Solutions

The good news - Hearing Aids

Today, hearing aids are smaller, more comfortable, and more effective than ever before, which explains why satisfaction with newer hearing aids is at an all-time high (Kochkin, 2005). Almost all hearing aids today are digital microcomputers that can automatically adjust to ensure sounds are audible and comfortable. And there’s a whole host of twenty-first century features available that make them easy – and even fun – to use. Features such as voice alerts to tell you that it’s time for a check-up, and self-learning technology that actually learns and adapts to your hearing preferences. Even basic models today are light years ahead of the most advanced models of just a few years ago. There are usually several style and technology options for each person. Which hearing aids are right for you depend on your audiogram, the types of settings where you have difficulty hearing, your preferences for various styles, your previous experience (if any) you’ve had with hearing aids, and your expectations. Demonstration models may help you see what hearing aids look like on the ears, and in some cases, you may be able to try them in the office to get an idea of what they’ll sound like. If you are not sure where to start, you need to Get HAPPY^™! Healthy Hearing's customized group of guides on hearing loss and hearing aids.

Can you spot the hearing aids in the pictures below? Hearing aid styles have come a long way.

Image courtesy of Phonak US.

Image courtesy of Oticon US.

The good news - Cochlear Implants

In some people with severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss, the inner ear sensory cells are lost or damaged to the degree that hearing aids are no longer beneficial for understanding speech or hearing sounds. Cochlear implants deliver stimulation directly to the hearing nerve, bypassing the damaged structures of the inner ear. Thanks to cochlear implants, thousands of adults and children around the world with severe and profound hearing loss have been able to hear and understand better than ever before thought was possible.

Images courtesy of Cochlear Corporation Ltd.

Today, many more people can benefit from cochlear implants than was the case in years past. Advances in the technology, experience with cochlear implants and substantial evidence proving their safety and effectiveness has led to a broadening of the criteria for candidacy. If your comprehensive hearing evaluation determines that you have a severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss, you may be a candidate for a cochlear implant. If you are not sure where to start, you need to Get HAPPY^™! Healthy Hearing's customized group of guides on hearing loss and hearing solutions.

Sergei, K. (2005). MarkeTrak VII: Hearing Loss Population Tops 31 Million. The Hearing Review. 12(7), 16-29.