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Educational Seminar Overview 1 Sounds of Life 2 Hearing and Hearing Loss 3 Evaluating Your Hearing 4 Reconnecting to Your World 5 When Hearing Instruments are the Solution 6 Today’s Hearing Instruments Sounds of Life… Sounds of Life Hearing connects us with: – Family – Friends – Sounds in our environment – Music we love When hearing loss is present it can put limits on your life. Hearing is Important • Personal Safety – Driving – Walking – Public Places • Environmental Awareness – Phone calls – Door bell – Alarms and smoke detectors Communication Around You • Radio and TV • Telephone • Meetings • Religious Services • Theaters • Traveling • Family and Friends Hearing and Hearing Loss… How We Hear… The ear is made up of 3 parts: • Outer Ear • Middle Ear • Inner Ear Each of these three parts has a special function that allow us to hear. Outer Ear Sound is: • Picked up by the outer ear – pinna • Sent down to ear canal to the eardrum Middle Ear As sound is sent down the canal to the eardrum • Sound vibrations cause the eardrum to rock back and forth. • Three tiny bones in the middle ear send the sound vibrations the inner ear. Inner Ear The inner ear contains over 30,000 tiny hair cells • Vibrations from the middle ear cause hair cells to move. • Hair cells are connected to the hearing nerve and send the hearing signal to the brain Three Types of Hearing Loss 1. Conductive Hearing Loss Sound is blocked in the outer or middle ear. Causes: • Excessive earwax • Damaged eardrum • Ear infection or fluid in the middle ear • Stiffness in the bones of the middle ear (otosclerosis) Solution: • Most often medically treated with high success • Hearing aids very successful if unable to treat medically Three Types of Hearing Loss 2. Sensorineural Hearing Loss Inner ear hair cells or hearing nerve is damaged and cannot send complete signals to the brain. Causes: • Aging • Noise Exposure • Hereditary factors Solutions: • Cannot be corrected with medicine or surgery • Hearing aids can be very helpful Three Types of Hearing Loss 3. Mixed Hearing Loss Both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss occur simultaneously Causes: • Can be one or several causes Solutions: • May be possible to restore some hearing with medicine or surgery • Hearing aids can be very helpful Evaluating Your Hearing Terms Used to Describe Hearing Loss Loudness: Decibel (dB) Pitch: Frequency Type of hearing loss: Sensorineural (nerve); Conductive (middle ear) or mixed (both) Severity of hearing loss: Mild, Moderate, Severe, Profound Shape of hearing loss: Flat, Sloping, Ski-slope Degrees of Hearing Loss Audiogram Familiar Sounds Audiogram Speech Sounds Conductive Hearing Loss Sensorineural Hearing Loss Presbycusis: Hearing Loss due to Aging The Impact of Hearing Loss on Speech Understanding • • • Most people with hearing loss have difficulty with high pitched sound like “s” “sh” “f” and “t”. For example: • “eeee” • “see” “she” “fee” “tee” sounds all sound alike It is common for people with a hearing loss to say “I can hear but I can’t understand” because important sounds are missing. Reconnecting to Your World Incidence of Hearing Loss 10% of Canadians have a hearing loss. • 1 in 10 people have some degree of hearing loss. • 1 in 3 Canadians over the age of 65. Hearing loss is reported as the third most common health problem in Canada today after hypertension & arthritis Signs of Hearing Loss • People around you seem to mumble • You often ask others to repeat themselves • You can hear but cannot understand • Difficulty following conversations when background noise or when in groups • Children and women's voices are difficult to hear • Need to turn up TV or radio louder • Cannot hear high pitched sounds such as birds, crickets and bells Common Reactions to Untreated Hearing Loss • Denial • Anxiety • Search for a cure • Feeling powerless • Emotional detachment • Isolation • Depression • Withdrawal from communication situations Why Doesn’t Everyone Get Help? • Unaware of hearing loss • Denial or blame others for hearing loss • Lack of desire to interface with others • Negative stories • Vanity • Prior problems with other hearing aids • Misinformed – can’t be helped because of “nerve loss” • Cost $$ Benefits of Improved Hearing National Council on Aging Study The majority of hearing aid wearers reported significantly improved quality of life including improvements in: • personal relationships • self-esteem • overall health Family members reported an average of 15% greater benefit than the hearing aid wearer. Treatments for Hearing Loss • What can be done to improve your hearing? – Use correctly fitted hearing aids – Use good communication strategies – Use Assistive Devices When Hearing Aids Are the Solution Are All Hearing Aids the Same? Hearing aids range in: • Style and size • Technology • Flexibility • Effectiveness within a noisy environment All of the above factors are reflected in price. Size and Style • In the Ear • In the Canal • Receiver In the Ear • Completely in the canal • Behind the Ear Flexibility Everyone's hearing needs are unique • Degree and tones affected • Tolerance to loud sounds • Listening environments Hearing aids can be customized to your hearing needs using a computer. One Hearing Aid or Two? If there is hearing loss in both ears, you should wear two hearing aids. Why? • Better sound sensitivity – “Stereo” quality • Improved ability to locate sound • Easier to understand speech in noise • Risk of “auditory deprivation” is reduced Hearing in Noise A normal auditory system can: • Detect and focus on speech • Tune out unwanted “noise” • Automatically minimize annoying sounds to enhance speech Hearing impairment disrupts these abilities. Today’s Hearing Instruments Digital Hearing Aids Digital Technology • changes speech & sounds into numbers • applies mathematical calculations to the numbers Benefits • enhanced clarity • more detail in the speech • programmed using a computer for optimal flexibility • ability to do more advance sound processing (e.g.. noise reduction, feedback management) Digital Hearing Aids – What Users Say • Arlinger et al., 1996 – Better sound quality – Better speech intelligibility • Warland et al., 1997 – Improved overall hearing/ clearer sound – Enhanced performance in noise • Knebel & Bentler, 1998 – Crispness of sound – Feeling more comfortable with the accuracy of what was heard – Improved ability to hear high pitched sounds e.g.. bird sounds Assistive Devices • Amplified Telephones • Wireless headsets for TV Bluetooth Technology • Can use this technology to receive sounds from your TV, telephone, or cell phone DIRECTLY to your hearing aids without any cords Choose the Best Hearing Solution • Consider your long term needs • Your hearing professional recommends the best possible solution for your hearing loss and lifestyle • Your involvement, expectations, and level of motivation play a major role in a successful outcome Who is… • Committed to helping people with hearing loss. • Staffed by certified, registered Audiologists and Hearing Instrument Specialists…experts in hearing related issues. • Committed to making audiology and hearing care accessible to all. • Provides the ongoing support, supplies, services, counseling and education to make hearing aid wearers successful. • Provides the best guarantees and warranties in the Province. • Convenient locations and hours of operation, including home visits. QUESTIONS? Contact your local ListenUP! Canada location for your complimentary hearing test.