Hearing aids for deep hearing loss

When Roger Draper was about 10 years old, a dose of antibiotic damaged his hearing. At first, his mother could not accept the sad news. "She said," Roger, do the dishes, "and when I did not answer, she accused me of ignoring him," he recalls.

Draper, who works as an editor in New York, was quickly diagnosed with profound hearing loss. "I think her sister convinced her that I could not hear. My aunt also had a profound hearing loss, "he says. He uses hearing aids and has an amplified phone that he rarely uses.

Although hearing loss is common and affects almost a quarter of Americans aged 12 and over, it is in most cases benign. But more than two million Americans live with severe or profound hearing loss, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).

What is a severe or profound hearing loss?

According to the WHO, if the weakest sound you can hear with your best ear is between 60 and 80 decibels, your loss is serious. It will be at least 80 decibels if your loss is deep. In the United States, a stricter definition is often used, so that a person who can not hear a sound below 90 decibels would be considered to have a deep loss.

Regardless of the definition, if you have profound hearing loss, you will not hear most of the everyday sounds without amplification. You could catch a 100 decibel ambulance siren if your car window is open, but not someone who calls you from the back. The ordinary conversation tends to be 60 decibels.

Deep hearing impaired people can not hear sounds lower than about 90 decibels. The ordinary conversation tends to be about 60 decibels.

A profound hearing loss usually stems from a conbad abnormality, from an illness or injury, and not from age. Many people in this group read words or use sign language.

However, like Draper, hearing impaired people can still benefit from hearing aids.

Your hearing aid options

All major hearing aid manufacturers offer "powerful" or "super powerful" aids. These aids are slightly larger than the others because they contain more circuits. But the aids for severe to profound hearing loss have become smaller in recent years and can be adapted even to babies, says Catherine Palmer, president-elect of the American Academy of Audiology and director of audiology and hearing aids at the US. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. They typically work on a 675 or smaller 13 battery and sit behind the ears (called an earloop), attached to a full earpiece.

Hearing aids that nest in the ear (ITE) will not do the job, says Palmer. Unless an ear is fine, you will need hearing aids for both ears.

Hearing aids for people with severe to profound hearing loss are called electrical or super-powered hearing aids. They are a little bigger than other aids and are usually worn behind the ear with a custom ear tip.

If you have severe to profound hearing loss, the most important task for your audiologist will be to make sure that the sound is loud enough for you to hear, but not too loud not to damage your natural hearing. After you have programmed a hearing aid for you, your audiologist will test it for precise safety and amplification. Do not worry: the test should not be uncomfortable or damage your hearing. While you help, your audiologist will put a microphone in your ear cbad and measure the flow of help. "A person could be tolerant at a decibel level that could be damaging," says Palmer. "That's why we measure rather than asking someone how things sound."

Other treatments for deep hearing loss

For some people, hearing aids may not be the best option. Other treatments for severe to profound hearing loss include bone anchored hearing systems and cochlear implants.

A good fit is the key

The second most important task is to minimize the returns, whistling when an amplified sound escapes from the ear, reaches the microphone of the hearing aid and is re-amplified. "Feedback control systems are sophisticated and better than ever," says Palmer. A loose tip will cause reactions. So you'll need a careful adjustment, she says. Your audiologist will use silicone to create an exact mold for your ear. Children will need new earpieces as their ears grow. According to Palmer, in five years, audiologists will use ear scanners to make the adjustment even more accurate. "Currently, the equipment is expensive but the price will drop over time," she says.

Your audiologist may also be able to move higher heights, which tend to be harder to hear, in a more audible range, a process called "lowering frequency".

When choosing a help, your audiologist and yourself will determine its power, its feedback control and its circuits. Some hearing aids include two or three microphones that help you distinguish sound from different directions. A telephone coil connects the hearing aid to an audition loop system, which is found in many theaters, churches, airports and major venues. Most aids have these important characteristics. Therefore, you can also consider other factors, including its resistance to moisture and dust, the duration of the warranty and the repair history.

The technology of badistance

To hear in a noisy environment, Palmer suggests using an additional microphone near the sound you want to hear and that will send signals to your hearing aid.

Hearing aids can be wirelessly connected to smart phones, but people with severe to profound hearing loss may need a phone with automatic captioning. State programs can help you get one for free. Video applications such as FaceTime, Facebook Messenger and Skype let you see facial expressions and read lips. The phone applications also provide legends.

Many new applications can turn your smartphone into a custom alarm system or provide other support. Tunity scans a TV screen and broadcasts the amplified sound in your headphones. Ava provides subtitles for conversations in the room. Your phone can send you text messages, vibrate, flash a light or emit a faint sound to pick up the sound coming from a smoke detector, a doorbell, a phone or a phone. 39, an alarm clock. There are also many other badistive listening devices to complement your hearing aids, including FM systems and vibrating alarms.

When you visit an audiologist, talk! Palmer suggests describing in detail – from morning to night – a weekday and your weekends. Identify all situations in which you now have difficulty hearing and your current solutions. Your audiologist can change the programming of your help and teach you how to use the features that help your hearing aid work best for you.

Get help

For any type of hearing loss, regular hearing care is essential. Our vast online directory of hearing professionals is a good place to start your journey towards better hearing.