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Warning signs

Warning Signs of Hearing Loss

Early Warning Signs of Hearing Loss For many people, hearing health and hearing loss are not something they think about on a regular basis. But hearing loss doesn't just effect babies and the elderly. Acquired hearing loss does happen gradually, typically why many people don't know about it or address it until they are older, but it can happen to ANYONE at any age. Here are some early warning signs of hearing loss you should watch out for... *Hearing loss can occur for different reasons and there are several types of hearing loss, but for our purposes, we will be discussing signs of gradual sensorineural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is the most common and can occur due to noise exposure, genetics, and aging. Warning Signs of Hearing Loss These warning signs are not just about how you are hearing, but how you feel about your hearing. Here are a few early warning signs we hear from clients or ask regularly: Sounds and speech seem muffled Misunderstanding words in conversation You have difficulty understanding conversation, especially in crowds or with background noise Feeling lost in conversation, especially with a group You frequently ask others to repeat themselves, speak slower, or louder Needing to turn up music or TV; sometimes loud enough that others comment on the volume Having difficulty understanding women's and children's voice Difficulty hearing on the phone Avoiding social settings like parties, noisy restaurants, etc. Not participating in conversation Feeling physically and/or mentally exhausted after listening to...

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sounds on audiogram

What Does my Audiogram Mean?

What Does my Audiogram Mean? In Canada, 19% of our 35 million population have hearing loss (Statistics Canada, 2013), and many more than that have their hearing tested regularly. So what does the audiogram mean? What information does it give me about my hearing? Well, here's a short explanation for you and what your audiogram means. What is an Audiogram? An audiogram is a graph used in audiology to plot your hearing levels. On this graph, you'll see the vertical line we call decibels (dB) and the horizontal line for frequency (hertz - Hz). Decibels are the units of volume or loudness used in audiology. Quiet sounds are at the top of the graph and as you go down the louder the sound is. Frequency is the pitch of the sound with low pitch on the left and high pitch on the right. We examine several frequencies from 250 to 8,000 hertz; this captures all the sounds in human speech and more. During a hearing test, we use this graph to chart how you respond to beeps at each frequency as we raise and lower the volume. Each ear is given a symbol, O for your right ear and X for your left. We'll look at these more in the next section. Information is on the Audiogram? After the hearing test is done, there are several important things to look at. First, we look at the responses of your right and left ear. Depending on where they fall on the graph...

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Meniere's Ear

What is Meniere’s Disease

Meniere's Disease Meniere's disease, maybe you've heard of it, maybe you have it, but what is it? A disease of the inner ear, Meniere's specifically affects the snail-looking structure called the cochlea (the blue structure in the figure below). The cochlea plays a large role in our balance and transmitting sound into electrical signals the brain can understand. Meniere's affects roughly 600 people out of every 100,000; 80% of which only have it in 1 ear. Although, it can eventually move to the other ear. Yet even with so many people having it, there is still much unknown about this disease. Causes As mentioned above, we still don't know much about Meniere's, especially what causes it. Professionals suggest there are 4 possible causes: A build-up of endolymphatic fluid (fluid of the inner ear that creates the electrical signals) An autoimmune disease A viral infection Genetics Or a combination of the above Although we aren't certain, there are theories that support each of these possible causes. Symptoms Because of the organ it affects, the cochlea, Meniere's has 3 very distinct symptoms that appear in unpredictable episodes. Episodic hearing loss - usually with a low-frequency loss Vertigo Roaring Tinnitus Sometimes also accompanied by a feeling of fullness in the ear These symptoms can occur together or separately. Episodes of Meniere's can last for a few hours, days, or months and seem to happen at random. Although, some individuals with Meniere's can feel an episode coming on. Treatment The treatment protocol for each patient...

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livio edge technology

What’s New in Hearing Aid Technology

What's new in Hearing Aid Tech: 2020-2021   Like most technology-based products every few years we get an updated, higher-tech version. Hearing aids are no different... we've come a long way from the 'ear trumpets' of old. So here's what's new in hearing aid technology, 2020-2021 edition!   2020 Tech In 2020 we saw some pretty cool updates to hearing aids. With newer technology and smaller microchips, hearing aids are able to do more and at faster speeds; turning them into even more complex 'supercomputers.' For instance, earlier this year Starkey and Phonak released hearing aids with "body tracking." In the Phonak Virto Marvel Black, this means biometrics that are able to monitor your blood pressure. Their first step into health monitoring. Starkey Livio AI and Livio Edge AI also include body tracking as well as brain tracking, and their new artificial intelligence (or AI) features. AI includes things like find my phone, reminders, and transcribing text as you hear it. They've also talked about the AI feature eventually being able to translate languages as you hear them. Pretty cool right!   Signia also did some updates in 2020. The Signia Silk was again updated in 2020 with a new microchip and continues to be one of the smallest, non-custom hearing aids available.   The latest update from Starkey included the first-ever rechargeable custom hearing aid, the Livio Edge rechargeable Custom aid. Up until now, custom hearing aids, or what we call In-The-Ear or In-The-Canal hearing aids were only available with...

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supporting your partner

Partner Series: Self-Regulation and Partner Stress

Partner Stress Series Part 2 In part 1 of our stress series, we discussed what stress is and how it relates to hearing loss and tinnitus. Off the top of your head, I'm sure you could come up with several strategies to reduce some of the stress caused by those. However, the most important thing about these strategies is their ability to regulate stress in a consistent way. This is where self-regulation and partner stress (or your own) comes in. Self-Regulation Dr. Stuart Shanker has created a framework for life and stress called Self-Regulation (or Self-Reg). Dr. Shanker is not the first to use this term, but his particular perspective on how it can affect our lives is unique. Self-reg is not self-control or stress management; it’s a way of looking at stress and working out the root cause rather than just trying to control or manage the behaviour. So what is Self-Reg? Mindful self-reg involves learning to recognize and respond to stress in our environments to bring ourselves back to homeostasis (balance or calm). It's about... exploring and testing out the ways in which relationships, environments, routines, and activities can enhance self-regulation recognizing stress behaviour (behaviour that is reactive or caused by excessive stress) noticing subtle signs of stress behaviour that we never saw or understood before finding our own self-reg so we can help those around us learn how to regulate themselves in the same way We do this by understanding there is positive and negative stress. Stress is...

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self-reg

Client Series: Self-Regulation and Stress

Client Stress Series Part 2 In part 1 of our stress series, we discussed what stress is and how it relates to hearing loss and tinnitus. Off the top of your head, I'm sure you could come up with several strategies to reduce some of the stress caused by those. However, the most important thing about these strategies is their ability to regulate stress in a consistent way. This is where self-regulation and stress come in.  Self-Regulation Dr. Stuart Shanker has created a framework for life and stress called Self-Regulation (or Self-Reg). Dr. Shanker is not the first to use this term, but his particular perspective on how it can affect our lives is unique. Self-reg is not self-control or stress management; it’s a way of looking at stress and working out the root cause rather than just trying to control or manage the behaviour. So what is Self-Reg? Mindful self-reg involves learning to recognize and respond to stress in our environments to bring ourselves back to homeostasis (balance or calm). It's about... exploring and testing out the ways in which relationships, environments, routines and activities can enhance self-regulation recognizing stress behaviour (behaviour that is reactive or caused by excessive stress) noticing subtle signs of stress behaviour that we never saw or understood before finding our own self-reg so we can help those around us learn how to regulate themselves in the same way We do this by understanding there is positive and negative stress. Stress is on a curve... We...

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wearing hearing aids and masks

Hearing Aids and Mask Mode

Hearing Aids, Masks, and Mask Mode Well, we've made it a year with masks. However, many hearing aid wearers are still struggling to hear clearly in our Covid-19 environment. Last year, we posted some tips on wearing hearing aids and a mask. Now that it looks like masks will be around for a bit longer, let's dig a little deeper into hearing aids and mask mode.  Wearing Hearing Aids and a Mask Even though we've all been wearing masks for a year now, here's a refresher on wearing hearing aids and a mask: Use the masks with 4 strings vs elastic. These tie around the back of your head and nape of your neck with no pressure on the ears. You can find the pattern shown in the photo here.  Get a mask extender. These can be purchased, made, or makeshift (I’ve seen people use paperclips).  Attach the mask to a headband with buttons. This not only protects the backs of your ears from the elastic but keeps your hearing aids in place too. Be very careful when removing your mask. Too many hearing aids have been lost* getting caught on a mask string. Take your hearing aids off in the same place (i.e. the car) or hold onto the hearing aid while removing your mask. *If you find a lost hearing aid, take it to any hearing care centre. Hearing aids have serial numbers that the manufacturers can use to contact the clinic it was purchased at. They can then...

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Partner Series: Stress and Hearing Loss

Partner Stress Series Part 1 Watch (with headphones is possible) till 1:13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce30oHq_lT0&feature=youtu.be Having just experienced a small example of what people with hearing loss deal with daily, how do you feel? Could you feel your stress level rising? Hearing loss is more complicated than not just being able to hear... it can create or add to the stress in our lives. In today's world, we have a lot of stress in our lives. According to the American Psychology Association, 75% of adults experience moderate to high stress on a monthly basis and the amount of stress has increased in the last year alone. With this much stress flying around everywhere it’s important we understand what stress is, how it is affecting us; both physically and mentally, and how hearing loss increases and maintains heightened stress levels. So what can we do about it? What is Stress? We all have some idea or definition we immediately think of for 'stress'. It may be a feeling we associate with it, a situation, or a scientific definition. But what is stress really? Stress is "the non-specific response [emotional or physical] of the body to a demand imposed on it”1. by strain or adverse circumstances. At its fundamental base, stress is an imbalance. Within our bodies, our systems are constantly trying to remain in homeostasis (balance). When things occur in our environment that increase the energy needed to accomplish a task, it changes how our body reacts. Chemicals in our brains change, our circulatory...

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stress and hearing loss

Client Series: The Stress of Hearing loss and Tinnitus

Client Stress Series Part 1 In 2020, I think we all understand that our lives are influenced by stress. This could be work stress, financial stress, physical, mental… global pandemic… etc. but we all have some idea of what stress is and what that means for us. Now add one more thing on top of your life stress: the stress of hearing loss and/or tinnitus. Both are not just an ear problem... they can create or add to the stress in your life. In today's world, we have a lot of stress in our lives. According to the American Psychology Association, 75% of adults experience moderate to high stress monthly and the amount of stress has increased in the last year alone. With this much stress flying around everywhere it’s important we understand what stress is, how it is affecting us; both physically and mentally, and how hearing loss and tinnitus increase and maintains heightened stress levels. So what can we do? First, let’s take a look at what stress actually is. What is Stress? We all have some idea or definition we immediately think of for 'stress'. It may be a feeling we associate with it, a situation, or a scientific definition. But what is stress really? Stress is "the non-specific response [emotional or physical] of the body to a demand imposed on it”1. by strain or adverse circumstances. At its fundamental base, stress is an imbalance. Within our bodies, our systems are constantly trying to remain in homeostasis (balance)....

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Hearing Aids are NOT Like Glasses

When talking about sensory aids, hearing aids usually are compared to getting glasses. The thought is that once the hearing aids are in everything should sound ‘normal.’ Just as your vision becomes 20/20 when you put on glasses. However, as those of us that have hearing aids or work in hearing know that is not the case.   Here's what would happen if we really treated glasses like hearing aids. https://youtu.be/LJog3HUITFk In all seriousness, they are different, but we shouldn't treat people any differently for wearing one or the other.  Here are a few reasons why hearing aids aren’t like glasses. Hearing aids do not restore your hearing to “normal”. Your practitioner will do their best to have your hearing aids working at the best volume and clarity, but unfortunately, hearing aid technology can’t yet exactly mimic the complexities of human hearing. Hearing aids amplify all sounds, including those you don’t want to hear. Like the hum of the refrigerator and other background noise. While background sounds can be decreased some, it won’t ever be perfect. Unlike glasses where you want everything to look clearer! They are not seen as fashion accessories, like some glasses. Although some hearing aids now come in a wide range of sleek styles and colours. Hearing aids often carry the stigma of being old or something to be ashamed of, unlike glasses which make you look “smart.” Hearing aids need batteries to function. Simple, but it is a big difference! Hearing aids can make some noise...

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