hearing Tag

summer fun

Safeguard Your Ears This Summer

Summer is here, and it's time to soak up the sun and embrace the excitement of the season. From beach parties and music festivals to backyard barbecues and water sports, the options for fun seem endless. But amidst all the noise and revelry, it's crucial to protect your precious hearing. Don't worry, we've got your back! In this blog, we'll dive into some tips on how to safeguard your ears this summer while still rocking those awesome, noisy summer activities. How Loud Is It Really? Let's talk numbers for a moment to highlight just how loud some of these summer activities can get. Concerts and music festivals can reach ear-piercing levels of up to 120 decibels (dB), comparable to a jet engine taking off! Fireworks can explode with a bang of around 150 dB, equivalent to standing next to a roaring freight train. Motorized water sports, like jet skis or speedboats, can generate noise levels of up to 100 dB, akin to the sound of a chainsaw. It's important to realize that prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 dB can cause irreversible damage to your hearing. So, understanding the intensity of these noises emphasizes the importance of taking precautions to protect your ears during these exciting summer activities. 5 Tips to Protect Your Ears and Still Have Fun 1. Gear up with hearing protectors. Before diving headfirst into those ear-splitting activities, grab some reliable hearing protection. Earplugs (custom or universal foam ones) and earmuffs are your trusty sidekicks when it comes...

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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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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...

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Tinnitus sounds

Tinnitus and Its Causes

Tinnitus and Its Causes Tinnitus or ringing in the ears is an extra-sensory perception of sound. Meaning it's not caused by something in the environment that other people can hear; only you can hear it.  According to statistics 1/6 people in North America experience Tinnitus, but what causes it? The ringing, whistling, buzzing, etc. is typically caused by another underlying condition, which we'll discuss shortly. Treatment is then related to the underlying causes as well or the symptoms of the tinnitus. Causes and Risk Factors Causes* *and/or aggravators (some of these can make existing tinnitus worse) Hearing Loss - with damage to the ear from age or noise, we lose the ability to hear certain sounds. Since the brain can no longer receive or interpret those sounds, in some cases it will create its own sound (aka tinnitus) to fill the quiet. This doesn't happen in every case of hearing loss, but they are most common together. Ear infection or wax blockage of the canal - fortunately, this tends to cause temporary tinnitus. As with hearing loss, when the ear is not receiving sound, the brain likes to make it's own. Significant wax or fluid in your ear from an infection can cause this to happen. Head or neck injury - as hearing is partially occurring in our brains, any injury to the head or neck can disrupt the flow of nerve signals in the hearing process. Medications - certain medications are known to be ototoxic, meaning one of the side...

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middle ear bones

Middle Ear Bones… They’re small!

Bones of the Middle Ear Did you know, the smallest bones in the human body are in the Middle Ear! It's true! These 3 little bones, collectively know as the ossicles, are the Malleus, Incus, and Stapes. Also know as the Hammer, Anvil, and Stirrup based on how they look. Middle Ear Fun Facts I don't know about you, but I like random fun facts, so here are a few about the middle ear! These bones are the smallest in the human body! They are small enough all 3 can fit on a dime. You can see the Malleus (Hammer) on the eardrum when looking into someone's ear. If damaged, these bones can now be surgically replaced! Talk about a tiny replacement part! They can vibrate as much as 20,000 times per second. The ear bones are the only ones that do not continue to grow after birth. Without these small bones, you would have moderate to severe hearing loss. You can have arthritis of the middle ear. It's true! This is called Otosclerosis, a hardening of the bones. Amazing how something so small can have such a large impact on our hearing. See Them In Motion To see how the ear works and how the middle ear bones move, check out the video below. Middle Ear from 0:22 to 0:47 Youtube: https://youtu.be/eQEaiZ2j9oc Do you know any other fun facts about the middle ear bones? Or the ear in general? Leave them in the comments below. For more fun facts, check...

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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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sound booth

What to Expect from your Hearing Test

You've already made the most important step, you recognized the need and made the appointment for your hearing test! From here on out, it's simple. Here is what to expect from your appointment...   The appointment involves 3 steps: Consultation and Hearing History Test (a combination of several little tests) Results & Recommendations (a little R&R) 1. Consultation After a bit of paperwork to get your personal information and hearing history, the practitioner will meet with you. They will discuss your concerns, questions, and generally, just get to know you and your lifestyle. The questions they ask will give them some indicators about what might be going on and begin the thought process for the best recommendations based on test results.  2. Hearing Test... what to expect Hearing tests are usually a combination of several little tests.   First, the practitioner will look in your ears, we call this otoscopy. They are checking for wax (too much wax can cause pressure, decreased hearing, and give us inaccurate results) and the general health of your ear canal and eardrum.   Next, you'll enter the sound booth. Depending on where you go the booth may look a little different, but they all have the same function, to be mostly soundproof. This provides the ideal environment to test where your hearing levels are really at. In the booth with headphones in your ears or on your head, you'll hear some beeping noises and do a couple of little tests with speech to show us...

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jargon

Hearing Jargon: The Translation

  Hearing Jargon: We do try really hard to make sure that when you come into the office, you not only hear but understand us. But, inevitably, like every profession, we still use some jargon (or medical terms) that not everyone knows. Well look no further, here is your Hearing Clinic Jargon Translation! Hearing Jargon: Hearing Test Audiogram: The audiogram is a visual report to chart your hearing; it's called an audiogram because the equipment we use to test your hearing is called an audiometer. For more information on the specifics of your audiogram and what it all means click  here. Hertz (Hz): Hertz represents the pitch or frequency of a sound. The average person can hear 20 to 20,000 cycles per second. From of the audiogram. Decibel (dB): Decibels are different sound levels or volume. The louder a sound, the higher the decibel. The left side of the audiogram. Occluded: This is just a fancy term we use for blocked. If we say something is occluded it just means that it's plugged up or blocked by something (in most cases wax). Cerumen: This is the medical term for  ear wax! We don't use it as often, since ear wax is just easier to say, but this is the 'technical' term. Hearing Jargon: Hearing aids Receiver in the Canal (RIC): This acronym represents the most common style of hearing aid. The main body sits behind your ear and the receiver (speaker) is attached to a small thin cord that goes into...

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warranty

Hearing Aid Warranties

Hearing Aid Warranties: What are they and how do they help you Hearing aids like other large purchases or investments we buy have manufacturer warranties. These warranties cover your hearing aids for a period of time and cover a variety of repairs to ensure your hearing aids continue to perform well. Let's take a look at the type of warranties available to you... Repair and Remake Warranties These kinds of warranties are an agreement between you and the hearing aid manufacturer. This agreement lasts anywhere from 2-4 years and will account for broken parts, malfunction, and other repairs that we can't do in-house. While you're in-warranty these repairs have no cost to you from the manufacturer. You can find this information on your original invoice of sale or ask your hearing health care provider. Out of warranty, most manufacturers have a fixed price for a repair. This can cost anywhere from $100 to $500. The manufacturer cost depends on the age of the hearing aid and whether you choose a 6 or 12 month extended warranty. After 5-6 years, manufacturers deem hearing aids un-repairable as they may not carry parts anymore for older styles. After your warranty expires you can insure your hearing aids through a 3rd party, such as your home insurance in case of loss or damage. Lost and Damaged Insurance This insurance provided by the manufacturer is valid for 1-2 years after purchase. In that time, if you lose a hearing aid or damage it beyond repair (i.g....

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brain waves

Hearing with our Brain

Hearing with our Brain: The Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognition Did you know, hearing happens with our brains, not our ears! It’s true! Although it is the ears take in the noise around us, it’s our brain that makes sense of it and tells us it’s sound. As our ears take in noise it moves through the outer, middle, and inner ear. This noise converts into electrical signals in the auditory nerve. After it is converted, the signal travels to our brain where it is interpreted as sound. This complicated process happens within milliseconds; amazing! Hearing loss is often the result of damage somewhere in the ear or the auditory nerve. When auditory signals either can’t reach the brain or are too weak to pick up, the brain begins to forget these sounds. This is one reason why it may take a few weeks to get used to wearing new hearing aids. You are essentially re-teaching your brain to recognize those sounds again. Hearing Loss and Cognition In older adults, the parts of the brain that are inactive begin to lose their ability or forget how to function. Several studies from Johns Hopkins University¹ found that hearing loss and accelerated cognitive decline are connected. This is due to areas of the brain experiencing decreased activation from the ears. This increases the cognitive load (energy needed to perform a task) on other parts of the brain. Although hearing loss is only one factor, the connection suggests that hearing loss can increase...

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