Ask your audiologist
Dr. Tia Flynn | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 7 months AGO
My husband says he can hear everything but me. Is there a hearing aid that can help him?
Yes! We have hearing aid technology that can amplify in the high frequency ranges only. This is very good news. I am assuming he has a mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss if he says he can hear everything else but women’s and children’s voices. This is very common with men that work construction or other noisy jobs and hobbies.
Until recently, hearing aids could not do a very good job of amplifying only the high frequencies. The aids always seemed to amplify some of the low frequencies, which made hearing in noise extremely difficult. The aids also made one’s voice sound like it was in a barrel.
We now have hearing aids with open molds. These hearing aids go behind the ear with a tiny tube that inserts into the ear canal with a small open dome tip. These are not your Grandparents behind the ear hearing aids! These are extremely small, light and almost invisible. You have to see them to believe how attractive they are. I actually loaned a pair to a patient who wore them for two and a half days before his wife noticed them. He also had very short hair.
From my experience, high frequency hearing loss is the hardest hearing loss to fit with hearing aids and make patients happy. I have experienced some very good results with these open fit hearing aids, so tell your husband to have another consultation. These aids can truly fit mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss with success.
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Tia Flynn is a certified audiologist who has been in business for more than 16 years. Every Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. to noon, she provides free hearing screenings at 1601 Third St. in Coeur d’Alene. (208) 664-2767. Visit our newly updated website www.affordablehearinginc.com to watch helpful videos or take an online hearing test.
ARTICLES BY DR. TIA FLYNN
How long does it take to get hearing aids?
It depends on what style of hearing aid you are purchasing. If you are purchasing one of the new mini BTE’s (Behind the Ear) your hearing health care office may have some in stock that you may take home that day. There are generally two types of mini BTE’s. One is an open fit model, which has a selection of tubes, and tips that can usually fit anyone’s ear shape. The other type is a receiver in the canal, which also has a selection of receivers, and dome tips that can usually fit anyone’s ear shape. Some offices stock these types of aids but you usually have to special order the color that matches your hair.
About age-related hearing loss
Presbycusis is the medical term for age-related hearing loss. Causes of presbycusis include changes within the inner ear (damage to the tiny hair cells that pick up sound), changes in the middle ear (stiffening of the tympanic membrane and ossicles), complex changes along the nerve pathway leading to the brain, and cognitive changes in the brain.
Ask your audiologist: Free hearing help and repairs for the holidays!
Every holiday season I give back to the community by giving away a free pair of digital hearing aids to a deserving individual. I will also provide free in house repairs by appointment and bringing in a copy of this article. Everyone deserves to hear during the holidays! The holidays are usually the most important family gatherings of the year. Many people with hearing loss get left out of family conversations around the dinner table if they do not have hearing aids or if their hearing aid(s) are broken.