Hearing Loss or Auditory Processing Disorder? Part 2

Hearing loss and Auditory Processing Disorders differ in a variety of ways.  A person experiencing hearing loss has difficulty hearing sounds while a person with APD has difficulty understanding and differentiating what is heard.  Hearing loss occurs in the inner, middle, or outer ear and impacts the individual's ability to hear auditory stimuli.  APD occurs in the brain along the auditory pathway and impacts the individual's ability to understand and comprehend auditory stimuli.  People with APD have trouble understanding in noise no matter how well they may hear. 

Sometimes an individual could be experiencing both a hearing loss and an auditory processing disorder.  Ultimately, the only reliable way to determine if you are experiencing a hearing loss and/or  APD is to undergo several tests administered by an audiologist.  Part of a thorough hearing evaluation includes tests that determine if an auditory processing disorder could be present. 

If you feel like you may be experiencing an auditory processing disorder, please don't hesitate to call one of our offices and schedule a no-charge consult with one of our clinical audiologists.

Hearing Loss or Auditory Processing Disorder? Part 1

Do you have trouble understanding speech in the presence of background noise?  Sometimes this is due to an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD).
APD is the auditory equivalent of dyslexia.  An Auditory Processing Disorder impacts the way the brain processes auditory information and leads to difficulties in recognizing and interpreting sounds; particularly speech. 

Common symptoms of APD include:

* Difficulty understanding speech in the presence of     background noise

* Inability to tell where a sound is coming from

* Inability to discern the difference between sounds

Click here to read more about APD and its symptoms.

Digital versus Analog Hearing Instruments

There are currently two types of hearing aids: Analog and Digital.  Analog hearing aids convert sound waves into electrical waves, which provide an accurate sound reading. Digital hearing aids convert sound waves using exact mathematical calculations, which produce an exact duplication of sound. As a result, the sound quality produced by digital hearing aids is significantly higher than the quality of sound produced by analog hearing aids.

 The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers this comparison of digital and analog hearing aids.

For more information, visit our website!

Wireless Technology For Hearing Aids With T-Coils

The T-Coil in a hearing aid is a loop of wire that picks up the magnetic signal of a device (such as a phone) through induction.  If a hearing aid has a t-coil, it will have a little switch or button that the user can move or push to choose between the microphone and t-coil.  When the user of a hearing aid with a t-coil flips the switch from M (for microphone) to T (for t-coil), the microphone in the hearing aid is turned off entirely, and the only sounds the hearing aid can hear are the magnetic signals coming from a device such as a phone.  Hearing aids with t-coils are not bluetooth compatible.  However, there are new advances that enable these hearing aids to wirelessly connect to a cell phone or television.  For example, a new neck loop has been developed that can wirelessly connect your cell phone to your t-coil equipped hearing aids.  With this neck loop, it is possible to talk on your cell phone hands-free.  Contact our offices to find out if this device is right for you.

 

 

TV Ears has also developed wireless technology to enable t-coil equipped hearing aids hear the volume of the television without the use of headphones.  It is now possible to use TV Ears without headphones if your hearing aids are T-coil enabled.  Now you can clearly hear your friends and family while enjoying your favorite shows.  For more information, visit the TV Ears website and view the video describing the TV Ears Link System.

 

For more information, don't hesitate to contact our offices.