What To Expect From Hearing Aids

What to expect from hearing aids

Most people new to hearing aids don't know what to expect from them. Misperceptions and second-hand stories of bulky, whistling, old-fashioned analog devices continue to influence the way people think about all hearing aids.

But hearing aids have changed dramatically from a generation ago — from outward appearance to internal technology — making them vastly more appealing and effective.

Today’s hearing aids are like mini computers

The best of today’s digital and wireless hearing aids—when properly fit by a trained hearing professional—will make a noticeable difference in how your world sounds.

• Your ability to hear and understand others should be improved

• Other people’s voices shouldn’t sound distorted, harsh, tinny, sharp, booming or muffled

• The sound of your own voice should be “normal,” not sound like you’re in a barrel

• The intensity and quality of familiar sounds should be sharp, bright and clear—not dull or irritating

• In a crowded room with many people talking at once, sound should be loud but not deafening

• When wearing hearing aids in both ears, they should help you identify the location of a sound or voice.

• Hearing and communicating in quiet environments (home, work, doctor’s office) should be improved

• Your ability to hear and understand speech in environments with background noise (restaurants, dinner parties, environments with fans or A/C running) should be improved

• Your hearing aids should help you understand speech in larger environments where there is reverberation (lecture halls, worship spaces, movie theaters)

• Loud sounds (sirens, traffic, construction sounds) should not be uncomfortable but you should hear them clearly

Change your perception of hearing aids — and change your life for the better

At South Suburban Hearing Center we understand that the rapid advancements in hearing aid technology may make identifying which hearing aids are right for you. We want to ensure that every patient gets the right hearing aids to best meet their hearing loss and lifestyle needs. To start this process, we recommend a complimentary hearing evaluation and hearing aid demonstration. Set up an appointment for you or a loved one by calling us at 708-966-4724 or visiting our Contact Us page today.

“I Have Hearing Aids-Now What?”

“I Have Hearing Aids-Now What?”

Congratulations, you have officially taken that next step to improve the way you hear by purchasing hearing aids! Prior to wearing hearing aids, you may not have heard the beautiful sounds surrounding you, but now you are clearly hearing them. In your journey to better hearing, are you still thinking, “Now what?”Here are some tips to keep moving forward:

• Train Your Brain: Due to the minimal number of signals your brain previously had to interpret, it gradually lost its ability to process speech and sound. Even if it feels overwhelming, it is extremely important to wear your hearing aids as long as you can each day to help familiarize your brain with the new noises surrounding you.

• Start Simple: After wearing your new hearing aids, sit in a quiet room and absorb the simple sounds surrounding you such as the ticking of a clock or the squeak of the floor. Introducing yourself to simple listening situations will help make all these sounds seem less overwhelming and also educate your brain to focus on the new sounds it is now interpreting. Eventually you will graduate to places with more sounds like restaurants and group gatherings.

• Talk to Yourself: Do you feel like you are now talking too loud? You may not have been able to clearly hear the sound of your own voice before hearing aids. Practice talking to yourself to get a feel for the correct and appropriate volume for speaking. Also try speaking to many different people to understand the varying sound patterns and volumes.

• Take Notes:  If you discover certain situations or noises that irritate your ears when you are wearing your new hearing aids, make sure to inform your hearing professional so you can work together to modify the hearing aid setting so it is comfortable for you.

• Be patient: You may feel overwhelmed by all the new sounds around you, but if you gradually continue to introduce yourself to new situations and sounds every day, you will adapt to hearing with your new aids.

 It is important to understand your hearing aids and how they can benefit you. If you have any follow-up questions, please email or call South Suburban Hearing Health Center in Orland Park at (708) 966-4724. We are happy to help you continue on your way to better hearing! 

How Hearing Works

How hearing works

Hearing is one of the human body’s most extraordinary processes. A complex system of delicate and synchronous parts, it’s easy to take this vital sense for granted. To better understand why hearing loss happens, it’s important to first know how hearing works.

It begins with sound

Sound begins with a vibration in the atmosphere. When something vibrates (whether it’s wind, a bell or a voice), it moves the air particles around it. Those air particles in turn move the air particles around them, carrying the pulse of the vibration through the air as a sound wave. That’s where your ear comes in.

Turning waves into words

Sound waves are collected by the outer ear and directed along the ear canal to the eardrum. When the sound waves hit the eardrum, the impact creates vibrations, which, in turn, cause the three bones of the middle ear to move. The smallest of these bones, the stirrup, fits into the oval window between the middle and inner ear.

When the oval window vibrates, fluid in the inner ear transmits the vibrations into a delicate, snail-shaped structure called the cochlea.

In the inner ear, thousands of microscopic hair cells are bent by the wave-like action of the fluid inside the cochlea. The bending of these hairs sets off nerve impulses. Which are then passed through the auditory nerve to the hearing center of the brain. This center translates the impulses into sounds the brain can recognize, like words, music or laughter, for instance.

If any part of this delicate system breaks down, hearing loss can be the result.

Want to learn more?

To learn more about signs of hearing loss and treatment, or to arrange for a free hearing consultation, contact us to schedule your free consultation.

Talking with a Loved One

Talking to a loved on about hearing loss

Hearing loss doesn’t just affect the person who has it. It also affects spouses, family members and friends. From frustration with having to repeat things over and over to heartbreak at seeing someone you care about isolate themselves from the people and activities they love, the negative effects of hearing loss cast a wide net.

Do’s and don’ts when approaching this important subject

Left untreated, hearing loss can affect a person’s quality of life in many ways. Yet without even realizing it, you may be making it easier for someone not to seek help.

Well-intentioned efforts such as repeating yourself or “translating” what others are saying may be preventing your loved one from realizing how much communication they fail to understand or miss completely.

How to help

• Gently remind them of their loss every time you “translate” or repeat something for them

• Share hearing information you find on websites like this site or hearing-aid.com

• Offer to schedule and attend a hearing consultation with them

• Remind them they have nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain by seeing a hearing professional

Don’t be surprised if you get resistance

Unlike eyesight, when hearing goes, people are in less of a hurry to do something about it — with many waiting 5-7 years before finally seeking treatment. Be prepared for pushback with these responses.

• My family doctor would have told me if I have hearing loss.Not true — less than 20% of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss during physicals

• Wearing a hearing aid will make my hearing loss obvious.Today’s hearing aids are sleek and stylish and less noticeable than if you constantly ask people to repeat themselves, inappropriately respond to them, or don’t respond at all

• A little hearing loss is no big deal.The fact is, studies have linked untreated hearing loss to big deals like stress, depression, social rejection, increased risk to personal safety, reduced earning power and more.

A hearing test is the best first step

If you know someone who could benefit from help, suggest they get a hearing test. At South Suburban Hearing Center, our hearing tests are performed on advanced, precision testing equipment. Best of all, they’re completely free. Visit our Contact Us page to find out more.

Understanding Your Hearing Loss

Understanding hearing loss

Hearing loss is one of the most common health issues in the world. Nearly one in five Americans age 12 and older experience hearing losssevere enough to interfere with daily communication.¹

Common causes

A longer-living population contributes to the high volume of cases. That’s because Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is the second most common cause of hearing loss (after noise-induced).Other causes include:

• Infections
• Injuries to the head or ear
• Birth defects or genetics
• Ototoxic reaction to drugs or cancer treatment (i.e. antibiotics, chemotherapy, radiation)

Most common type

Presbycusis is typically attributed to sensorineural hearing loss, the most common type of hearing loss. Usually irreversible, sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the tiny hair cells that detect sound in the ear are injured, diseased or die (due naturally, for instance, to age). The good news? Hearing aids are proven to help treat sensorineural hearing loss.

Waiting is not worth it

Many people put off getting help for their hearing loss because they think it’s insignificant — something they can deal with by simply turning the TV louder or asking friends to repeat themselves. But research has linked untreated hearing loss to significant issues such as²:

• Irritability, negativism and anger
• Fatigue, tension, stress and depression
• Avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
• Social rejection and loneliness
• Reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
• Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
• Reduced job performance and earning power
• Diminished psychological and overall health

Help is just a click away

The best way to treat your hearing loss or help someone suffering from hearing loss is to take the first step and make an appointment for a hearing examination. At South Suburban Hearing Center we offer complimentary examinations and consultations. Request an appointment today - visit our Contact Us page.

Your Balance System

Your balance system

Often taken for granted, good balance is necessary to perform daily activities. But our balance system is complex and delicate, and many things can contribute to loss of equilibrium or dizziness — including problems in the inner ear. Let me explain.

Balance 101

Vestibular organs—the paired set of tiny sensory organs tucked right near the cochlea of the inner ear—are key to maintaining balance. They are filled with fluid (called endolymph) that moves when your head moves, which places pressure against hairs in the ears.

Combined with information from the eyes, nerves and muscles, these hairs send signals to the brain when the body's position is changing. The brain takes in all this information and coordinates the body to respond so a fall does not occur.

Why your balance might be off

Balance issues arise when something interrupts this coordinated process — and it’s not uncommon for vestibular organs to be the culprit. Aging alone results in natural endolymph fluid loss as well as the sensitivity loss in your inner ear hairs. But illness, infections and head trauma can also cause equilibrium disorders and dizziness, including these two common ones:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)The most common disorder of the inner ear’s vestibular system, BPPV causes brief but intense episodes of vertigo as a result of changing position of your head (such as sitting up in bed). Causes of BPPV vary, from migraines and viruses to reactions to drugs (ototoxicity), but treatment is available.

Ménière’s diseaseA chronic, incurable vestibular disorder caused by abnormally large amounts of endolymph fluid collecting in the ear. Typically occurs in adults between 40 and 60 years of age and eventually leads to hearing loss.

Take balance issues seriously

While balance problems can occur at any age, balance-related falls account for more than half of accidental deaths for people 65 and older, and over 300,000 hip fractures a year.

That’s why we recommend taking your hearing health seriously — because, with proper diagnosis and therapeutic exercises, most balance issues can be managed.

Start by coming in for a free hearing examination. To set-up your free appointment, simply visit our Contact Us page.

What’s New in Hearing Aids

What’s new in hearing aids?

If you’re new to hearing aids, or have a pair that is nearly five year’s old, you’re in for a treat. Because like computers, mobile phones and most other high-tech devices, hearing aids have advanced significantly in just the past several years. Thanks to more detailed research, faster processing speeds, new features and smarter design, today’s hearing aids are definitely not your father’s hearing aids.

Unprecedented sound quality

One of the biggest challenges people with hearing loss have is hearing clearly in noisy places like restaurants or at social gatherings. The best of today’s hearing aids remedy that with advanced directional technology that zeroes in on companions’ voices while reducing unwanted background noise. The result is increased listening precision, comfort and clarity.

Wireless connectivity

Wireless hearing aids are another popular innovation. With wireless, sound from your TV, computer, MP3 player or cell phone is streamed right into your ears at the volume you choose and control. This direct connection results in more immersive, enhanced sound, as you’re now able to listen at the volume you want without having to turn the volume up loud in the room.

Convenient accessories

New accessories, like Starkey Hearing Technologies’ line of SurfLink Accessories, give wearers convenient and robust ways to remotely control their hearing aids, easily sync them to electronic devices or quickly make adjustments on the fly.

Invisible devices

Best of all, today’s digital technology has enabled all these new features and benefits to fit in advanced hearing solutions that are getting smaller and smaller all the time — with some so tiny they rest completely in your ear canal, virtually undetectable when worn.

Hear what’s new for yourself

At South Suburban Hearing Health Center we understand that the rapid advancements in hearing aid technology may make identifying which hearing aid features are right for you tough. We strive to ensure that every patient gets the right hearing aids to best meet their hearing loss and lifestyle needs. To start this process, we recommend a complimentary hearing evaluation and consultation. To set up an appointment for you or a loved one simply call us at 708-966-4724 today.

Tinnitus

There’s new hope for tinnitus relief

Tinnitus ("TIN-a-tus" or "Tin-EYE-tus") is the medical term for the sensation of hearing sound in your ears or head when no external sound is present. In most cases, tinnitus is a subjective noise, meaning only the sufferer can hear it. Typically, sufferers describe the sound as “ringing in ears,” though others describe it as hissing, buzzing, whistling, roaring and even chirping.

The affects of tinnitus are real

Because tinnitus is subjective, it affects people in different ways. For some, it’s a minor annoyance that does not require help or treatment. For others, it can cause a host of serious issues, including:

• Long-term sleep disruption

• Changes in cognitive ability

• An inability to concentrate (e.g. completing tasks or reading)

• Stress in relationships

• Anxiety and depression

• Employment challenges

There is no cure for tinnitus…

Currently, there is no known tinnitus cure. No pill or surgery has been shown to eliminate tinnitus in any scientific or clinically accepted study.

…but there is relief

According to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), there are ways to get tinnitus relief. One of the most effective ways is sound therapy, which uses sound to make tinnitus less noticeable and take the person’s mind off it.

Amplification from hearing aids is one component of sound therapy that has been shown to provide relief. A new Tinnitus Treatment Solution from Starkey Hearing Technologies is another well-regarded sound therapy device designed to bring personalized relief to tinnitus sufferers.

The ATA recommends that anyone with tinnitus should see an audiologist or ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT) experienced in tinnitus treatment.

Are you a candidate for relief?

At South Suburban Hearing Health Center, we have experience helping people with tinnitus, and are trained in the sound therapy treatments discussed above. If you, a friend or a family member experience tinnitus, see if you’re a candidate for relief by submitting your information on our Contact Us page today.

Understanding Your Hearing Loss

Understanding hearing lossHearing loss is one of the most common health issues in the world. Nearly one in five Americans age 12 and older experience hearing loss severe enough to interfere with daily communication. (1)Common causesA longer-living population contributes to the high volume of cases. That’s because Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is the second most common cause of hearing loss (after noise-induced).Other causes include:

• Infections
• Injuries to the head or ear
• Birth defects or genetics
• Ototoxic reaction to drugs or cancer treatment (i.e. antibiotics, chemotherapy, radiation)

 Most common typePresbycusis is typically attributed to sensorineural hearing loss, the most common type of hearing loss. Usually irreversible, sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the tiny hair cells that detect sound in the ear are injured, diseased or die (due naturally, for instance, to age). The good news? Hearing aids are proven to help treat sensorineural hearing loss.Waiting is not worth itMany people put off getting help for their hearing loss because they think it’s insignificant — something they can deal with by simply turning the TV louder or asking friends to repeat themselves. But research has linked untreated hearing loss to significant issues such as (2):

• Irritability, negativism and anger
• Fatigue, tension, stress and depression
• Avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
• Social rejection and loneliness
• Reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
• Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
• Reduced job performance and earning power
• Diminished psychological and overall health

 Help is just a click awayThe best way to treat your hearing loss or help someone suffering from hearing loss is to take the first step and make an appointment for a hearing examination. At South Suburban Hearing we offer complimentary examinations and consultations. Request an appointment by entering your information on our Contact Us page and we will be in touch to schedule an appointment within one business day.1abcnews.com2betterhearing.org 

What’s To Expect From Hearing Aids

What to expect from hearing aidsMost people new to hearing aids don't know what to expect from them. Misperceptions and second-hand stories of bulky, whistling, old-fashioned analog devices continue to influence the way people think about all hearing aids.But hearing aids have changed dramatically from a generation ago — from outward appearance to internal technology — making them vastly more appealing and effective.Today’s hearing aids are like mini computersThe best of today’s digital and wireless hearing aids—when properly fit by a trained hearing professional—will make a noticeable difference in how your world sounds.

• Your ability to hear and understand others should be improved
• Other people’s voices shouldn’t sound distorted, harsh, tinny, sharp, booming or muffled
• The sound of your own voice should be “normal,” not sound like you’re in a barrel
• The intensity and quality of familiar sounds should be sharp, bright and clear—not dull or irritating
• In a crowded room with many people talking at once, sound should be loud but not deafening
• When wearing hearing aids in both ears, they should help you identify the location of a sound or voice.
• Hearing and communicating in quiet environments (home, work, doctor’s office) should be improved
• Your ability to hear and understand speech in environments with background noise (restaurants, dinner parties, environments with fans or A/C running) should be improved
• Your hearing aids should help you understand speech in larger environments where there is reverberation (lecture halls, worship spaces, movie theaters)
• Loud sounds (sirens, traffic, construction sounds) should not be uncomfortable but you should hear them clearly

Change your perception of hearing aids — and change your life for the betterAt South Suburban Hearing Health Center we understand that the rapid advancements in hearing aid technology may make identifying which hearing aids are right for you. We want to ensure that every patient gets the right hearing aids to best meet their hearing loss and lifestyle needs. To start this process, we recommend a complimentary hearing evaluation and hearing aid demonstration. Set up an appointment for you or a loved one by calling us at (708) 966-4724 or visiting our Contact Us page today.