The Gift of Hearing

By David Sanders

Hearing, one of the vital senses of the human beings is a divine gift of God. Unlucky few are among us with their hearing impaired denied of the most melodious sounds of nature like the chirping of birds and that of the feeble flowing stream. Technology finally came to the rescue of this lot, in the form of hearing aids. Hearing aids are not new to the medical world. They have been in use for several years ever since the device was commercially introduced in the market.

These are devices that amplify the sound made to help the hearing impaired. Various improved varieties of different hearing aids are available in the market. The most common and the oldest are the one that is worn on the body. This is the first generation hearing aids now seldom used. The technology consists of an amplification system that is connected to a mold placed around the ear. The unit is large in size and can be used in severe cases of hearing losses where other units are futile. A newer version of the hearing aid is the one that fits behind the ear.

In this new model the mold is connected to a small case that is placed behind the ear. Such hearing aids are commonly used by children with hearing impairment because of its durability and capability of connecting to the assistive listening devices. One of the modern varieties of the hearing aids is the ITE Aids. These are placed inside the ear and are custom made. This can be used for children once their growing pattern slows down. Other wise if used in growing children though the device may work smoothly the same would have to be changed once it becomes a miss fit inside the ear.

It would be in the interest of the patient to consult a doctor before he chooses a device. The latest trend in the hearing aids is the digital hearing aid. They provide high quality sound with a better listening experience. Conventional analogue hearing aids converts the sound waves into electrical waves and reconvert to produce the accurate sound.

The quality of the sound produced by the analogue varieties is not as accurate as that of the digital hearing aids. The latter make use of exact mathematical formula that helps produce an exact form of the original sound.

One may wonder why some individuals still use analogue hearing aids in spite of the fact that they produce lesser quality sounds ? The answer is quite simple. The analogue hearing Aids are comparatively cheaper than the digital hearing aids. The cost of the former is almost double of the latter.

Though it is a bit more expensive it is advisable to go for a digital hearing aid because of the superior sound quality and a plethora of additional features. They can be custom made to the specific need of the individual and the degree of hearing loss. Further, they are miniature in size and invisible to the eyes.

These hearing aids are technologically superior and produce near real sounds. They are a major help for the millions of hearing impaired.

The author is a regular contributor to Rediscover Hearing where more hearing aid information is available. For a great selection of hearing aid products go here.

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How Much Is Your Hearing Worth?

By David Faulkner

If you've just started looking at hearing aids, then you're no doubt aware just how much they can cost. There's just no way to get around the huge outlay that's involved with purchasing a hearing aid.

Hearing aids can cost anywhere from $300 to over $3000, so just how much are you willing to pay for your hearing?

It is possible to find some great deals on hearing aids, especially on the internet, but you will always have to spend some serious amount of cash, hearing aids are never cheap.

Many people think that hearing aids are unnecessarily expensive, however the manufacture of all hearing aids is very expensive.

You must be joking!
In 2004 a survey concluded that the average cost of the hearing aids is approximately $1800. However this survey considered all hearing aids as being equal.

Normally, the smaller the hearing aid is, the more expensive it is going to cost.

Digital or analog?
Conventional hearing aid models are all analog, these are cheaper to make, and also rely on fewer parts. The new models of hearing aid are digital, there are some major adventages thanks to the digital system.

Digital hearing aids offer more features, but are also much more expensive. They can easily be adjusted for different environments.

Features
Many new hearing aids have some of the following features:

• dual microphones
• Telecoils
• EQ Systems

These systems are great as they make using a hearing aid so much easier. You can use your hearing aid to customize your hearing aid to suit exactly what you need.

All of these features is extra, it costs a little bit more. You may need some of these features, while others you may not need. It's all down to personal preference.

Hearing aids are so expensive that they can prevent people buying their first set, or even upgrading, just because they struggle to spend so much money.

The Good News
It is possible to find some great deals on hearing aids, there is a lot of competition between hearing aid suppliers and so you should be able to bag yourself a bargain. If you shop around you should be able to save at least a little bit of money. For more info see http://www.firsthearingaids.com/hearingloss/behind_the_ear_hearing_aids.html on ear hearing.

You can also buy from a wholesaler, these should be able to offer discounts because they buy in bulk.

Hearing aids are expensive, but you certainly shouldn't cut corners, it's your hearing that we're talking about. You can also find more info on hearing aid products, water resistant hearing and suffer hearing loss. You can also purchase low cost hearing aid batteries.

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Rules To Remember When Speaking To Someone With Hearing Loss

Hello and welcome to the new Marilyn Electronics Blog. We hope to post interesting articles to help keep you informed of new and exciting products and services for individuals with hearing loss. If you have an idea for an article, please don't hesitate to send us an e-mail.

I would like to start off our blog with an article which was originally published by our founder, Marilyn Rappaport, many years ago in a newsletter which her and her husband Sheldon actually hand typed back in the early days. Hope you enjoy it...

From Marilyn's Desk is meant not only for the hearing impaired, but for spouses, relatives and friends of the person with hearing loss.

Here are some tips to make it easier for the hearing impaired person to hear what you're saying:

• Stand directly in front of the hearing-impaired person so they may see your face.
• If the person with hearing loss has a better ear, sit or stand on that side.
• Hold conversations away from background noise as much as possible.
• Speak clearly and slowly, not loud. One doesn't have to shout at a hard of hearing person. It only distorts speech.
• If the hard of hearing person misunderstands, be patient. Say the sentence another way.
  When talking to a hearing-impaired person, don't be chewing gum or puffing on a cigarette.
• Talking with a hearing-impaired person does not have to be any different than talking with a normal hearing person, if you are cognizant of their needs.

E-mail us with any questions or comments