Tinnitus can range in severity- some people find their tinnitus extremely bothersome while others are able to easily block it out of their mind.  Just because you have tinnitus does not mean you are necessarily seeking treatment.  Tinnitus treatment options vary person to person based on your needs, the severity of your tinnitus, and other several other factors.  There are various types of tinnitus treatment options including the use of hearing aids, noise generators, and even formal treatment plans for more severe cases.  If you are experiencing tinnitus, its important to tell your audiologist so they are sure to make any appropriate referrals and to discuss suitable treatment options.

Infant ABR testing

How Do You Test a Baby’s Hearing?

That’s a good question!  Newborn infants now have their hearing screened after being born, before discharge from the hospital.  A newborn hearing screening is conducted using one of two tests, either an auditory brainstem response (ABR) test or an otoacoustic emission (OAE) test.  Both are computerized tests that do not require a behavioral response from the infant and only take a few minutes to complete if the baby is relatively quiet.

An ABR test involves delivering a soft sound into the ear using a small tip and placing some electrodes (stickers) around the ears and forehead.  The electrodes measure how the hearing nerve for each ear responds to sound.  With an OAE test, a small tip is placed in the ear and a computerized sound is generated into the ear canal.  An echo or a response from microscopic cells that line the inner ear is recorded.  This cellular response is recorded and is used to determine if the inner ear cells for hearing are functioning normally or if they may be damaged.

If an infant does not pass an ABR hearing screening or an OAE hearing screening their hearing may be rescreened a second time, preferably within a few weeks of discharge from the hospital.  If they do not pass the second screening then a diagnostic hearing test should be scheduled, ideally prior to 3 months of age.
A diagnostic hearing test is completed using a combination of ABR and OAE tests however takes longer than a screening and gives more specific information regarding hearing sensitivity.

OAE and ABR testing are sometimes conducted on older children and perhaps adults.  Both tests provide useful, objective diagnostic information regarding hearing sensitivity without the need for a behavioral or subjective response from the person being tested.

Phonak's water resistent hearing aid

Phonak recently developed a water resistant product line called the Phonak H20 that reached an IP67 rating meaning it “was not damaged beyond repair” after being tested in a dust chamber for 8 continuous hours or being submerged under 3 feet of water for 30 minutes.  Phonak is one of only two hearing aid manufacturers (also see our Siemens Aquaris blog post) that is actually encouraging you to get your hearing aids wet!

Phonak’s H20 water resistant line is available in several different levels of technology making this line accessible for most budgets.  These levels of technology include the versatile Phonak M H20 that’s available in three different price points (the Phonak Solana M H20, the Ambra M H20, and the Cassia M H20), the Phonak Naida S CRT (a line of power hearing aids), and the Phonak Nios S H20 that is also offered at two different price points (the Phonak Nios S III and the Nios S V).

Don’t worry if all these different hearing aid options leaves you questioning which one is right for you- your audiologist will help you decide that! If wearing your hearing aids while you splash around in the pool this summer sounds intriguing to you, just ask your audiologist for more information about the Phonak H20 line!

The Phonak Nano hearing aid

Hot off the press is the Phonak Nano.  The Nano is Phonak’s smallest custom hearing aid.  It’s available in two levels of technology- the Phonak Ambra Nano (high end) and the Phonak Solana Nano (mid level).  Comparable to Starkey’s SoundLens, the Phonak Nano rests deeply in the ear canal (deeper than a traditional completely-in-the-canal or CIC hearing aid) making the hearing aid blend into the shadow of your ear canal.  Overall, the Nano offers discrete listening at a pretty affordable price.

GN ReSound recently came out with another Unite wireless accessory- the Mini Microphone (also known as the Mini Mic).  If you wear a GN ReSound Alera wireless hearing aid and experience difficulty hearing in background noise, the Mini Mic can help.  When you are having difficulty understanding someone talking, you have them clip this Mini Mic on their lapel.  By simply holding down the program button on your Alera hearing aids, you go into a “streaming mode.”  This “streaming mode” transmits the talker’s voice that is picked up by the Mini Mic directly into your hearing aids.  At a glance, this is a relatively inexpensive option for those Alera hearing aid wearers that have continued difficulty listening in background noise.  GN ReSound’s wireless accessories are currently only compatible with Alera hearing aids.

Keep an eye out for upcoming blog posts on other creative ways to use the Mini Mic!

Did you know that noise induced hearing loss is the most common cause of hearing loss?  Hearing loss can be caused by one extremely loud impact sound (possibly a gun firing) or by listening to continued loud sounds or noise for a long period of time (perhaps machinery running most of the work day).  Noise induced hearing loss can affect anyone at any age.
More and more research is becoming available on the damage ear buds are doing to our hearing.  There are lots of people out there just turning up their music too loud.  Monitor how loud you and your family listen to music.  If you stand next to someone listening with ear buds and you can hear their music- it’s too loud.  Luckily, noise induced hearing loss is 100% preventable- wear hearing protection, turn down the noise, or (even better) avoid the noise completely!
Take a look at this informational fact sheet provided by the American Academy of Audiology to learn more about Noise Induced Hearing Loss