Educational Seminar

2 Hearing and Hearing Loss

3 Evaluating Your Hearing

4 Reconnecting to Your World

5 When Hearing Instruments are the Solution

6 Today’s Hearing Instruments

1 Sounds of Life

Overview

Sounds of Life…

Sounds of Life

Hearing connects us with:

– Family

– Friends

– Sounds in our environment

– Music we love

When hearing loss is present it can

put limits on your life.

Hearing is Important

• Personal Safety– Driving– Walking– Public Places

• Environmental Awareness– Phone calls– Door bell– Alarms and smoke detectors

Communication Around You• Radio and TV

• Telephone

• Meetings

• Religious Services

• Theaters

• Traveling

• Family and Friends

Hearing and Hearing Loss…

How We Hear…

The ear is made up of 3 parts:

• Outer Ear

• Middle Ear

• Inner Ear

Each of these three parts has a

special function that allow us to hear.

Outer Ear

Sound is:

• Picked up by the outer ear – pinna

• Sent down to ear canal to the eardrum

Middle Ear

As sound is sent down the

canal to the eardrum• Sound vibrations cause the eardrum

to rock back and forth.• Three tiny bones in the middle ear

send the sound vibrations the inner ear.

Inner Ear

The inner ear contains over 30,000 tiny hair cells

• Vibrations from the middle

ear cause hair cells to move.• Hair cells are connected

to the hearing nerve and

send the hearing signal to

the brain

Three Types of Hearing Loss1. Conductive Hearing Loss

Sound is blocked in the outer or middle ear.

Causes:• Excessive earwax• Damaged eardrum• Ear infection or fluid in the

middle ear• Stiffness in the bones of the

middle ear (otosclerosis)

Solution:• Most often medically treated with high success• Hearing aids very successful if unable to treat medically

Three Types of Hearing Loss2. Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Inner ear hair cells or hearing nerve is

damaged and cannot send complete signals to the brain.

Causes:

• Aging

• Noise Exposure

• Hereditary factors

Solutions:

• Cannot be corrected with medicine or surgery

• Hearing aids can be very helpful

Three Types of Hearing Loss3. Mixed Hearing Loss

Both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss

occur simultaneously

Causes:

• Can be one or several causes

Solutions:

• May be possible to restore some

hearing with medicine or surgery

• Hearing aids can be very helpful

Evaluating Your Hearing

Terms Used to Describe Hearing Loss

Loudness: Decibel (dB)

Pitch: Frequency

Type of hearing loss: Sensorineural (nerve); Conductive (middle ear) or mixed (both)

Severity of hearing loss: Mild, Moderate, Severe, Profound

Shape of hearing loss: Flat, Sloping, Ski-slope

Degrees of Hearing LossAudiogram

Familiar Sounds Audiogram

Speech Sounds

Conductive Hearing Loss

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Presbycusis: Hearing Loss due to Aging

The Impact of Hearing Loss on Speech Understanding

• Most people with hearing loss have difficulty with high pitched sound like “s” “sh” “f” and “t”.

• For example:

• “eeee”

• “see” “she” “fee” “tee”

sounds all sound alike

• It is common for people with a hearing loss to say “I can hear but I can’t understand” because important sounds are missing.

Reconnecting to Your World

Incidence of Hearing Loss

10% of Canadians

have a hearing loss.

• 1 in 10 people have some

degree of hearing loss.

• 1 in 3 Canadians over

the age of 65.

Hearing loss is reported as

the third most common health

problem in Canada today after hypertension & arthritis

Signs of Hearing Loss

• People around you seem to mumble

• You often ask others to repeat themselves

• You can hear but cannot understand

• Difficulty following conversations when background noise or when in groups

• Children and women's voices are difficult to hear

• Need to turn up TV or radio louder

• Cannot hear high pitched sounds such as birds, crickets and bells

Common Reactions to Untreated Hearing Loss

• Denial

• Anxiety

• Search for a cure

• Feeling powerless

• Emotional detachment

• Isolation

• Depression

• Withdrawal from communication situations

Why Doesn’t Everyone Get Help?

• Unaware of hearing loss

• Denial or blame others for hearing loss

• Lack of desire to interface with others

• Negative stories

• Vanity

• Prior problems with other hearing aids

• Misinformed – can’t be helped because of “nerve loss”

• Cost $$

Benefits of Improved Hearing

National Council on Aging Study

The majority of hearing aid wearers

reported significantly improved quality

of life including improvements in:• personal relationships• self-esteem• overall health

Family members reported an average

of 15% greater benefit than the

hearing aid wearer.

Treatments for Hearing Loss

• What can be done to improve your hearing?

– Use correctly fitted hearing aids

– Use good communication strategies

– Use Assistive Devices

When Hearing AidsAre the Solution

Are All Hearing Aids the Same?

Hearing aids range in:

• Style and size

• Technology

• Flexibility

• Effectiveness within a noisy environment

All of the above factors are reflected in price.

Size and Style

• In the Ear • In the Canal • Completely in the canal

• Receiver In the Ear • Behind the Ear

Flexibility

Everyone's hearing needs are unique

• Degree and tones affected

• Tolerance to loud sounds

• Listening environments

Hearing aids can be customized to your hearing needs using a computer.

One Hearing Aid or Two?

If there is hearing loss in both ears, you should wear two hearing aids. Why?

• Better sound sensitivity – “Stereo” quality

• Improved ability to locate sound

• Easier to understand speech in noise

• Risk of “auditory deprivation” is reduced

Hearing in Noise

A normal auditory system can:

• Detect and focus on speech

• Tune out unwanted “noise”

• Automatically minimize

annoying sounds to enhance

speech

Hearing impairment disrupts these abilities.

Today’s Hearing Instruments

Digital Hearing Aids

Digital Technology• changes speech & sounds

into numbers• applies mathematical

calculations to the numbers

Benefits• enhanced clarity• more detail in the speech• programmed using a computer

for optimal flexibility• ability to do more advance sound

processing (e.g.. noise reduction, feedback management)

Digital Hearing Aids – What Users Say

• Arlinger et al., 1996– Better sound quality– Better speech intelligibility

• Warland et al., 1997– Improved overall hearing/

clearer sound– Enhanced performance in noise

• Knebel & Bentler, 1998– Crispness of sound– Feeling more comfortable with the

accuracy of what was heard– Improved ability to hear high

pitched sounds e.g.. bird sounds

Assistive Devices

• Amplified Telephones• Wireless headsets for TV

Bluetooth Technology• Can use this technology to receive sounds

from your TV, telephone, or cell phone DIRECTLY to your hearing aids without any cords

Choose the Best Hearing Solution

• Consider your long term needs

• Your hearing professional

recommends the best possible

solution for your hearing loss

and lifestyle

• Your involvement, expectations,

and level of motivation play a

major role in a successful outcome

Who is…• Committed to helping people with hearing loss.

• Staffed by certified, registered Audiologists and Hearing Instrument Specialists…experts in hearing related issues.

• Committed to making audiology and hearing care accessible to all.

• Provides the ongoing support, supplies, services, counseling and education to make hearing aid wearers successful.

• Provides the best guarantees and warranties in the Province.

• Convenient locations and hours of operation, including home visits.

QUESTIONS?

Contact your local ListenUP! Canada location for your complimentary hearing

test.