Tips For Protecting Your Ears While Wearing Hearing Aids
Hearing loss becomes more common as we age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid in 2019, and that number is likely to grow. While hearing aids are a fantastic tool that helps people with hearing loss continue to navigate the…
Hearing Aids Can Help You Feel More Connected At Events
Hearing aid technology continues to improve and make it easier for users to hear in any environment, like going out to dinner or taking in a show at The Grand. Let’s take a closer look at how this technology makes you feel more connected at public events. Hearing Loss Can Be Isolating Untreated hearing loss…
What to Know About Your First Hearing Aid
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.” However, despite the prevalence of hearing loss, only about one in five people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one, reports the Hearing Loss Association of America. If you’re among…
Why You Should Treat Your Hearing Loss This Year
Hearing loss is common. In fact, “Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing,” reports the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. If you suspect you may have hearing loss but haven’t yet scheduled a hearing test, below we review five reasons why you should seek…
How To Make Your Hearing Aid Batteries Last Longer
Hearing aids are an essential tool for those with hearing loss. Knowing how to keep your hearing aid batteries lasting as long as possible is a helpful and cost-saving skill to have as a hearing aid user. Ways To Extend the Lifespan of Your Hearing Aid Batteries The average disposable hearing aid battery will last…
Try These Activities To Get Used to Your Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are a fantastic tool to help stay connected to others and improve the quality of life for those with hearing loss. However, if you are a new user, it’s important to know that hearing aids can take a bit of time to get used to. A 2014 focus group asking 16 adult hearing…
Facts About Seniors & Hearing Loss for Audiology Awareness Month
Hearing loss in seniors or hearing loss caused by advancing age is known by audiologists as presbycusis. According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine, presbycusis “is the most common cause of hearing loss worldwide and is estimated to affect approximately two-thirds of Americans aged 70 or older.” In honor of Audiology…
Are My Child’s Hearing Aids Working?
Parents wear many hats. Not only do you cook for your child, drive your child around and help them with their homework, if they wear hearing aids, you also need to ensure that they’re working properly before they head off to Ellsworth schools. While this may sound like a big undertaking, there are some simple…
What Can I Expect from My Hearing Aids?
To be successful with hearing aids, it’s important to have a realistic expectation about what they can and can’t do. The benefits of hearing aids can include better hearing, balance and mental health, but you can’t expect to hear just like you once did. We review more about managing your expectations with hearing aids below….
Tips for the Trail: How to Hike with Hearing Aids
What are the benefits of hiking? Some might say exercise while others might say a breath of fresh air. Turns out, there are many benefits, both immediate such as “decreased blood pressure, decreased stress levels, enhanced immune system functioning, and restored attention,” and long-term like “weight loss, decreased depression, and overall wellness,” one study reports….
Understanding How Hearing Aids Work
Hearing aids are a valuable investment in your health and overall quality of life. If you have hearing loss and are contemplating using this technology, it can be helpful to learn about how it works as well as all the benefits it provides. How Hearing Aids Process Sound You might assume that hearing aids work…
Do You Need to Have Your Hearing Aids Adjusted?
If you’ve had your hearing aids for a while, you may notice some changes in the way things sound. Maybe the volume seems off when you’re out to eat at Governor’s Restaurant & Bakery. Or perhaps the sound is distorted when you take phone calls. Some problems indicate an issue with your device, while others…
Study of the Cochlea Could Lead to Hearing Aid Improvements
Many people mistakenly believe that hearing aids correct hearing loss the way glasses correct vision loss, but sadly this is not the case… yet. Researchers are currently working on ways to improve hearing aids so that they can better address the cocktail party problem. The cocktail party problem refers to how people with hearing loss…
How Oticon’s Research Is Improving Hearing Aids
The term “selective attention” refers to the brain’s natural ability to prioritize and organize sounds. It’s essential for social interactions because it helps us focus on our conversation partner’s voice, scan our surroundings and switch our attention when necessary. The new Oticon Opn S hearing aid is the first that is proven to enhance selective…
How To Enjoy Music with Hearing Aids
The reason people get hearing aids is that they want to experience the sounds of the world around them. For many, that includes listening to music, whether at home or taking in one of the many amazing live performances at the Atlantic Music Festival. However, music can sound different when using hearing aids, and this…
What Is AI in a Hearing Aid?
What do you think of when you hear the term “artificial intelligence” (AI)? For many, the term evokes images of a robot come to life, like in a sci-fi movie. But in reality, you likely use technology equipped with AI in your everyday life. It may even be in your hearing aids. Defining Important Terminology…
Holiday Sounds to Hear This Year
We’ve officially reached the holiday season. If you suspect you may have hearing loss but haven’t yet made the commitment to seek treatment, now is the perfect opportunity to do so. Why? Because you don’t want to miss out on all the joyful sounds the season has to offer. Conversations with Loved Ones This…
Choosing the Right Hearing Aid for Your Lifestyle
Have you been diagnosed with hearing loss by an audiologist? If so, the next step is to select a hearing aid. But with so many manufacturers, styles and features on the market today, choosing the right hearing aid for your lifestyle can seem tricky. Fortunately, you can rely on the expertise of your audiologist during…
PROTECTING YOUR HEARING HEALTH
The drawbacks of OTC hearing aids. As October is Audiology Awareness Month, we’d like to let you know about recent news regarding hearing aids that could have an impact on your hearing health. On July 9, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order asking the Department of Health and Human Services to consider issuing…
Why People Procrastinate Getting Hearing Aids and Why They Shouldn’t
Humans procrastinate all the time. Whether it’s not starting an assignment until the night before it’s due, or binging Netflix instead of cleaning out the garage, we all like to put things off. Unfortunately, many people are the same way when it comes to getting hearing aids, and it can come at a cost. Hearing…
How to Prepare Your Hearing for Fall
Fall brings with it a host of changes. You’ll feel the crispness in the air and notice the leaves changing color at Knowlton Park. You also might notice a change in your hearing, particularly if you have new hearing aids. Below we’ll discuss some of the ways your hearing health needs might change this season,…
Difficulty Hearing Speech in Noise Connected to Dementia
If you only have difficulty hearing speech and following conversations in noisy settings, like when hanging out with friends at Airline Brewing Company, you may think your hearing isn’t that bad and you don’t need to seek treatment. However, recent research shows that trouble hearing speech in noise is linked to an increased risk of…
How to Get the Perfect Hearing Aid for Your Lifestyle
If you’ve been diagnosed with hearing loss, you’ve probably started looking into getting a set of hearing aids. You may also have realized that there are a range of styles and models available from a number of manufacturers, which can make the selection process seem overwhelming. Fortunately, you have an expert audiologist who can help…
Hearing Aid Maintenance Schedule
Just like you get your teeth cleaned every six months and the oil changed in your car at Main St. Auto Care every 5,000 miles, it’s important to keep up on the maintenance of your hearing aids. On average, hearing aids last anywhere from three to seven years; how long they actually last depends on…
Covid-19
We know that everyone is excited about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Governor Mills’ announcement that fully vaccinated people will no longer need to wear masks in many settings beginning May 24. This is another sign that we are getting back to normal. However, please note that this change does not…
Unilateral Hearing Loss
What is Single Sided Deafness? Sometimes referred to as unilateral hearing loss, single sided deafness is a condition in which an individual experiences hearing loss in only one ear but can hear normally out of the other ear. While the majority of patients with a hearing impairment suffer from bilateral (two-sided) hearing loss, SSD is…
Research Links High Blood Sugar And Hearing Loss To Poor Memory In Older Latino Americans
Hearing loss and diabetes are major public health problems, with Latinos at higher risk than other demographic groups. In a new study published December 17, 2020 in the online issue of JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine with colleagues elsewhere, report that hearing loss and high…
Study Investigates Treatment For Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
The purpose of this case study is to support best practices in treating sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), particularly the importance of immediate audiological evaluation and treatment of suspected SSNH to ensure an optimal outcome. SSNHL is most commonly defined as a hearing loss of 30 dB or greater at three consecutive frequencies that occur…
Purifying Common Antibiotic Could Reduce Hearing Loss Risk
Scientists have discovered a simple method of reformulating gentamicin, a commonly used and highly effective antibiotic, that could reduce the risk it poses of causing deafness. A Stanford Medicine-led study has found that a subtype of popular antibiotic could pose a smaller risk of hearing loss yet still be powerful at fighting off bacterial infections….
Scientists Develop New Gene Therapy For Deafness
Delivering healthy genetic material into the inner ear cells of mice with a genetic defect that causes deafness enables the cells to function normally, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU). The novel treatment prevented the gradual deterioration of hearing in these mice. It could lead to a breakthrough in treating children…
New Research Makes It Possible To Measure Sounds Of Tinnitus
Some experiences in life are hard to describe, but that doesn’t make them any less real. Around the world, up to 20 percent of people experience a chronic phantom ringing or buzzing in their ears, known as tinnitus. The sounds – often high-pitched – are not connected to any known acoustic stimuli, and today, diagnosis…
Untreated Hearing Loss Can Lead To Safety Risks
Untreated hearing loss can give rise to a number of problems, including depression and anxiety. The first step to addressing those concerns is as simple as taking a hearing test. Reduced hearing loss means reduced sensory input, or the feeling that the walls are closing in on a person. This leads to symptoms that can…
Study Links Covid-19 To Worsening Tinnitus Symptoms
New research reveals that tinnitus, a common condition that causes the perception of noise in the ear and head, is being exacerbated by COVID-19 — as well as the measures helping to keep us safe. The study of 3,103 people with tinnitus was led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), with support from the British Tinnitus…
New Smartwatch Alerts Hearing Impaired To Nearby Sounds
A new smartwatch app alerts users who are deaf or hard of hearing of nearby sounds, such as microwave beeps or car horns. “The main motivation [for the app] came from my own experience, and conversations that my colleagues and I have had with deaf and hard of hearing people over several years,” says Dhruv…
Coronavirus Linked To Sudden Hearing Loss
As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic evolves, the virus’s symptoms continue to expand across the human body. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus infection causes many severe complications in some people, especially those at a higher risk of developing a serious illness. Many complications have been reported, including heart…
Three Steps To Protect Your Hearing
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year and the effects go far beyond loss of hearing. Exposure to excessive noise can affect more than just workers’ hearing. It can also create dangerous situations, such as an inability to hear warning signals, a…