hearing loss Tag

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...

Read more
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...

Read more
illusion

Auditory Illusions – Can your ears be tricked?

You've heard of optical illusions (and I'm sure experienced them), but have you heard of auditory illusions? Just like our eyes, our ears can be tricked into hearing things that aren't there... here are 3 of the coolest auditory illusions, can your ears be tricked? What are Auditory Illusions Hearing is subjective; that's right, what you perceive may differ from person to person. These illusions, which are auditory stimuli that seem real but are not, are a great example of how different our perceptions can be. These centuries old illusions are all around us but most of us don't realize and the results are pretty amazing! A simple example is hearing song lyrics. I'm sure we've all experienced singing along to the radio to find out we've heard the lyric wrong or been saying it wrong for a while. It's all about what your brain expects to hear and fills in the blanks for you. Here are some other Auditory Illusions to try out. The McGurk Effect One of the best-known auditory illusions is the McGurk Effect. This phenomenon demonstrates the power of visual cues on auditory perception. To put it simply, what you see and what you hear aren't necessarily the same. Check it out... https://youtu.be/2k8fHR9jKVM In conversation, the visual input of how words look on the mouth impacts how we hear them. This is why talking face-to-face is best for those with hearing loss or even just having important conversations. The Shepard Illusion The Shepard Illusion is one of...

Read more

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...

Read more
young children, holidays

Explaining hearing loss to young children

The holidays are fast approaching, meaning here comes the family get-together and spending time with kids and grandkids (maybe even great-grandkids)! This time of year is so special, especially seeing the wonder and joy on those little faces. But kids' fast-paced, high-pitched voices can be challenging to understand for those with hearing loss. [Even for those without hearing loss, it can be tricky; if anyone can interpret my toddler, that would be helpful!]. Here are five strategies for explaining hearing loss to young children in your life. 1. Tell them you have hearing loss Simple but effective. Using kid-friendly language and explanation, let your littles know you don't hear as well as you once did. This can be as short as "Nana doesn't hear that well, so can you ....." You can get into more detail for older kids if you feel inclined to do so. This may also include showing them your hearing aids and explaining how they can help you hear them better. Others can only help or adjust if they know something needs to change. Kids are no different. 2. Encourage questions Kids love to ask questions, as I'm sure every parent/grandparent has experienced. Encourage questions so you can teach and explain your hearing loss to them. You never know what their little minds might come up with, but allowing open communication lets them explore and answer their burning questions. 3. Get on their level Kids need connection, and the easiest way to do that is to get...

Read more
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...

Read more
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...

Read more
Cognition

Hearing and Cognition: Are hearing and Dementia connected?

Introduction Hearing loss is a condition that affects 1.5 million people in 2021 according to the World Health Organization(1). People with age-related hearing loss have a higher risk of developing cognitive impairments like Dementia and Alzheimer's. But why? In this blog, we'll look at the connection between hearing and cognition through research that has been done to explore the link. Cognitive Decline and Dementia Firstly, what is cognitive decline? Cognitive decline, like Dementia and Alzheimer's, are debilitating impairments of the brain. These diseases affect over 50 million people worldwide (2). Dementia is an umbrella term for various cognitive diseases, including Alzheimer's. All are a reduction in cognitive functions like memory, attention, processing, etc. in varying parts of the brain. Now, it's relation to hearing... Hearing loss affects more than your ability to hear. On the surface, hearing loss may seem like a relatively minor nuisance. You might have trouble hearing your spouse or kids. Additionally, you might have to ask people to repeat themselves when they talk to you. These difficulties can actually have a significant impact on your health and quality of life, especially for adults over 65 years of age. Negative impacts on physical and mental health coincide with symptoms of hearing loss. Including difficulty communicating, social isolation, higher risk of falls, depression, heart problems, diabetes, and cognitive decline. For unknown reasons, hearing loss overlaps with a variety of other health-related issues. With Dementia and Alzheimer's, hearing loss is the highest independent risk factor (1, 2, 4) followed by...

Read more

World Health Report on Hearing

World Health Organization (2021) In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a comprehensive 250-page document on the world's hearing. Almost any statistic or information you want to know about hearing on a global scale is in this report. But what does it all mean? What can it tell us about our hearing trends in Canada? Well, let's break down the World Health report on hearing! Introduction World Health Organization (2021) This document (1) came out of a previous WHO report in 2017. In the original 2017 (2) report, they found that hearing loss was a top unaddressed public health issue all over the world. According to WHO as of 2021 (1), over 1.5 billion people have hearing loss and it's on the rise. "Hearing care for all." That is what the WHO is calling for... "The world report on hearing envisions a world in which no individual experiences hearing loss due to preventable causes and those with hearing loss can achieve their full potential through rehabilitation, education and empowerment." World Health Organization (2021, pg 1) To accomplish this, the report broke down into 4 sections… Section 1: The Importance of hearing across the lifespan Hearing loss can occur at any age; even though many people perceive it as an 'old person issue.' While age is one of the highest causal factors related to hearing loss (WHO, 2021, pg 28-29), it's not the only one. Both causal and preventative factors play a role in the probability of acquiring hearing loss. A...

Read more

10 Media Representations of Hearing Loss

  10 Media Representations of Hearing Loss Finding media representation in TV and movies for characters with hearing loss can be difficult unless the film is centred around life and struggle as a hard of hearing individual. However, in recent years, several films and TV shows have been released that incorporate deaf characters and storylines to create a more dynamic watching experience. Although not all new, most of these movies and TV shows are from the last decade. They feature characters with tinnitus, various levels of hearing loss, and in some cases the use of American Sign Language (ASL). Here are 10 media representations of hearing loss we thought were worth a watch. Movies: Drama and Comedy 1. A Star is Born (2018) character Jack Maine Jack is a musician with substance abuse and worsening Tinnitus. Through his struggle, he helps a young singer find fame as his career is coming to a close. Starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.   2. The Old Man and the Gun (2018) character Forrest Tucker Based on the, mostly, true story of Forrest Tucker, a career criminal after he breaks out of prison... again. Forrest is shown to wear hearing aids for his hearing loss. He continues his hijinks with a colourful cast of characters, a funny script, and beautiful cinematography. Starring Robert Redford. 3.  Wonderstruck (2017) characters Rose and Ben The movie interlaces two stories set 50 years apart: Rose, a deaf girl, leaves her home in hopes of finding her mother. In...

Read more

Opening Hours

  • Monday - Friday
    8:30 - 16.30
  • Saturday - Sunday
    Closed