Showing posts with label dementia and hearing loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dementia and hearing loss. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Four Major Health Benefits

Hearing Aids

When it comes to treating hearing loss, many people opt out because they are not aware of the major health risks associated with untreated hearing loss.

Of course they are expensive; but when you compare the cost of hearing aids (which can run from a few thousand up to six thousand) to that of your cell phone cost over the next seven to ten years, then a cell phone is actually more expensive and they certainly don't offer the same health benefits.

And if treating your hearing loss with hearing aids prevented (or a least delayed) or reduced the health risks listed above, then the costs is more than justified.

Many of the patients who come to our office were driven by loved ones who seem to see (or hear) more clearly than the hearing loss recipient on how hearing aids can help the person they interact with on a regular basis.

It's nice how the medical community and insurance companies are so much more proactive on screening for diabetes, heart disease, mammograms... So now it's time to also become more aware of the potential dangers of untreated hearing loss and do something about it.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Preventing Painful Accidents—I Didn’t hear it coming!

“I was walking in a parking lot, didn’t hear a car backing up and it missed me by inches.”
hearing problems

Many people would argue the fact that hearing aids are not that important for mild to moderate hearing loss until they realize hearing loss can put a person at high risk of nearly being hit by a car, not heeding the warning from a person behind them, not hearing their window at home being opened by a burglar and many other life-threats that good hearing warns us about.

I have also had several patient’s who had balance issues and have taken terrible falls until they began wearing hearing aids. After all, our balance which is located in the ‘semicircular canals’ is connected right next to our cochlea, which is our main organ that distinguishes sounds and distributes them to the brain. (We really hear with our brain…the ears just “transmit” sound to the brain).

Brain hearing
I have mentioned to many people the fact that if correcting their hearing deficiencies could prevent even one fall and prevent a hospital visit, the price of a hearing aid would seem much smaller; especially if it would save a broken bone or hip replacement in the future.

Seniors falling down
It’s not that treating hearing loss with hearing aids will guarantee normal balance and always prevent falls, but they have been added to the long list of health benefits like better balance; and  the very common onset of dementia…persons who don’t treat their hearing loss have a five times greater chance of developing dementia and cognitive decline along with other health issues; like the annoying ringing in the ears (Tinnitus) that has proven to diminish healthy and enjoyable living.

Personally, wearing hearing aids have reduced my overall tension and fatigue by more than seventy percent. Since wearing hearing aids allows us to hear details and sentences without straining, there’s much less stress from people being upset with us for having to repeat themselves…and your brain will be under a lot less strain throughout the day since you won't have to lean in and squint your eyes to read people's lips.

Now that I enjoy stress-free hearing, I have been able to get up earlier in the morning and stay up later at night; and I rarely get tension-headaches anymore. I can also engage in conversations at family gatherings and restaurants without nodding my head in agreement, when I really didn’t hear what they were saying.

We don’t think of the dangers that can rise from hearing loss until we or someone we know has a bad experience related to it.  From Dementia to almost being hit by a car, to frustrated loved ones that are tired of us blasting the T.V., hearing loss can cause havoc in our lives; especially with loved ones who have to constantly share the burden.

hearing betterAnd the old stigma of bulky/ugly hearing aids are over! So are the batteries! The new hearing aids are not only smaller, smarter, deliver more natural sound like a human ear, but they are now rechargeable. Just plug them in like a cell phone at bedtime and the charge lasts all day and into the night.

Today’s modern hearing aids are so beyond the old negative reputation they had, they now live up to the expectations that modern digital devices feature. So much so that we’re certain you’ve seen dozens of people in public and on T.V. shows who wear hearing aids without noticing them, and without realizing they have significant hearing losses. No one knows I’m wearing them until I point them out.

BLUETOOTH has also entered into the modern hearing aid, so you can stream just about anything to them: Your T.V., Smartphone, Music and more! No more cranking up the television that was annoying your loved ones. Your family and friends can listen to the T.V. at their preferred volume and you have your own separate volume streaming right into your hearing aids. Phone calls are streamed into your hearing aids for hands-free conversations and music has never sounded so good!

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

NEW rechargeable Hearing Aids are here!

My first question was, how do they sound? It's nice that we can do away with batteries, but that would be pointless unless they sound good. And what about charge time? I only have to charge my cell phone once a day...how long can a small hearing aid charge actually last? And finally, what if I'm camping, out of town and forget my charger or flying on a plane for an extended time? Do I have to loose my hearing ability until I get to my charger? And then wait until it charges up?

To my surprise, the new rechargeables sounded many times better than their battery counterparts! And being a professional audio engineer for over 35 years (owning and operating a recording studio) I'm hard to please with audio and I have a very particular opinion about sound quality.

Evidently, Uniton made a wise decision to perform several new feats of technological advancements when they released their new Moxi Fit R. (R for rechargeable of course).

First, they greatly improved the sound by upgrading the chip. (The chip processes the sound and has everything to do with the quality of hearing). I was astonished when I heard the new Moxi Fit R's since I'm a hearing aid wearer and I've tried many of the top brand premium hearing aids for myself. The Moxi Fit R's sounded more natural, clearer and much smoother than anything I've ever heard.

They still have the life-saving tinnitus masker, which eliminates the annoying ringing in my ears; that was developed from years of mixing loud music for my recording studio clients. (I think seeing Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and dozens of other loud rock concerts didn't help either).

The next bonus was the charging time. They stay charged all day and into the night, so I just plug them in right next to my cell phone for charging once a day!

But there's another really cool feature: these tiny marvels of technology actually take batteries too! That surprised me since almost nothing that's rechargeable can also independently take standard (hearing aid) batteries.

Other rechargeable brands have lost the edge by being too large (to hold the recharging electronics) and I haven't seen any others that can additionally take standard batteries either. Unitron advertises they are the smallest rechargeable hearing aids in the world and that's important to everyone. Every time I show my hearing aids to a potential patient, they are quite surprised that I was even wearing them. I always get a kick out of speaking with them for at least five to ten minutes before I show them off...that way they know first hand how these nearly-invisible hearing aids are usually only detectable if you tell someone you have them on.

Uniton has certainly created a game-changer in the hearing aid industry by developing a great sounding hearing aid, easy recharging ability and all the other features such as optional T.V. & smart phone streaming and lots more.

Click here for a FREE week trial: www.crystalclearhearingaids.com

Thursday, May 12, 2016

If you're Having trouble Hearing...

Here's a short inspiring video of how a new technology Hearing Aid helped a grandma hear what she had been missing:

PLAY

Hearing Loss
"I Said You Need Your Ears Tested!"

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Hearing Loss myths...

There are a lot of myths about hearing loss - here's a few things to keep in mind:

Hearing Aids

Myth #1: Hearing aids will make me look “older” or “handicapped...”
Looking older is clearly more affected by almost all other factors besides hearing aids. If you have to make people repeat their sentences, you're are already bringing attention to your inability to hear well. It is not the hearing aids that make one look older; If hearing aids help you function like a normal hearing person, your life will change dramatically and people will treat you more favorably!

Hearing aid manufacturers are well aware that cosmetics are an issue and that’s why some NEW hearing aids fit totally in the ear canal and other models are nearly undetectable.

But more importantly untreated hearing loss is more obvious than wearing a hearing aid. Smiling and nodding your head when you don’t understand what’s being said makes your condition more apparent than the largest hearing aid available!

Myth #2: Your hearing loss cannot be helped.
In the past, many people with hearing loss in one ear, with a high frequency loss, or with nerve damage have all been told they cannot be helped.

This might have been true many years ago, but with modern advances in technology, nearly 95% of people with a common hearing loss can be helped with hearing aids. The consequences of hiding hearing loss can be dangerous.

Untreated hearing loss is far more noticeable than wearing hearing aids. If you don’t hear a car backing up toward you, miss a punch line to a joke, or respond inappropriately in conversation, people may have concerns about your mental acuity, your attention span or your ability to communicate effectively. 

The personal consequences of denying hearing aids can be life altering. At a simplistic level, untreated hearing loss means giving up some of the pleasant sounds you used to enjoy. At a deeper level, you could be at risk of Dementia, accidents and people shying away from you.

Myth #3: I’ll just have some minor surgery like my friend did, and then my hearing will be okay. Many people know someone whose hearing improved after medical or surgical treatment. But only some types of hearing loss can be successfully treated. With adults only 5-10% of surgeries help Hearing Loss.

Myth #4: Hearing aids will make everything sound too loud.
This was actually true in older hearing aid technology. It used to be necessary to turn up the power in order to hear soft speech (or other soft sounds). Then, normal conversation indeed would have been too loud. With today’s modern digital hearing aids the circuit works automatically, only providing the amount of amplification needed based on the input level. In fact, many hearing aids today don’t have a volume control because they’re unnecessary on certain models.

Rest assured the Better Hearing Institute researched thousands of people like you and found that hearing healthcare professionals receive customer satisfaction ratings of 92%. And 9 out of 10 people indicate that the quality of their life has improved with hearing aids. 

Now that Hearing aid manufacturers have learned more about personal preferences, they've made hearing aids easier to wear, less noticeable and they've added automatic features with state-of-the-art digital sound…

For more information visit: 
www.CrystalClearHearingAids.com

You'll LOVE the way you HEAR!


Some of this text was taken from articles of the Better Hearing Institute.