Oldsmobiles and Hearing Aids
- Posted on: Feb 11 2012
I used to think when I watched those commercials that said, “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile,” the commentator forgot to say, “But it could look like your grandfather’s.” Of course, I was a teenager and thought there could be nothing more old looking than a car called an “Olds.” I’ve also found it funny that people think they look old with hearing aids, but there’s not stigma to wearing eyeglasses. It’s just one of those dichotomies that just doesn’t quite make sense. Perhaps it’s because there’s the perception that hearing aids are the “Olds” of the medical accessory world.
| Hearing aid sitting within the ear canal and completely invisible to friends and family |
Fortunately, hearing aids are becoming more and more prevalent in our society. They are shrinking in size making them more desirable to anyone with hearing loss, no matter how severe their loss is. Add the high tech options such as Bluetooth and other connectivity methods, and they are fast becoming a “techie’s” dream.
The beauty of these technological advancements is that hearing aids are no longer attention grabbers. When hearing aids were beige, bulky and whistling constantly, people often waited until it was an absolute necessity before wearing them. Today’s hearing aids are often times less conspicuous than an untreated hearing loss and a lot of “what was that”s.
One type hearing aid like that above compared to a quarter
With research linking the effects of hearing loss with cognitive decline, people are becoming more proactive in their hearing healthcare with earlier testing. To read more about how hearing loss affects our thought processes check out this article on audiology.org.
New feedback management systems allow hearing aids to keep the ear canal open to ambient sounds and focus amplification on the high pitched tones (think women’s and children’s voices). This breakthrough is particularly important because presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) as well as noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) affects the high frequency tones first. People affected by presbycusis and NIHL often notice that they can communicate effectively in a one on one conversation, but when noise is added to the background or multiple people are speaking at once the ability to hear what is being said drops precipitously.
| Tough to see, incredible sound |
Wireless connectivity allows for cell phones, televisions and more to be streamed directly to your hearing aids. The beauty of listening through your hearing aids is that the hearing aid has been programmed to deliver the sound to your ear in a way that maximizes your ability to hear and understand what is being said. It’s just not the same as cranking up the volume. Many of our manufacturers offer wireless connectivity in a range of price options. If you or a loved one has any trouble hearing, please call and schedule a hearing evaluation today or visit www.entTX.com for more information.
Tagged with: aids, amplification, audio, audiogram, audiologist, hard, hearing, hearing aids, loss, need, noise, old, oticon, phonak, quiet, small, starkey, tinnitus
Posted in: Ear, ENTTX specific
