How do I deal with a family member who is in denial of hearing loss

Posted by HearingAids on January 13, 2011 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Loss | Read the First Comment

Ask the Audiologist – What is the best way to dry out my hearing aid?

Posted by Alex on December 3, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids | Be the First to Comment

Did you get your hearing aid wet by forgetting to take it out when you shower or jump into the pool? In this week’s Ask the Audiologist, Alex explains the best way to dry out your hearing aid.

Ask the Audiologist – Where is the best place to get hearing aid batteries?

Posted by HearingAids on November 24, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids, Product Reviews | Be the First to Comment

Ask the Audiologist – Why do I need to wear two hearing aids?

Posted by HearingAids on November 17, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids | Be the First to Comment

Ask the Audiologist – Do I have to wear my hearing aids all of the time?

Posted by HearingAids on November 16, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids | Be the First to Comment

Ask the Audiologist – How do I clean my hearing aid?

Posted by HearingAids on October 29, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids | Be the First to Comment

Ask the Audiologist – Will QTips damage my hearing?

Posted by HearingAids on October 26, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Loss | Be the First to Comment

Dear HearingAids.com

I clean my ears with cutips every day, after I shower. Will that habit damage my hearing? What purpose does ear wax serve? Ok, and this part is gross: but what is the significance of the color and texture of your ear wax (being clear and oil-ish vs a deep yellow and thick)?

These really are my questions.haa Luckily I know about your blog and can ask! Thanks is advance!

Sincerely,
Vivian

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While Q-tips are very popular for cleaning ears, they can be very dangerous and are generally not recommended by hearing healthcare professionals. Earwax (cerumen) is made in the outer ear canal and is basically a mixture of 40 %secretions from cerumen glands, 40% dead skin sloughed off from canal skin, and 20% dust/dirt from our environment. This concoction presents itself in a variety of consistencies and colors based on genetics, age, and environment. The longer the earwax is exposed to air (“old” cerumen) the darker the color.

Ear wax is a good and useful “tool” of the human body as it is a natural deterrent to insects who might be looking for a home in the cozy and dark ear-canal space. Additionally, earwax will naturally keep the skin of the ear canal lubricated and free of dead skin sloughs. The ear canal hair naturally allows ear wax to migrate to the external ear canal entrance for easy removal with a washcloth.

- Suzanne

Ask the Audiologist – What is your opinon of Wow and Lyric Hearing Device

Posted by Alex on October 22, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids, Product Reviews | Be the First to Comment

Ask The Audiologist Question

Posted by HearingAids on October 20, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss | Be the First to Comment

Hi.
I have a sister who has impaired hearing since she was little . She is
26 now and she bought the hearing aids . But it does work very well.
She said if she put them on . The value is higher, but she can’t hear
thing clearly, she felt even unclearer than before . What should we do
now ?
Pleasel reply .
Thank you
发自我的 iPhone

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If your sister has purchased hearing aids and is not hearing clearly, she needs go back to the provider for service. There could a number of things causing the problem:

1. It could be a programming issue – Most hearing aids can adjust the sound quality and/or clarity for a variety of different parameters such as loudness, pitch, as well as speech processing. The hearing health professional should be able to make a number of adjustments to find the best solution for your sister. It is a good idea to be as specific as possible about her experience thus far with the new hearing aids. Also, a qualified hearing care professional should be able to verify the response of the hearing aids and make sure that it is meeting the needs of her hearing loss. Often this process of verification can be done using Real-ear measurements or speech mapping. Ask the provider how they are verifying the fitting of your sister’s hearing aids.
2. Another reasons to follow-up with the provider is to review your sister’s expectations and the possible outcome she can expect with hearing aids. It is very important for the hearing provider to explain what is achievable with her hearing loss. Since hearing aids do not restore normal hearing, but provide an improvement, it is likely that your sister is expecting something that might not be possible based upon her hearing loss. Hearing aids will not give you back the hearing you once had, but should provide an improvement for her quality of life.

Keep in mind, this is a process, and as such requires retraining of the auditory system. With the technological improvements in digital hearing aids, we can now do marvelous things with amplification. Sometimes, an issue can be solved simply be approaching it by a different feature or technology. The best way is to explore these options with a qualified, licensed hearing care professional that you trust.

Ask the Audiologist – How to be a Mom to a kid with hearing aids

Posted by jonathan on October 15, 2010 under Ask The Audiologist Q&A, Hearing Aids | Be the First to Comment