once the hair cells are damaged they are damaged. there is no magical-medicinal cure for a sensory/ neural hearing loss.

buck up and get your self some hearing aids. if you have a high frequency loss. make sure they have directional microphones and at the very least 8 channels so the audiologist has greater programming ease.

Tinnitus is the ringing in your ears. This can vary between people. Some people hear it as a buzzing noise, whooshing noise, ringing, etc. It also can vary as far as being a low frequency/pitch tone or a high frequency/pitch tone. Some people can experience multiple frequency/pitch. Researchers don't really know what causes it but it usually is associated with a sensorineural hearing loss. It occurs whenever there is damage to the auditory system. Most people are able to handle the tinnitus and those who cannot have strategies that they can use (such as using a fan to block it out at night).

What BB referred to, is the acoustic reflex where there is a muscle that contracts to block out the loud noises, not the tiny bones or ossicles (which are the tiny bones). There are inner and outer hair cells within the ear and once they are damaged that will affect hearing as well. Having a hearing loss at one frequency will NOT make your ears ring contantly. It is different for each individual.

I have seen many patients who feel that people need to stop mumbling. A lot of older patients have a mood where they feel like they are going to die so why bother. Therefore, they really don't see why getting hearing aids would really help them. Also, there is the fact that people can see them. Back in the day hearing aids used to be VERY noticeable and people didn't want to be seen wearing hearing aids especially younger people (30's/40's). However, now that the hearing aids have become digital and very small, a lot more people are willing to try them. People have to accept their hearing loss and believe it or not people are in denial over their loss. Granted when people are known to have a hearing loss, people NEED to speak clearly and slowly for them. I'm not saying that you need to talk to them like they are cognitively slow but they need to be able to catch what you say. Hearing aids do not restore hearing back to where it was before they loss. They only help give back some hearing. That is why people don't want to have a hearing loss. Having a hearing loss is very straining on the individual and usually it is family who will push the person to get hearing aids. However, hearing aids really do help and someone with a hearing loss really should consider getting them.

With the CEOs of the five largest oil companies sitting before the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon played a video of a 2005 congressional hearing in which oil company executives said they didn’t need generous tax breaks because oil was selling at $55 a barrel. As the hearing commenced, the price per barrel hovered just below $100.

“”You all said you didn’t need them in 2005,” Wyden said. “You seem to be telling a different story today.”"

Hope this helps, Jeff

Being fit with new hearing aids is a process and does take a few visits to ensure the hearing aids have been adjusted properly. There is also an adjustment period for the hearing aid wearer to get used to hearing with their new hearing aids.

Also testing called Real-ear verification is an absolute must in the hearing aid fitting process. This allows the audiologist or hearing aid specialist to visibly see how well the hearing aids are amplifying once fit on the patient. If the Beltone office she went to does not have real-ear verification, then that is very disappointing and I would recommend going to another office.

For more information on digital hearing aids and how they can be fine-tuned visit: http://www.healthyhearing.com/guides/guide-to-hearing-aids/hearing-aids-basics

Carl

FM systems and assistive listening devices (ALDs) are not just used in theaters and churches anymore. It is your right under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to access needed modifications such as a taper recorder, preferential seating, a note taker or FM system.

PLEASE NOTE THAT BILATERAL HEARING AIDS IMPROVE LOCALIZATION AND AMPLIFIES SOUNDS… INCLUDING SOUNDS IN SPECIFIC FREQUENCIES BASED ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL AUDIOGRAM.
FM SYSTEMS JUST AMPLIFIES THE SPEAKERS VOICE WHICH REDUCES THE BACKGROUND NOISE.

There are several types of FM systems that can be used in the classroom. FM systems are composed of a FM transmitter and a receiver.

The FM transmitter or the microphone and its components are used by your professors. The idea is to increase the speech signal and to decrease the background or ambient noise that your hearing aids may pick up.

The FM receiver can be an ear level receiver such as hearing aid audio boots. A boot is a small sleeve that fits over the end of a BTE hearing aid. The boot inserts the audio signal into the hearing aids' Direct Audio Input (DAI) interface. Not all BTE hearing aids have an audio boot interface.
Other receivers include: headphones/ear buds (typically for children with CAPD or ADD), a desktop speaker or a sound field system located around the classroom (everyone benefits from this).

Depending on the type you buy, FMs can be fairly inexpensive to purchase. Here's just one of many links:

Disclaimer: Any information provided on this website, should not be considered medical advice nor a substitute for a consultation with your physician or audiologist. If you have a medical problem, contact your local physician for diagnosis and treatment.