This article, written by Dr. Tammy Flodmand, addresses common questions about hearing tests, hearing aid candidacy, and high-frequency hearing loss. It emphasizes that age is not a barrier to using hearing aids, as 17% of Americans experience some form of hearing loss, regardless of age. The author explains the basics of hearing tests, including what Xs (left ear) and Os (right ear) represent on an audiogram, the different degrees of hearing loss based on decibel levels (e.g., mild at 20-40dB), and additional tests like speech discrimination and tympanometry. The article also highlights high-frequency hearing loss, which is most common due to aging and noise exposure, and explains how it affects speech clarity by impairing the ability to hear consonants. Finally, Dr. Flodmand assures readers that hearing aids are an effective solution for this type of hearing loss and encourages early intervention to improve quality of life.
HEARING AID CANDIDACY
Q: I am 55 y/o. Aren’t I too young to get hearing aids? - Jeron F.A: Not at all! 17% of all Americans report some issue with their hearing. That’s over 36 MILLION people! And they are of all ages, backgrounds, and sexes. Only 1 out of every 5 people who could benefit from hearing aids wears them. And we know that it takes people, on average, 7 years to get a hearing aid after they are told they need aids. As always, the first step is to get your hearing tested. Hearing aids have come a long way in the past few years. They are very small, discrete, and lightweight. With all the earpieces people wear with their phones who can tell the difference anyway?!HEARING TESTS & HEARING AID CANDIDACY
Q: I just had my hearing tested. What do all the Xs and Os mean? And what do the numbers mean? - Lindsay M.A: A typical hearing test performed by an audiologist/hearing aid dispenser will have a graph with loudness and frequency plotted out. The X (left ear) and O (right ear) will be marked at the level at which you can just barely hear the sound at that particular pitch. In general, the following guidelines are used for classifying hearing loss: 0-20dB: Normal hearing 20-40dB: Mild hearing loss 40-60dB: Moderate hearing loss 60-80dB: Severe hearing loss 80-100dB: Profound hearing loss You may also see the following: Speech discrimination: This is expressed as a percentage correct. During your hearing test, you are read a list of words at a comfortable volume to determine how well your ear and brain can process speech. Tympanometry: This is expressed either in a graph (that may look like a teepee) or a series of numbers. Tympanometry is when pressure is put into your ear canal to help determine how well your middle ear is functioning. Speech Recognition Threshold: This is expressed as a volume level in decibels. This is the lowest volume at which you can understand a two-syllable word. The hearing test is beneficial to the audiologist as it tells us the type of hearing loss, the degree of hearing loss and it also tells us whether or not you are a hearing aid candidate.Test Your Hearing For Free
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEARING LOSS AND HEARING AIDS
Q: I was told I have high-frequency hearing loss. What does that mean? - Sandra K.A: High-frequency hearing loss is the most common kind of hearing loss. Due to the shape of the cochlea (the organ for hearing) the hair cells that allow you to hear the high frequencies take the most abuse. High-frequency hearing loss is most commonly caused by the aging process and by noise exposure. And here’s the bad news. . .the high frequencies are where most of our consonants are located. Consonants are what give us the beauty and clarity of speech. Think of this: If you see a sign for ‘TCKTS’ you can figure out that it is a sign for ‘TICKETS’ even though the vowels are missing. Now, let’s do it in reverse. If you see a sign for ‘IE’ it’s not so easy to figure out. In essence, this is what happens when your ears don’t pick up those high-frequency consonants. But, don’t worry - Because this is the most common type of hearing loss, hearing aids can almost always help!by Tammy Flodmand
The above is the interpretation of What Should You Know About Hearing Tests and Aids? provided by Chinese hearing aid supplier Shenrui Medical. Link https://www.srmcm.com/Blog/What_Should_You_Know_About_Hearing_Tests_and_Aids.html of this article is welcome to share and forward. For more hearing aid related information, please visit Blog or take a look at our Hearing aids products
