Tag: hearing industry

6 Important Factors to Understanding Hearing and Hearing Aids for Caregivers

Understanding Hearing Loss and the Importance of Hearing Aids
The human ear is an important organ in the body responsible for hearing and balance. When hearing is partially or totally impaired our ability to communicate with others can become difficult and frustrating leading to relationship breakdowns, isolation and depression. There is no respecter of age, ethnicity, culture, class, race or sex when it comes to hearing loss. Hearing loss affects not only the person diagnosed but it also loved ones, family members, friends, co- workers and caregivers. Therefore learning about hearing, hearing loss and different solutions that bridge the communication gap whether it is a hearing aid, assistive listening device, lip- reading, sign language, written messages, text messaging, video conferencing et cetera help us to understand and communicate better with the hearing impaired person.
“Next to the eye the ear is the most important of human sense organs. It allows us to communicate and to exchange ideas“
This section is a basic look at understanding hearing by reviewing:

  1.  What is hearing?
  2. What is a hearing loss?
  3.  Anatomy of the Ear
  4.  Importance of a hearing test
  5.  What are hearing aids good for and how they work.
  6. Communication Cues
  1. What is hearing?
    Hearing is the ability to perceive sound when it is conducted through the ear. When someone has a hearing loss that ability to hear sound is reduced because there is impairment in one or more parts of the ear. A person with hearing loss is called Hard of Hearing. Hard of Hearing does not mean the person is Deaf Identified but they have some reduction in hearing that can range from mild to profound. Whereas someone who is Deaf Identified abilities to communicate is visually based and sometimes also can be sound based supported. In other words, a person who identifies themselves as deaf can lip-read, use sign language, look at body language, facial language or written language to communicate and can use a hearing device. (Canadian Hard of Hearing Association)

To be continued in next post

Ringing in the Ears

Ever heard some buzzing, hissing, ringing or even a chirping sounds in the ear? If your answer is yes, then you may have experienced something called Tinnitus.

Tinnitus pronounced tin-a-tus or tin-eye-tus is a medical term derived from the Latin word “tiniere” which means to ring.  It refers to any sort of sound heard by the individual, but with no external source.

No, you aren’t going crazy but tinnitus can be heard constantly and can cause a great deal of stress, frustration and mental anguish.  Some neuroscientists describe it as “phantom auditory perception” whereas the ordinary folks call it noise.  Noise that can be managed.

Tinnitus is not uncommon. Today in the hearing industry as the number 1 disability for military veterans and it affects 1 in 5 persons.  With or without hearing loss, no matter the age at some point in everyone’s lifetime tinnitus may occur.

There are tons of information on the internet about tinnitus but I will break it down with ease and compassion because I too suffer from tinnitus.

What causes tinnitus?

Can tinnitus be treated?

Where can you go for help?

Stay tuned for my next entry….