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Eddie Sherman: Views from the |
| During his long career as a newspaper columnist,
Eddie Sherman befriended a host of celebrities, including Marlon
Brando, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. The story of his life
could fill a book…and, as a matter of fact, it has! |
Gifts Galore |
| Haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet? Don’t panic. Here are 12 great gifts even Scrooge would appreciate. |
Sensational Starters |
| Acclaimed Honolulu chefs George Mavrothalassitis, Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi and Russell Siu share the recipes for their favorite appetizers just in time for your holiday parties. |
COLUMN:
Sound Advice
Helen Keller said, “Hearing is the deepest philosophical sense man possesses.” Indeed, imagine how gloomy a world without sound would be! You wouldn’t be able to hear music, laughter, rainfall, birds chirping, movie sound tracks, newscasts or your loved ones’ voices. Our sense of hearing helps us keep in touch with the world, and greatly improves our quality of life.
Thankfully, hearing aids can be a boon for people who suffer from hearing loss. People hear better when it’s quiet, so most customers buy a hearing aid to hear better when they’re in a situation where background sounds drown out speech.
Those with normal hearing can understand what someone is saying to them even when interfering noise is louder than the voice. Not so for people with hearing loss. They have to turn up the volume on the TV to hear the program they’re watching, and when someone talks to them, they must turn the TV down or off to hear what’s being said to them.
Up until now, hearing aids could not create what is called a “signal to noise ratio improvement,” which means bringing the voice (signal) of someone talking above the noise level. The old analog hearing aids amplified noise and words at the same level, meaning people could hear better in quiet situations, but couldn’t understand speech when there was a lot of background noise.
The most common complaint was “Everything is louder except the person sitting next to me.” Many people would take off their hearing aids in noisy situations because speech and external sounds were amplified at the same level; there was no distinction between them.
What a difference technology makes! The latest digital instruments are so sophisticated they can identify and isolate speech from all other sounds, then raise its volume or lower the volume of the background noise—or both! Better yet, the improvement in clarity or word comprehension is noticeable and can be scientifically measured.
If you’re thinking about buying a hearing aid, seek the advice of a respected, trained specialist who can accurately measure the performance of the device you wish to buy. Remember, all hearing aids, even inexpensive analog products, work well in quiet environments. The true test is how well a hearing aid performs amid noise.
When you’ve made a selection, make sure you experience noticeable results and insist on finding out its measured performance while you’re wearing it. A specialist can use clinical scientific methods to assess the sound correction and the amount of speech you can understand using the hearing aid in both quiet and noisy situations.
Hundreds of options are available today, ranging from small instruments that fit deep inside the ear canal to devices that fit behind the ear. For the most part, digital hearing aids have replaced analog hearing aids; some 100% digital products with exceptional clarity, fit and performance capabilities even have been proven to improve speech.
Be aware, however, that certain “digital” hearing aids may not truly have a digital circuit. A digital programmable hearing aid, for example, is an analog circuit that has been programmed with a computer so that it can be described as “digital.” Also, digital hearing aids don’t perform at the same level, so making the proper choice is essential.
Although
the cost of hearing aids is covered at least in part by many insurance
plans, they are expensive, ranging from $295 for a simple analog device
to $4,000 for a top-of-the-line digital product. All hearing aids
come with a warranty, but they vary in scope and duration. Finally,
like any piece of equipment, hearing aids must be regularly serviced.
Have yours checked at least every three months to ensure optimum performance.
Randy Wohlers, BC HIS (Board Certified, Hearing Instruments Science), is the president of Family Hearing Aid Center, which has outlets in Ala Moana (973-1551), Kaneohe (233-1100) and Pearlridge (483-4131). Call or check out the Web site www.familyhearingaidcenter.com for more information.This column provides general information only; it is not intended to replace recommendations you would receive from a medical doctor after undergoing a thorough physical examination and should not be considered as medical advice.