August 5, 2008
There's no need to suffer in silence
If your hearing isn't as good as it used to be, you may be thinking about getting a hearing aid.
Then again, there's a good chance you can't be bothered, even though you find yourself cranking up the volume on the TV set or asking a friend sitting next to you to speak up. If so, you are not alone.
More often than not, people put off getting a hearing aid after they first notice it's getting harder to hear, said East Bay, Calif., audiologist Leigh Kjeldsen. ''People wait an average of seven years between knowing they have a problem with hearing and doing something about it.''
Posted @ 3:35 AM
July 29, 2008
Frogs Inspire Hearing Aid Idea
With a twitch of a muscle, the Chinese concave-eared torrent frog brushes off the sounds of thundering rivers, focusing on the one thing that really matters: the siren song of the opposite sex.
The males of this rare species are the only animal known to be able to turn a deaf ear to distracting noises while enhancing the calls of their own kind, according to a study published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Posted @ 5:52 AM
July 22, 2008
New Hearing Aid Technology Passes The Restaurant Noise Test
The sound of a noisy Chicago restaurant during the breakfast rush -- the clang of plates and silverware and the clamor of many voices -- was the crucial test of new hearing aid technology in a study conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The study showed that the hearing aids worked well in a noisy environment -- the most challenging test for a hearing aid. But the patients wearing the devices didn't need to fly from St. Louis to Chicago to participate in the test. Instead, the restaurant came to the clinic of Michael Valente, Ph.D., director of the Division of Adult Audiology in the Department of Otolaryngology at the School of Medicine. Or at least its sounds did.
Posted @ 12:10 AM
Hearing Aid Mistaken for Bluetooth Headset Stolen
A young boy and his mother were having lunch at a McDonalds when someone suddenly stole the boy's hearing aid.
Three-year-old Jose Franco still doesn't understand why his world went silent. He was born deaf and relies on a Cochlear implant to hear. Last week, while playing at a Los Angeles McDonalds, two teenage boys stole the external portion of the device called The Speech Processor.
"Suddenly someone came from behind and took his implant off his head," said Jose's mother Hilda Giron.
Posted @ 12:04 AM
July 8, 2008
Mexican Children Receive Free Hearing Aids
A group of impoverished children in Mexico are hearing for the first time, thanks to a group from the Hill Country’s NewSound Hearing Aid Centers.
The group of 11 volunteers traveled to the Mexican cities of Monterrey, San Luis and Cuidad Victoria last month to provide free hearing aides.
“There is an overwhelming sense of privilege to be a part of this effort,” said Kim Johnson, spokeswoman for NewSound. “It was like having a front-row seat to witnessing lives changed; the children arrive unable to hear, and they leave hearing.”
NewSound organized the annual project with the help of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps impoverished children receive hearing aides.
Posted @ 9:06 AM
The President's Got A New Aid
Bill Clinton, the first U.S. President ever raised on rock and roll, has earned a related distinction: last week, at the age of 51, he became the youngest commander in chief ever outfitted with dual hearing aids. Clinton's physicians found him in ""excellent overall health'' during a six-hour physical last Friday. But tests showed a significant loss of high-frequency hearing. Before heading home, the president was fitted for a pair of small, CIC (""completely in canal'') devices, which he'll be able to use as needed. His condition is ""not anything like profound deafness,'' according to his audiologist, Dr. James Sun. But it's not a trivial concern. Millions of Americans are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss--and as people of Clinton's generation drift into their 50s, more and more will feel his pain.
Posted @ 8:55 AM
July 1, 2008
Local Doctors Test New Hearing Aid
A surgically implanted hearing aid that stays under your skin is being put to the test in the Bay Area. It could drastically change the way the hearing impaired lead their lives.
A new, invisible hearing aid being tested in the Bay Area could soon change thousands of lives.
David Steele is an avid swimmer and kayaker. But there's something he can never forget when he hits the water -- taking out his hearing aids.
Posted @ 8:09 AM
June 5, 2008
High-fidelity hearing aid design
The latest offering from innovative industrial design team think/thing is the OSPA (Optical Speckle-Pattern Analysis), a unique hearing aid which is non-invasive, has a visually attractive design and uses a process called speckle-pattern analysis to read vibrations and produce sound.
According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, one in ten Americans suffer from hearing loss, and with a rising aging population, that number is likely to increase. However, many patients dislike the look and feel of traditional hearing aids and it may take some time to find one that works effectively.
Posted @ 10:35 AM
February 6, 2008
Hearing is believing for hundreds of Arizona kids
Amira Hepner lived in a silent world until last week. She heard noise for the first time in her life when a man with the Starkey Hearing Foundation turned on the child's first set of hearing aids and clapped.
Her face could hardly contain her smile. "Do you like it?" Lisa Hepner asked Amira, 7, whom she adopted from Ethiopia. She nodded yes.
"Can you hear Mommy's voice?" Hepner said, still using her hands to sign her words. Amira nodded and smiled.
Posted @ 2:30 AM
Regional school for deaf collecting hearing aids
The hearing aids McAllen Memorial High School sophomore Jesse Mendez wears are his world.
They may not provide him perfect hearing, but they do amplify sound and connect him to his environment.
Without them, “I feel a little confused and I’m lost,” the 15-year-old recently said.
Jesse is one of hundreds of students the McAllen Regional Day School Program for the Deaf serves who rely on hearing aids.
Posted @ 2:24 AM
January 16, 2008
Hearing Aid to Hear What You're Missing
If your hearing isn't as good as it used to be, you may be thinking about getting a hearing aid.
Then again, there's a good chance you can't be bothered, even though you find yourself cranking up the volume on the TV set or asking a friend sitting next to you to speak up. If so, you are not alone
More often than not, people put off getting a hearing aid after they first notice it's getting harder to hear, said East Bay, Calif., audiologist Leigh Kjeldsen "People wait an average of seven years between knowing they have a problem with hearing and doing something about it."
Why the wait?
"People don't know about the process and don't know where to begin," said Kjeldsen, owner of Valley Audiology, which has offices in Concord, Calif., and Walnut Creek, Calif.
Posted @ 7:21 AM
January 2, 2008
Ensuring Realistic Expectations from Your Hearing Aids
In order to get the most out of your hearing aids, it is important to understand what they can and cannot do. Hearing devices are not intended to cure hearing issues, but simply to assist those with hearing loss. A new hearing aid user might hear new sounds or find that a hearing aid sounds louder than he or she is used to, for example. Learn more about what hearing aid users need to know in order to get the best possible benefit from their aids.
Posted @ 4:04 PM
December 28, 2007
Hearing Aid Store Bailed On Us
Customers of Family Hearing Aid Centers of Florida Inc. say they have been left in limbo without their merchandise when local stores suddenly closed after the company filed for bankruptcy protection.
"We've had a lot of complaints - seven calls I've logged," said Tina West, manager of the Better Business Council, which is affiliated with the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
She said chamber colleagues also have been fielding other complaint calls.
Posted @ 8:55 AM
December 17, 2007
An Earful About Hearing
If your hearing isn't as good as it used to be, you may be thinking about getting a hearing aid.
Then again, there's a good chance you can't be bothered, even though you find yourself cranking up the volume on the TV set or asking a friend sitting next to you to speak up.
Hearing loss affects more than 28 million Americans. With baby boomers starting to turn 60 last year, that number is expected to nearly double by 2030, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. The likelihood of losing your hearing increases as you get older, with up to one in three people older than 65 having some kind of hearing loss, according to the association.
Although 95 percent of Americans with a hearing loss can be successfully treated with hearing aids, only 22 percent (or 6.35 million individuals) now use hearing aids.
Posted @ 9:54 PM
December 6, 2007
Everything You Need to Know about Cell Phones and Digital Hearing Aids
Today, almost everyone has a cell phone - young and old - and it can be a challenge for users of digital hearing aids to know how to handle their phones properly. Issues such as feedback and distortion can arise, as can conflicts between cell phone and hearing aid technology, and the hearing aid user may be tempted to throw both the hearing aids and the cell phone out the window. But the truth is that cell phone and hearing aid technology can coexist without major problems - it just takes a little research.
Posted @ 3:12 PM
November 28, 2007
America Hears Offers Free Demo Version of Software for Download
America Hears, the premier Internet distributor and manufacturer of digital hearing aids, has made available its Virtual Office 2.0 (VO 2.0) software for download on its website, www.americahears.com. Visitors to the site can download a full version of the hearing aid software to explore its features, although a user must own an America Hears hearing aid in order to fully utilize the program.
The exclusive VO 2.0 program enables owners of America Hears digital hearing aids to adjust the hearing aid programming themselves in their own home or to request a programming change via the Internet. Previously, customers were mailed a CD containing the hearing aid software with their free information kit, a process that could take several days. Now, the entire program can be downloaded directly from the America Hears site in less than 20 minutes (with a high-speed Internet connection).
Posted @ 7:10 AM
November 5, 2007
How to Stop the Embarrassment of a Whistling Hearing Aid
If you or a family member wears a hearing aid that has a feedback problem, it can be a real frustration and an annoyance. Here are the secrets to understanding the causes and how to control it.
There are three types of feedback: Acoustical feedback is caused by the sound from the speaker traveling through the air and getting back to the microphone. Mechanical feedback is caused by physical vibrations, such as the hearing aid speaker touching the side of the hearing aid and allowing the vibrations to transfer through the shell or case back to the microphone. Electronic feedback occurs within the circuitry of the hearing instrument.
Posted @ 4:43 AM
October 10, 2007
Simplify the Digital Hearing Aid Experience: Questions to Ask Before Purchasing
Purchasing a digital hearing aid is an important step in obtaining increased quality of life for people with hearing loss. There are many things to consider when deciding on the right hearing aid, such as brand, quality and price, but one of the most important considerations is the quality of the hearing aid provider, and the level of customer service it offers to clients throughout the life of the digital hearing aid.
Posted @ 1:46 PM
October 9, 2007
When it sounds like time for a hearing aid
If your hearing isn't as good as it used to be, you may be thinking about getting a hearing aid.
Then again, there's a good chance you can't be bothered, even though you find yourself cranking up the volume on the TV set, or asking a friend sitting next to you to speak up. If so, you are not alone.
More often than not, people put off getting a hearing aid after they first notice it's getting harder to hear, said audiologist Leigh Kjeldsen "People wait an average of seven years between knowing they have a problem with hearing and doing something about it."
Posted @ 4:04 AM
September 18, 2007
Hearing Aid Wait Up to 3 years
Patients are waiting between three weeks and three years for NHS hearing aids depending on where they live, according to a report.
The British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA) said the average waiting time remained almost nine months, and a third of hospitals had even longer lists.
Although some hospitals reported no waiting list for those replacing analogue with digital aids, the wait was more than six months at over half of hospitals in the UK, the organisation said.
Posted @ 4:45 AM
September 13, 2007
The Future, Today: Digital Hearing Aid Industry Transitions to Patient-Focused Model
The technology to purchase hearing aids online has revolutionized the digital hearing aid industry. In the past, those who were hard of hearing sought care through a system that was centered on the provider. The patient made an appointment, traveled to the clinician's office, sat through a battery of hearing tests, spent hours being fitted for an appropriately-sized hearing aid, only to leave empty-handed because the hearing device still needed to be manufactured and shipped. When the hearing aid finally did arrive, if it was not adjusted properly, the patient was back to square one.
Posted @ 1:31 PM
August 25, 2007
Doctor gives the gift of hearing to contest winner
Dr. Amy Sapodin, an East Meadow resident and co-owner of Advanced Hearing Center in Albertson, recently presented Viola Soroka of New Hyde Park, the winner of a raffle contest, with a free high-tech Widex Hearing Device valued at $ 2,400.
During Better Hearing Month in May, Soroka, 88, attended the educational seminar sponsored by Advanced Hearing Center and entered its raffle. She has suffered moderate sensory neural hearing loss in her right ear for the past 16 years.
Posted @ 3:55 AM
August 22, 2007
Hearing Aids Online
Hearing loss affects 28 million Americans. An estimated 80% of those people with hearing loss forego using hearing aids.
Finding the right hearing aid, and related information, online can be time consuming, complicated and frustrating for someone with hearing loss. That's where AidRight.com comes in, which makes the whole procedure easy.
Posted @ 8:10 AM
July 22, 2007
What? Hearing aids cost how much?
Growing up in the 1960s, loud music was a social staple for Ruthann Cage. Highlights of her youth included coveted tickets to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in Chicago in 1964. At college parties, Cage occasionally joined a band on stage "banging a tambourine with the other sorority girls."
Decades later, Cage found herself straining to hear conversations. She could no longer distinguish consonants. Names such as "Harry" became "fairy."
Posted @ 7:57 AM
July 16, 2007
High-tech hearing aids are music to boomers' ears
Michael Bellusci's quotation in his high school yearbook was, "It ain't rock if it ain't loud." While growing up in Flushing, Queens, he played guitar and drums, idolized Jimi Hendrix and performed in cover bands. Later, he went on the road as Ringo in the musical "Beatlemania."
These days, if his left ear happens to be covered by a pillow, Bellusci, 47, hears the alarm clock as a faint tick, tick, tick, not a blaring BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. In cacophonous restaurants, he watches people's mouths so he can follow the conversation.
Posted @ 6:16 AM
July 12, 2007
New Advances in Digital Hearing Aids Can Help Baby Boomers Take Matters into Their Own Hands
Hearing aid technology has seen many changes in the past few years, and new digital hearing aids can be worn nearly invisibly while offering greater sound quality than those of the past. The members of the baby boomer generation have the savvy to take matters into their own hands when it comes to researching and purchasing these new hearing aids on the phone or online. Learn more about how today's Boomers are taking greater control of their hearing.
Posted @ 10:59 AM
June 27, 2007
Foxy Brown's Hearing Aid and Items Stolen, Misses Probation
Just hours before she was beaten and robbed by a trio of women, trouble-prone rapper Foxy Brown defied a court order and blew off a meeting with her probation officer. Brown was ordered to appear at the probation office today - and was warned that skipping out again could land her in hot water.
"Failure to do so may seriously affect your probation status," warned a letter tacked to Brown's Brooklyn home yesterday after she missed her Friday appointment with her probation officer.
Posted @ 8:16 PM
April 25, 2007
The Latest Innovation in Open Fit Hearing Aids: Speaker-in-the-Ear Hearing Aids
Currently, there is a trend in the hearing aid industry toward smaller and more discreet hearing aids, including the recent development of open fit hearing aids (also known as open ear hearing aids). Open fit hearing aids have one major limitation, however; they are not appropriate for many people with a more severe hearing loss and are best used by those with high frequency hearing loss and normal low frequency hearing.
This means that those with severe hearing loss inquiring about this new technology may have either been steered toward more traditional hearing aids (which also have their benefits) or been improperly fitted with open fit hearing aids. However, a recent modification to open fit hearing aids, known as speaker-in-the-ear (SIE) hearing aids, can make these nearly invisible hearing aids available to people with more severe hearing loss.
Posted @ 5:20 AM
March 27, 2007
How to Feel Confident When Buying Hearing Aids Online
Buying hearing aids online can be a great way to get a quality product at a reasonable price while also saving you a significant amount of time. While it may at first seem unusual to buy your hearing aid online, you will quickly find that it isn't that much different from going into a physical store - and often it can be much easier.
Posted @ 7:25 AM
February 8, 2007
Hearing aids get fashionable
Gone are the days of big and clunky hearing aids. Now, they're fashionable and almost invisible
The colorful triangular hearing aid is designed for people in their 40's and 50's who want to be hip and hear. Architect Greg Henricks wears black aids. Ryan Rossler, a certified hypnotherapist, has a silver aid. Audiologist Dr. Ronna Fisher wears two aids. One is red and the other one is beige.
Posted @ 8:15 AM
January 7, 2007
Hearing aid pledge 'may not work'
Moves to cut waiting lists for the hard of hearing could result in even longer queues for hearing aids, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf fears.
Research by Conservative MP Grant Shapps found waits of up to five years for new digital hearing aids.
Ministers admitted queues were too long and said they will shortly publish an "action plan" to tackle the problem.
Posted @ 5:04 AM
December 12, 2006
Hearing aid would help
His father is deaf in one ear and has partial hearing in the other. His grandmother is deaf. His father's sister is deaf. Her two children are hearing-impaired. And Max Tepper has been losing his hearing since age 6, when he began wearing hearing aids.
He's one of the brightest 16-year-old extroverts bouncing around the halls of Walnut Hills High School, where he's been a student for 2½ years, since his family moved here from Ontario for his father's rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College.
Posted @ 6:01 AM
November 5, 2006
Hearing-aid buyer learns costly lesson
When The Watchdog called Irene Glover of Weatherford on the phone to talk about her complaint, she said, “Will you hold on just a minute? I’ve got to get my hearing aid on.”
Her complaint concerned a hearing aid, but not the one she was putting on to talk to me. She lost $5,300 when a hearing aid she bought from a well-known company never worked correctly for her.
Posted @ 12:38 PM
October 12, 2006
Deaf woman 'faces 14-year wait' for NHS hearing aid
A severely deaf woman could face a 14-year wait for a new hearing aid on the NHS, it emerged today.
June Hews, 76, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was shocked to discover she was number 582 on the waiting list for a digital hearing aid to replace her analogue one.
Posted @ 6:03 PM
October 2, 2006
3-D hearing aid
About 30 million Americans have some form of hearing loss. Many complain about hearing aids, saying they produce poor sound quality, making conversations difficult and frustrating. Now, hearing scientists are fine tuning devices to help dramatically improve what patients hear.
Posted @ 10:10 AM
Phonak acquisition makes it world number one
Swiss hearing aid company Phonak is to buy the ReSound group from the Danish firm GN Store Nord for SFr3.3 billion ($2.63 billion).The deal will create a "global powerhouse" in hearing healthcare, Phonak said in a statement on Monday.
Posted @ 10:08 AM
August 28, 2006
Iraqi girl experiences sound for first time
For 3-year-old Amina, it was a day of firsts. The Iraqi girl had been deaf since birth. With the help of the U.S. Army in Iraq and a Miami-based aid group, she was flown to the United States to have a hearing implant surgically placed in her ear.
Posted @ 9:09 AM
Hearing DNA
Drugs to stop old people going deaf may be a step nearer after scientists identified the gene at fault. They found huge DNA differences between people who lose their hearing and those who do not.
Posted @ 9:06 AM
July 6, 2006
Hearing aid advances
Hearing is one of the most relied-upon of the five senses. But when it starts to fade, life can go on normally thanks to sophisticated new hearing aids and surgical procedures that can restore much -- if not all -- of what was lost.
Posted @ 12:40 AM
June 21, 2006
Hearing aid centers tune in to success
When patients at any Beltone New England facility get a new hearing aid, the device isn’t just fitted to ensure it’s the right size and shape for the ear. It’s also tested in a room with a surround-sound system that simulates the noises in a busy restaurant, a church, a car, etc.
Posted @ 12:16 PM
June 8, 2006
Provide coverage for hearing aids
Most people give little thought to their hearing. An alarm clock wakes them up. They can hear in restaurants, meetings, places of worship and theaters without effort. They can communicate easily with others. However, hard-of-hearing people are forced to ask people to repeat themselves; we must position ourselves in restaurants, meetings and places of worship in order to maximize our ability to hear.
Posted @ 7:50 AM
Provide coverage for hearing aids
Most people give little thought to their hearing. An alarm clock wakes them up. They can hear in restaurants, meetings, places of worship and theaters without effort. They can communicate easily with others. However, hard-of-hearing people are forced to ask people to repeat themselves; we must position ourselves in restaurants, meetings and places of worship in order to maximize our ability to hear.
Posted @ 7:50 AM
June 5, 2006
Hearing aids are underused
Hearing loss can contribute to strained relationships with family and friends, depression and even a deterioration of basic well-being, but only one in five Americans who could benefit from a hearing aid has one – and just one-third of those who have hearing aids use them.
Posted @ 5:12 AM
June 1, 2006
New hearing aid is 'hybrid'
Tens of millions of americans today have some hearing loss, and with an aging population, this problem threatens to get worse. At UCSF Medical Center, Kathy Barger is hoping to get an earful - thanks to an experimental device.
Posted @ 4:40 PM
Technology helps partially deaf musician
Robert Morris is all smiles now that he's hearing better. Morris began experiencing hearing loss in the 1970s. By the 1980s, he had to wear a hearing aid. "All it did was amplify the sounds that I could already hear. It didn't help because I still couldn't hear the high-frequency notes," Morris said.
Posted @ 4:35 PM
Audiologist helps with hearing, confidence
Stacy Szymkowski clasped her hand over Thomas "T.J." Wisely's fingers as he held the yellow plastic spool next to his face. "Wait," she instructed him. Behind him, fellow audiologist Lindsey Turover cupped her hands over her mouth.
Posted @ 4:33 PM
May 29, 2006
High-tech gadgets help deaf hear well
A year ago, I wouldn't have written a column about technical devices that help hearing-disabled people. A year ago, I wasn't hearing-disabled, but now I am, and I understand how important some special devices are to those of us who need them. Plus, I'm also a better judge regarding how well they work.
Posted @ 11:21 AM
Hearing aids and glasses: Leveling the sensory playing field
Since time immemorial, people have referred to the eyes as “windows to the soul”, yet blind and deaf Helen Keller said "Hearing is the deepest, most philosophical sense man possesses." For centuries, sight impaired people have worn glasses without being labeled “mentally defective.” Meanwhile, those with hearing impairment have suffered enormous prejudice. Labeled as “old", "stupid", "mentally ill", or "selective listeners", many hearing impaired people live in denial, or refuse to wear hearing aids because they are afraid of being branded.
Posted @ 10:51 AM
May 22, 2006
Giving the gift of sound
After fitting tiny, electrical nodes inside a baby’s ear and witnessing the child’s response to a signal the sound of a half whisper, Morris Clinical Audio-logist Brenene Brady sees something special.
Posted @ 9:20 AM
New device could help people with hearing problems
Millions of people struggle to hear. They find it hard to hear the television, their phone -- even their loved one's voices. Many wear hearing aids, but that's not always enough. As 7News Anchor Mitch Jelniker reported recently, a new device is being tested in Colorado that could open up a whole new world for people who have difficulty hearing.
Posted @ 9:15 AM
May 18, 2006
Propose bills to help pay for hearing aids
Some financial aid may be forthcoming from the federal government for persons who need hearing aids if talks going on in Congress are successful. According to the League for the Hard of Hearing, based in New York City, the discussions going on revolve around legislation proposed in both houses that would provide $500 per ear once every five years to people aged 55 and over and to their dependents for hearing aids.
Posted @ 12:11 PM
May 16, 2006
Good vibrations
At first, awareness dawns that you are struggling to follow conversations amid babble and noise. Soon "your family and close friends joke about your getting deaf," says Joanne Pogue, 74, who as president of the library board in Washington, Maine, recalls finding it harder with each meeting to hear board members around the large table. "I joked about it." Better, perhaps, than to be patronized ("Uncle Jim, do you want me to listen to the specials and order for you?") or treated as barely there. Locked in growing silence, older people with impaired hearing often withdraw and grow isolated. Studies show they may even die before their time.
Posted @ 6:33 AM
What you should know before you buy a hearing aid
I had tremendous response to my column on hearing. A letter received from the Hearing Planet in Tennessee reminded me that hearing loss affects nearly 30 million Americans, and one in three people is over age 65. Yet, only one out of every six people who experience hearing loss wears a hearing aid.
Posted @ 6:29 AM
May 13, 2006
The pros and cons of buying hearing aids online
Before the advent of the Internet created the ability to buy hearing aids online, if you were looking to obtain digital hearing aids for yourself or for a loved one, your options were limited. Historically, you would most likely purchase your hearing aids from someone local: a licensed dispenser, a dispensing audiologist, or an otologist, who in turn acquired the hearing aids from a manufacturer. You could also purchase digital hearing aids from mail order businesses, but they were limited in number and offered limited products as well.
Posted @ 6:33 AM
N.Y. should require hearing aid coverage
The Rochester chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America is right to complain that the average health insurance policy in New York covers things such as eyeglasses and prostheses but excludes hearing aids.
Posted @ 6:31 AM
May 11, 2006
Award for hearing aid concept
A team of unsung heroes from Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital are celebrating after scooping a major regional award for speeding up the fitting of hearing aids – with an innovative use of dental equipment.
Posted @ 6:16 AM
May 9, 2006
Device developed at SoCal lab restores sound to the deaf
The neuroscience laboratory of Huntington Medical Research Institutes, the site of several revolutionary discoveries, is aging and worn, but still produces some groundbreaking technologies. Within the lab’s walls, researchers have recently discovered how to plug directly into the brain and restore hearing to those who would have remained irreparably deaf just a few years ago.
Posted @ 4:48 AM
Raleigh man fails to get refund after not receiving hearing aid
Hearing aids can be extremely expensive, so it is tempting to try something at a better price, but one Wake County man did not even get to find out whether they worked or not. Wilton Fleming has worn hearing aids for 10 years. Recently, he noticed they were not working so well. Then he saw ads for Crystal Ear hearing devices. The hearing aids were $379 each plus shipping and handling, for a total of almost $780.
Posted @ 4:45 AM
May 4, 2006
Health coverage for hearing aids
For the fourth time since 2002, the California State Senate is grappling with a bill that would require insurance companies help finance hearing aids for children. It's a legislative battle inspired by one determined Burbank parent.
Posted @ 7:08 PM
May 1, 2006
Deadline looms for hearing aid compatibility
Most wireless carriers and manufacturers are confident they can meet the upcoming deadlines for new FCC requirements on hearing aid compatibility, including those dealing with both RF emissions and telecoil coupling.
Posted @ 1:31 AM
April 28, 2006
New invisible, implantable hearing aid
A new hearing technology allows those reluctant to grow old to stay hip with a new invisible design. An estimated 10-percent of the American population has hearing loss, that's 30 million people. Experts said only a fraction of that number wear hearing aids.
Posted @ 10:38 AM
April 26, 2006
Hearing aids to be paid for by Medicaid under budget agreement
The state will pay for hearing aids for poor people under the Medicaid program with an agreement reached by legislative budget writers as lawmakers try to close out their differences on how to spend state money in the coming year.
Posted @ 11:30 AM
April 18, 2006
Aubrie Lichty's brave new world reflection of community spirit
Aubrie Lichty’s twinkling brown eyes shined a little brighter the instant the tiny girl was fitted with her first set of hearing aids at Akron Children’s Hospital in February. “I’ll never forget that moment,” Aubrie’s mother, Krista Lichty, said. “As soon as the aids were in, she instantly became more alert, and I could absolutely tell she could hear my voice.”
Posted @ 7:51 AM
April 17, 2006
Frames with baked-in hearing aids
Spent too many years shaking your head in front of guitar amps? Perhaps that's why your dinner companions have been accusing you of ''tuning them out." Hearing aids may be in your future. But prepare yourself, because as small and nearly invisible as they've become, hearing aids still have some serious limitations. The devices are effective at intensifying sounds within your environment, but they tend to do so indiscriminately. In a restaurant, clanging silverware may drown out your dinner date's dulcet tones.
Posted @ 5:59 AM
New hearing device designed to boost clarity and style
Leading hearing aid manufacturer Oticon introduced a groundbreaking hearing device designed to change forever the perception of hearing aids among the 50-plus generation. Called Oticon Delta, the miniature hearing device with its trendy triangular shape and stylish colours appears to have more in common with tiny high-tech communication devices or cool fashion accessories than traditional hearing aids.
Posted @ 5:53 AM
April 14, 2006
Siemens presents the first earwax protection system for hearing instruments
The “critical point” of custom hearing instruments has always been the opening through which the sound leaves the hearing aid. This opening may not be plugged however, due to its position, it is directly exposed to moisture or cerumen, which can find their way into the hearing aid and can damage the sensitive electronic systems.
Posted @ 5:52 AM
April 11, 2006
OU prof works to aid hearing
An OU professor is currently developing the world’s first total implantable hearing system. The device would be surgically implanted behind the ear and consist of three parts: a microphone and sound processor, a coil and a magnet implant.
Posted @ 5:22 AM
I can't hear you; I've got cheese in my ear
''I'm going to put on the soup." ''A Boy Scout troop at your age?" ''No, soup. For supper." ''You mean soup? Stop mumbling." ''I NEVER mumble. Soup, pea soup." 'I don't need to pee." And so it went. My wife would not wear her hearing aids, and it was the only thing in 14 years of Parkinson's care that made me cross. But after my wife passed away, I stopped wearing mine.
Posted @ 5:18 AM
Small batteries pose life-threatening risks
No one knows exactly how Natalie Fulton found the quarter-size battery in the trash can or when the buttonlike object wound up in her mouth. But her family will never forget what happened after they found out the battery had lodged itself in Natalie's esophagus and burned through to her trachea.
Posted @ 5:16 AM
National hearing aid supplier to return $350,000 to state medicaid program
HearUSA, Inc., a national hearing aid dispenser has agreed to repay $352,873 to the Massachusetts Medicaid Program (MassHealth) and other state agencies after reporting billing errors, Attorney General Tom Reilly announced today.
Posted @ 5:12 AM
April 8, 2006
Computerized hearing aid helps improve hearing
Roughly one in 10 Americans, or 30 million people suffer from hearing loss. The American Academy of Audiology is holding its national convention this weekend in Minneapolis where experts are sharing the latest ways to help them all. The new developments are music to the ears of an industry that is poised to serve a generation of aging baby-boomers.
Posted @ 1:11 AM
Varibel, the glasses that hear
Today a new hearing aid in the form of a pair of glasses was unveiled. These hearing-glasses are called 'Varibel' and offer older people the chance to stay active longer - free from the aesthetically unpleasing and technologically limited traditional hearing aids. Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands originally developed the hearing-glasses. Varibel developed these glasses into a consumer product in partnership with Philips, Frame Holland, the design agencies MMID and Verhoeven, and others.
Posted @ 1:10 AM
Researchers use viruses to build batteries
Researchers trying to make tiny machines have turned to the power of nature, engineering a virus to attract metals and then using it to build minute wires for microscopic batteries. The resulting nanowires can be used in minuscule lithium ion battery electrodes, which in turn would be used to power very small machines, the researchers report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
Posted @ 1:07 AM
March 31, 2006
Delta Zeta to hold fair for hearing fund
Dana Self, a 20 year-old hearing-impaired Colbert resident, is looking forward to Delta Zeta’s first annual Turtle Fund Fair on Saturday. The sorority is sponsoring the fair to raise money for the Turtle Grant, which provides financial aid to the hearing impaired in Athens.
Posted @ 8:24 AM
Good news for U.P. residents with hearing loss
New technology is changing the way U.P. Audiologists treat hearing loss. The 'Vivatone Totally Open Canal' device delivers sound electronically through a wire while the speaker floats in the ear canal. This eliminates the plugged up feeling that normal hearing aids can cause.
Posted @ 8:23 AM
March 30, 2006
Manufacturer and distributor of digital hearing aids offers innovative service
America Hears, the premier manufacturer and provider of digital hearing aids over the Internet, offers its customers the ability to adjust their hearing aids online with an easy-to-use package of specialized software and hardware, known as the Virtual Office.
Posted @ 7:57 AM
March 27, 2006
Hearing-aid technology advancing at alarming rate
Devices for the hearing impaired are part of the growing electronics market. Audiologists and physicians who work to fight hearing loss see advances in technology aiding their efforts in the same striking way they are driving the success of hand-held electronic communication tools, iPods or portable game machines.
Posted @ 7:00 AM
March 25, 2006
Hearing-impaired kids get help
A 14-member mission from San Diego-based charity foundation has donated over 860 hearing aids for hearing-impaired children in Viet Nam during the mission’s visit in HCM City this week.
Posted @ 7:07 AM
March 22, 2006
Mid-Priced segments hold the largest potential in the hearing instruments market
The number of individuals with hearing loss is increasing with the advent of the baby boomers. This burgeoning generation has the financial capacity to adopt hearing instruments as a life-style enhancing device, and will overcome the social barriers to hearing loss.
Posted @ 5:00 AM
March 21, 2006
New hearing aid device
A combination of aging baby boomers who listened to too much loud music and personal music devices that pipe music right into your ears, have made hearing loss the number three health problem in the over-50 age group. Modern hearing-aids offer tremendous help, and now they've gotten even better. KTEN's Meghan McDermott has more in the HealthWatch report.
Posted @ 3:59 AM
SoundBytes to announce H.E.A.R. program for hearing health professionals
SoundBytes, a catalog, web and retail-based company that specializes in providing assistive equipment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and the agencies that serve them, today announced that it has developed a program specifically designed for audiologists and other hearing health professionals who wish to present a comprehensive line of assisting devices to their clients.
Posted @ 3:51 AM
Ear Technology Corp. to produce hearing aids at Johnson City plant
Ear Technology Corp. will soon begin producing customized parts for its TransEar bone-conduction hearing aid at a manufacturing facility on North Roan Street. Production was previously licensed to United Hearing Systems of Plainfield, Conn.
Posted @ 2:41 AM
March 20, 2006
Donation helps Boal Barn turn up the volume
Imagine listening to a musical in which songs are unintelligible. Or, picture going to a play and being unable to hear parts of the dialogue. Some theatergoers have experienced those problems at State College Community Theatre productions in the Boal Barn Playhouse in Boalsburg. In its 51 years of performing in the historic venue, the company has never used amplification, instead relying on its actors to project their voices.
Posted @ 2:55 AM
March 17, 2006
Industry commits to eliminate added mercury in button cell batteries
Mercury deposits that build up in lakes and streams develop into methylmercury, which can accumulate to harmful levels in fish and the people and animals that consume them. Depending on the level of exposure, methylmercury can lead to reduced fertility, impaired development and behavior, and loss of life. In an effort to further environmental responsibility, the battery industry recently announced an initiative to eliminate added mercury from button cells—the batteries widely used to run watches, calculators, and hearing aids.
Posted @ 6:41 AM
March 16, 2006
Button batteries pose serious injury risks
Button or disc batteries power a variety of products including hearing aids, watches, calculators and key chains. Button batteries range in diameter from 6mm to 23mm, with most being less than 15mm. Because of their small size they can easily be mistaken for pills or candy. They are easy to swallow or lodge in an ear or nose. Many adults may find this surprising or amusing.
Posted @ 4:25 AM
March 7, 2006
Fourth Florida lawmaker refuses to accept political hearing aid in term limits campaign
Voter Voice Amplifiers will be delivered to the offices of 123 lawmakers at the opening of the 2006 legislative session, March 7th at the capitol in Tallahassee. These satirical hearing devices will remind politicians of their failure to listen to the will of the voters on term limits. Florida voters cast their ballots overwhelmingly in favor of eight-year term limits in 1992, but 127 legislators defied the electorate by voting to give themselves twelve years in office.
Posted @ 6:28 AM
March 5, 2006
Groups aim to make T-coil technology commonplace in Duke City
Shannon Smith Peinado wanted to concentrate in her classes at the University of Phoenix, but most of the time, she ended up fidgeting with her notebook. Bags grew under her eyes. After class, her head hurt. As soon as she got home, she'd collapse into bed and fall asleep.
Posted @ 4:06 AM
Hearing aids for healthy ears
Many people who hear normally but can't decipher background noise from the real message, such as in a loud restaurant, are benefiting from open-ear hearing devices. Originally developed for those with high-pitch hearing loss, these digital devices also may help adults and children with processing disorders that keep them from filtering out the static in their environments.
Posted @ 3:45 AM
March 4, 2006
Stereo headphones in 1973, a hearing aid by 1999
When I chose to write about loud music and hearing loss, I did so with more than a passing interest. Although I've never been a musician, I've been head-over-heals in love with music ever since I can remember. In my lifetime, I've bought thousands of records, been to hundreds of shows and was a disc jockey at my college radio station.
Posted @ 3:43 AM
February 28, 2006
New technology in restoring failing hearing
Hearing loss is the number three-health problem among Americans over the age of 50. Linda Doherty slowly developed hearing loss. She says she didn't even realize it until she noticed herself constantly asking people to repeat themselves.
Posted @ 11:16 PM
February 24, 2006
Illegal to toss batteries, cell phones in trash
It is illegal to toss those old batteries or fluorescent lights out with the trash. As of Feb. 9, new state laws prohibit households and businesses within the state from dumping potentially hazardous waste. That waste includes light bulbs and batteries to computers, products that can either leak or leach harmful chemicals and substances into landfills, storm drains, streams, creeks, groundwater and eventually San Francisco Bay.
Posted @ 5:09 PM
February 23, 2006
125 Florida lawmakers to receive new hearing aids when legislature convenes
Florida Citizens For Term Limits has announced a breakthrough in its campaign to improve the hearing of our legislators. On Monday, the group offered a powerful hearing amplifier to each legislator who voted to extend term limits. Only two lawmakers, Florida House Speaker Pro-Tempore, Leslie Waters and Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell, Jr. have declined delivery.
Posted @ 5:52 PM | Comments (1)
February 16, 2006
State seeking customers of hearing-aid company
New York -- A state assistant attorney general said Tuesday his office in Binghamton is looking for customers of a closed Oneonta hearing-aid business. Michael Danaher said he is following up on a court order from Nov. 2 that shuttered Expert Ear Inc., which was located at 360 Main St.
Posted @ 8:17 AM
February 15, 2006
Legislators seek lower costs for hearing aids
I received my first hearing aid as a young child. It was a small box tucked into a harness in the middle of my chest with wires running to the ear molds. I eventually graduated to behind-the-ear hearing aids that I preferred because they were smaller and had fewer wires. There are four types of aids from behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, in-the-canal to being completely in the canal.
Posted @ 8:09 PM
Hearing aids on the way to Tallahassee
Florida Citizens For Term Limits has announced a new campaign to improve the hearing of our legislators. The group has ordered more than 160 new hearing aids to help lawmakers get the voters' message. "The problem is Florida voters keep saying eight years, but the legislature is hearing 12 and 24 years," said the group's president, Max Linn.
Posted @ 8:07 PM | Comments (1)
Diva device can help with hearing problems
There is breakthrough technology to help those have hearing problems, WXII 12's Kimberly Van Scoy has learned. Carl Johnson is among those hearing clearly thanks to a small device called the Diva. It's a high definition product that can be programmed to each patient's own hearing.
Posted @ 7:58 PM
February 14, 2006
Sound activity eters improve hearing aid quality
The sound of a dental drill, sirens blaring, an office meeting, and a busy restaurant. These -- and more -- are all of the noises we can hear everyday. Think then of the challenge of creating a hearing aid that works with your lifestyle. 28 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, with each case as unique as a fingerprint. Until now, to get a hearing aid that fit their needs, patients had to accurately describe their listening environments, a challenge in today's busy, noisy world.
Posted @ 7:56 AM
February 11, 2006
New device helps enhance hearing aids
When Linda Doherty started to develop a hearing problem, she didn't even realize it at first. "(I started) saying 'excuse me' constantly, or, 'Could you repeat that?'" she said. "And I was also trying to look at their lips to see what they were saying." Doherty, who had developed significant hearing loss, needed a hearing aid. Luckily, modern hearing aids are amazing devices.
Posted @ 5:29 AM
February 8, 2006
Miracle-Ear unveils new revolutionary open fit hearing aids
Miracle-Ear, the most experienced and recognized hearing health care provider in the United States, unveiled its innovative family of Open Fit digital hearing aids available immediately at Miracle-Ear locations nationwide. As hearing aid technology continues to advance, Miracle-Ear is at the forefront of the industry, providing customers greater flexibility and choice through several new Open Fit hearing aid models.
Posted @ 7:27 AM | Comments (1)
February 2, 2006
Top 10 tips when shopping for hearing aids from HearingPlanet.com
Hearing loss affects nearly 30 million Americans and one in three people over the age of 65. Yet only one out of every six people who experience hearing loss wears hearing aids. That leaves a large number of people who could benefit from the use of hearing aids. "I believe that many people who could benefit from wearing hearing aids simply don't know where to start," said Doug Hudson, founder of HearingPlanet.com.
Posted @ 5:42 PM
February 1, 2006
The Starkey Hearing Foundation to give the gift of hearing to 3,500 patients
The Starkey Hearing Foundation today announced plans to complete seven major hearing mission trips over the next 10 weeks through which it will provide an estimated 6,000 hearing aids to 3,500 adults and children in four countries. The mission trips will include stops in Managua, Nicaragua; Antigua, Guatemala; Caracas and Margarita Island, Venezuela; and Mexico City, Monterrey, and Reynosa, Mexico.
Posted @ 3:03 PM
January 30, 2006
Starkey Laboratories introduces high-powered hybrid hearing device
Starkey Laboratories, one of the world's leading hearing technology companies, today introduced the DaVinci PsP(TM) (Precision Super Power), the only two-in-one hybrid hearing instrument available today. With its standard or open-fitting capability, it is the only super-power behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing device that meets the needs of those suffering from mild to moderate hearing loss as well as those with a much more significant high-frequency hearing loss.
Posted @ 3:39 PM
January 29, 2006
Physical therapy helps hearing
About 30 million people suffer from hearing loss. Many of them still have trouble hearing even with hearing aids. But now, audiologists have come up with a new kind of therapy that really makes a difference. Gerald Blackwill thought a hearing aid would be the answer to his hearing loss, but it wasn't. "It's frustrating because you really want to understand what somebody's telling you."
Posted @ 8:53 PM
January 27, 2006
Hearing aid payment is music to the ears
I cannot get WellCare to reimburse me the $500 I am supposed to get back for my hearing aids. When the first hearing center I went to was too expensive, I called WellCare and asked if I could go to Micbro Audiology Hearing Aid Center. The answer was yes. I got a prescription from my primary care doctor first, as WellCare instructed, went to Micbro Audiology and ordered my hearing aids.
Posted @ 5:46 AM
January 26, 2006
Toss that battery in the trash and you'll be breaking the law
For every Californian who throws household batteries into the family trash, here's some bad news: You'll soon be breaking state law. Beginning Feb. 9, consumers won't be able to dispose of household batteries in the comfort of their own homes. You'll need to take them somewhere — to a household hazardous waste facility, a universal waste handler or an authorized recycling center.
Posted @ 3:17 PM
Yearly hearing exam should be a health priority
Many people start the new year with resolutions of health improvement, usually starting with a physical checkup and eye exam. A hearing test is rarely a priority, but it should be, experts say. Hearing difficulties, like waning vision, need early detection and care. No company understands that more than Beltone Hearing Care Centers.
Posted @ 3:10 PM
January 25, 2006
All about hearing aids
There can be many different reasons why a person experiences hearing loss. A young baby may be born with hearing impairment. It's never too early to test an infant's hearing and begin appropriate kind of hearing intervention. A sudden onset of hearing loss after infancy can be temporary or permanent. An accident or an infection can result in a conductive hearing loss. The loss may correct itself or may need to be treated by surgery.
Posted @ 1:34 PM
Popularity of wireless ear pieces lessening the stigma of hearing aids
Teenagers and other tech-lovers with their ever-present earpieces for iPods, cell phones and other electronic devices may unwittingly be helping to battle a stigma attached to hearing loss. Wearing a visible earpiece used to be a sure sign that a person was hard of hearing. "You put on a hearing aid and suddenly you lose 30 IQ points and age 20 years," said Dr. Robert Jackler, chair of otolaryngology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Posted @ 1:31 PM
January 23, 2006
Widex opens hearing aid centre in Pune
Widex India, the world’s leading digital hearing aids manufacturers, opened its second exclusive hearing and speech therapy centre- Senso Hearing Centre, in Pune. The centre is equipped with Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA), an electrophysiological test, to examine the hearing problems of special cases such as mentally retarded, clebal pulsy, autism and infants.
Posted @ 12:03 PM
January 22, 2006
Hearing aids help pave the way
Shhhh! Speak softly. Be careful what you say. I can hear you. All the way across the room. Even if you are whispering. I'm wearing hearing aids! They work so precisely that I am privy to the conversations of folks several rows over. A while back, a hearing test confirmed what I already knew. I had a hearing loss; it wouldn't improve. Mostly I lose soft voices and even large ones speaking from a podium -- mic or not.
Posted @ 12:09 PM
January 20, 2006
Request for hearing aid refund came too late
I was having problems with my hearing. After I visited my ear doctor for a physical exam, he sent me to Southgate Hearing Clinic for an evaluation. It resulted in a recommendation for a hearing aid. I accepted the audiologist's verdict, but I do not feel I really need one that much. I tested it, but I didn't like the way my voice sounded; there also was a buzzing noise.
Posted @ 10:51 AM
January 19, 2006
Remote control makes adjusting hearing aid easy
The wireless revolution has changed the way we access the rest of the world. Wireless remotes unlock cars and houses, and now wireless remotes operate hearing aids. For technologically savvy people, an extra gadget to play with can be an alluring option. But even those who are not computer-savvy will find remote controls easy to understand and operate. If you can manage a TV remote control, you can manage a hearing aid remote control.
Posted @ 12:09 PM
January 17, 2006
Good news for people with hearing loss
I recently sat surrounded by several hundred others in London's Gatwick Airport departure lounge, straining to hear announcements about my delayed flight. Alas, the loudspeaker sound was too distant and foggy for my hard-of-hearing ears. But hold it. This was the United Kingdom, a country whose cathedrals, churches, and auditoriums now broadcast sound wirelessly to hearing aids.
Posted @ 11:06 AM
January 15, 2006
Skype as a hearing aid?
I am hard of hearing and made a discovery today: I don't need to go out and by a hearing aid, at least not for use around the house. Skype provides the audio quality and solves the problem, at least for some things! Yes, the solution is a bit bulky. But I sometimes go to bed with my Pocket PC anyway, doing a last minute check on Email, or making a call to family in another time zone. Throughout the day I often use the Pocket PC for making Skype calls in comfort away from the PC work station.
Posted @ 9:12 AM
An ear for tech
Many Americans wouldn't be caught dead wearing a hearing aid, even if they've lost enough hearing to need one. So hearing-aid suppliers such as Eden Prairie-based Starkey Laboratories are trying to broaden their appeal with audiological products for all ages. Think custom-molded earpieces for teenage iPod junkies along with Bluetooth cell-phone headsets for their car-commuting moms and dads, to name a few.
Posted @ 9:08 AM
January 13, 2006
Hearing aid bank close to reality in N. Kentlucky
Cardinal Hill of Northern Kentucky has been providing speech, language and hearing services as well as early intervention and adult day care services since 1923. As a member of the Kentucky Easter Seals family, the agency has always tried to meet the needs of the entire community, especially those with limited financial resources.
Posted @ 8:50 AM
January 12, 2006
What? A hearing aid? Let me ponder this
My friend has announced surprising news. In the near future, Bill, as I will call him, intends to get a hearing aid. Family members have been telling him that he often does not hear what they are saying to him, and he has noticed himself missing what others tell him. You would expect me, as a more or less rational person, to welcome Bill's decision to invest in hearing assistance. After all, I'm the guy who years ago in another column approved of Bill Clinton acquiring hearing aids for each ear.
Posted @ 9:02 AM
January 9, 2006
Hearing aids: Digital isn't always better
A decade after digital hearing aids were supposed to revolutionize life for the hearing-impaired, many users are getting little extra benefit from the new features -- even as they pay thousands of dollars more for them.
Posted @ 6:07 AM
January 6, 2006
Glasses, hearing aids are needed
The Laurel Lions Club is asking the community to help meet the increasing need for eyeglasses and hearing aids worldwide. The used eyeglasses collected by the Lions Club are shipped to the nearest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center. Collecting eyeglasses was one of the first projects of the Laurel Lions Club when it was chartered in May 1976.
Posted @ 6:27 AM
December 30, 2005
High-tech aids bring movies to wider audience
Showcase Cinemas at Springdale and Western Hills recently adopted new high-tech aids that allow both deaf and blind patrons to enjoy recent movies. One auditorium in each theater this year was equipped with Rear Window Captioning, which entails a small Plexiglas rearview mirror sitting in a cup holder and reflects written dialogue projected on the back of the theater.
Posted @ 1:06 PM
December 27, 2005
Kind audiologist returns ring to Hyde Park family
Sometimes, kindness comes out of nowhere. That's what happened to Nick Zanikos a couple of weeks before the holidays when he got a phone call from Janice Dietzel.
Posted @ 9:16 AM
Hearing assistance for aquarium visitors
New, easy-to-use technology is now available to aid those who may have trouble hearing during daily exhibit presentations at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.
Posted @ 9:15 AM
December 26, 2005
Now 'Happy Birthday' will sound better
Joe Papst moved into the digital age for his 100th birthday. Papst, 99, was fitted for a brand new digital hearing aid on Friday at Audiology Services and Hearing Aid Center, 530 E. Broadway. The hearing aid was a birthday gift from Audiology Services and Widex, the Long Island, N.Y., company that makes the digital device.
Posted @ 1:26 PM
December 23, 2005
Hearing Christmas again
I think there's a constant stress when you hear a profound hearing loss," Debra Hoilman said. Nine years ago, the Chucky resident stepped off a Carolina roller coaster and couldn't hear in her right ear anymore.
Posted @ 9:10 AM
December 19, 2005
New hearing aid technology
New digital hearing aids have made life a whole lot better for those who are hard of hearing. New technology that deals with the ability to adjust the sound coming through the hearing aids has completely changed the life of one woman.
Posted @ 8:40 AM
December 17, 2005
The power of hearing
Within minutes, Sid Hardt is going to be able to hear sounds he hasn`t heard for years. Audiologist, Joe Ness is fitting Sid for a new type of hearing aid that even he hasn`t used before.
Years of loud music, motorcycles, and hunting all took a toll on Sid`s hearing.
Posted @ 7:42 AM
December 16, 2005
San Marcos woman receives the gift of sound
For more than five decades, Ruth Penny has watched the world in near-total silence. At 71, the San Marcos resident never imagined that would change, until she got a recent phone call from her audiology center. The caller told her she had won an essay contest ---- the grand prize was a state of the art hearing device that would allow her to hear clearly for the rest of her life.
Posted @ 8:54 AM
December 12, 2005
Boomers about ready to stick it in their ears
Baby boomers have been the targets of marketing throughout their lives, from baby food to Levi's and Woodstock. Ready or not, boomers, one too many noisy rock concert might have taken its toll on your hearing: It might be time to tune in and turn on your hearing aids.
Posted @ 6:08 AM
December 3, 2005
Expert answers query about hearing aids
Q: I’ve heard the term "directional" used in regard to hearing aids. What does that mean?
Posted @ 7:04 AM
December 1, 2005
UW to begin clinical trials of an implantable hearing aid system
A new implantable hearing aid system will undergo clinical trials at the University of Washington's Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, one of five sites selected to study its effectiveness. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized implantation of the device on an experimental basis in a total of 100 patients, including 20 at the UW.
Posted @ 11:25 PM
November 30, 2005
Hearing aid would help husband care for wife awaiting transplant
This man can't hear very well, and that makes his task even harder. His wife is sick, and he wants to hear her every sound. He also needs to hear instructions and information from the many doctors he and his wife see.
Posted @ 6:19 PM
November 15, 2005
ELI Gives Hearing Aids Bluetooth Boost
Starkey Laboratories, a maker of hearing aid technologies, entered into the wireless Bluetooth space today as it unveiled the ELI, or Ear Level Instrument. To be available through Starkey’s family of companies, the ELI is what the company is calling the first ever device to turn hearing aids into wireless headsets.
Posted @ 8:33 AM
November 9, 2005
New digital hearing aids - Helping young people hear
If the music's too loud, then you're too old? Now experts say blasting tunes is causing people to lose their hearing earlier in life.
Posted @ 8:03 AM
November 5, 2005
Hospital tests first implantable hearing aid
For the millions of Americans wearing hearing aids, the technology has come a long way in terms of sound quality. But, NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported, there are still drawbacks, including that they are usually noticeable.
Posted @ 5:00 PM
November 1, 2005
Pennsylvania sues hearing aid dealers
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has filed a civil lawsuit against two hearing aid businesses and their operators accused of refusing to return thousands of dollars to mostly older consumers who were sold hearing aids that were defective, did not fit properly and failed to provide the hearing benefits that were promised during the in-home sales presentations.
Posted @ 6:14 AM
October 29, 2005
Attorney General seeks penalties for hearing aid service
Attorney General Thomas Corbett said he will ask Lycoming County Court to force two men who allegedly sold defective hearing aids and refused to pay thousands of dollars worth of refunds to pay $50,000 in refunds and $75,000 in penalties.
Posted @ 9:43 AM
October 25, 2005
Hearing aid complaints come through clear
Loud and clear! That's how the feedback sounded from readers following the recent column about one consumer's troubles with her hearing aids ("Listen Closely When Buying Hearing Aids: Pitfalls Abound").
Posted @ 3:03 AM
October 24, 2005
Most insurers don’t cover hearing aids
Question: I have a hearing loss and need hearing aids. The hearing aids at my audiologist’s office are extremely expensive. They will cost several thousand dollars. My medical insurance does not cover this. This seems unfair. So now I will be looking into the cheaper hearing aids I see advertised for just a few hundred dollars. Why aren’t hearing aids covered?
Posted @ 5:27 AM
October 14, 2005
Non-profit helps students hear
As the home of the Round Rock Independent School District's deaf education program, most classrooms at Live Oak Elementary have interpreters. Teachers and students also use a wireless FM system to communicate.
Posted @ 12:22 AM
September 22, 2005
Kids receive gift of better hearing
Fifteen hearing aids were recently donated to underprivileged children at the Carel du Toit Centre, opposite the Tygerberg Hospital in Bellville, by Widex, the leaders in hearing aid technology.
Posted @ 5:14 PM
September 15, 2005
Cover hearing aids
The Disability Law Center writes in response to Lesley Mitchell's Aug. 30 article, "Private insurers, Medicare rarely cover hearing aids."
Posted @ 4:43 PM
September 13, 2005
Arthur Schmidt gets his groove back with hearing aids
One night while they lay in bed facing one another, Evelyn Schmidt spoke to her husband, Arthur, for a good 10 minutes about her day before he interrupted her.
Posted @ 2:33 AM
September 12, 2005
New technologies are making hearing aids more effective
Retired firefighter and emergency medical services director Charles Lancasterof Hendersonville said it's difficult for people to notice he wears a hearing aid.
Posted @ 2:28 AM
September 8, 2005
Hearing-impaired victims of Hurricane Katrina to receive free hearing aids
Starkey, America's leading hearing aid company, has pledged $25 million for its Help America Hear Project, a business recovery program designed to help with employment, new business plans and
office relocation for hurricane victims.
Posted @ 12:22 AM
September 6, 2005
Sonomax announces new generation of hi-tech products, launch of consumer division
Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc. announces that its Research & Development department has developed and perfected a proprietary technology which permits the integration of modular circuitry into the company's patented instant-fit custom earpieces. Named the SonoPlatformTM, it will enable the company to offer a vastly expanded suite of hi-tech, instantly deliverable, affordable, hearing and communications devices to both the consumer and industrial markets.
Posted @ 11:00 PM
September 2, 2005
Woman, 101, is 142nd on waiting list for hearing aid
A 101-year-old woman who is waiting for a new digital hearing aid from West Middlesex Hospital, is slipping deeper into depression because she can no longer hear, according to her son.
Posted @ 8:20 AM
August 31, 2005
Mini-computers: Audiologists do far more than just amplify sound
In 1800, the funnel-like ear trumpet was a quantum leap for the hard-of-hearing, though based on a simple logic: If you can't hear something, make it louder.
Posted @ 12:17 AM
August 30, 2005
Utahns who wear hearing aids have one of their own to thank
Utahns who wear hearing aids have one of their own to thank for helping develop the device.
Posted @ 2:42 AM
Private insurers, Medicare rarely cover hearing aids
Over the past 47 years, Kathy Evans has worn more than a half-dozen different hearing aids. None has been covered by insurance.
Posted @ 2:31 AM
August 26, 2005
Hearing aids available for active duty families
Beginning Sept. 1, active-duty family members who meet specific hearing-loss requirements will be eligible to receive hearing aids, including services and supplies, as a Tricare benefit.
Posted @ 1:34 PM
August 21, 2005
National program launched to help low-income get hearing aids
A new non-profit organization is stepping up to assist the nine millions Americans, primarily senior citizens, who need hearings aids but cannot afford them. The Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight & Hearing in Seattle, Washington - the largest cornea transplant center in the U. S. and provider of donated hearing aids and other services for more than 40 years - launched AUDIENT earlier this year.
Posted @ 2:14 PM
August 20, 2005
Hearing aids available for active-duty families
This benefit is extended to family members as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2002. Previously, hearing aids and services were only available to those beneficiaries who were in the Program for Persons with Disabilities.
Posted @ 2:16 PM
August 8, 2005
Hearing aids for the unimpaired
Hearing aids are not just for deaf people. The much-maligned ear implants also hold the key to a new era in personal audio technology, designers say -- if only they can make them as fashionable as spectacles.
Posted @ 12:03 PM
Hearing is all in the wrist
A new state-of-the-art hearing aid, the Savia, was introduced in Manila recently by Phonak, a leading Swiss manufacturer of hearing systems.
Posted @ 11:57 AM
August 1, 2005
Lending an ear
Three more children in Virginia are now able to hear, thanks to the Hearing Aid Loan Bank, located in Charlottesville. The loan bank, the first of its kind in Virginia, lends hearing aids to children across the state for six months at a time.
Posted @ 8:38 AM
July 26, 2005
Types of hearing aids
Hearing aids are better than ever. Many hearing-impaired people would benefit from using them, but only one out of five, who need hearing aids, actually have one.
Posted @ 1:11 AM
July 22, 2005
Lake men on medical mission help poor villagers hear better
Today a young girl in Cambodia can hear because of the work of two Lake County men. She was one of more than 1,000 villagers treated by Dr. Jon Anderson and hearing-aid specialist Joe Crogan.
Posted @ 8:24 AM
July 21, 2005
Internet sales of hearing aids up; but think twice
With the cost of a custom hearing aid ranging as high as $2,000, many people are going online to shop for cheaper alternatives. Hearing aids and similar devices sold on the Internet typically cost hundreds of dollars less than those sold through professionals that offer custom service.
Posted @ 12:57 AM
July 18, 2005
Grand Opening of Lindenhurst Hearing Center
Lindenhurst, NY -- Area residents will now be able to hear better now that the Lindenhurst Hearing Center has opened its doors in Lindenhurst.
Posted @ 9:56 AM
Sonomax Signs International press release
Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc. is pleased to announce that it has concluded an international licensing agreement for its revolutionary hearing protection system, the Sonomax Solution(R), for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Posted @ 9:55 AM
July 13, 2005
New hearing aid loan program based in Charlottesville
It's called the Virginia Hearing Aid Loan Bank, the first of its kind in the state, and it's based right here in Charlottesville.
Posted @ 8:30 AM
July 10, 2005
Hearing aid loans available for babies
A new state program will speed the delivery of hearing aids to babies and toddlers whose families cannot pay for the devices immediately.
Posted @ 12:12 PM
July 9, 2005
Lions develop hearing aid for low-income people
Responding to a worldwide problem, the Lions Affordable Hearing Project (AHAP) has developed a low-cost, high-quality hearing aid.
Posted @ 2:24 AM
July 8, 2005
Jabra introduces hearing aid compatible headset
Jabra, a leading brand of hands-free communication products for the mobile consumer market, announces the Jabra C650, its latest corded headset for mobile phones. Designed for hearing aid compatibility and use in multiple wearing styles, Jabra's new mobile headset is ideal for anyone in the office or on-the-move.
Posted @ 1:50 AM
July 1, 2005
Hearing aids much improved over last few years
The most common solution to hearing loss is still the hearing aid, but it has improved a lot over the years.
Posted @ 12:52 AM
June 29, 2005
Siemens ranks in top ten for U.S. patents issued in 2004
The Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) ranked Siemens the tenth largest recipient of patents in the United States in 2004, making it one of the highest ranking diversified companies on the list. Siemens was granted 1,477 patents in the U.S. in 2004. Siemens holds more than 9,500 total patents in the U.S. and 45,000 globally.
Posted @ 12:15 AM
June 26, 2005
Man writes so wife can hear
He joined an essay contest as a last effort to earn his hearing-impaired wife an expensive aid, and he won.
Posted @ 8:25 PM
June 22, 2005
A hearing aid for cell phones
"Can you hear me now?" isn't just a slogan; it's an annoyingly familiar refrain for cell-phone users.
Posted @ 1:18 PM
June 20, 2005
Hearing is believing
Forget the hearing aids of the past - those clunky devices that amplified every little sound and made it all but impossible to hear a conversation in a crowded restaurant.
Posted @ 10:54 AM
June 14, 2005
New sound amplifier by Aurilink makes custom hearing aids obsolete
Aurilink, Inc. has developed a "ready-to-wear" sound amplifier for individuals who want and need occasional hearing assistance due to mild hearing loss.
Posted @ 7:53 AM
June 10, 2005
Industry reaches compromise on hearing-aid compatibility
The Federal Communications Commission today largely upheld a 2003 decision requiring cellular carriers to make hearing-aid-compatible phones available to individuals with hearing loss.
Posted @ 8:15 AM
June 6, 2005
Don't wait to get help from new program that offers discounted hearing aids
Precisely on schedule (my 46th birthday, as I'd been warned), I needed reading glasses. Identifying odors becomes more difficult with age in men and women. Salty or bitter things become a little harder to detect.
Posted @ 4:00 AM