Usher Syndrom: A Guide to Today's Hearing Instruments

Help is available: Hearing aids

A Guide to Today's Hearing Instruments

Since 1973, more than 300,000 callers to the Better Hearing Institute's toll-free Hearing HelpLine -- (800) EAR WELL or (800)327-9355 -- have requested information about hearing loss and hearing aids. In Help Through Hearing Aids - A Guide to Today's Hearing Instruments, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) shares basic facts about hearing loss, hearing aids, and the treatment for most hearing losses.

This brochure was created to empower you as a consumer as you make important decisions about your hearing health. Because hearing care providers are committed to not only meeting but exceeding your needs, Help Through Hearing Aids carefully describes the choices that are available to you. The hearing care provider you select will guide you in your decision-making process and consult with you at each step to achieve the maximum possible benefits from your hearing aids.

MOST COMMON CAUSES OF HEARING LOSS

Close to 30 million North Americans have some degree of hearing impairment. The types of hearing loss -- and the treatments -- are based on the cause of the problem:

Sensorineural Hearing Loss-- "nerve" deafness - involves damage to the inner ear. Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by aging, prenatal and birth-related problems, viral and bacterial infections (respiratory infections, measles, scarlet fever, etc.), heredity, trauma, exposure to loud noises, use of certain drugs, fluid backup, or a benign tumor in the inner ear. A sensorineural hearing loss is most commonly managed with hearing aids.

"Most people with sensorineural hearing impairment now can be helped to hear better with properly selected fitted hearing aids," writes Gale Gardner, M.D., world-renowned ear specialist (otologist) and author of Nerve Deafness and You. Dr. Gardner emphasizes that most --in fact, 95 percent -- of all hearing aid wearers have a sensorineural hearing loss.

Conductive Hearing Loss -- involves the outer and middle ear. Conductive hearing loss can result from a blockage of wax, a punctured eardrum, birth defects, ear infections, or heredity. A conductive hearing loss often can be corrected medically or surgically.

WARNING SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS

Most sensorineural hearing losses develop over time. The gradual nature of the hearing loss makes it difficult to identify at the early stages. To determine if hearing aids may indeed help you, please answer the following questions about the warning signs of hearing loss:

Do you often ask others to repeat themselves?
Has your spouse or a friend ever told you that you don't hear well?
Do you turn up the radio or TV louder than others prefer?
Do you find yourself ignoring sounds when not facing their source?
Is it especially difficult to understand conversation in a restaurant, group situation, or when there is background noise?
Do you feel frustration with friends and family when you cannot hear them?
Do you hear some people more clearly than others?
Do you hear conversation but have difficulty understanding the words?
Are you withdrawing more from contact with friends and family?
Do you turn one ear toward a speaker in order to hear better?

"Yes" answers often indicate sensorineural hearing loss, the most common form of hearing impairment and the type of hearing loss that benefits from amplification of sound by a hearing aid.

DRAMATIC ADVANCES IN NEW TECHNOLOGY

New technology developed in the past several years can help most people with hearing loss to achieve improved communication. Today's hearing instruments have evolved from simple devices to remarkably sophisticated and technologically advanced personal hearing computers. In just the last few years, more advances in hearing aid technology have been made than throughout history.

In many hearing aids, there are no longer knobs or controls, because the instruments automatically adjust loudness. Some hearing aids are programmed so that they require only the push of a button either on the hearing aid or on a wireless remote control to switch to different hearing modes listening situation and provide balanced sound in the office, at home, on the telephone, or at a concert. Digital and digitally programmable hearing aids have been introduced which amplify signals in new ways and make the benefits of hearing aids even more customized. Many digital hearing aids are virtually computers with flexible and sophisticated processors that analyze and respond to specific sounds. Some advanced hearing instruments process sound more than a million times per second.

CHOICES IN SELECTING A HEARING AID

Over 1,000 models of hearing aids are designed in North America. All hearing aids include a microphone (to pick up the sound), an amplifier (to increase the strength of the sound), a receiver or speaker (to deliver the sound to the ear), and a battery. Some tiny batteries can provide hundreds of hours of power. Hearing aid assistance is either "monaural" (a hearing aid for one ear) or "binaural" (a hearing aid for each ear), and well over half (65 percent) of all hearing aid users are fitted with binaurals to help maximize speech discrimination.

Your hearing care provider will help you select the most appropriate hearing aids based on your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget as well as your specific hearing needs. Testing and fitting of your hearing aids as well as after-sale consultations are the services you can expect to receive from your hearing care provider. You can discuss your concerns about the appearance, size, and ease of handling of different hearing aid designs with this hearing health care professional.

Hearing aids come in several styles, and most technologies can be put into all of these types:

Completely-in-the-canal hearing aid (CIC) is the smallest least visible custom hearing device. CIC hearing aids are very compact, yet they have enough power for mild to moderately severe hearing loss.
In-the-canal hearing aid (ITC) is a small and cosmetically appealing custom device with ample power to benefit patients with a wide range of hearing loss.
In-the-ear hearing aid (ITE) is often in a custom-made ear shell which fits securely in the outer ear, offering easy positioning and adjustment by the user. It features a wide choice of options such as a telephone pick-up coil and user-operator tone controls.
Behind-the-ear hearing aid (BTE) is connected to a custom-made ear shell and offers special programming and power as well as flexibility for use with telephones and assistive listening devices.
Body hearing aid is housed in a portable case that can be carried in a pocket. A cord connects the hearing aid to a receiver in the ear. These are the most powerful hearing aids and are used for the most severe hearing losses.

In-the-ear devices are the most popular hearing aid styles in recent years. With no parts visible in the outer ear, using CIC hearing aids for hearing loss is much like wearing contact lenses to correct vision. Because CICs and ITCs fit inside the ear canal, they provide special acoustic and cosmetic benefit.

"Use of hearing aids is perhaps the most important factor in rehabilitating people with nerve hearing disorders," writes Dr. Gardner. "Hearing aids won't cure nerve deafness any more than glasses will cure poor eyesight. Hearing aids can, however, help most people with sensorineural hearing impairment - nerve deafness -- to hear better, an important first step in reestablishing an individual's social, economic, and emotional well being."

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HEARING AIDS

Why should I correct a hearing loss?

Hearing is an essential to your quality of life. Helen Keller said that loss of vision means losing contact with things, but loss of hearing means losing contact with people. A hearing loss influences the interaction between family and friends causing communication barriers between people who love and need one another. Anxiety, insecurity, isolation, and depression can affect those who do not hear well. Scientific studies indicate that the negative psychological changes due to untreated hearing loss may be reversed by hearing aid use.

Why do people refuse help for hearing loss?

Denial or minimizing a hearing loss frequently occurs, because people incorrectly associate it with aging and disability. Some are apprehensive about the challenge of learning how to use and insert a sophisticated, miniature electronic device. Others may feel shame and embarrassment about wearing a hearing instrument.

Where should I go for hearing help?

A full range of testing, evaluation, and hearing aid fitting as well as after-sale counseling is available from your local hearing health care professional. For a list of hearing help providers in your area -- including ear physicians (otologists), audiologists, and licensed hearing aid specialists), call the Better Hearing Institute's Hearing HelpLine at (800) EAR WELL or (800) 327-9355. You may also look in your local Yellow Pages under "Audiologists" or "Hearing Aids," or you may visit the Institute's website at www.betterhearing.org.

What is the cost of a hearing aid and professional fees?

Typically, the price of hearing aids includes testing, ear impressions, and office visits. Each hearing aid ranges in cost from $500 to $2,800 depending on the type of components and the style of instrument. A deposit of up to half the total may be required at the outset, and most hearing care providers offer some type of financing and payment plan.

Is there a trial period for a hearing aid?

Most hearing care providers offer a generous trial period for you to determine the value and benefits of your hearing aids. You should ask your hearing health care professional about both the trial period, which should be specified in your contract, and the amount of refund that will be provided.

What other consumer protections are available?

Studies confirm that over 90 percent of all consumers are satisfied with the service of the hearing care providers they have selected; however, most states have laws that regulate sales of hearing aids. Almost all states license hearing aid dispensers. In addition, some states also prohibit mail order sales. Hearing care providers may also be licensed by state regulatory agencies. These agencies may provide helpful information for individuals considering a hearing aid purchase. Keep in mind that you hearing care provider is dedicated to your hearing and communication needs. We encourage you to be an informed consumer by inquiring about:

Qualifications of your hearing care provider including years of professional experience
Location and costs of after-sale services
The warranty period and what the warranty covers
Terms of the transaction, right of return, and professional services that are included -- all of which should be in writing
Successful hearing aid experiences of your friends

Should I get two hearing aids or one?

You should discuss the benefit of two hearing aids (binaural fitting) with your hearing care provider. Approximately 65 percent of all new hearing aid fittings are binaural. Clinical studies have shown the binaural hearing aids enhance satisfaction and provide better overall hearing in more difficult listening situations such as small and large groups, outdoor environments, and in cars.

What can I expect from my hearing aids?

Be realistic. Hearing aids will not "cure" hearing loss any more than eyeglasses will "cure" vision deficiencies; however, hearing aids may provide many benefits, enable people to hear better and assist you in hearing sounds more clearly. Practice and patience in consultation with your hearing care provider are the keys to success. Remember: your hearing, like your vision, can and does change over time. Your hearing care provider can help you to monitor and adapt your hearing aids to these changes.

How long do hearing aid batteries last?

Unlike watch batteries, hearing aid batteries typically last from five days to two weeks. Your hearing care provider can give you an estimate of battery life for your model and use pattern.

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HEARING LOSS AND HEARING AIDS

MYTH: Your hearing loss cannot be helped.

FACT: People with hearing loss in one ear, with a high frequency hearing loss, and with nerve damage have all been told, often by a doctor, that they cannot be helped. Most people with hearing loss can be helped, the majority of them with hearing aids.

MYTH: If I had a hearing loss, my family doctor would have told me.

FACT: Very few physicians electronically measure your hearing; therefore, it is virtually impossible for most doctors to recognize your hearing loss.

MYTH: Hearing aids do not work.

FACT: Treatment is now possible for hearing losses which may have been difficult to treat just a few years ago. Modern hearing aids can help 95 percent of persons with hearing loss.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON HEARING LOSS AND HEARING AIDS

You can visit the Better Hearing Institute's World Wide Web site at www.betterhearing.org. The Institute is an umbrella-referral source for organizations which assist hard-of-hearing and deaf people.
A free copy of Nerve Deafness and You by Gale Gardner, M.D., is also valuable on request from the Better Hearing Institute. To receive a copy, please call (800) Ear Well. Hearing Aids: A User's Guide (1991) by Wayne J. Staab, Ph.D. (512 East Canterbury Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85022) provides important information about selecting and using hearing aids.
HEAR NOW, a national non-profit organization, provides hearing help for children and adults who cannot afford hearing aids. You can donate your older model hearing aids for use by those who need them by sending them to HEAR NOW (9745 E. Hampden Avenue, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80231-4923) or by calling (800) 648-HEAR.

For information about the states that have local resources to help those who need hearing aids but cannot afford the, call the Hearing HelpLine -- (800) EAR WELL.

Audiologist Richard Carmen, MA, CCC-A, has written The Consumer Handbook on Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids (Auricle Ink Publishers, August 1,1998. Soft Cover -- $18.95). The most distinguished US audiologists, physicians and scientists have come together to provide state-of-the-art information to hard of hearing consumers and their families. Robin Holm, Senior Editor for "Audecibel," (journal of the International Hearing Society) says, "A must read...The pearls of wisdom you harvest...will last a lifetime." Call (888) HEAR HELP for more information.

Better Hearing Institute
P.O. Box 1840
Washington, DC 20013
(800) EAR WELL
e-mail address mail@betterhearing.org

Original address of this page:
www.betterhearing.org/hearaid0.htm

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