Being able to hear with both ears is just as important as being able to see with both eyes. If you closed one eye, your depth perception would be distorted. If you close off one ear, your understanding is affected. Hearing occurs in your brain, not in your ears. Your ears simply process the signal or sounds for the brain. The brain requires information from both ears in order to give meaning to the sound.

The other benefits of wearing two aids are…

* Your ability to accurately detect the sound source improves.

* It is easier to understand speech in noisy environments.

* Your surroundings take on a fuller, richer and more comfortable sound experience.

* You protect the understanding of both ears from auditory deprivation.

* You do not have to have people stand on one side of you so your hearing aid can pick up their voice.

* Should you have a hearing aid that needs repair you still have one to hear with until the repair is complete.

The RIC hearing aid moves the receiver (i.e., speaker) from the plastic case down into the sound tip connected with very thin wires wrapped with a thin tube. RIC hearing aids can cover both a sloping high frequency hearing loss as well as a wide range hearing loss. Also, because the sound does not have to travel down a tube acoustically, the quality of the signal is improved.

Traditionally, the receiver (the speaker in a hearing aid) was usually situated inside the hearing aid shell. Due the proximity to the microphone, the microphone in a standard hearing aid system is prone to pick up the amplified sound by the receiver, thus causing feedback, the squealing sound. When the receiver is separated from the instrument shell by electric wires and put into deep in the ear canal, while keeping the microphone(s) on the hearing aid, the system is more stable. This benefits the hearing aid wearer the comfort of wearing the device with much less chance of feedback, and more better sound quality. This category or products is rapidly gaining popularity.

Hearing aids do not restore hearing to typical levels. However, depending on the degree of hearing loss, hearing aids will enable a person to hear many sounds. This includes both environmental sounds such as the sound of a rattle or a dog barking and the sounds of speech. Regardless, hearing aids do not correct hearing as perfectly as glasses correct vision.

Although hearing aids have improved dramatically in recent years – some have built-in FM systems and directional microphones that can reduce background noise – individual sounds may be somewhat distorted. Because hearing aids amplify all sounds, including background noise, it still may be difficult to hear and understand speech in noisy situations unless an individual with hearing loss is standing close to the person who is speaking. Hearing aids must be utilized along with active listening and good communication strategies. Hearing benefit often improves over time as the individual adjusts to the sound and feel of hearing aids; consistent hearing aid use enables and enhances this process.

An important component of the hearing aid fitting process is the counseling the audiologist provides regarding active listening and realistic expectations of amplification.

People of all ages use hearing aids. Hearing aids are appropriate for the very young and the very old, for those with minimal hearing loss and those with profound hearing loss.

Hearing aids are often the first step families take when introducing sound to a child with hearing loss. Babies with hearing loss can and should be fit with hearing aid(s) within the first months of life.

Research studies on adults have shown that people who have a hearing loss in both ears, but wear only one aid experience “auditory deprivation.” The loss of their ability to recognize speech in an unaided ear. For children with hearing loss in both ears, using two hearing aids can prevent auditory deprivation and help the child localize sound and hear better even in noisy environments. Use of amplification 100 percent of a child’s waking hours within two to three weeks of the initial fitting should be a goal for a child who is receiving his or her first set of hearing aids.

Remember, hearing is something we do all the time. If parents or hearing aid users have questions about how well a hearing aid is working, contact an audiologist.

Giving Your Child Access to Sound: Next Steps for Parents

by Melody Felzien and Judy Harrison, M.A.

As a parent of an infant with a newly diagnosed hearing loss, the decisions to be made can seem overwhelming and the outcomes unknown. This article provides an overview of what you can expect after you’ve received the diagnosis that your child has a hearing loss and the “next steps” if you’ve chosen to pursue listening and spoken language for your child.

Early Intervention

“Early Intervention” is a term that describes the identification and treatment of developmental or physical challenges during the ages of birth to 3 years old. For families of children with hearing loss, the early intervention period represents the time when decisions are made regarding a desired communication outcome and for planning the steps necessary to attain the chosen end result. Early intervention is extremely important since, for an infant or child who is deaf or hard of hearing, timing is essential. The human brain is programmed to learn language during the first six years of life – the first three years being the most critical. Therefore, it becomes increasingly difficult to acquire language after this period of life.

Fortunately, most states offer early intervention (also known as parent/infant programs) through the local public school or health care systems for parents who have children with hearing loss, up to age 3 years old. The early intervention system will evaluate your child and develop a plan with your family for intervention and language development. This is called an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and a case manager, or service coordinator, will help you coordinate yours and the professionals’ efforts to create this plan. The amount of therapy or intervention services that a state provides varies, so be sure to ask your case manager or service coordinator about the levels of service you can expect.

Ideally, a good parent/infant program provides an explanation of the various communication options available and training in the communication option selected by the family and based on the advice of the professional team evaluating the child. In the case of spoken language, the program will provide a consultation on acquiring hearing aids and assistive listening devices (such as an FM system), evaluation for a cochlear implant, and parent counseling. The emphasis of these programs is on working with the family, not just the child with hearing loss. Parents are entitled to choose the communication option for their child, so make sure you speak up and emphasize your preference.

Early intervention for a spoken language approach consists primarily of two components: the use of technology to provide auditory stimulation and listening and spoken language therapy – using hearing technology to its fullest potential by teaching the child how to “listen” with the device and to translate what he or she is hearing into spoken language. This includes providing sound throughhearing aids or cochlear implants; providing the right kind of therapies for the child; providing counseling and support for parents; and teaching parents how to stimulate their child’s speech and language production. The earlier the infant has access to auditory stimulation, the earlier he or she can take advantage of the benefits of “hearing,” or listening, and learn to talk, thus learning spoken language.

Auditory Stimulation and Hearing Assistive Devices

To ensure your child develops spoken language, he or she must receive consistent access to sound, especially speech. The type of hearing assistive device used for auditory stimulation will depend on the age of the child and the severity of the hearing. It is very important that you speak to your audiologist about the options available to your child and what technology may best suit his or her needs. Regardless of what device your family chooses, the goal will always be to teach the child how to make the best possible use of hearing and to “learn to listen.”

Hearing Aids

One of the first steps will be to fit your child with hearing aids. Infants as young 2 weeks old can be fitted with hearing aids. Regardless of the range of hearing loss, fitting your baby with hearing aids right away improves your child’s access to sound and maximizes the window of opportunity to acquire language.

Depending on the degree of your child’s hearing loss, hearing aids will enable your baby to hear many sounds, including environmental sounds (a dog barking or a rattle shaking) and the sound of speech. Hearing aids work by boosting the intensity (or loudness) level of sounds at different frequencies (or pitches). Hearing aids can also be programmed to fit the needs of individual hearing patterns, such as boosting intensity level for high frequency sounds that your child may not hear at all and less for low frequency sounds that your child may hear better.

It is important to note that hearing aids do not correct hearing the same way that glasses correct vision. Individual sounds may be somewhat distorted. Hearing aids amplify all sounds, so it may be difficult for your child to distinguish and understand your voice from background noise in loud environments. Regular sessions with an auditory-verbal practitioner will help your child distinguish these sounds.

There are four main types of hearing aids: behind the ear (BTE), in the ear (ITE), in the canal (ITC) and implantable hearing aids. ITE and ITC hearing aids are not appropriate for young children, so BTEs are most frequently recommended. The type of hearing aid is selected following a comprehensive audiological evaluation. Speak to your audiologist about the options available and appropriate technology. Your audiologist will select the most appropriate hearing aid for your child and fine-tune the level of amplification the hearing aid provides based on the degree of hearing loss. The early stages of hearing aid use for an infant or young child typically requires frequent visits with the audiologist as the family observes the child’s response to sound, and appropriate adjustments are made to the device.

Most of the time, two hearing aids are recommended for your child if the hearing loss is in both ears. Research studies on adults have shown that those people who have a hearing loss in both ears, but habitually wear only one aid, lose the ability to recognize speech in the other ear. For infants and young children developing their brain’s auditory pathways, it is critical to provide that auditory stimulation. If your child has a hearing loss in both ears, using two hearings aids prevents auditory deprivation and helps your child to localize sound and to hear better in noisy environments.

Unfortunately, hearing aids are expensive and most insurance companies will not cover the cost. However, several states have recently enacted mandates to force insurance companies to cover, at least partially, the cost of hearing aids for children. Make sure you check your policy before purchase. Ask your audiologist about your purchasing options as well as possible funding sources in your community or hearing aid loaner programs. There are many national organizations that provide funding for hearing aid purchase, including the Let Them Hear Foundation, Starkey Foundation, Lions Clubs and others. AG Bell also provides financial assistance programs for the purchase of hearing aids or other associated costs, such as speech therapy. More information about the different types of hearingaids and funding options.

Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants were developed in the 1970s to help individuals who are profoundly deaf and who gain little or no benefit from hearing aids. When hearing is functioning normally, the inner ear converts sound waves into electrical impulses, which are sent to the brain and recognized as sound. A cochlear implant works in a similar manner – when surgically implanted behind the ear and in the cochlea, the electronic device is able to bypass damaged hearing cells and stimulate the auditory nerve to restore partial hearing. Cochlear implants provide enhanced sound detection and a greater potential for understanding speech.

If your child receives little to no benefit from hearing aids, has a severe-to-profound hearing loss and is at least 12 months old, he or she may be a candidate for a cochlear implant. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends cochlear implant surgery no younger than 12 months, many children as young as 6 months old are having the surgery with few reports of complications. As with any surgery performed under general anesthesia, there are always risks parents should be aware of. Speak with your audiologist and otolaryngologist about an evaluation as well as the benefits and risks of the surgery before considering the procedure.

Research suggests that a cochlear implant can significantly improve the speech development and listening skills of a child with severe-to-profound hearing loss. However, results are dependent on the individual child’s strengths and needs, the involvement and motivation of the family to help their child succeed, and the quality of the rehabilitation and therapy program after the implant is activated.

Most health insurance companies and managed care organizations provide some level of coverage for cochlear implant services, including the necessary and ongoing programming of the device and aural rehabilitation. Federal health plans, such as Medicare and the Veteran’s Administration provide benefits for all cochlear implant services. Federal law requires that all state Medicaid agencies provide coverage for cochlear implants for children under 21 years old. Parents should check with their insurance companies to determine the level and amount of benefits their child will receive.

There is extensive information available about cochlear implants, the implant process and their benefits. Visit the FDA cochlear implant site and consult your audiologist to determine the best assistive technology device for your child.

Early Stages of Listening and Spoken Language Development

The most important step after providing your child with access to sound through hearing aids, cochlear implants or both is to begin listening and spoken language therapy. Although your child is hearing sound, he or she still needs to learn to understand the sounds by learning to listen and then to translate that sound into spoken language. This type of therapy will help your child learn how to hear and speak.

According to the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, this technique facilitates acquisition of spoken language through listening. Parents can expect to actively participate in listening and spoken language skill development. Individuals specializing in auditory-verbal practice help children who are deaf or hard of hearing develop spoken language and literacy primarily through listening. Through guidance, coaching and demonstration, parents become the primary facilitators of their child’s spoken language development. Ultimately, parents and caregivers will gain confidence that their child can have access to a full range of academic, social and occupational choices throughout life.

It is essential that parents establish an environment at home that facilitates listening and spoken language. This includes speaking to your child even when his/her eyes are focused away from you, insuring your child’s hearing devices are working properly, practicing a variety of listening activities with the child as learned during therapy sessions, and including other family members in the therapy at home. Therapy sessions after the child’s hearing devices have been provided are essential to establish speech and language skills.

You and your auditory-verbal practitioner should strive for typical speech and language development. The AG Bell Academy has several resources on what parents should expect at home and in the speech and language development of their child.

Conclusion

There is no better time to celebrate spoken language. The convergence of technology with early identification and intervention and progressive therapies designed to maximize the benefits of that technology have allowed children who are deaf or hard of hearing to have access to spoken language like never before. Parents should carefully consider all the options when deciding on a communication approach for their child and be sure to seek out recognized and highly qualified professionals during the decision making process.

How to Check Hearing Aids

How do I check the hearing aids?

STEP 1:

Look at the hearing aids and earmolds and note any:

• Broken or cracked areas
• Blockage of openings
• Build-up of moisture in tubing
• Corrosion in battery compartment

STEP 2:

Attach the earmold to the listening stethoscope and note any possible problems as you listen to each hearing aid.  If there is a problem, try the suggested troubleshooting steps below, and listen to the hearing aid again.  Contact the audiologist if you are not able to fix the problem.

If your child's hearing aid needs to be repaired, request a loaner hearing aid.

Why is a hearing aid listening check needed?

A child learning language needs the hearing aids to consistently provide a clear sound that is loud enough for him or her to hear speech. Hearing aids can malfunction for a variety of reasons, including normal daily wear and tear. The child cannot or may not tell you when there is a problem. Checking the hearing aids every day helps you to know if there is a problem, and reduces the amount of time the child is not hearing well.

How to do a hearing aid listening check?

Who should do the listening check?

Parents, speech-language pathologists, early interventionists, and teachers need to know that the child’s hearing aids are working well every day.

When should the listening check be done?

A hearing aid listening check should be completed each morning, prior to therapy and class, and whenever a concern arises.

What do I need to have on hand to check the hearing aids?

Your audiologist can order a hearing aid care kit for you. Ask your audiologist about a filtered stethoscope so the amplified sound is not too loud for you. To check the hearing aids and troubleshoot problems you will need:

• A listening stethoscope, this attaches to the earmold or hearing aid tone hook so you can listen to the amplified sound
• A battery tester
• A wire loop and brush to remove wax from the earmold
• An air blower to remove moisture from the earmold tubing

There is a simple remedy for rectifying hearing loss among young children, and thanks to a national program many are getting the help they need. Liu Zhihua reports.

Hearing loss can go unnoticed in children and many parents do not realize the alarm signals until it's too late. "At first my girl seemed normal, except she could only say 'mama' and 'grandma' when she was about 3," recalls Beijing mother Zhang Zhirong, whose daughter, Zhang Mingyue, suffered from hearing loss since birth. It was only when Zhang Zhirong took her daughter to visit her grandfather in hospital that the girl's inattention to repeated calls drew the attention of medical staff, who suggested she could have a hearing problem.

In early 2009, Zhang Mingyue was diagnosed with having profound hearing loss and a cochlea implant was prescribed.

The incidence rate of deafness among children younger than 6, is 1.5 per 1,000. About 137,000 of the nation's children younger than 6 suffered from hearing loss, according to a 2006 nationwide survey by China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF).

"More than 80 percent of them have severe to profound hearing loss," says Long Mo, vice-director of the China Rehabilitation and Research Center for Deaf Children, affiliated to CDPF.

"Hearing loss is a big challenge to very young kids and their parents, because it can delay language acquisition and lead to social isolation," says Ma Furong, director of the otolaryngology department at Peking University Third Hospital.

If hearing loss occurs and is sustained prior to the acquisition of language, it will impair speech.

"The acquisition of language is to a large extent an imitation of language they pick up from the environment," Ma explains.

Moreover, as most pre-lingual deafness is acquired through infant diseases or trauma rather than being genetically inherited, parents may not notice their children are hearing-impaired.

Many of these deaf children are from rural areas or poor families in the cities, Long says, adding they may miss out on getting a hearing aid even though it is relatively inexpensive - costing from just a few hundred to thousand of yuan.

For those who have profound hearing loss, like Zhang Mingyue, hearing aids are useless. But her family could not afford a cochlea implant - the cheapest one cost about 158,000 yuan ($24,800) in 2009.

The family resorted to daily injections of nerve growth factor, which cost 100 yuan per injection. But the treatment had little effect other than making the girl cry.

In early 2011, Zhang Zhirong sent her daughter to a Beijing school for deaf kids where she heard about CDPF's national program of providing financial aid for children younger than 5 with severe and profound hearing loss.

The program was started in 2009, with 410 million yuan ($64.41 million) in funding.

Up to now, 2,653 children have been given free cochlea implants, and 19,875 have received free hearing aids.

The program requires that the candidates have no other complications, such as severe brain development abnormalities or damage to the auditory nerve.

"There are so many kids who need help, but the funding is limited so we can only target those who will benefit most," Long says.

This year, the fund has reached a record 1.76 billion yuan. The plan is to help 16,000 children get cochlea implants and another 12,000 to get hearing aids in five years.

Furthermore, a website was recently launched by the China Rehabilitation and Research Center for Deaf Children to offer deaf kids easy access to the program. The application can be conducted online, and applicants can get quick feedback.

"We can also seek advice from experts or get in touch with others who have similar problems. It is very useful, especially to a family like mine," Zhang Zhirong says.

Her daughter had an operation on Aug 5 to put a cochlea implant in, paid for by the program. Now, she can hear many sounds she never heard before.

"She told me she can even hear the scratching of the pencil on the paper when she writes, and she is naturally curious about all the new sounds," the mother says.

"Also, she has become proactive and willing to play with her classmates."

A nationwide survey shows 80 percent of children with hearing problems, younger than 6, have severe or profound hearing loss and may need cochlea implants

Basic principle of hearing aids maintenance is dampproof, antiseptic, shockproof and daily cleaning.

Dampproof: The hearing aid consists of precision electronic components. The hearing aids bocomes abnormal and noiceless if the water vapor entering from the gap. We suggest that people should remove the hearing aids when takes a shower, swimming and it rains. Some children are more active, the sweat enter the hearing aids easily, especially in summer. There is a big gap between indoor and outdoor,  sound pipe appear the water vapour. So it is important to remove and take out the battery in the drying box when you back home or hearing aids is not used temporarily. It is necessery to send the hearing aids to factory if it still has no sound.

Antiseptic: The battery is the main source of hearing aids corrosion. Some people only know and put the hearing aids in the drying box, but did pay a little attention to the battery.

Shockproof: The hearing aids ability to prevent from shocking is very poor. Because the hearing aids internal components is not only very small, but connected by very fine wires. Strong shock is likely to lead to silent. Be careful when wearing and doing strenuous exercise. Nowadays it is a good idea that some parents fixed the hearing aids on the clothes with line.

Daily cleaningPeople should better do daily cleaning in order to extend the service life of a hearing aids. Generally at least 1-2 times a week, people can used of cotton. If  with alcohol .

You'd better to do:

• Keep hearing aids away from heat and moisture.
• Clean hearing aids as instructed. Earwax and ear drainage can damage a hearing aid.
• Avoid using hairspray or other hair care products while wearing hearing aids.
• Turn off hearing aids when they are not in use.
• Replace dead batteries immediately.
• Keep replacement batteries and small aids away from children and pets.

Only 14% of older adults with hearing loss use hearing aids, according to estimates from a nationwide survey.

The proportion dropped to fewer than 4% of people with mild hearing loss across all age decades and to fewer than 5% of adults ages 50 to 59, irrespective of the severity of hearing loss.

The results suggest that almost 23 million older Americans with audiometry-confirmed hearing loss do not use hearing aids, wrote Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD, and Wade Chien, MD, of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, in a brief clinical correspondence in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Recent research demonstrating strong associations between hearing loss and domains critical to aging (dementia, cognitive functioning, and falls) highlights the need for further intervention studies to determine the possible role of hearing rehabilitative modalities in helping to mitigate these adverse outcomes," the authors concluded.

The findings came from a study aimed at describing the current state of hearing-loss treatment, as well as the extent to which hearing loss goes untreated.

Lin and Chien analyzed data from the 1999 to 2006 National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (NHANES), which included questions about hearing-aid use. Additionally, 1,888 participants, ages 50 to 69, and 717 people 70 and older had air-conduction, pure-tone audiometric hearing evaluations.

The authors defined hearing loss as an average hearing level of 25 dB or greater in both ears. They separated the participants into four age groups: 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and ≥80.

The analysis indicated that 3.8 million (14.2%) of older Americans with hearing loss used hearing aids. The prevalence of hearing-aid use increased with age from 4.3% of participants 50 to 59 to 22.1% of the 80+ age group.

Among individuals with mild (25 to 40 dB) hearing loss, the prevalence of hearing-aid use by age group ranged from 2.6% to 3.4%.

The NHANES data suggested that 26.7 million older Americans had impaired hearing and that 3.8 million (14.2%) of them used hearing aids.

"The low observed rate of hearing-aid use in the United States likely has various causes, including a general perception of hearing loss as being an inconsequential part of the aging process, the absence of health insurance reimbursement for hearing rehabilitative services, and the lack of research on the impact of hearing-loss treatment," the authors wrote.

They added that the only adequately sized randomized trial of hearing aids showed that use of the devices had positive effects on cognition and function (Ann Intern Med 1990; 113: 188-194).

(ARA) - Straining to hear each day, even when using powerful advanced hearing aids? Feeling frustrated and sometimes even exhausted from listening? Whether it happens suddenly or gradually over time, hearing loss can affect physical and emotional health. Being unable to hear impacts one's ability to socialize with friends, communicate with co-workers, and can force people to become more reliant on family members to constantly interpret for them.

By age 65, one out of three people will have a hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. Signs of hearing loss include:

* Difficulty understanding speech on the telephone
* Trouble following a conversation with two or more people talking at the same time
* Difficulty hearing in a noisy background
* Having to strain to understand conversation
* The need to ask people to repeat themselves
* Misunderstanding others and responding inappropriately

If you or someone you know is experiencing more than two of these signs, it could be beneficial to schedule an evaluation with a certified audiologist to learn if you/your loved one has a hearing loss. For people diagnosed with severe to profound hearing loss, who no longer benefit from hearing aids, there may be a solution. Unlike a hearing aid that amplifies sound, a cochlear implant is an implantable solution designed to mimic natural hearing using sophisticated software and state-of-the art electronic components.

Ann Dexheimer, a former certified American Sign Language interpreter and teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program in Sonoma County, was diagnosed with hearing loss as a child. Starting at age 12, her progressive loss started to worsen.

Throughout her career, Dexheimer had taken professional courses and learned about cochlear implants, a technology that is often covered by many private health insurance plans and Medicare, and may be covered by Medicaid. Because her own hearing had worsened, it dawned on her in a class one day that she should consider getting a cochlear implant herself. "For me it was a no-brainer. I'd seen the remarkable success of children with cochlear implants."

Having a cochlear implant has become more than a device to assist her in hearing. "It becomes who you are," Dexheimer says. "Some days you don't even realize or notice that you're hearing everything. Then all of sudden you'll have a CI (cochlear implant) moment. You'll hear a leaf hitting the ground and go, 'Wow I heard that!' It's amazing. I'm so fortunate."

Obtaining hearing aids involves several appointments described below.

Step 1: Audiologic evaluation (hearing test)

The first step is to have your hearing evaluated. An audiologist, a professional who specializes in evaluating and treating hearing loss, will determine the type and degree of your hearing loss and its impact on your ability to communicate.

Step 2: Medical clearance

Obtaining medical clearance from your physician is in your best health interest. The physician determines that your hearing cannot be improved by medical or surgical treatment. Before you can be fitted for hearing aids, you must either obtain a written statement from your physician or sign a medical waiver. Individuals 18 years of age or younger must receive medical clearance from a physician, preferably an otolaryngologist, prior to being fit with hearing aids.

Step 3: Hearing needs assessment

In this 1-hour appointment, an audiologist will discuss the various types of hearing aid styles, the latest technological advances, and what you can expect from your hearing aids. Together, you and the audiologist will decide which hearing aids are the most appropriate for you, given your individual lifestyle and listening needs. If needed, impressions will be made of your ears so that your hearing aids can be custom-fit.

Step 4: Hearing aid dispensing or hearing aid orientation

Your hearing aids will arrive about 2-3 weeks after your hearing aid evaluation. At this time, you will return for a 1.5-hour fitting appointment. The actual physical fit will be verified: hearing aids should never cause you physical discomfort. The hearing aids will be adjusted or programmed to your specific hearing needs. The proper care, use, and maintenance (including warranty) of the hearing aids will be explained to you. During this visit, you will have time to practice inserting and removing the hearing aid and the hearing aid battery, and to manipulate any controls the hearing aid may have.

Step 5: Follow-up hearing aid consultation

A follow-up hearing aid consultation is scheduled in the first few weeks following your initial fitting. This visit is important so that your audiologist can answer any questions you may have. The hearing aids may be "fine-tuned" and additional testing may be conducted, if necessary. Remember: it takes time to adjust to your hearing aids. As you learn to listen with your hearing aids, your listening demands change. For this reason, it is important to return for these follow-up appointments to obtain the maximum benefit from your hearing aids. You may require more than one follow-up visit to get your hearing aids "fine-tuned."

After years of using expensive custom hearing aids, Douglas Smith says he found a better solution for his needs with the affordable MDHearingAid, a high quality line of low cost hearing aids which was developed by a doctor.

May 02, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Douglas Smith, 61, says he started to experience hearing loss in his late 40's and early 50's. The now-retired IT Director says that his mother also started to show diminished hearing in her 50's.

"During meetings I was always asking people to repeat what they were saying," says Smith. "It seemed that hearing voices was getting to be especially difficult for me. At home, many times when trying to communicate with my wife, she would get frustrated and just say 'forget it'. I finally went in for a hearing test which showed that I was having difficulty, particularly in hearing the higher sound frequencies."

Smith did what most people do - he was fitted with a pair of in-the-ear custom hearing aids, which cost him about $4,000.00 - like many people, Doug's costs was not covered by his insurance. "But it was great the first time I wore the hearing aids," says Smith. "I went outside and I could hear birds singing for the first time in years."

"After a few years of using the hearing aids, my audiologist said my hearing was getting worse and that I'd need a new pair," says Smith. By that time a friend suggested that a state vocational rehabilitation program might help with the cost, so Smith applied and the agency agreed to pay for his second pair. "Even though the state paid for my hearing aids, they still required $450.00 a year in maintenance," says Smith. After several years, Smith needed to purchase a third pair, and this time he once again had to pay the full cost, as he was now retired and the vocational services agency would no longer cover him.

Smith says that even with the expensive hearing aids, there were problems. "I did not understand what people were saying to me nearly as well as I thought I would, and background noises were interfering."

"I then tried several types of low cost hearing aids in the $300.00 range but I was still disappointed in their performance," says Smith. He says he then noticed articles and advertising for low cost hearing aids on the internet and started to do research on the different types that were available. "I read reviews by users and tried to learn as much as I could. After reading the positive reviews I decided to try the MDHearingAid," says Smith. "I was still very skeptical that low cost hearing aids could work as well as my expensive pair, but I was impressed that the MDHearingAid is designed by a doctor."

"One reason many people don't get the help they need is the high cost of hearing aids," says Dr. Sreekant Cherukuri, a Chicago-based ear, nose and throat doctor and developer of the low cost MDHearingAid.

"It's estimated that 36 million people in the U.S. need hearing aids, but over 77 percent (or about 28 million) are doing without them," says Dr. Cherukuri. "Estimates are that only one in five people who needs a hearing aid actually wears one," he says.

"When I tried the new hearing aids, I realized that these are the best I've ever had, regardless of the cost," says Smith. "It took a bit of trial and error to get the best fit in my ear with the interchangeable ear pieces, but I believe that the MDHearingAids are better because they are simple and they are tuned to receive human speech frequencies so I can actually communicate with people. "It's amazing that an affordable hearing aid can work so well for me," he says.

About MD HearingAid

Sreekant Cherukuri, MD, Board-Certified Ear, Nose, & Throat Physician in Chicago, IL is the inventor of the MDHearingAid line. As an attending physician in otolaryngology, Dr. Cherukuri found that he saw too many patients with hearing loss going home without a solution because they couldn't afford the hearing aid prices-- many hundreds, or thousands, of dollars were usually needed to pay for them. As a physician, he knew the effects of untreated hearing loss: depression, social isolation, anxiety and symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's dementia.

After conducting a hearing aid quality comparison of several hearing aids and sound amplifiers in the under-$200 range, he found that most failed to work well on clearly amplifying the human voice. His passion became developing the best hearing aid at a reasonable price that used typical hearing aid batteries and could help with the most common types of hearing loss. He was looking for a "one-size-fits-most" hearing aid similar to reading glasses that can easily be purchased at the drug store. Adding to that mission was to provide clear, expert consumer information on hearing aids to anyone with a hearing issue.

He then created the MDHearingAid line of hearing aids to exact technical specifications so that the range of sounds associated with the human voice would be amplified without overly amplifying background sounds. Hearing aid ratings on the flagship MDHearingAid PRO by leaders in the hearing loss field (ENT Physicians and Audiologists) show unanimous agreement that the sound quality and output is surprisingly accurate given its low cost.

"The PRO is the best cheap hearing aid I've come across," he said. "I prefer to use the term inexpensive hearing aid instead because it is so well made."Low-Cost Hearing Aids Prove Superior To Expensive Hearing Aids

Background questionnaire

(1) How old is your child?

(2) When did you find the hearing loss with your child?

(3) How long is the hearing loss with your child ?

(4) When did your child have the first hearing aids?

(5) Was the first hearing aids digital or analog?

(6) How much is the hearing aid which now wearing?

Environment questionnaire?(uncertain items)

(1) How are you feeling your child in daily life with other children?

A silence   B lively   C conversationalist   D about the same

(2) When your child talk to you ,usually:

A  you more than child   B contrary to "A"   C hate talking

(3) Your child are playing the game, usually like:

A play with other children    B play with himself

C play with familiar people   D hate playing

(4) Evaluation of the teacher for your child is most:

A clever  B gregarious  C lively  D naughty  E introverted

(5) How is the score of your child at school?

A banner   B medium  C low-grade

(6) How does your child behaved in the class?

A spoke enthusiastically   B hate handing up   C never make a speech

(7) What is your child favourite kind of the environment?

A play alone at home    B look at cartoon

C play with friend      D participate in singing

Language questionnaire (uncertain items)

(1) How about your child speech?

A speak fluently

B spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue

C speaks ambiguously

(2) About what he or she said:

A everyone can understand      B only closer person can understand

C only parents can understand    D hard to understand as his or her parents

(3) Despite spoken language, how does he or she communacate with you ?

A only spoken language   B  both sign language and spoken language

C lip language           D  A,B and C

(4) Does your child like to talk to others ?

A like       B unlike

(5) Which one do your child prefer?

A sing  B dance  C play games  D declaim  E others (give examples)

(For the results, you can consult the professional speech pathologist to understand the situation of your child, including hearing loss.)

Today's digital hearing aids are miniature electronic devices that sit in or on the ear, and selectively amplify and process sounds. All hearing aids contain one or more microphones to pick up sound, an amplifier that amplifies and processes sound, a speaker (called a receiver) that sends the signal from the amplifier into your ear, and a power source (a battery). All these components are packaged into various styles to fit people’s cosmetic needs and power requirements.

Digital Hearing Aid Sound Processing

Hearing aidstoday are digital, meaning incoming that signals are converted into a series of numbers, which is then processed using mathematical equations. Digital processing enables very complex manipulation of signals. For example, digital processing can help separate speech from noise. Many hearing aids today have more processing power than your desktop computer – gone are the days when hearing aids were simple amplifiers that only made all sounds louder.

Complex algorithms separate sound into different frequency regions and amplify each region selectively.  This means that hearing aids are programmed to fit the wearer’s hearing loss. It also means that they can be adjusted if the wearer's hearing loss gets worse over time, or if listening preferences change.  This is done by a professional at a local hearing center.

The processing inhearing aidsalso enables different amounts of amplification for soft, moderate, and loud sounds.  This means the wearer is able to hear softer sounds, without loud sounds being uncomfortably loud.  Digital processing ensures a precise replication of the original signal with minimal distortion, resulting in better, clearer sound quality than ever before.