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Deafness and hearing loss are not uncommon among people over 50, or even younger. Today's hearing solutions are affordable, comfortable and highly technical.
The Hearing Problem
More baby boomers are facing hearing loss issues than any other generation, if you believe reports in print and electronic media. Boomers reaching their 50s and 60s deal with typical age-related hearing loss, but many also suffer consequences of having been the first teens to latch onto ear-splitting rock music.
Earbuds, headphones and concerts may be contributors. But no matter the reasons, this generation, with wide-spread hearing concerns, is failing to do something about it, says a recent report from ABC News in Denver.
Quoting a Harris poll for Cochlear Americas, the report says hearing loss has a profound impact on quality-of-life. For instance, both women and men become annoyed or impatient with people who appear to not be listening. Those non-listeners are often hearing impaired and undiagnosed.
Relationships, says the study, can be adversely affected. Hearing loss is known to create depression and isolation. It can be dangerous – you can’t hear oncoming traffic, for example. Even so, the poll says 57% of men and 37% of women have not sought treatment or evaluation.
How You Can Manage Your Hearing]
The process, the road to better hearing at any age, is painless and convenient. There are remedies and treatments to fit almost any budget and lifestyle.
Today’s high-tech hearing instruments can talk to each other and self adjust to filter out annoying background noise. Some have as many as a million computer-connected adjustments to customize your hearing experience and specifically suit your particular loss.
Your grandparents may have worn bulky blobs of brittle plastic visible from a block away. Their hearing aids had cords winding through their clothing to a little pouch pinned to undershirt or bra. Adjustments consisted of on, off and loud whistling.
Now, instruments like Centra Active come with remote control that allows digital volume adjustments. You may choose from three custom designed hearing programs programmed into your aids. Like music and TV? The aids can be programmed to enhance that sound. Work in a noisy environment where you have to sort conversation from background junk? No problem.
These talented hearing aids smooth sound so harsh noise like breaking glass or running water don’t cause discomfort. Siemens, for example, has perfected data learning, allowing a pair of hearing aids to adjust based on your preferences. Can you imagine ear-to-ear communication that auto-balances your hearing? How about automatic wind screening so you don’t get whistles and screeches from brisk wind?
Your audiologist can, and should, interview you about lifestyle and environment in order to monitor the settings that will work best for you. Fittings aren’t about size and style as much as they’re about meetings with the audiologist. You’ll discuss what’s working for you and what needs tweaking. You’ll explore the benefits your insurance company may or may not provide. She should also do a complete preliminary workup and a series of hearing tests to determine your exact needs. Those screenings and subsequent fittings should be included in the price you pay.
How the Technology Works
Here are a few digital innovations that make hearing today’s hearing aids far superior to yesterday’s clunkers:
Reduction of low level background noise and microphone sounds.
Feedback reduction or elimination.
Improved speech recognition.
Digital speech enhancement (DSE) – relatively new, but thought to increase intensity of some speech components.
Directional microphones that can switch between directional and multi- or omni-directional modes, so you can determine where sound is coming from.
Rechargeable batteries.
Transmitters that fit right into your ear canal, making the aids practically invisible and so comfortable you’ll forget you’re wearing them.
Granted, the new digital aids, almost bionic in their intuitiveness, can be pricey – as much as $12,000. But as incredible as high end technology like Siemens’ Centra Active is, prices for good quality hearing aids begin much more reasonably than that and lower to mid-end aids can be just as life-altering for many patients.
Center For Hearing Aids
E-32, Hauz Khas Market,
New Delhi-110016
E-mail : ramavision@satyam.net.in
ramavision@hathway.com
24X7 Contact no: +91 9810074489
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