Hearing Aids picking up background noise?? (C. McKietnan)
Question: Dear Dr Nina. My father-in-law is suffering with a loss of hearing. He has mentioned that he has tried some hearing aids but they seem to pick up a lot of background noise. Can you inform me whether other hearing aids deal with this?
Doctor Nina: Dear Carmel, new technology goes a long way in dealing with hearing speech signals in noise. However, it should be remembered that a hearing aid is not a panacaea for normal hearing. The best technology, combined with a desire to work with your audiologist and your hearing instrumentation is the best route forward to better hearing.
Would an amplifier help?? (V. Cordial)
Question: My aunt is deaf from birth and due to a brain tumour her ear drum burst in the other ear. She is now completely deaf and we can't communicate with her. Her doctor said she needs implants but she's too ill for the operation. She says she can hear her phone when it's on speaker, would an amplifier help do you think. This is going to be a short term solution as she's very ill but her quality of life is extremely bad. She's depressed and bored because she can't watch tv, hear the radio or talk to other people. Even the nurses and other patients have given up trying to chat to her. She's elderly and we can't afford anything too expensive especially as it's going to be short term.
Doctor Nina: Hello Verona, there are some reasonably priced amplifiers which are available and may be of use to your aunt. The best selection can be seen on line at www.actionhearingloss.org.uk A cordless TV listener is available which also helps with listening conversations.
CIC or ITE? (B. Millholland)
Question: I am in the process of trying new Phonak Solana CIC hearing aids. Both HA's sound very tinney. Can this be adjusted out? My loss is mostly high frequency, but not too serious. My audiologist thinks behind the ear HA's would be better for me, but if I could get rid of the tinney sound I think the CIC's will work for me.
Doctor Nina: Dear Bill, I am sure that your audiologist will be able to fine tune your hearing instruments to alleviate the ‘tinny sound’ you are experiencing. In the main, Behind the Ear Hearing Aids and on On the Ear Hearing Aids can provide more in terms of listening choices for the hearing impaired.
What's the next step? (Lorenzo)
Question: I had an hearing test and I found that I lost part of my ability to grasp human voice. What is the next step that I should take (I still have the results from the test; do I need to discuss this with a doctor now)? Thanks and regards
Doctor Nina: Dear Lorenzo, even though you have had a hearing test, an audiologist would still wish to retest your hearing and make an appropriate recommendation to you. If there are any reasons to refer you to a GP then your audiologist will do so. You can have your hearing tested free of charge at any of our branches or clinics in Ireland.
Ear Infection (M. Kelly)
Question: Hi Doctor, I had a mastoidectomy approx 6 years ago which has left approx 90% hearing loss in one ear. I recently had a bad infection in the other ear which left me almost completely deaf. Thankfully infection has cleared and hearing is back. My question is can you provide a hearing aid for the ear I had the mastoidectomy on in case the same thing happens in the future?
Doctor Nina: Dear Micheal, without knowing your age profile or the hearing profile of your inner ear (cochlea) there has been some success with BAHA’s (Bone Anchored Hearing Aids). You would need to explore this route with your GP and your ENT consultant. In some instances, it may be possible to provide a hearing device with a bone conduction spectacle aid. This is a specialised fitting and your audiologist will be able to advise on the suitability of this.
Tinnitus (Dermot)
Question: I suffer from tinnitus in both ears. A hearing test with a consultant some years ago showed some loss of hearing as a result of this condition. My GP has advised me not to get hearing aids because the increased noise volume would only aggravate the condition. I’m wondering if there is an alternative?
Doctor Nina: Dear Dermot, Tinnitus with hearing loss is a common occurence and many patients report reduced problems from their tinnitus as a result of addressing their hearing loss with hearing aids. There is a lot of information on the management of tinnitus and hyperacusis on www.tinnitus.org.uk “The use of sound therapy plays a part in the management of tinnitus and if you have hearing loss, then hearing aids provide a form of sound therapy through giving you easier access to everyday environmental sound. Most people find they hear their tinnitus less when their hearing aids are switched on.” (British Tinnitus Association) Modern hearing aid technology can be programmed so that sounds do not amplify beyond your personal uncomfortable loudness levels.
Voices sound hollow & tinney! (Graham)
Graham: I have hearing aids in both ears, speech is very hollow and tinney, what could cause this? (the hearing in my left ear is less than the right ear).
Doctor Nina: Depending on the level of technology of your hearing aids, your hearing specialist may be able to programme a change to the high frequency emphasis of your hearing aids. It is also important that your hearing is checked frequently in case there has been a change to your hearing. If your hearing has changed, your hearing specialist will need to make programmed changes to your hearing aids. Also, your hearing specialist may be able to perform ‘live speech mapping’ which shows your hearing aid’s performance against actual live speech.
I have tinnitus and hearing loss in my left ear! (Gabhain)
Gabhain: I have tinnitus and hearing loss in my left ear - I got a hearing aid which helped reduce the tinnitus but does nothing for the hearing loss especially in crowded rooms and ultimately its an inserted hearing aid so it feels like its actually blocking my ear not letting sound in. The way I describe it is as if I was talking with over ear headphones on - I can hear the vibrations of my voice or when I walk etc so its really an un-natural experience. I got the aid from Spec Savers for a few hundred Euro really just to see if it would help which it has but i think I can get a better solution. I'm 34 years of age and the tinnitus was brought on after a late night gig (I play drums socially) and hasn't stopped ringing since then (29th Dec 2009 to be exact!). Any advice would be greatly appreciated - is there anything I can do to help my hearing - any new technology coming to market for example? I was following MuteButton for example to see what happens in this space. Be very interested in hearing your opinion.
Doctor Nina: You raise several issues here Gabhain. Firstly, the feeling of being blocked is called ‘occlusion’ and hearing aid users often experience this as their own voice being too loud, having an echo, sounding like their head is in a bucket or their own voice is reverberating. One of the ways that this effect can be caused is by low frequency vowel sounds entering the ear canal and being trapped between the tip of the hearing aid and the eardrum. Advances in hearing aid technology and open fit hearing aids go a long way to alleviate this experience. This new technology can also assist in hearing speech clearer in crowded rooms. As you correctly observe, hearing aids can often help in the management of tinnitus. However, you should also take precautions to protect your hearing from excessive noise which can cause the onset of tinnitus. There are several types of noise protection available. More information on any of the above can be obtained from visiting any of the 60 Hidden Hearing clinics nationwide.
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