TYPES OF HEARING AIDS

HOW TO CHOOSE A HEARING AID

NEW GENERATION HEARING AIDS

CARE AND MAINTANACE OF HEARING AIDS

BINAURAL VS MONOAURAL HEARING AIDS

WHAT DO HEARING AID CHANNELS AND BANDS MEAN

WILL MY HEARING IMPROVE WITH A HEARING AID

HEARING AID ACCESSORIES

 

TYPES OF HEARING AIDS BASED ON TECHNOLOGY USED :

ANALOG VS DIGITAL

ANALOG HEARING AIDS

Analog Hearing aids work using older analog technology where they collect all sounds from the environment, increase its volume through an amplifier and present it to your ear. These models have fallen out of favor as they are sometimes too loud and amplify both speech and noise, leading to poor speech clarity.

DIGITAL HEARING AIDS

Digital Hearing aids have a special chip that can differentially amplify separate frequencies of sound, based on the audiogram. They can selectively make speech sounds louder while reducing noise. Additionally, digital hearing aids can also be connected to your phones, TVs, smart watches and computers. There are even rechargeable models that maximize convenience.

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT STYLE ?

Hearing aids come in all shapes and sizes , but choosing the right one for you depends on a lot of factors such as :

  • Age
  • Disabilities or dexterity issues
  • Type and degree of your hearing loss
  • Your lifestyle 
  • Your budget 

Our audiologists consider all these factors and  help you pick the right hearing aid to suit your needs

DO THE SMALLER HEARING AIDS DIFFER IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY FROM THE BIGGER AIDS? ARE THEY MORE EXPENSIVE?

The style of the hearing aids do not determine the price or limit its technological capacity, the technology within the hearing aid changes its level from basic to premium. 

TYPES OF HEARING AIDS

Behind the Ear (BTE):

This model is placed behind the ear, with a small hook like structure. It usually also has a volume control button. The amplified sound is conducted into the ear canal via an ear mold that also helps adhere the hearing to the ear. Owing to their larger size, BTE models are often the only type of aid powerful enough to aid those with Profound loss. They are also most often recommended to elderly and pediatric clients.

Receiver in the Canal (RIC):

RIC hearing aids are the most widely used model in the world. They have the greatest number of features including Bluetooth connectivity and rechargeability. These models hit the sweet spot between size and gain as they cover up to severe hearing losses while being quite small. This is achieved because the receiver or ‘speaker’ part of the aid is separated from the main body of the aid and placed directly inside the ear canal, connected by a thin wire. This makes the RICs very discreet and convenient to use.

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In The Ear (ITE):

ITEs are custom hearing aids, which means they are tailor made according to the shape of the client’s ear canal. There are no components that are placed behind the ear as the whole aid is placed at the entrance of the ear canal. Despite their smaller size ITEs can have options for directional microphones and a longer battery life than the smaller custom hearing aids. They cover moderately severe to severe loss.

In the Canal (ITC)

These hearing aids fit mostly in the ear canal with only a small portion visible at the canal entrance. They are just slightly smaller than ITEs, and also have a volume control or program button. ITCs are a great option for those looking to have discreet hearing aids that are still able to provide gains up to severe hearing loss.

Completely in the Canal (CIC)

These hearing aids are almost invisible from the outside. They fit completely inside the ear canal of the user, and so, are able to make use of the natural localization cues provided by the external ear. They are the best option for those that have up to moderately severe hearing loss and want to keep their hearing aid hidden from view.

Invisible in the Canal (IIC)

This is the smallest, most discreet type of hearing aid available as they are virtually invisible. The whole device fits deep inside the ear canal. It is the hearing aid of choice for those that have mild to moderate hearing loss.

WHAT’S NEW IN HEARING AIDS

Gone are the days when hearing aids were bulky inconvenient things people were embarrassed to be seen wearing. With digitization, hearing aid technology has evolved by leaps and bounds and grown to encompass technological developments in the other spheres of the patients’ lives such as mobile phone technology and even AI. The following are some of the latest features you can expect in your hearing aids.

  1. Bluetooth Connectivity:

If you are worried that your days of being able to listen to songs or watch movies privately with your earphones are gone now that you have your hearing aids, think again! Hearing aids now stream music, videos or video-calls from your mobile directly to your ears just like Bluetooth earphones.

2. Rechargeability:

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to fiddle with those tiny batter doors on your hearing aids to change your batteries every few days? This is now possible with rechargeable hearing aids that come with a charging dock and built in Lithium ion Batteries (just like the one in your phone).

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3. Apps and Smartphone compatibility

From basic Apps that allow the Hearing Aid user to control volume and change programs to more advanced ones that learn your routine and allow you to fine tune your Hearing aid programs (including features like noise reduction and feedback), and showing percentage of charge in your rechargeable hearing aid, are now available for both Android and Apple devices.

4. Remote Programming

It may not be possible to perfectly program your hearing aid for all the various listening environments you frequent in your daily life, and it might not be feasible for you to travel to the clinic for multiple fine tunings. In such cases, we can enable a feature called remote fine tuning that allows the clinic to tune your hearing aid wherever you are called Remote Programming (wouldn’t it have been a boon during the lockdown?)

5. Geotagging

Home, school or work are very different listening environments, and you may find that you change your volume and noise reduction settings every time you visit these places. With Geotagging, your hearing aid can track you through GPS and learn to shift to your preferred settings automatically, depending on your location.

6. Find my Hearing Aid

Hearing aids are smaller than ever, and because of that, very easy to misplace. Through the find my hearing aid option, you will be able to locate your device using your phone whether it is in your house or elsewhere. This is a highly desirable feature for parents whose kids use hearing aids.

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7. Binaural Sound Processing

Our ears are designed to work together and the brain compiles this binaural information to get a sense of our environment. Binaural sound processing in hearing aids involves the intelligent exchange of key listening information between the two hearing aids to create the most natural listening experience possible. Read more about Binaural hearing here.

8. Accessories

To make your listening experience even more comfortable, hearing aids are compatible with several accessory devices. For example, a device that directly streams sound from the TV is a popular one, especially with the elderly. For children (or professionals who attend meetings and conferences) who may frequently be in noisy environments like classrooms, a device that directly picks up the speaker’s voice and streams it to the hearing aid through Bluetooth does wonders in terms of improving speech understanding ability.

7 TIPS TO CARE FOR YOUR HEARING AIDS

Your hearing aids provide you with the best quality sound on a regular basis and you can rely on them to do this every day. But they too are electronic devices and may at times malfunction or develop issues. However, there are some measures you can take to ensure that your hearing aids perform their best and to maximize their life.

  1. Turn them off when not in use
    Keep the battery door of hearing aids open when they are not in use so as to ensure you do not waste battery life. If your hearing aid is rechargeable, then use the switch off feature or place it in the charging dock as required.
  2. Protect them from water
    Although most hearing aids nowadays are water resistant, it’s best to avoid contact with water whenever possible. Take off your hearing aids when taking a shower or if it’s raining. Shake dry and place in the dry kit immediately in case they do get wet.
  3. Watch out for wax
    Ear wax is generated as a natural protective mechanism in the ear. But wax might clog the ear tips of your hearing aid at times and give you the impression of reduced output. Ensure you clean your ear tips frequently with the brush provided or a soft cloth/ piece of cotton.

4. Place them in the Dehumidifier/ Dry Kit once in a while
Sweat may cause damage to your hearing aids, and in a tropical climate like ours, it becomes important to place the aids in a dry kit so any potentially harmful moisture is taken care of.

5. Change the wax guard
Custom hearing aids (IIC, CIC, ITC, ITE, RIC) have a small filter that prevents the wax in the ear canal from being pushed into the machine. You may find that these often get clogged with wax. Your hearing aid box often has several replacement wax guards available, so ensure that you change these when you notice buildup.

6. Change batteries when required
Batteries left in the hearing aid for a long time may begin to corrode or leak and damage the hearing aid. So do not leave old batteries in your aid.

7. Bring your aid to us for routine servicing
Much like how your vehicle may need some periodic maintenance and checking to see if everything is alright, you can bring your hearing aid to us for the same. While maintaining your hearing aids on your own is great, there may be some issues that may escape your notice but the professional eye can detect and rectify.

By implementing these simple tips, you can make sure that your hearing aids perform at their best always. If you feel like your hearing aid isn’t clear or if the battery is draining too quickly, or if you feel like it’s not functioning well, bring it to Hearing Point and our experts will be happy to help you set it right.

DO YOU REALLY NEED BINAURAL (TWO) HEARING AIDS?

This is the question several new hearing aid users ask us, hoping desperately that the answer is no. But could you ever imagine wearing spectacles on just one side? Hearing aids are the same. If you have reduced hearing in both ears, it’s imperative to aid both ears. While it is a daunting task to get over your initial hesitance, the naturalness of sound achieved by aiding both ears is impossible to achieve with just one hearing aid.

Its nature’s design

Humans are meant to hear with two ears. They exchange information with each other in order to properly orient the individual in the environment. Several processes that help us localize the sound, that is find out from which direction its coming is done through comparing their differing volumes or timing between the two ears.

Improves Speech Perception in Noise

Hearing in noise is greatly improved when there are two ears to bear the load. There are some biological processes called binaural suppression (of noise) that help separate speech sounds from the background. These processes become compromised if one ear is left unaided.

Important for your safety Outdoors

Wearing two hearing aids is extremely important for your safety. Tasks like crossing the road or riding a two wheeler are extremely risky when you may not be able to detect the direction the other vehicles/sounds are coming from.

Single Ear has to work harder

A single hearing aid will have to be much louder than if you use two. The ear has a process by which sounds heard by the two ears are combined and amplified in the auditory system called binaural summation. This is only possible with binaural hearing aids.

Important For Speech and Language Development in Children

It is extremely important for children to learn how to listen to sounds in regards to where they are coming from and from how far away. This can only be done through binaural hearing aids to give them the best possible help to learn how to speak, and  to adapt with hearing children.

Higher rates of  user Satisfaction

Research has shown that self reported patient satisfaction scores are much higher when both ears are aided. This is because binaural hearing is the natural way of hearing and the hearing aid user feels it is easier to transition, as it is more similar to how they experienced sound before hearing

Your Hearing Aid can perform better with Data from two ears

Apart from this, most higher end hearing aids have advanced features that are available only through binaural fitting as the data from both sides is required for processing. Additionally streaming of phone calls, songs, music or even videos from streaming devices or mobile phones is a much more enjoyable experience when they are heard in both ears.

Remember, your hearing loss is always more noticeable than your hearing aids. Which means, reluctance to wear hearing aids on both ears due to a fear of people noticing the hearing aids only affects you in the long run. Our professionals at hearing point will happily demonstrate the benefits of using two hearing aids over one at our center, so you can experience the difference yourself.

WHAT ARE CHANNELS IN HEARING AIDS?

If you have spent any time researching hearing aids, you would have come across the wod “channel” several times. If not, you would have been told how the cost of the hearing aid is justified based on the number of channels it has. Here is a quick explanation of what they are and if they actually have an impact on your hearing.

What are channels?

A good analogy to understand channels, would be the resolution of a camera. Humans hear a wide range of frequencies (150-8000 Hz for speech), and depending on what kind of sound it is, some frequencies may be louder than others (Ex: Female voices have higher frequency sounds than male voices). When the hearing aid captures the sound from the environment, it collects all these frequencies at once, and this makes it difficult to make precise adjustments to the sound. To make this process easier, the hearing aid divides the sound into “channels.” 

Why are channels needed?

Usually, hearing loss is not equal at all frequencies. For instance, in the audiogram below, the individual has more loss in higher frequencies compared to the lower ones. To compensate for the loss, the hearing aid will have to increase the loudness for high versus low frequency sounds differentially. This can only be done if the hearing aid segregates the incoming sound into different frequencies.

Why are there different numbers of channels?

The number of channels the hearing aid has, corresponds to how many times the incoming sound has been divided (Ex: A 3 channel hearing may divide it into Low, Mid and High frequency groups).

Does more channels mean more clarity?

This is not necessarily the case. Studies have shown that there is drastic improvement in speech understanding as we go from 1 upto 8 channels, after which there is only minimal improvement with increasing channels. Strictly speaking, there is no discernible benefit of having more than 24 channels.

Higher-end hearing Aids have more channels, doesn’t this mean they are better?

Yes, higher end or “Premium” category hearing aids usually have a higher number of channels, but the pricing of these aids is not due to the number of channels alone. Just like costlier mobile phones will have several features that are better like RAM, Memory, battery power, in addition to camera resolution, higher-end hearing aids have faster processing (which is important to compute the data from a higher number of channels), better noise reduction, more frequency specificity, connectivity, feedback cancellation and several other features to make them worth the price.

So, there is a lot of benefit to having a certain number of channels in your hearing aid, but that is not the only deciding factor in your hearing aid selection process. Our professionals at Hearing Point will ensure you experience different types of hearing aids with varying features to help you make an informed decision, so book your trial with us now!

WILL MY HEARING IMPROVE WITH A HEARING AID?

A frequent question we get from our patients is, “will my hearing go back to normal if I wear a hearing aid?” This question is even more common from parents whose children are hearing impaired. But unfortunately, the answer is no. There is some evidence that hearing aid use may slow down the degradation of your hearing, but it will not recover it. And this is no small thing, because making the most of your hearing and preserving what’s left has a direct influence on your quality of life. Here are some things your hearing aid can do for you:

Help you rejoin your social circle

One of the biggest consequences of having hearing loss is that it isolates the individual from their surroundings. Using a hearing aid immediately allows you to be part of your own life again.

Prevent isolation of the elderly

In modern times, as most young people live away from their parents due to their jobs, the elderly are often left alone in their homes. And hearing loss can greatly exacerbate the negative effects this can have on their mental health. Hearing aid use expands the scope of their abilities and helps them engage in the things they always hoped to in the golden years of their lives.

Delay cognitive decline (such as in Dementia)

There is a well established link between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline. Hearing loss disrupts the feedback loop of “hear-understand-respond” and puts great strain on the cognitive processes of the elderly. Delaying hearing aid use unduly hastens the decline.

Facilitate Speech and Language Development

Often the only way you would learn how to speak a new language is if you hear it being spoken. This is how most humans develop language, and in some children this process is made more difficult   with hearing loss. Only if a child hears, will they be able to speak. The best and fastest learning of language happens below five years of age, so to make the most of this crucial stage, make sure your child’s hearing is not left untreated.

Boost self confidence

Always having a doubt about what was said, never being able to be part of a team discussion at work, dreading the moment when the teacher asks you a question and always having to ask for repetitions can have a devastating impact on one’s confidence. With today’s hearing aid technology, all this unnecessary mental and emotional strain can be avoided.

Rediscover Privacy!

Many in your family might have told you that you are speaking just a little bit too loud on the phone or in a private conversation. This is a common occurrence in those with hearing loss. And what if you want to watch your favorite movie on your phone or enjoy some of your favorite music with your earphones on? Hearing aids now are able to stream sounds from your phone (music, youtube, movies, netflix, video calls, phone calls, audiobooks and more…) to your ears directly, just like a bluetooth headset. Enjoy your privacy once again.

The benefits of using a hearing aid are better experienced than just read about. If you have ever wondered what the world would sound like with a hearing aid, or even better, if you have been convinced to buy one for yourself, please book an appointment with us right away and our professionals will fit you with a hearing aid that blends seamlessly into your life.

ACCESSORIES

Hearing aids these days are incredibly advanced and have all sorts of features available in them. But, you may find that clever inclusion of some accessories will enhance your hearing experience. Due to the large number of accessories available you may be in a fix about what is right for you. Here is a list to help make this decision easier for you.

Accessories for Television:

  • Streams Audio directly from the television to your hearing Device
  • Offers more clarity than listening directly
  • Control the TV volume for your comfort from your Hearing Aid
  • No discomfort for the family 

Examples: Resound TV Streamer, Phonak TV Connector

Accessories for better Speech in Noise:

  • Boon for those with Profound Loss
  • Teacher’s voice can be directly streamed to child’s ear
  • Settings can be controlled through mobile app
  • Very small and portable
  • Can be used during meetings and conferences by professionals 

Examples: Resound Multimic, Phonak Roger Pen

Accessories for streaming calls or music:

  • Allows streaming for lower end hearing aid models without Direct Streaming options
  • Small device that can be clipped to collar or pocket
  • Much better clarity for phone calls
  • Removes need to place phone behind the ear awkwardly

Examples: Signia Streamline mic, Resound Phoneclip

Remote controls:

  • Easy control of all major features
  • Helpful for older users who might find small controls on the aid difficult
  • Discreet, fits easily in hand or pocket

Examples: Resound Remote Control, SIgnia MiniPocket

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