HOW TO DO WONDERS WITH A LITTLE HEARING AID!

Many people fear that hearing loss spells the end of their enjoyment in life. They falsely believe that there is no good solution and that they will have to spend tons of money to be able to hear even half as well as they used to. Unfortunately, many see hearing loss as having little choice in the matter. The good news is that modern technology has brought with it more options and affordability. Hearing loss does not have to be a thorn in your side. It's just a speed bump in the road of life that can be smoothed over with a number of effective solutions. You simply have to choose the one that is right for you.

Any audiologist or hearing care professional can assess your hearing loss, discuss your concerns and needs and assist you in choosing the right solution for your hearing loss. If you are concerned about flexible options and avoiding a huge dent in your budget, your hearing care specialist might recommend the ReSound Ziga. This is the kind of hearing aid which eliminates the fears and concerns about affordable, effective hearing solutions. With all the options Ziga gives you, you no longer have to see hearing loss as a threat to your freedom in choices either.

Imagine being able to purchase a hearing aid that feels comfortable, has an elegant look, is loaded down with the latest technology, gives you control over your listening environments, delivers exceptional sound quality and doesn't drain your bank account. That's exactly what science and technology has been striving for in the last few decades, combining modern innovation with hearing instruments to bring about the best possible hearing solutions suited to a wide range of people. ReSound Ziga is a sleek, slim and discreet hearing aid which offers and accurate, simple and easy fit. Even the most unseasoned hearing aid wearer will appreciate that. The Ziga is available in three BTE models and five custom ITE variants, leaving you with plenty of room to choose the Ziga hearing aid that's right for you. Depending on the model you choose, there are lots of color options as well. This innovative little tool offers the highest level of adaptive directionality, never before seen at this particular technology level. With push button program control, volume control and feedback stabilizer technology, ReSound Ziga is becoming a prime choice for users of digital hearing aids at all levels of hearing loss and preference who want the best technology without the luxury price tag. 

Super-Power Hearing Aid Technology: ReSound Sparx Hearing Aids

There are lots of high-tech hearing aids on the market today, many of these are designed to fit a wide range of hearing losses  - from mild to profound – and can be customized to fit each user's needs. However, if you suffer from profound hearing loss, you might feel you need a super-power hearing instrument designed to specifically address the needs of those with severe hearing loss. While a super-power hearing aid won't fully restore your natural hearing ability, it can get you fairly close. Super-power hearing instruments operate on demand power and lots of it. This is to ensure that you are able to   hear voice and sound in even the most demanding listening environments.

Audiologists understand the needs of individuals with profound hearing loss. They realize that you want a hearing solution that provides you with plenty of control, exquisite sound quality, comfort, convenience and the latest technology without costing a fortune. Your hearing care specialist can help you choose the hearing aid which is right for you. Often, they will assess your particular needs and make recommendations based on these needs, your lifestyle, your personal preferences and your budget. You simply have to ensure that the audiologist has some idea of what it is that you are looking for, even if you don't have a brand or model in mind just yet.

For those with profound hearing loss, you should ask your hearing professional if a hearing aid that covers a range of losses is suitable for you or if you should go with a hearing instrument that is designed to meet the needs of profound hearing loss alone. Chances are, you will want to go with a model suited to your specific level of hearing loss in order to combat your hearing trouble with the best possible solution. For many, a great recommendation is the ReSound Sparx hearing aid.

The ReSound Sparx has been designed as a powerful hearing aid for tackling the most profound  hearing loss. We're talking super-power here, with a peak gain at around 86 dB and a maximum output level of 145 dB SPL. It offers exceptional comfort, feedback suppression, sturdy and reliable housing and easy to use push button control for programs and volume. Sparx is loaded with all the technological features needed to allow those with profound hearing loss to rely on this hearing aid in the quietest, moderate or even the noisiest of environments.

If you suffer from profound hearing loss, you want a hearing aid that offers you the best advantage. Going with a super-power hearing instrument is a smart move and one well worth the comparatively minimal expense. Hearing is a gift we all too often take for granted, and losing it is a difficult situation indeed. Don’t let hearing loss stand in your way. Do something about it with the advanced technology that digital hearing aids like the ReSound Sparx now offer.   

Digital Hearing Aid Review - Tinnitus Relief with the Hansaton Wave

Annoying, often incessant ringing, whistling, whining, buzzing or similar sounds in one or both ears, or even in the head, isn't something your imagination has conjured up. It's very real; a medical condition known as tinnitus. This condition can be rather frustrating, especially when trying to determine the cause of the ringing in your ears. Most of the time, there isn't an external sound which is causing the  sounds you are hearing. The sound comes from within the ear itself, and there are a number of reasons why you might be experiencing this high-pitched annoyance.

Tinnitus can be caused by ear infections, foreign matter in the ear, excessive wax build up, allergies that cause a problem with proper fluid drainage, use of in-the-ear headphones, medical conditions and even as a side effect of some medications. This can also be caused by congenital defects and natural hearing loss. Most commonly, it is noised-induced hearing loss which is the culprit.

Tinnitus is considered a subjective condition. It is often difficult to measure using standard hearing tests. Instead, an audiometric test is performed in order to compare the frequency and intensity of the sounds being experienced. The condition is then rated on a scale from “slight” to “catastrophic,” depending on how much interference it poses to one's daily activities.

If lasting damage to the ear has occurred, resulting in tinnitus and hearing loss, the condition can be permanent. However, there are preventative measures. Since it only takes prolonged exposure to as little as 70 decibels of sound, turning the volume down is a good idea. In the case of concerts or live events, try not to get up-close-and-personal with the sound system. In industrial environments and others with high levels of noise, a smart preventative measure is to wear some form of hearing protection. Anything you can do to reduce your exposure to loud sounds and noise can go a long way in preventing the future occurrence of hearing loss and tinnitus.

For those already suffering from tinnitus, there are treatments available. For objective tinnitus, treatments range from clearing the ear canal to the application of botulinum toxin to teflon implants to shield the cochlea and more. Subjective tinnitus has a number of treatments as well: use of medications and nutrients, avoidance or limitations of salt, caffeine and smoking, electrical stimulation, surgery and psychological approaches. Hansaton has a hearing aid which provides sound therapy to tinnitus sufferers. It's innovative technology at it's best with the Hansaton Wave.

Even if you can't completely eliminate the sounds of tinnitus, wouldn't it be great to be able to reduce them to a livable, comfortable level? With the Hansaton Wave, you can! With this handy little device, healthy sounds are introduced and help to reduce the interference cause by tinnitus. While the sound is still present, the sufferer is able to cope with it and no longer has to consider their tinnitus an excruciating experience. Through their cutting edge digital hearing aids Hansaton is making waves when it comes to retraining the ear and reversing the problems caused by tinnitus.

Older adults with hearing loss appear more likely to develop dementia, and their risk increases as hearing loss becomes more severe, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

By the year 2050, an estimated 100 million people or nearly one in 85 individuals worldwide will be affected by dementia, according to background information in the article. Interventions that could delay the onset of dementia by even 1 year could lead to a more than 10% decrease in the prevalence of dementia in 2050, the authors note. “Unfortunately, there are no known interventions that currently have such effectiveness,” they write.

Candidate risk factors for dementia include low involvement in leisure activities and social interactions, sedentary state, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, and another potential risk factor is hearing loss.

To assess whether hearing loss is another potential risk factor, Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, and colleagues studied 639 individuals age 36 to 90 without dementia. Participants initially underwent cognitive and hearing testing between 1990 and 1994 and were followed for the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease through May 31, 2008.

Of the participants, 125 had mild hearing loss (25 to 40 decibels), 53 had moderate hearing loss (41 to 70 decibels) and six had severe hearing loss (more than 70 decibels). During a median (midpoint) follow-up of 11.9 years, 58 individuals were diagnosed with dementia, including 37 who had Alzheimer’s disease. 

The risk of dementia was increased among those with hearing loss of greater than 25 decibels, with further increases in risk observed among those with moderate or severe hearing loss as compared with mild hearing loss. For participants age 60 and older, more than one-third (36.4 %) of the risk of dementia was associated with hearing loss.

The risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease specifically also increased with hearing loss, such that for every 10 decibels of hearing loss, the extra risk increased by 20 %. There was no association between self-reported use of hearing aids and a reduction in dementia or Alzheimer’s disease risk.

“A number of mechanisms may be theoretically implicated in the observed association between hearing loss and incident dementia,” the authors write. Dementia may be overdiagnosed in individuals with hearing loss, or those with cognitive impairment may be overdiagnosed with hearing loss. The two conditions may share an underlying neuropathologic process.

The authors continue, “Finally, hearing loss may be causally related to dementia, possibly through exhaustion of cognitive reserve, social isolation, environmental deafferentation [elimination of sensory nerve fibers], or a combination of these pathways.”

If confirmed in other independent cohorts, the findings of the study could have substantial implications for individuals and public health.

The authors conclude, “With the increasing number of people with hearing loss, research into the mechanistic pathways linking hearing loss with dementia and the potential of rehabilitative strategies to moderate this association are critically needed.”

(Arch Neurol. 2011;68[2]:214-220)

SOURCE: JAMA