How to Change a Hearing Aid Battery Depending on your hearing aid style and how long you wear them — hearing aid batteries can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. As a device owner, it is important to know how to change your batteries. Follow these simple steps to replace your hearing aid batteries: UncoverOpen your new battery’s packaging and remove the sticky label from the “+” side. Wait a full minute before inserting the battery into the device so that the battery will have time to absorb oxygen and activate. This will ensure the battery provides full power to your hearing ..read more

What do balloons and shotguns have in common? We know it sounds like a bad joke, but both can permanently damage your hearing. A study published by the Canadian Audiologist Journal found that the sound of a fully inflated balloon popping is louder than a shotgun going off next to someone’s ear. Amazingly enough, researchers found that the sound of a balloon inflated to the point of rupture reached 168 decibels, which is louder than the sound of a 12-gauge shotgun being shot. According to the Speech-Hearing Association, any sound louder than 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing los ..read more

Are NASCAR races loud enough that spectators should consider wearing headphones or earplugs? To put it simply: YES. Here’s a look at some of the numbers associated to how loud a day at the races can be. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), reports that a person can listen to a 90 decibel (dB) sound for a period of 8 hours straight without experiencing any hearing damage. For a comparison, 90 dB is approximately as loud as a bustling city street. However, if the decibels are slightly higher, the amount of safe listening time changes dramatically. Sounds that reach 115 dB ca ..read more

We know that maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to our overall health and wellbeing, but did you know that your weight also plays a key role in your hearing health? The body’s inner ear consists of both the hearing and balance organs. The balance organ has a complex system of fluid filled semi-circular canals that help you maintain your balance. An important part of the auditory system is the cochlea. In the cochlea there are hair cells that are responsible for detecting sound and translating it into electrical signals that the brain can interpret. The inner ear is sensitive to changes in ..read more

Hypersensitivity to sound is a rare condition that affects about one in every 50,000 people. This type of hearing sensitivity disorder can lead to fears of loud noises, avoidance of social situations and decreased tolerance for normal noises, like the running of a vacuum cleaner. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and believe you may have hypersensitivity to sound, a sound sensitivity test can be conducted to determine whether you’re affected by this problem. During a sound sensitivity test, your audiologist will play a variety of tones through headphones or ear inser ..read more

Pediatric hearing loss can be scary for parents and children alike — but knowing the best course of action in the event of a failed hearing test can help. Many hearing problems can be managed or overcome, especially if they’re caught early. Getting a hearing test performed is the first step to helping your child either recover from, or learn to live with their hearing loss. The faster your child gets help, the better. WHEN SHOULD YOUR CHILD GET A HEARING TEST? If your child is born in a hospital, their first hearing test will occur before they are discharged. Every state has a detection p ..read more

Every year, hearing aid manufacturers release new models. These products always have upgrades of some sort, including improvements to how well they perform in complex environments. The best hearing aids now have sophisticated features that can optimize noise minimization, so you can spend less energy fussing with your device’s settings and more time engaging with the people and experiences that matter most to you. There are many things to consider when evaluating your hearing aid options, including the type of hearing aid that will fit your lifestyle and the features and functionality that wil ..read more

Affordability is a concern for many as they shop for hearing aids. The average age of first-time hearing aid users is 70 years old, a time when many individuals have transitioned to a fixed income during retirement. Even for users not on a fixed income, the cost of hearing aids can be prohibitive since these devices are not always covered by insurance. According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, the average price for a single hearing aid is about $2,560, or $5,120 a pair purchased individually. Buying hearing aids as a pair dropped the price per device to $2,340 or $4,680 for a pair. But ..read more

Hearing loss is one of the most common health issues in the U.S – close to 37.5 million adult Americans are currently experiencing some form of hearing loss. In terms of treatment, hearing aids are the ideal method. However, the cost of hearing aids can be an issue for some. Because of this, people often seek out more budget-friendly alternatives to hearing aids like hearing amplifiers. Although these cheaper hearing devices may be a solution for people with minor hearing challenges, they are not an effective form of treatment for hard-of-hearing individuals and can even be harmful. It is vita ..read more

It is estimated that over 38 million people over the age of 12 in the United States have hearing loss in both their ears, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. That’s a significant number of Americans who could potentially benefit from hearing solutions. However, like many industries, the hearing aid industry has its fair share of hearing aid ripoffs, scams and other types of misleading claims. We’ve compiled a list of the top five things to look out for when shopping for hearing solutions so you can find the right product for your unique needs. One Size Fits All (o ..read more