Bluetooth Technology: "Bells and Whistles" or Necessity?

Hearing loss sufferers and their family members typically have four primary complaints: "I can't hear on the phone." "We have to shout so our loved one can hear what we're saying over the phone." "I have to turn up the TV really loud so I can hear it." "The TV has to be so loud we can't watch it together now." "I can't hear conversations in noisy places." "We have to get really close so our loved one can somewhat decipher what we're saying in crowded or noisy environments." "It's impossible to turn the computer volume level high enough to understand what's being said." Bluetooth  (wireless) technology makes the following solutions possible: Streaming the volume of phones, televisions, computers, and portable music players directly to your hearing aids Watching the television without having to adjust the volume level Hearing the television from anywhere in the house Hands free phone use Hearing telephone conversations in both ears Answering the telephone without leaving your seat Focusing on social activities and people around you instead of working hard to listen! For more information, visit our website!

New Hearing Aid for Treating Tinnitus

Siemens Hearing Instruments has released a new device to mask tinnitus and simultaneously work as a hearing aid. The Siemens Life hearing aid is equipped with 4 different "masking sounds" used to mask tinnitus and enhance hearing. It also contains: SoundLearning 2.0 which equips the hearing device to learn and automatically adjust to the wearer's unique hearing preferences regardless of environment Feedback Stopper which quickly identifies, isolates, and cancels whistling before it begins. SpeechFocus which helps the wearer understand speech from any direction more clearly. If you would like to know more about Siemens Life or other hearing aids that can help you cope with tinnitus, please call our offices to schedule a no-charge consultation with one of our clinical audiologists.

Treatments for Tinnitus

Interest in finding a cure for tinnitus has dramatically increased in recent years due to the number of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from this condition.  Presently, over 50 trials are being conducted by the VA to find a cure for tinnitus.  Promising treatment options include:

Neuromonics of Australia

In 2005, neuromonic treatment of tinnitus was introduced in the United States after approval by the FDA.  This treatment involves an acoustic signal which targets the neural pathways in the brain to reprogram them to filter the sounds produced by a patient's particular type of tinnitus.  The process takes about six to eighteen months under the supervision of a clinical audiologist. 

Open-Fit Digital Hearing Aids

Nearly 80% of patients properly fit with open-fit, digital hearing aids report relief from tinnitus.  Because tinnitus usually accompanies hearing loss, hearing aids have traditionally been an effective treatment method to mask tinnitus.  Researchers have reported that the benefits of digital hearing aids in treating tinnitus increase dramatically every three months during the first year of wearing the hearing device.

The Future of Treating Tinnitus

Perhaps the most encouraging development in the treatment of tinnitus is a new compound under research at the University of Buffalo.  In controlled studies, the compound eliminated tinnitus with a single dose.  Research is ongoing.

For more information on tinnitus, visit our website!

Risk Factors for Tinnitus

There are multiple risk factors that can contribute to the potential onset of tinnitus. These risk factors include: Age related hearing loss Constant exposure to loud noise Consistent middle ear or sinus infections Constricted or poor blood flow due to atherosclerosis and/or kinking in the carotid artery or jugular vein History of migraine headaches Before deciding on a course of treatment, a clinical audiologist must first look for any potential contributing factors to the onset and presence of a patient's particular type of tinnitus. A thorough history and lifestyle evaluation must be completed. In many cases, lab work is essential to investigate various potential or contributing factors like salt intake, very high or very low blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

The Onset and Causes of Tinnitus

Only 10% of tinnitus sufferers have normal hearing. It is therefore thought that the onset of tinnitus indicates some type of accompanying hearing loss or auditory malady. It is difficult for most tinnitus sufferers to identify a specific event that led to its onset. Of those who can, most attribute the onset to loud noise exposure such as fireworks, speaker volume, or gunfire. The causes of tinnitus are numerous and include: Hearing loss Loud noise exposure High blood pressure Head and neck tumors Head and neck injuries Excessive ear wax Ear infection Medicines such as: Antibiotics like chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and bleomycin Cancer medications like mechlorethamine and vincristine Unusually high doses of aspirin Diuretics Visit the Mayo Clinic's website for a detailed description of tinnitus and its causes. Photo provided courtesy of Ambro.

Two Keys To Buying the Right Hearing Aid For You

Currently, hundreds of hearing aid models, features, and devices are available for purchase.  How do you know which type of hearing aid is right for you?  Here are two keys to buying the right hearing aid.

Know the 3 levels of Hearing Aid Technology

• Level One hearing aids are the least expensive hearing instruments. They have two to six channels and fixed directional microphones.
• Level Two hearing aids are slightly more expensive than Level One hearing aids. They have eight to twelve channels and adaptive directional microphones.
• Level Three hearing aids are more expensive than Level Two hearing aids. They have eighteen to twenty channels and multi-channel, adaptive directional microphones.

Work with a clinical audiologist to determine specific hearing aid features that will compensate for your particular type of hearing loss

Some features include:

Hands-free connection to phones

You teach the hearing aids how to listen

No-whistle technology

Hold the phone in one ear...hear the caller in both ears

Tinnitus treatment program built into the hearing aid

Rechargeable batteries that last for up to 500 days

Automatic adjustment to up to 7 different acoustic environments

Hope for a Tinnitus Cure?

Tinnitus is commonly described as "ringing in the ears."  There are two types of tinnitus- Objective and Subjective.  Objective tinnitus refers to tinnitus that is audible to other people.  Subjective tinnitus refers to tinnitus that can only be heard by the patient suffering this condition.

While there is currently no known cure for tinnitus, researchers are continually investigating new treatment methods and potential cures for this condition. A recent beta trial at the Cleveland Clinic showed a 90% success rate in eliminating tinnitus. Currently, the VA is conducting 17 promising clinical trials.

Dr. Michael Kilgard, an associate professor at the Dallas extension of the University of Texas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is presently researching whether a type of nerve stimulation (VNS) can retrain the brain to ignore the nerve signals that simulate ringing in the ears. The researchers in earlier tests found that a particular type of nerve stimulation, when paired with the presentation of alternative tones, appeared to reverse the effects of tinnitus.

Read more about the ongoing research