Archive for the ‘hearing aids’ Category

ReSound’s wireless hearing aid, the Alera, is now available with a tinnitus treatment option.

Tinnitus causes ringing in the ears and affects about 15% of the world’s population.  It is the most prevalent physical condition reported by military service members and veterans.

The Bluetooth Alera TS combines an advanced hearing aid with a Tinnitus Sound Generator. The technology is used to administer sounds that make the disturbing tinnitus noise less noticeable, drawing your attention away from it. Over time, it can help retrain your brain to not notice the tinnitus even when you aren’t wearing the instrument.

“This kind of sound therapy when combined with informed counseling is recognized as a highly effective way of managing tinnitus,” said Michael Piskosz, M.S., ReSound.

The cause of tinnitus is unknown, but more than 80% report a significant or satisfactory improvement in tinnitus symptoms after using the Tinnitus Sound Generator feature, studies show.

The Alera also uses accessories to play sound wirelessly from your television, phones and computer directly into your hearing aids. It is available in custom, receiver in the ear and remote microphone styles and is available in three different technology levels.

“These people now have a flexible solution, and no longer have to live with tinnitus interrupting their daily lives,” Piskosz said.

To learn more about the Alera TS or to have a free demonstration, call a Hearing Aid Express office today.

There are more myths surrounding hearing loss and hearing aids than most professionals can even keep track of. If you aren’t careful where you get your information, you could end up confused or even causing more damage to your hearing. That’s why it’s important to find a hearing professional you trust. In the meantime, here is one common hearing loss myth we want to set the record straight about.

Myth: It’s accurate to describe your hearing loss in a percentage.

Maybe you have heard a friend say something like this: “My doctor told me I have a 30% hearing loss in my right ear.”

Fact: Hearing loss isn’t measured in percentages. It’s measured by frequencies and pitches. When you lose your hearing, you lose the ability to hear certain sounds or frequencies. When you get a hearing test, hearing professionals check to see which frequencies (and to what degree) you hear and determine the ones you don’t. Your ability to hear one frequency could be much worse than that of another frequency.  Describing a hearing loss with a single percentage wouldn’t take into account that you may have a hearing loss in more than one frequency. It also doesn’t take into account that the degree of loss could be different in those frequencies,  making it an inaccurate description of your hearing loss. Hearing professionals usually refer to a hearing loss using these terms:

n Normal hearing, 0  to  <25 dB

n Mild hearing loss, a 26 to 40 dB hearing loss

n Moderate hearing loss, a 41 to 70 dB hearing loss

n Severe hearing loss, a 71 to 90 dB hearing loss

n Profound hearing loss, great than 91 dB hearing loss

This chart is called an audiogram. To check your hearing, you will sit in a sound booth with earphones. During one portion of the test, a hearing professional plays tones at various pitches from soft to loud to determine at what point you can first detect each sound. The results of your hearing test are recorded on a graph called an audiogram.

On the top of the audiogram are the pitches that are important for understanding speech.   On the side, you will see the loudness level.  As the numbers increase, so does the volume of the test signal.  The further down the symbols are on the graph, the louder the sound had to be turned up before you could just barely hear it.  In other words, the lower the symbols are on the graph, the more hearing loss you have at that pitch.

It seems like your significant other or close friend just isn’t behaving normally. They are withdrawing. They don’t seem to be interested in conversation. They just don’t seem to want to take part in activities that used to interest them.  They often don’t respond appropriately to questions or while engaging in conversation.  For awhile you have suspected they have a hearing loss, but you just aren’t sure what to do.

It isn’t abnormal for someone with a hearing loss to isolate themselves.  The best way to show you care is to accompany them to a professional hearing consultation, where a hearing test is performed.

According to the Better Hearing Institute, someone might have a hearing loss if they…

• Require frequent repetition.
• Have difficulty following conversations involving more than 2 people.
• Think that other people sound muffled or like they’re mumbling.
• Have difficulty hearing in noisy situations, like conferences, restaurants, malls, or crowded meeting rooms.
• Have trouble hearing children and women.
• Have their TV or radio turned up to a high volume.
• Answer or respond inappropriately in conversations.
• Have ringing in their ears.
• Read lips or more intently watch people’s faces when they speak with you.

Or if they:

• Feel stressed out from straining to hear what others are saying.
• Feel annoyed at other people because they can’t hear or understand them.
• Feel embarrassed to meet new people or from misunderstanding what others are saying.
• Feel nervous about trying to hear and understand.
• Withdraw from social situations that they once enjoyed because of difficulty hearing.

Or if they:

• Have a family history of hearing loss.
• Take medications that can harm the hearing system (ototoxic drugs).
• Have diabetes, heart, circulation or thyroid problems.
• Have been exposed to very loud sounds over a long period or single exposure to explosive noise.

If you suspect you or someone you care about has hearing loss, contact the professionals at Hearing Aid Express for a free consultation and demonstration of the latest technology. We are here to help.

Modern digital hearing aids don’t just make everything louder. If you are considering getting a hearing aid, understanding how they work may help you a great deal.

There are many myths about hearing aids, including that they make all sounds louder. This simply isn’t the case with modern, digital hearing aids. Today’s hearing aids are programmed specifically to amplify the sounds that you need to be louder.

Digital hearing aids pick up sounds with a microphone that are then amplified and sent to a receiver that sends the signal into your ear. The technology inside digital hearing aids is able to classify sounds as speech that you want to hear or noisy clutter in the background that you don’t want to hear. This technology allows users to hear better in even challenging environments.

The sophisticated digital technology also allows your hearing aids to be adjusted to fit your needs as your hearing loss changes.

What’s the best way to find out if digital hearing aids are right for you? Try them and see what you think.  We offer a free hearing evaluation and demonstration so you can “test drive” our hearing aids before you decide if you want to buy them.  Call any of our offices to schedule your free, no-risk demonstration.

The holidays can be stressful. There’s lots of hustle and bustle this time of year to make sure everything’s perfect for the season. Shoppers are hurrying to make sure every detail is considered.

One detail you don’t want to overlook is your hearing. There’s plenty to be heard this time of year – carols, greetings from friends and family and giggles from happy children.

For those experiencing hearing loss, the season can be incredibly frustrating. If you suspect you have a hearing loss, don’t keep putting off doing something about it. The longer you are missing important sounds in your life.  If you are a concerned family member of a loved one you suspect has a hearing loss, offer to go with them for a free hearing test and consultation this holiday season, and help them take the first step in improving their quality of life for the new year.

Someone may have a hearing loss if they have a hard time hearing children’s and women’s voices, notice they like the television louder than others or find themselves asking others to repeat themselves. Hearing loss also makes it more difficult to hear on the telephone or in noisy environments.

If you’re not certain if you or someone you love has a hearing loss, the best holiday advice we can give: get a free hearing test and consultation this season.  Visit one of our stores or contact us for more information about hearing loss and hearing aids. Happy Holidays.

Do you have a hearing loss, but aren’t ready to wear hearing aids all the time to improve your hearing in both ears?

Panasonic has released a new product that may be just right for you. 

Panasonic’s JZ is a new type of hearing aid that is stylish, comfortable and easy to use. Designed to look like a small music player, it allows you to hear better from both ears using only one device. It’s like getting two hearing aids for the price of one.

Panasonic’s JZ will help you hear the sounds from your everyday life, including your friends and family, your television and stereo. It will fit easily inside your purse or pocket so you can carry it with you.

Because the Panasonic JZ looks more like an MP3-style music player,  your friends and family won’t even suspect you have a hearing loss. This style is also a good alternative for those who spend a lot of time reclining,  but still want to hear better.  It’s size makes it easy to use and adjust for those whose ability to manipulate small buttons just isn’t what it used to be.

With this new style of hearing instrument adjusts easily to up to four different sound environments. That means with a quick,  push of a button you will be able to hear better in various sound situations such as watching television or talking with friends and family.
 
The JZ comes with noise reduction, wind suppression and feedback suppression technology. It is also rechargeable or can use AAA batteries and comes in three      colors — red, blue and silver.

If you are unsure if you have a hearing loss, take this quick survey. If you respond ‘yes’ to some of these questions you may have a hearing loss.

DO YOU?

 Have any difficulty hearing on a phone?

Find that friends and family often tell you the television is too loud?

Find yourself straining to understand conversations?

Have trouble hearing conversations in a noisy background such as a crowded room or restaurant?

Stop wondering if you have a hearing loss. Call the hearing professionals at Hearing Aid Express today.

United States presidents, famous actors and actresses, Miss America and athletes have all suffered from hearing loss.

It isn’t a condition that many of us plan for. In many instances it happens gradually and over time. You may wake up one day and realize that your hearing just isn’t as good as it used to be.

It happens to millions of Americans, more than 35 million to be exact. That number happens to include, former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan; actors Sally Fields, Burt Reynolds and Robin Wright. It is also a condition that has impacted the lives of Hall of Fame football player Mike Singletary, race car drivers Al & Bobby Unser and rocker Bono.

Hearing loss didn’t keep them from important meetings with foreign delegates or even from the music they loved.

If you think you suffer from hearing loss, life doesn’t have to be a struggle. Hearing aids can often help. Many of today’s devices can also go unnoticed.

They can be so unnoticeable that even former Miss America Deidre Downs can wear them and feel confident in social situations.

“Wearing hearing aids again gave me the ability to better participate in life – school, family, and friends. Hearing aids have diminished the impact hearing loss has on my life. I finally feel like I can hear as well as a normal hearing person,” she has said.  “My friends, family and classmates no longer have to constantly repeat themselves. I don’t have to use closed captioning on TV anymore and I rarely miss pieces of conversations – even in noisy restaurants. It’s been an unbelievable life change for me, my family and my friends.” 

If you have a hearing loss, don’t let it keep you from communicating with family and friends or from participating in your life. Visit Hearing Aid Express today for a free hearing test and consultation.

Hearing Aid Express is now offering Panasonic hearing systems.

Panasonic is not a newcomer to helping consumers hear better. The company has been offering hearing technology abroad for more than 50 years. Now, for the first time, this technology is available in the United States , and Hearing Aid Express is the first to bring it to you.

Panasonic’s hearing system line includes the 4 Series Receiver-In-Canal, the 2 Series Behind-The-Ear and the JZ Series. These hearing instruments include Panasonic’s own Digital Signal Processor to help deliver high-quality sound and enable precise reproduction of the original sound through advanced audio and acoustic technologies.

Whether you’re listening to a group of friends in a crowded restaurant or sharing a conversation in the privacy of your home, Panasonic’s Intelligent Scene Selector adjusts the listening mode to enhance the delivery of crisp, clear sound. Unlike units that require manual adjustment of present memory and volume settings, Panasonic hearing instruments automatically select the appropriate listening mode from up to seven different sound environments to optimize audibility and speech recognition.

Dual Focus helps users understand speech by focusing on the conversation in front of you and suppresses surrounding noise through the use of dual microphones.  The result is less noise from the sides and behind you and clear sounds from the front to help make hearing in noisy situations more comfortable.

Wind Suppression and Dual Filtering Feedback Cancellation help create a clear reception of the sounds you want to hear.

High performance and advanced signal processing typically leads to a shorter battery life, but Panasonic’s unique circuit design and optimized signal processing reduces power consumption to extend the battery life of your hearing instrument. When your battery runs low, the Battery Alarm will notify you it needs to be replaced. Panasonic hearing instruments operate in the “green” by minimizing frustration, expense and impact on the environment caused by frequently having to change batteries.

To learn more about Panasonic hearing systems, call Hearing Aid Express today for a free hearing test and demonstration.

Imagine this scenario:  you’ve just finished getting an eye exam. As you suspect your doctor tells you that you will need a pair of contacts or eyeglasses to correct your vision.

You know you need to see well, and you realize your ability to see impacts nearly everything: your freedom, your safety and your day-to-day living.

“Can I get just one contact lens,” you blurt out to your physician, wondering if it would just be less expensive. After all, you reason, isn’t one corrected lens good enough?

As absurd as this question is it’s the same scenario that is playing out in hearing clinics across the country.

Just like impaired vision, the conditions that have caused damage to one ear have very likely caused damage to both ears. While you most certainly wouldn’t consider getting just one lens in a pair of eye glasses, many are opting for just one hearing aid when most of the time they really need two.

Having two hearing aids helps you hear more clearly so you can pinpoint where sounds are coming from.

Here are 7 more reasons why you should consider wearing 2 hearing aids:

1.You will have greater understanding in noisy environments.
2.You will experience smoother tone quality.
3. You will be able to hear more sounds.
4.Using both ears to hear helps you preserve the hearing ability you have in both ears.
5.Because you won’t have to work as hard to hear, creating an easier listening experience.
6.Hearing in both ears creates a sense of balance
7.You won’t be as shocked by loud noises.
 

If you think you or someone you care about has a hearing loss, call Hearing Aid Express today for a free hearing exam.

It’s a new month, and that means new hearing aid coupons from Hearing Aid Express. We’re proud to make hearing aids more affordable, and we hope you’ll be able to take advantage of these coupons — they can really save you money.

Hearing Aid Coupons

This month, you’ll find a coupon for $600 off a set of ReSound Dot 30 hearing aids. This coupon is not valid with any other offer and is not eligible for financing. It expires on March 31, 2010.

Our other coupon is for a limited time offer on Starkey E-3 hearing aids. They start at just $1,395 each. This offer is not valid with any other offer and is not eligible for financing. You have until March 31, 2010 to take advantage of this exceptional deal. If you’d like to use either of these coupons, visit our hearing aid coupons page and click on the one you want, and it will print so that you can take it to your nearest Hearing Aid Express store.

What’s Free at Hearing Aid Express

We’re not kidding when we say we’re making better hearing more affordable: We even offer several FREE services. Every day, here’s what’s free:

• FREE Hearing Test
• FREE Digital Demonstrations
• FREE Cleanings & Adjustments
• FREE Personalized Programming on purchases from HAE

We have many locations throughout Texas. Be sure and visit our stores, where you’ll meet our friendly staff. We have locations in Dallas, Austin and Houston.We are able to assist you with any questions regarding hearing aids and hearing loss.

We also offer an impressive selection of hearing aids from Starkey, Sonic Innovations, ReSound and Unitron. If you’re suffering from hearing loss, hearing aids can really help improve your quality of life.