Hearing loss can come from many sources. People can be injured or have an illness which can result in immediate hearing loss however the most common form of hearing loss happens slowly and progressively over time. A proper hearing assessment can properly tell you if you have hearing loss. Our hearing screening and free to our clients. (add button take our online hearing test) (add button book an appointment)
If you answer yes to any of the following questions you should make an appointment with one of our experts to assist you with more analysis and assistance to help.
• Do you find it difficult to follow conversations in noisy, crowded places?
• Are you often asking people to repeat themselves?
• Do you find people often mumble or speak quietly?
• Have you been told that the volume on your TV, radio or phone is too loud?
• Do you find yourself lip reading to understand?
• Have you noticed that background noise like birds chirping, footsteps or rain is now gone?
Identifying hearing loss early and seeking appropriate treatment will ensure you take control of your hearing health + can significantly reduce the impact to your daily life.
There are a wide range of hearing ads and devices to assist someone with hearing loss. There can be a wide range of functionality and cost depending on which one is right for you. Hearing health doesn’t have to be expensive. Plus there are programs and insurance that can be used in some cases to subsidize the cost and even finance devices. Please speak with one of our experts and they would be more than happy to take you through it.
Seeing a hearing professional or audiologist is the best way to have a formal hearing evaluation. This hearing screening, or audiologic evaluation, allows the audiologist to determine the type, nature and degree of your hearing loss. Your audiologist may also test for speech understanding at different volume levels and in different conditions, such as noise, to provide an indication as to the best solutions for you in terms of treatment and/or hearing aids (if required)
The hearing evaluation will also include a thorough visual inspection of the ear canal and eardrum. Testing of the middle ear function will also be performed.
Results of a hearing evaluation are plotted on a graph called an audiogram. The audiogram provides a visual representation of your hearing test results across various pitches or frequencies.
The audiogram and results from your speech understanding tests can be used to create a prescription which hearing aids can also be programmed to.
Tinnitus is a common disorder affecting over millions of people in Canada. It is often referred to as "ringing in the ears," although some people hear hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping, or clicking. Tinnitus, often called head noise, is not a disease, but a symptom of another underlying condition of the ear, auditory nerve, or elsewhere. Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant, with single or multiple tones. Its perceived volume can range from very soft to extremely loud. Tinnitus is a very specific hearing issue and doesn’t represent all forms of hearing loss.
No there are different kinds of hearing loss and the treatment and severity of the hearing loss can be different between each person.
There are 4 category types of hearing loss:
#1 Sensorineural hearing loss: A problem is in the inner ear is called sensorineural hearing loss. This commonly occurs from damage to the small hair cells, in the ear used for hearing. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss and accounts for more than 90% of hearing loss in all hearing aid wearers. The most common causes of this hearing loss are age-related changes and exposure to loud noises. The loss may also result from disturbance of inner ear circulation, increased inner ear fluid pressure, or from disturbances of nerve transmission. There are many treatment options and plans with this type of hearing loss.
#2 Conductive hearing loss: When there is a problem in the middle ear this is called a conductive hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the ear canal, eardrum, or tiny bones of the middle ear. This results in a reduction of the loudness of sound that is heard. Conductive losses may also result from earwax blocking the ear canal, fluid in the middle ear, middle ear infection, obstruction of the ear canal, a perforation in the eardrum membrane, or disease of any of the middle ear bones.
#3 Mixed hearing loss: When there are problems in the middle and inner ear, it is called a mixed hearing impairment (conductive and a sensorineural impairment together).
#4 Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD): The least common hearing impairment is ANSD. This type of loss requires more in-depth diagnostic testing, including a hearing evaluation with pure tones, otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing. In this type of hearing loss, the nerve fibers in the organ of hearing typically appear to be functioning well, but a breakdown of the information occurs along the pathway to the brain. A person may still have normal hearing to sounds, but the sound is not encoded properly at the brain. This type of hearing disorder is diagnosed more often in children, due in part to newborn hearing screenings that use automated ABR equipment and routine speech screening but it can be present in adults as well.
These days there are multiple options when it comes to hearing devices and treatment. Having a proper assessment done by a professional is a critical step before selecting one of these options as your solution. Many of these devices are much more inconspicuous than they were even just a few years ago and have multiple functions and options to make them a welcome companion to your lifestyle. Selecting the right one can be done with a hearing health professional and based on your needs, budget and lifestyle.
In-ear hearing aids fit directly inside your ear canal and are typically smaller than other models. Because these fit directly in your ear it is very important to get the right fitment and shape for comfort and sound quality. In ear hearing aids can be custom made to fit your specific ear properly. There are no external parts wires and tubes with these versions. The size can range from near hidden inside the ear canal to a “shell” design which is larger and fits completely in the outer bowl area of the ear. Often the smallest and most discreet in canal hearing aids are also referred to as “invisible” hearing aids as they are less likely to be notices vs older models.
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are great for users with smaller ear canals or more severe hearing loss. Most of the parts and components are placed behind the ear with a small clear tube that connects to a small earpiece that fits in the ear canal. These can still be very discreet and unnoticeable but can be powerful. They also have the potential to have a longer battery life and can amplify with more power when needed.
There are many manufacturers, models, and designs for each of these types so selecting the best one for your can be made with a SmartBuds hearing health expert based on your needs and lifestyle. You will find that the range of options can be much larger than you expect. At SmartBuds we have partnered with the top manufactures to carry a wide assortment of the best hearing aids in Canada to select from.
Take our Online Hearing Test or see us for a 100% Free Hearing Health Check In-Clinic with a professional. Take the first steps to achieving better hearing health and take back what you've been missing.