World's First 'Made for iPhone' Hearing Aid

I am very excited as I write this post because the world of hearing aids is about to be given a shake up. For some time hearing aids have had an negative image attached to them, but a new technology advancement is about to make hearing aids very cool indeed!

Danish hearing aid manufacturer, GN ReSound, has just launched its latest product 'LiNX' over in the United States and is due for release here in the UK later this year.

This new hearing instrument connects directly to iPhones and other iOS devices, allowing wearers to talk on the phone or listen to music, without any intermediary devices, and is the first of it's kind.

Launching alongside the LiNX is a new iOS app that works as a remote for the hearing aid, allowing wearers to adjust volume levels, equalisers, and switch between preset environments for the hearing aid, allowing the device to optimise to the user's environment.

Hearing aids can have several different modes, adjusting to the acoustics of each environment -- the app even uses geofencing to automatically change sound profiles based on the location of the wearer, changing for work, home, or a favorite restaurant. There is also a "Find My Hearing Aid" function to help users find their device if it's lost.

Previously, hearing aid wearers would need to carry a pendant or other wireless device in order to make changes to settings on a tiny hearing aid -- adjusting volume or switching between profiles -- now, users can make those changes directly on the iPhone, a device that many are carrying anyway in a significant quality of life improvement.

It also allows users to listen directly to games, calls, FaceTime conversations, music, and any other audio directly from the iOS device, without a handheld dongle or other intermediary devices.The technology will be available in hearing aids from both GN ReSound and its sister-brand Beltone.

Who said that hearing aids couldn't be cool?
 

 

New Technology Advancement For Profound Hearing Losses

World renowned hearing aid manufacturer, Siemens, has just released a new hearing aid for people whose hearing is severely impaired. The hearing aid is so thin that it can fit behind the ear of a hearing-impaired baby.

The new device, known as 'Nitro', is one-third narrower than its predecessor, and reason being because that it is equipped with high-performance microchips.

The new device offers an unprecedented sound volume even at the high amplification required for severely hearing-impaired users.

An important feature of hearing aids is that they sufficiently amplify speech to make it easily audible, but at the same time offer a sound experience that is as comfortable and balanced as possible.

The hearing aid receives sound waves through two microphones. The microchips split the sound waves into individual frequency ranges, on the basis of which they create a finely tuned sound no matter what the acoustic situation. The system automatically offsets audio feedback that creates an annoying whistling sound.

Although hearing aids generally have trouble dealing with a babble of voices such as occurs at parties, the new system can also handle such situations by making background discussions quieter so that the wearer can concentrate better on what his or her interlocutor is saying.

The technology within the hearing aid enables it to process a broader range of frequencies and split sounds into as many as 48 individually optimised channels.

Although this results in a huge number of calculations, it does not cause any noticeable sound delays, because the system processes 250 million commands per second. This makes listening with a hearing aid much less strenuous than was previously the case.

The signals from the two directional microphones are individually processed in parallel, enabling the system to more quickly eliminate audio feedback and identify sound sources so that irritating background noises can be filtered out.

Siemens engineers enabled left-ear and right-ear hearing aids to exchange data for the first time in 2004. This allows users to recognise differences in the signals received at each ear so that they can localise a sound source, for example.

I hope I have not bamboozled you with all of my technology speak. Suffice to say, this hearing aid is a fantastic advancement in helping those who have a profound hearing loss. The latest microphone technology in this device reduces listening fatigue substantially and right now no other hearing device for profoundly hearing impaired people can offer a comparable performance.

The key features to take from this new hearing aid are:

• A third thinner than its predecessor
• Very high sound volume and high amplification
• Comfortable and balanced sound experience
• Twin directional microphones: giving you more balanced hearing
• Feedback management to filter out unwanted sounds
• Wireless connectivity: compatible with a range of accessories allowing sound from audio sources directly to your ears

 

 

Don't let Hearing Loss Break Your Heart this Valentine's Day

“Are you even listening to me properly?”, “We’ve already discussed that.”, “You don’t understand me!” Let’s be honest: Is there anyone who’s never heard one of these phrases?

It’s no secret that functioning communication is a basic requirement of a harmonious and happy relationship. However, what if the relationship is the very thing that’s impaired, because one of the partners is affected by hearing loss?

One international hearing loss campaign, called Hear The World, has concerned itself with just that question and, in time for Valentine’s Day on 14^th February, is publishing surprising results of the “Hearing is Living” study.

Among other things, it shows that 1 in 3 people with hearing loss feel more attractive, lead better partnerships and enjoy a more fulfilled love life since wearing a hearing aid.

This is fantastic, but worryingly, 50% of respondents with hearing loss but without a hearing aid, had not yet consulted a specialist about it, which makes studies like this so important as it helps to start the conversation and thereby raise awareness.

Taking action with hearing loss can make a huge difference to your life and your family’s life. If you are experiencing problems I urge you to book a hearing assessment with your local audiologist.

Digital hearing aids have proved to be a major success in the enhancement of people’s lives. The technology is available in entry, mid-range and superior classes all of which have different features and capabilities.

One of my patients wrote these few words which sums up her happiness ‘A year ago I came to you a living hell, now I am a living heaven. Thank you for improving my life….’

 

'Tinnitus was so loud, he was suprised I couldn't hear it!'

Imagine wearing a pair of headphones which are playing the sound of a whistling kettle.  Imagine wearing those headphones all day, and all night, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Horrific it might sound, but that’s what life was like for one of my Suffolk patients – the victim of a debilitating condition known as tinnitus. The noise in his ears was so loud, he told me he was surprised I couldn’t hear it.

My company The Hearing Care Centre getting involved with Tinnitus Awareness Week this week (3^rd-9^th February 2014), to try and help raise awareness about the condition.

Although around one in ten of the UK population is affected by tinnitus (and that adds up to more than a few thousand in Suffolk alone) it’s extremely difficult to provide medical help because the sound isn’t usually caused by anything physical or biological which can be cured, it comes from within the sufferer themselves.

It appears drugs are no help either:   certainly there is not as yet, conventional or complementary medication that has been shown to ease tinnitus and it is thought that repeatedly trying unsuccessful therapies worsens tinnitus.

It was because he’d not been able to find relief that our man with the whistling kettle turned to The Hearing Care Centre.   Fortunately we know that in a large number of cases, tinnitus sufferers, who are often elderly, also have hearing loss which exacerbates the situation.

We tested his hearing and discovered he did have a significant hearing loss, and fitted him with hearing aids.   I won’t say it was a miracle cure, because it wasn’t, but he told us it had changed his life.  Now everyday sounds he hadn’t been able to hear because of the noises in his ears, were clearly audible, and they in turn, suppressed the aggravation caused by the tinnitus.

I cannot emphasise how much difference identifying the hearing loss made to this man.  At his first follow up appointment he said he had been to a restaurant and heard the conversation clearly– something he hadn’t heard clearly for years.

Unresolved tinnitus is more than just a noise:  it can make communication difficult for the sufferer and the unrelenting sounds can cause stress which in turn makes the condition worse.  It really is like a spiral; the condition causes stress and stress makes the condition worse.

Interestingly, experts believe that even those without significant hearing loss may find hearing aids are helpful. Straining t listen causes increased hearing sensitivity and this can allow tinnitus to emerge or, if present already, to worsen. Correcting even relatively mild hearing loss reduces this central auditory gain and thereby reduces the level of the tinnitus. Hearing aids are said to be useful even if the hearing loss is not at a point that aids would normally be considered.

Tinnitus Awareness Week is organised by the independent charity the British Tinnitus Association which is hoping to reach thousands of people of all ages across the country through its campaign.

For much more information, advice, support, videos or a FREE info pack, please visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk/tinnitus