hearing aids Tag

mental health

Hearing Loss and Mental Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so looking at the relationship between hearing loss and mental well-being is appropriate. Recent studies have revealed a correlation between untreated hearing loss and various mental health concerns, particularly in older adults. This blog post will explore why hearing loss affects our mental health and provide some preventative strategies. Hearing loss, depression, and cognitive decline While mental health is commonly associated with factors like stress and genetics, the research emphasizes the significance of our hearing in maintaining mental well-being. Untreated hearing loss can negatively impact our mental health, increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. Struggling to engage in conversations and participate in social activities due to hearing difficulties can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, contributing to symptoms of depression. Moreover, compensating for hearing loss can be mentally exhausting, affecting concentration, memory, and daily tasks. Untreated hearing loss is also linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline, including conditions like Dementia and Alzheimer's. Social isolation, lack of brain stimulation (use it or lose it theory), and auditory processing challenges (how hard the brain works to interpret sounds) are believed to connect to these health issues. When our brains are deprived of stimulation due to hearing loss and reduced social interaction, certain areas lose their ability to function optimally. Signs of hearing loss and mental health concerns Detecting hearing loss and understanding its potential impact on our health is crucial. By familiarizing ourselves with the signs of hearing loss and indicators of mental health...

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buying a hearing aid

3 Key Factors to Consider When Buying Hearing Aids

Purchasing hearing aids is an exciting experience! But we also know they are an investment and want you to be confident in your purchase. So when thinking about new hearing aids or discussing them with your practitioner, here are some things to consider when buying hearing aids. What matters most to you? Based on your lifestyle and preferences, there are several features offered with hearing aids to choose from. Based on these choices, the practitioners can give you a better recommendation on the technology that would work best for you. Consider: Rechargeable Batteries This is great for someone who doesn't want to change batteries, has poor dexterity, or uses other rechargeable items daily. When considering battery options, also think about the length of your day. Is your work schedule consistent, or can your hours change? If a battery died during the middle of the day, could you go without your hearing aids? Are you in places you could charge your hearing aid if needed, etc.? Connectivity Do you use Bluetooth in your everyday life? It can be used with your phone, the system in your car, your tv, etc. This is a great feature for someone on the go, who uses their phone throughout the day, or likes listening to music! Hearing in Noise A noisy conversation may be fine for someone who lives a quiet life or only goes to a restaurant occasionally. However, this may be a more considerable consideration for someone who regularly attends large meetings, has a...

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Invisible

Hearing Loss: An invisible disability

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic disabilities worldwide. For the most part, it's also an invisible one. Yet, many people equate hearing aids to glasses, which is not the best comparison. In this article, we'll discuss how to explain your hearing loss to those around you and some analogies you can use to describe your experience. Hearing loss is an invisible disability. Unless people know about your hearing loss, they won't treat you differently from the next guy. But they don't understand the mental load it places on you. Unlike other disabilities that use aids, like glasses, crutches, or a wheelchair, you can't see hearing loss. The assumption is made that if you "look okay," you don't have a disability or need for accommodation. But it can be frustrating for all involved when you don't hear properly, answer incorrectly, or ask others to repeat them regularly. Hearing aids solve one aspect of this problem, but they won't fix everything. For example, if you have trouble hearing in noisy environments, you may still miss things and require extra support. Or the person speaking may not know how important it is for them to speak clearly when they talk to you. This is where good communication and analogies can be helpful. Hearing aids are not like glasses. These two are often compared, but it's important to remember they are not equals. Hearing aids, while exceptional at what they do, are not a cure for hearing loss. Unlike glasses, which, when...

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I hear you! The first two weeks with new hearing aids

You get your new hearing aids, everything is clearer, and things are louder, but man, does your own voice sound weird! This is a common experience with new hearing aid users. I promise it gets better. Those first few weeks after you get aids are a significant adjustment period. Not just because they are new to put on each morning but because your brain is adjusting too. This blog will discuss what to expect when hearing during those first two weeks with your new hearing aids. Here we go! Am I hearing too much? Hearing aids are excellent tools to provide tailored amplification and speech clarity for those with a loss. They help you hear what you've been missing. At first, certain sounds might feel overwhelming, but they are totally normal. There is an adjustment period that comes with hearing aids. Things like the furnace coming on, how your clothes move, road noise, etc., may seem extra loud or distracting. This is because your ears and brain are hearing them for the first time again. Hearing loss means the full array of sound is not transferred from your ears to the brain. After some time, the brain forgets how things sound. When sound input is reintroduced through hearing aids, it takes a little bit of time to make sense of all those sounds. After a few days to about a week, those things should fade into the background and sound more natural. Tips and Tricks Start small! Try to wear your hearing aids all day,...

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cellphone technology

Cell Phones and Hearing Aids

In 2023, cell phones, Bluetooth, and other technology are a big part of our daily lives. Updates to Bluetooth and the latest hearing aid chips have made these everyday used devices even more functional and convenient for hearing aid users. The future is bright with direct Bluetooth hearing aid compatibility now available for iPhone and some Android phones. In this blog, we'll break down some of the latest features for both Apple and Android devices. Features making cell phones and hearing aids more useful than ever before. Cell phones, in general All cell phones will come with a Hearing Aid Compatability (HAC) rating regardless of make and model. From 1 to 4, these ratings indicate how well a phone will work with two hearing aid factors: T and M. T stands for Telecoil or a particular coupling feature in the hearing aids. M is the measurement of immunity to radio frequency interference for hearing aid without a telecoil.  The higher the rating of these two factors, the better the two devices' compatibility. For example, the iPhone 14 rates at M3, T4, the Google Pixel 3a M3, T3, etc. You generally want something with a minimum rating of 2 to work well with your hearing aids. Additionally, any cell phone bought in the last ten years has Bluetooth capabilities. With updates in the last few years, direct connectivity between Bluetooth devices became much easier. Made for iPhone hearing aids have had this ability for years. But for Android users, a secondary device...

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High-End Hearing Aids; What makes them high-end?

Hearing aids, like many other technological devices, come in a variety of levels. You have your basic level with certain features, mid-level, and premium high-end. But what, outside the price tag, makes high-end hearing aids high-end and different from the other options? Think of the hearing aid levels like if you were to buy a new car. You start with the basic model, it has everything you need to drive, but that's about it. It will still get you to point A to point B. The mid-level adds some features like a sunroof and Bluetooth radio. The premium level is tricked out with all the bells and whistles. You have all the same things as the basic and mid-levels, but now you have heated seats, parking assist, and backup cameras. Hearing aids are just like that!  In this blog, we'll be discussing key features of what makes high-end, high-end. Microchip Features The major components of hearing aids are relatively standard across manufacturers and hearing aid types. The big difference in what makes the levels of technology different is the microchip. his tiny piece of technology allows the internal components to intake, process, and amplify sound in an instant. Widex Microchip As technology continues to innovate (and get smaller), microchips are also becoming smaller and can process more data in shorter periods of time. In the hearing aid industry, this means smaller hearing aids that can process thousands of environmental and speech sounds within milliseconds, giving you the best possible hearing environment....

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Hearing Aids for Millennials

Believe it or not, millennials are not kids anymore. The millennials, or generation 'y', were born between 1981 and 1996 (in 2022, the age range is 41 to 26). This generation is established in careers, some own their own homes, have children... they are adults! Although age may not cause hearing loss in this generation yet, several factors have led to the need for hearing aids for millennials. The Millennial Experience Millennials grew up in a time when technology was still new but rapidly changing. Specifically the use of hand-held or personal music players like the Walkman or the iPod. These devices are capable of loud volumes, and the use of earbuds that gets the sound closer to the eardrum has contributed to an increased rate of noise-induced hearing loss. The World Health Organization's report on hearing (2021, pp 25-26) suggests that hearing loss is on the rise, and in the younger generations, the noise from earbud use is a large contributor. Other theories around why we are seeing noise-induced hearing loss in this, and younger generations include: media volumes too highsound pollutionmedia and technology that is always on We live in a loud society! Besides general environmental noise, there is always media present to some extent, and we like our music loud. Does this mean that all millennials will have hearing loss? No. But, it does indicate that we need to prepare for the possibility and promote hearing health hygiene to the next generation better than we have done in...

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client-centred

Client-Centred Care in Hearing

In the field of hearing, the idea of client-centred care, in its basic form, is implicit as there is a subjective perspective along with the technical. Yet, many hearing clinics still adhere to a biological or sales model when dispensing hearing aids. In this article, I'll discuss what client-centred care could look like in audiology and how to ensure your needs are met by your chosen hearing health team. Client-Centred Care Defined So, what is client-centred care? This concept includes client-centred care, patient-centred care, or patient activation. They all refer to the same framework of clinical practice. Generally, client-centred care changes the focus from a professional-centred authority to the individual client. Additionally, it considers that "the whole person is understood," acknowledging the "full range" of human experience; biological, emotional, psychological, and social in treating hearing loss. Hearing is more than just how the ears respond to sound, it significantly affects the individual and those around them. Shift to Care Approach Traditionally, medical fields have centred around biomedical or disease-oriented models. Simply, a problem is identified, and only the problem/symptoms are fixed. Also known as "doctor-knows-best." In this, the client is a passive recipient. The client-centred framework is a shift away from this style of care. In contrast, client-centred care is more holistic in nature. The goal is to understand the client's personal experiences and empower them to be active, engaged participants in their health care. This shift is especially evident in treating chronic conditions like hearing loss. Thus individualized treatment is...

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face to face strategy

Coping Strategies for Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is not something we hope for, even in old age, but the reality is that a large portion of those over 65 years of age will experience it. While hearing loss is a big change to how we communicate, there are things that individuals with hearing loss and those around them can do to help. Here are 6 coping strategies for hearing loss to try. 1. Tell people you have hearing loss This can honestly be the hardest part. It's not all the time comfortable to ask for help or tell people what you need, but it's the simplest strategy. This is what we would call disclosure and it has several forms. You can disclose all, part or non-specific information to get your point across. For example, full disclosure would sound like "I have hearing loss and wear hearing aids, I need you to..." Partial disclosure "I have a hard time hearing, could you please..." or non-specific disclosure "I didn't hear you, can you speak up?" The way you disclose information may change based on the relationship between you and the person you are talking to. Your family will likely know you have hearing loss, but the bank teller doesn't know and may not need to know specifics. Including a bit of information as to the why and a productive strategy to help can make a big difference. 2. Speak face to face When possible, speak face-to-face with people. This strategy is called speechreading and helps speech understanding by...

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health insurance in canada

Hearing Aid Coverage

Hearing aids are an investment. Like many things in life, with advancements, inflation, and the general cost of living, items are getting more expensive. But, there are funding programs available to Ontarians to help with the cost of hearing aids. These are what we would call 3rd parties and some 3rd parties offer hearing aid coverage... do you qualify? Private Insurance Coverage If you have private health benefits, outside of OHIP, a certain amount of coverage is allocated for hearing devices. This can range from coverage every 3-5 years, a percentage of the total, or a lump sum towards the cost. Regardless, any help financially can be a great benefit. For information on your benefit's coverage, call your insurance provider directly and ask them about hearing aid benefits. Government Hearing Aid Funding Under Ontario health, every Ontario citizen in need of hearing aids is eligible for funding under the Assistive Devices Program (ADP). ADP provides $500 per hearing aid every 5 years for Ontario residents with a valid OHIP card. At The Ear Depot, we consider this funding from the beginning so you get the automatic savings and we handle all of the paperwork. WSIB If you work or have worked in noise, you may be entitled to benefits from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Or as some people call it Workers Comp. WSIB will cover the expenses of hearing aids to a certain extent if it is a noise-induced hearing loss. Thus, workplace noise occurs in very loud...

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