HearFlorida Audiology Group » hearing devices

How to Combat Hearing Loss

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:23:02 +0000

Younger people are losing their hearing ability at an alarming rate. We currently live in a very “Noisy” world, and old age is no longer the number one cause of hearing loss. Excessive noise has now become the top cause of hearing loss. It is estimated that 30 million people suffer from hearing loss problems in America, and over half of the people with hearing loss are under the age of 65.

On a recent THE TODAY SHOW episode, Matt Lauer takes a hearing test and discovers surprising results. In addition, Jim McDade, a man with hearing loss, shows his invisible hearing aids, and Dr. Shelley Borgia talks about how small today’s hearing aids are compared to older versions.

The Today Show video talks about Jim McDade, a man who developed hearing loss gradually from wearing headphones while sleeping. During the The Today Show, they talked about how hearing loss problems can affect not only your hearing ability, but your day to day life, such as your communication with others, and other parts of your social life. Worried about being judged, Jim McDade was timid about even the thought of wearing hearing aids. But he soon found that with the Lyric Invisible Hearing Aid, that would not be a big issue.

Wearing custom earplugs can also help combat hearing loss and can help Americans with hearing loss prevention. The audiologists at HearFlorida can offer hearing care solutions for anyone including adults dealing with hearing loss. HearFlorida is proud to be one of the select few Lyric Hearing Aid providers in South Florida. To learn more about Lyric and how it can benefit you, contact us to make an appointment today! To see the Today Show segment featuring the Lyric Hearing Aid, click here.

Hearing Aid Users and Cell Phones

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:03:24 +0000

Are you a hearing aid user? If so, then before buying a cell phone you should try different brands and models to see which cell phone is most compatible with your hearing aid. You can also find a hearing aid that is compatiable with your cell phone.

It’s not uncommon for people who wear hearing aids or have implanted hearing devices to have a hard time trying to use cell phones. Some cell phones can cause radiofrequency interference with hearing aids, so the user hears high-pitched whistling sounds, buzzes, or static.

Luckily, the compatibility of cell phones and hearing aids is improving. Some phones have lower radiofrequency emissions or use different technologies that can reduce the unwanted effects on hearing aids. Also, hearing aid companies have developed new hearing aid technology to reduce whistling sounds, buzzing sounds, and static noise. The FCC now requires cell phone manufacturers to test and rate their wireless handsets’ hearing aid compatibility using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C63.19 standard. These ratings give an indication of the likelihood a cell phone may interfere with hearing aids; the higher the rating, the less likely the cell phone-hearing aid combination will experience undesired interference. Hearing aid users should read and understand these ratings when choosing a cell phone.

At Hear Florida, our hearing professionals can help you find a “cell phone friendly” hearing aid hearing aid just for you. Contact one of our south Florida hearing care centers today and speak with a qualified and experienced hearing professional.

Brand Profile: Widex Hearing Aids

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:56:43 +0000

While every brand of hearing aid that we carry is equally special, we will use this space to give you a breakdown of what makes each brand unique in acronym and technical term free language.

Widex Hearing Aids are very popular for a few reasons. Their sleek styling and availability in different colours make them look like a headphone accessory rather than a hearing aid. They also come with SmartSpeak technology that talks you through the adjusting of program functions in plain English. They also feature Integrated Signal Processing™, a technology exclusive to the Widex brand. This special technology does a number of things including:

-filtering speech from noise in crowds
-feedback and whistling minimization
-dual microphone system that picks up audio signals clearly and distinctly

With a Widex hearing aid, you can detect high pitched sounds that you couldn’t hear before. Widex technology transposes them into lower, audible frequencies that you can hear. With Widex, you also have the option of expanded venting, meaning less chance of blockage in your ear canal. EcoTech II technology ensures a long and efficient battery life, so you don’t need to worry about your batteries running low at a crucial time.

Sexy Sounds: Personal Communication Aids Are Hot

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:07:27 +0000

Hearing aids? Sexy? When compared with the lumbering devices of yesteryear, today’s hearing aids are positively hot by comparison. Better yet, you can leave them on when doing anything at all, even when sleeping in some cases. That would have been unthinkable just a decade ago. The hearing aid is being rebranded as the personal communication aid (PCA) rather than hearing aid, in order to shed the image of your grandfather’s hearing aid.

These aren’t just hearing aids. They are high tech accessories that look and feel like iPods, as in the case of the Dual from Oticon. You’ll just look like you are wearing a nicely designed headphone or Bluetooth phone accessory. Looks aren’t everything though – the PCA delivers an audio punch that is overengineered to bring you the best sound quality available. Even if you don’t have any hearing issues, the PCA allows you to pick up on threads of conversations that you otherwise would not have heard due to background noise, making it an invaluable accessory at conferences and seminars.

Lyric is an invisible hearing aid that you can’t even see due to its placement inside the ear. Despite what you may initially think, it is comfortable and the improvement in your hearing will be phenomenal. It is the only extended wear invisible device on the market today.

Exercising, showering and talking on the phone are all possible with no interference from your personal communication aid with the invisible Lyric. Hear Florida carries PCA’s from all manufacturers, including Lyric, Unitron, Phonak, and Oticon. We’re sure that we can help you find the PCA that is sexy to you! We are running a special promotion right now on the Lyric, so come in and feel just how comfortable it can be.

Hearing Loss Safety: How to Respond to Emergency Signals with Hearing Loss

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:31:12 +0000

One of the challenges that you have to overcome with hearing loss is how to respond to emergency signals such as fire alarms, police sirens, and security systems.

At Work

Your employer has a few options for making fire alarms more accessible for you. They can install a “Fire Alarm Notification Appliance”, which usually incorporates strobe lighting into the traditional auditory signal. Companies that manufacture such devices make the strobe happen in such a way that it does not affect epileptics. There may be tax credits available to your employer or their building superintendent for switching over to such a system.

Buddy System

Enlist a few “buddies” at work that will let you know if there is an emergency. If you work at a larger company, make sure that your buddy system is formalized in an emergency response plan that is circulated to everyone at the company.

At Home

The key component that developers of emergency signal devices for deaf people is how to wake them up in case of emergency. Many such devices use a combination of lights and vibration to awaken a sleeping adult in enough time to get them out of harm’s way. If you have been living with hearing loss for some time already, you may already be familiar with alarm devices manufactured for those with hearing loss that vibrate. Manufacturers are constantly coming up with ways to awaken those with hearing loss more quickly. Contact your local Doctor of Audiology for more information about you hearing loss. Hear Florida Audiology Group is available to provide hearing services throughout South Florida with convenient locations in Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, and Miami.

Police And Ambulance Sirens

Police and ambulance sirens are a bit trickier. The only way to really be sure that you can see them is to check your rear view and side mirrors as often as possible, especially when driving on busy streets and highways. If you travel often with a person that is not hearing impaired, come up with a touch signal, three rapid taps on your shoulder, for example, that means “police or ambulance behind you”.

In the end, you have to be responsible for your own safety, so rely the most on measures that put you in control rather than relying on other people.