Common Summertime Hearing Aid Problems

Summer is here, which means spending time outdoors and warm weather. However, for those who use hearing aids, summer can pose some challenges. When hearing aids devices are exposed to heat or moisture, they can be damaged. During the summer, sweat and water are the two biggest problems of hearing aids, and extreme temperature changes can cause…

Why Do Hearing Aids Break?

For many people, hearing aids are essential. They allow them to communicate with others and go about their day-to-day routine and activities. Because of this, keeping them in perfect condition is important. Hearing aids are durable, but they are still very small and complex instruments that have electronic components. This means that things like earwax,…

“CROS” Sections

Individuals who have normal to moderate hearing loss in one ear and no usable hearing in the other ear might be helped by a “CROS” (contralateral routing of signal) or “BiCROS” (bilateral routing of signal) hearing instrument. By using a transmitter unit with a microphone that is worn on the ear with no usable hearing,…

REGROWING HAIR (CELLS)

Central to the type of hearing loss known as “sensorineural” is damage to the tiny “hair cells” that reside within the cochlea, where these sensory receptors convert sound waves into electrical signals that they transmit through the acoustic nerve to the brain. Unfortunately, once hair cells become damaged by loud noise, they do not have…

THE “RIGHT” WAY TO LISTEN

When people lean in to intently listen to what another person is saying, they usually instinctively turn their heads to the right side. There is a reason for this. Recent research has found that both children and adults rely more on their right ears for processing and retaining what they hear. This bias can largely…

BTE Vs. ITC Hearing Aids

Hearing aids come in a variety of different styles, and it’s always worth developing an understanding of your options before you take the plunge. Behind-the-ear (BTE) and in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are two of the most popular styles used in the modern world, and these hearing aids can be very different. Let’s look at these different…

COOL, CALM, AND CONNECTED

As increasing numbers of people have come to view hearing instruments as a technology extension to the smartphone, their coolness factor has risen commensurately. No longer regarded simply as a means of improving hearing, hearing instruments with Bluetooth connectivity have attained new status as communication and information-gathering devices. While once only compatible with Apple’s iOS…