Archive for the ‘hearing damage’ 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.

Did you know there is a program in Texas that provides specialized amplified phones – for free – to Texans who have a hearing loss?  It’s called the Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program, or STAP.  The program is part of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

A paragraph from their website explains what it is: “The Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP) is a statewide program that provides financial assistance for the purchase of specialized assistive equipment or services for Texans having a disability that interferes with their ability to access the telephone network.”

Here is what it means:  If you are a Texas resident and have a hearing loss, the STAP program will provide you with a voucher that you can use to purchase a specialized amplified telephone.  It doesn’t cost you anything, and you are eligible whether or not you wear hearing aids.

Hearing Aid Express is a registered vendor with the STAP program, and can help you get your amplified phone.  Here are some frequently asked questions to help you better understand the program:

Who is Eligible for a Free Amplified Phone?

The STAP (Special Telecommunications Assistance Program) program is available to Texas residents who have a certain amount of hearing loss. Each household is eligible for one device every five years.

How Do I Find Out if I am Eligible?

We need a copy of a recent hearing test. If you haven’t had your hearing tested recently, Hearing Aid Express can screen your hearing in our offices for free to see if you qualify.

Who Pays for the Amplified Phones?

The STAP program, part of the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services under the Public Utility Commission of Texas, is funded by taxes assessed on people’s telephone service. A portion of these taxes is used to fund the STAP program and pays for the amplified telephones and other equipment.

Do I have a Choice of Phones?

At Hearing Aid Express you do. We have corded and cordless phones and even phones that work with caller ID.

When Do I Get My Phone?

Once the STAP program receives and processes your application, they will mail a voucher to you. When you get your voucher, call us or bring it in to one of our locations. We will exchange your signed voucher for a Free Amplified Phone.

Are There Other Products Besides Phones?

Yes!  The STAP program has a wide variety of products available for hearing impaired Texas residents. Hearing Aid Express carries phones, ring signalers and wireless Bluetooth neck loops for people with hearing aids to connect to their cell phones and more.

What Should I Do Next?

Call us toll free at 800-348-2018 or come in to one of our stores. Be sure to bring proof of Texas residency with your current address on it (such as your driver’s license or a utility bill). We will help you fill out the STAP application and mail it in for you.

For more information about the STAP program you can visit their page on the Public Utility Commission’s website at: www.puc.state.tx.us/relaytexas/Overview.aspx

To find out how to get a free amplified phone go to: http://www.hearingaidexpress.com/free-amplified-phone.php.

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.

Texans listen up: if you have a hearing loss, free help is available.
 
First, if you do have a certain level of hearing loss, we can help you get a free  amplified  telephone through the state’s STAP (Special Telecommunications  Assistance Program) so you don’t have to strain to hear  those important conversations. 

STAP is part of the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services and is funded by taxes assessed on people’s telephone service. A portion of these taxes is used to fund the STAP program and pays for the amplified telephones. The program pays for one telephone per household every five years.

To be eligible for the program, we need a copy of a recent hearing test. If you haven’t had your hearing tested recently, we can screen your hearing in our offices for free.
       
If you have a certain level of hearing loss, we will help you fill out your STAP   application and mail it in for you. If you are  eligible, you will receive a voucher from the state. Bring us that voucher and you will be able to select the phone that’s best for you.       
 

We have corded and cordless phones. Some are designed to us with caller ID while others are not. We even have Bluetooth neck loops designed to work with compatible cell phones.

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

A friend forwarded us the SmartMoney.com article “10 Things Movie Theaters Won’t Tell You.” The list contains some interesting information — theaters prefer that you don’t come to a movie on opening night, and concessions usually account for about 25 percent of a theater’s revenue, for example. But what’s most applicable to our Hearing Aid Blog came in at number nine on the list: “Going to the movies could be hazardous to your hearing.”

The article states that decibel levels are different at every movie theater, but the loud special effects of some action films can be as dangerous to your hearing as sounds at a loud rock concert. According to the Center for Hearing and Communication, this can possibly contribute to hearing loss.

In the article, the director of public education for the Center for Hearing and Communication says that they have received complaints about movie theater noise levels. What’s more is that people who have complained to the movie theater, says the director, “have been met with resistance.”

Even though movie theaters may not be cooperative in keeping sound levels to safe levels, there’s something you can do to help prevent hearing loss. The article notes that you can purchase a sound level meter, which will measure the decibels around you.

Protecting yourself from hearing loss is very important. Exposure to loud noises, whether it’s from a loud concert or MP3 player, can potentially cause lasting damage. If you are currently suffering from hearing loss and have questions about hearing aids, contact us at Hearing Aid Express — we’ll be happy to help you. We carry a wide selection of hearing aids from Starkey, Unitron, ReSound and more.

There’s a great article in last week’s New York Daily News that talks about how iPods and loud music are causing hearing damage — and younger people are exposed to this problem much earlier.

As a Dr. Ellen Finkelstein, a board certified audiologist quoted in the article, notes, how long young people are exposed to loud noises from cell phones and iPods plays a big part in hearing damage. Not just the decibel level is to blame here.

Over 85 decibels, sounds are considered dangerous, and those exposed may suffer permanent hearing loss over time. Though it may be hard to imagine how loud 85 decibels is, it’s a fact that the new iPods are capable of producing sounds as loud as 130 decibels. That’s quite a bit more than 85, and, as the article points out, the battery allows people to listen continuously — much longer than Walkmans allowed.

Dr. Finkelstein also mentions in the article that they “usually see hearing loss initially in the higher frequency ranges.”

So what to do about hearing damage and hearing loss from loud music and iPods? For some, the simple advice may be tough to follow: if it’s too loud, turn it down.

Do You Have Hearing Damage?

If you suspect or know that you have hearing damage, Hearing Aid Express is proud to offer free hearing evaluations. There is no obligation to buy hearing aids with this offer. And if you have any questions about hearing loss or hearing aids, our friendly, knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you.

We carry an impressive selection of hearing aids at our stores, which are conveniently located in Austin, Dallas and Houston. From Starkey hearing aids to Unitron hearing aids, to ReSound hearing aids, we will likely have something for you. We also now feature a new tinnitus treatment.

Stop by one of our hearing aid stores, or contact us online.