 The manufacturer Starkey has different hearing aid styles. They are:
If you would like to know more about Starkey hearing aids, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.
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 When you get hearing aids, it requires an adjustment period to get used to them. Unusual or different sounds, such as hissing, are sometimes reported by wearers. Let’s identify the three most common sources of hissing and how you can reduce these unusual sounds.
Hissing and sounds in the environment If you are in a quiet place, you may hear a soft hissing sound in your hearing aids, due to the fact that your environment is never without some sound. With hearing loss, it’s easy to forget there is always noise in the surrounding environment. The world is a noisy place, so there is always some hint of sound. For instance, when hearing goes, the soft sounds go first, like the refrigerator running, the fan on the computer humming, or the air conditioning or furnace running. Once these sounds can be heard again, they may seem annoying at first. But something can be done; a process called “IFF-it” can help:
The hissing of feedback You may be hearing feedback if you hear a hissing sound when your mouth is moving or something gets close to your ear. A hearing aid fit adjustment may be needed or the feedback can be reduced with special features your hearing aids may have. Hissing with speech sounds When people are talking the hissing sound may actually be speech sounds, like the “s” sound, which may sound hissy at first because the brain forgets such a sound when there is hearing loss. With time, you will adjust. Hearing and understanding: the difference Your brain will adjust to what sounds like hissing. After all, you got hearing aids to hear the sounds you couldn’t hear before. These sounds are the difference between hearing and understanding. One remedy is to read aloud to yourself so that you can see and hear each word, so your brain is given more information to connect sound to speech. Half an hour a day for two weeks should help reduce the hissing sound. With time, it does diminish. If you are having any trouble with your hearing aids, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Hearing snippets of recorded conversations is easy with the TruLink app. In a few simple steps, you have access to information on your iPhone and the app’s Remote Microphone feature. You can record and replay the information or share via email. It’s a benefit you won’t want to miss out on.
You might, for example, want to record your doctor’s instructions and listen to them later or send them to your spouse for his or her information. Fore more information on hearing apps, please contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Perhaps you are considering buying hearing aids and want to know where to buy them. Maybe you took an online hearing test. Maybe you assessed the quality of your life and want it back. Perhaps you’ve just started your research on hearing aids. Or, maybe someone you know encouraged you to start looking for hearing aids. No matter what your reason, we’d like to make one recommendation for you in the process. Visit a professional, instead of buying your hearing aids online. There are many advantages to buying hearing aids from a hearing instrument specialist, rather than online. You might get a small cost savings online, but the advantages to seeing a professional far outweigh the other. Here’s a list of benefits to seeing your hearing instrument specialist and what’s included in the cost over getting hearing aids online:
What’s included in an online purchase:
You get more bang for your buck and custom care than with an online purchase. Also, an online purchase does not include many of the features a professional visit does. It doesn’t include a thorough examination, education on use and care, fine-tuning your hearing aids, a professional evaluation, questions answered by the same person who fit you, loss and damage insurance, custom and invisible styles, follow-up, earmold impressions, an explanation of hearing results, or an intake interview. Also, with an otoscopic inspection by a hearing professional, he or she can rule out earwax buildup, disease, or an ear infection as potential causes of hearing loss. You might not need hearing aids at all. For a visit with a hearing instrument specialist for the best hearing test, the best hearing aid deals, the most inexpensive hearing aids, and the top hearing aid brands, please contact Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  To begin, all digital hearing aids have an amplifier, a receiver, a battery, and a microphone. The digital part is the amplifier, which raises the volume. The old kind of amplifier, which was analog, could only make sound louder, but the new ones, which are digital, not only make sound louder, they are also a miniature computer. What makes today’s hearing aids valuable is the digital technology. Since they are a small computer, they have multiple features. See below:
The value of digital hearing aids is immense. The old analog ones just don’t compare. The digital ones widen your world, and they sound awesome--automatically. Try digital hearing aids. Contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Signia hearing aids are phenomenal. The Motion® 13P from Signia lets you experience natural sound no matter what the extent of your hearing loss. You will hear the sound of your own voice as nature intended, using the OVP™ (Own Voice Processing) system. Also, the Sound Clarity feature offers the most pleasing, natural listening experience in all situations. Conversely, the Motion 13P has a feature called Speech Quality, which has noise suppression technology.
There’s more to the Motion 13P You can stream smartphone calls, television, and music directly into your ears. At the push of a button, you can hear a call. You can also stream music in high-quality stereo. As well, you can discreetly adjust the volume of your favorite television show. Signia’s myControl™ App has a convenient remote control so you can change the settings on the hearing aids on your smartphone. Conversely, Signia’s myHearing™ App helps you find out about your new hearing aids quickly. You can check out the user guide, connect to your hearing aid professional on the go, and follow special listening exercises. However, the features may vary depending on the configuration of the individual hearing aid. If you are interested in this type of hearing aid, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  It’s hard to imagine humidity in an ear canal. Usually humidity is associated with weather conditions. The first thing you should know is that the residual or baseline percentage humidity level in someone’s ear canals can be different per individual or even per ear. The next thing you should know is that is it doesn’t have anything to do with the temperature or humidity in the environment--there is either humidity in the ear canal or not.
Lyric™ hearing aids combat humidity in the ear canal The skin breathes and self-cleans in a normal, open ear canal. When the Lyric hearing aid is placed 4mm from the tympanic membrane, the game changes. How, you may ask, does the moisture flow in and out of the ear? There are seals designed to be breathable, containing holes that allow air and moisture to pass through. A constant flow contributes to a healthy ear canal. Smaller ears with more humidity have more problems. Knowing such a problem exists ahead of time helps with fitting Lyric hearing aids better. For now, the studies continue in discovering other ear health issues. For more information on ear health, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure sound Hearing Aids.  You can experience the most intuitive, reliable, and advanced hearing aids with Signia’s longer-lasting Pure® Charge&Go. It is a high-tech marvel, resting almost invisibly behind the ear. It offers extremely natural sound and a high level of performance and also has Bluetooth® connectivity.
Changing batteries is unnecessary True to its name, this marvel of technology can charge while you sleep and be ready when you wake up. You don’t need to change the batteries. It is an incredibly convenient design because wireless charging is built into it. You get a compact, portable charger with the hearing aids. The charger works on an inductive basis, so there is no need to position the hearing aids onto a precise contact point. Another feature of it is the OVP™ (Own Voice Processing), which provides you with a natural sounding own voice, while Sound Clarity offers the most pleasant, natural listening experience in all situations. As well, the Speech Quality feature allows for noise suppression so you have clear listening. You can directly stream television, phone calls, and music with premium Bluetooth connectivity via a smartphone. In addition, Signia’s myControl App™ gives you a remote control feature. Lastly, Signia’s myHearing App gets you acclimated to your new hearing aids in no time at all. Features may vary, so contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure sound Hearing Aids for more information.  A special-ed paraprofessional at Valley High School, Sherri Farmer is legally deaf. She found out the cost of the hearing aids she needs was upward of $5,000. She could not afford so much. But students at the school raised $900 for a down payment through a school program that serves the community.
A kind woman, Farmer would often listen to the students’ problems, but now the students were helping with her problems. “It was so moving,” said Farmer, who cried. “It just gets me every time,” she added. Farmer graduated from Valley High School and has worked there a long time. Another teacher noticed she was asking others to repeat themselves a lot and encouraged her to get a hearing test. The test revealed Farmer is deaf in 65 percent of both ears. She could hear vowels, but not consonants. And having tinnitus, pain was increased by loud noises. She then realized her hearing loss was genetic and not her fault. She learned to accept herself just as she loved and accepted her special-needs students. Then, Jordon Rudd, a freshman, who knew about Farmer’s hearing loss, got a community effort going through a school program. It’s a heart-warming story that is hard to forget. Being proactive about hearing loss is important for so many reasons. Valley High School students got in gear and helped a teacher who had tried to qualify for other programs outside of the community in getting hearing aids without success. Now, she can reach her goal, thanks to her students' efforts and the school program. If you think you have hearing loss, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing evaluation.  Wow! Did you know that you can watch movies at the theater with your hearing aids, using a system inside most hearing aids that talks to a built-in system in the theater? It’s like you have the movie theater sound system inside your ears with no interference, no background noise, and no delay. This technology is possible through a small spring-like device built into many hearing aids. It is called a telecoil or t-coil. The telecoil uses magnets to communicate with sound systems that are built into looped public places, such as theaters, schools, or houses of worship. A magnetic wire is built into the walls or under the carpet. A sign will be displayed where this system is available.
The t-coil technology When hearing aids are turned to the t-coil setting (magnet), the hearing aids will detect the loop or magnet in the building and they will start to communicate with each other. Most hearing aids have this technology, such as the Starkey Muse iQ Rechargeable. This technology is also communicates with telephones and assistive living devices. For more information on hearing aid technology, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Telecoils or t-coils expand the function of hearing aids. It’s a copper wire that is coiled in the the hearing aid. It works with telephones, looped public places, and assistive living devices. A looped public place uses a magnetic wire than runs in the walls or under the carpet to connect you to their listening systems. Such public places might be movie theaters, houses of worship, or schools.
The function of a telecoil Most often, a hearing aid contains a microphone, amplifier, and receiver. The microphone listens to the environment, the amplifier processes the signal from the microphone, and the receiver presents the signal to the ear. An optional piece, the telecoil is in many hearing aids. For example, the Starkey Muse iQ Rechargeable has this technology. The telecoil listens instead of the microphone and is sensitive to magnets. It allows you to connect to phones, larger public places, and assistive living devices. A telecoil and telephone You can push a button, turn on a switch, or use a remote to access a telecoil using a specific memory function. Such a manual operation is called Manual Telecloil. Some hearing aids have an automatic function called Auto Coil. Not all phones contain a telecoil. Cell phones with a “T-Rating” have a telecoil. For handsets and landlines, check for a sign that the handset is compatible with a telecoil. If you wish to connect your telecoil with a loop system, make sure your hearing instrument specialist knows. For more information on telecoils, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Signia’s beautiful new CROS Pure® 312 is the greatest solution for hearing aid wearers with unaidable hearing loss in one ear. This elegant piece of technology provides the highest sound quality, including the most natural sounding own voice, and top Bluetooth® connectivity in a compact, discreet design. CROS Pure 312’s sleek sound detection and processing helps wearers to understand what others are saying in noisy environments. Even with it’s discreet size, this accessory can support direct streaming of phone calls and music without the need for an intermediary device. This device is also fully compatible with Signia’s myControl™ App for convenient remote control from your smartphone, and more. As well, the myHearing™ App allows you familiarize yourself with your new hearing aid in as little time as possible. You can follow special listening exercises, consult the user guide, and connect to your hearing care professional on the move via your smartphone.
For more information on new technology, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.For more information on new technology, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Are you hesitant to wear hearing aids? Today’s hearing aids are much more advanced than the ones from the past. Here are 14 reasons why you should get hearing aids for better hearing:
There are millions of Americans who don’t receive help for hearing loss. Like them, you’ll miss out on a lot if you don’t get hearing aids. For the best hearing aid offers near you, contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Imagine hearing aids where you don’t have to buy or replace batteries. Wouldn’t that be perfect? Well, the Muse iQ R has that feature and more! This hearing aid is rechargeable and quick charging, as well as long lasting, easy to use, amazing sounding, and small.
They are 30 percent smaller, 20 percent longer lasting, and 100 percent easy to use. So many more grand features to explore The Synergy technology delivers hearing that is more subtle and immersive than ever before. Speech is also clearer, music sounds richer, sound direction detection is better, and everyday life sounds more normal. User-friendly devices The Muse iQ R hearing aids turn on automatically, and you don’t have to worry about settings. It adjusts automatically, too. It has intelligent hearing. A unified charger, cradle, and carrying case Muse iQ R hearing aids charge in 3.5 hours and offer 30 hours of battery life, including streaming. Your reaction to Muse iQ R hearing aids You will love the Muse iQ R hearing aids. They will make you feel like yourself again. If you have an interest in learning about hearing aid technologies, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  What is Bluetooth®? Let’s answer that first, before we discuss how it can pertain to hearing aids. Bluetooth is the global wireless standard for simple, secure connectivity. It allows for one piece of electronic equipment to communicate with another piece of electronic equipment via a wireless means. Short-range radio signals transfer to another piece of equipment programmed to recognize it. Bluetooth technology includes hearing aids. But you might be more familiar with wireless laptops, portable speakers, and earphones.
How does Bluetooth apply to hearing aids? An example would be Starkey’s popular Halo, Halo 2 and Halo iQ hearing aids that use Bluetooth low energy (a subset of Bluetooth) to wirelessly connect to and communicate with Apple iPhone® and iPod®. Why get Bluetooth hearing aids? Audio content can be sent directly to a wearer’s ear. That is, an iPhone (phone calls, podcasts, music, and videos) can communicate with your Halo hearing aids in a clear-cut way. For more detailed information about Bluetooth, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Movies often portray virtual reality a lot. After all, digital technology is cutting edge. So, how will virtual reality impact hearing loss?
Virtual reality applies to everybody Makers of virtual reality technology are working to include people with hearing loss. Virtual reality includes sound as much as it does sight, so there are real-time speech captions to allow users with hearing loss to interact with others. Developers of the technology are also experimenting with sense of touch and the use of vibrations so users with hearing loss don’t miss out on the multi-sensory experience of virtual reality. In addition, special gloves that harness the movements of sign language have been made to aid in communication with peers. Conversely, there are virtual sign language interpreters. Hearing loss studies Virtual reality opens up new possibilities in the research for the hearing impaired, as shown by research at The Boys Town National Research Hospital. They studied the impact of hearing loss on children in school. Children can put on headsets in a virtual reality classroom for more accurate testing in noisy environments than real classrooms or labs with monitors. There is more control with virtual reality because the children are more relaxed and that results in better testing. The future Signia is already reaching out and making virtual reality real. The Signia myHearing™ App allows hearing loss patients to meet up face-to-face with their hearing care professional remotely and have their hearing aids tuned from home. While the full immersion in television’s virtual world is a ways off, there are new solutions for patients’ needs as we move into the future. For more information on future developments for hearing loss sufferers, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Signia's Pure® 13 Nx hearing aids are a “stunning” piece of technology, according to Joe Frazier, the namesake blogger of Joe’s Geek Fest. He has moderate hearing loss and tried out hearing aids for Signia. Signia's Pure® 13 Nx hearing aids are an upgrade from the Pure primax hearing aids. They have music streaming. For all those music lovers out there, the spatial awareness and the detail and clarity of the music are “simply amazing,” he contends.
He says that Own Voice Processing (OVP™), a feature of the Pure 13 Nx hearing aids, “eliminates any artificial flavor to the sound of your own voice.” Also, he says, with directional microphones as a feature, your overall direction of sound is much better. He also says that there is a myControl™ App, which allows a hearing aid wearer to change programs and mic direction based on motion, to have better management of automatic special configurations, and manage a tinnitus therapy signal. Accessories like StreamLine TV and StreamLine Mic make for an additional optimal performance of these hearing aids, he adds. For more information on Signia hearing aids, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  The term “The Internet of Things” has generated into the reality of where technology disappears. According to Mark Weiser, an expert on the subject, “The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.” Basically, what that means is that we would be lost without, say, our cell phones, but when they are with us they become invisible because they have become a part of us. Such a goal is foreseen for hearing technologies. The goal is for more technologies to become ordinary.
The wireless connection of hearing aids to a smartphone was only the first step that has enabled “The Internet of Things” for the hearing impaired. The goal is to make hearables invisible, yet essential as any needed technology. Tools for interaction and collaboration was the focus first, and then focus and control was added. A connection to the Cloud is the next step to modifying, in a heartbeat, the processing of the hearing instrument. Anything a phone can connect to, including the cloud, is what the hope for the future of hearing aids is all about. Biosensor technology will be instrumental in the process. For more exciting news about the specifics of new technologies associated with hearables, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Think about standing in a crowd of friends, chatting excitedly, waiting with anticipation as the venue goes dark, the stage lights come up, and the first note of your favorite song electrifies your soul. It’s an exhilarating moment to behold. But imagine not being able to listen to live music at all anymore because you have hearing loss or tinnitus due to attending too many concerts without hearing protection. It’s something to think about before it happens.
Sorry... concerts are loud Obviously concerts will be loud, but that doesn’t mean you have to destroy your hearing in the process of listening. The average concert is about 100 dB A or louder, depending upon the type of music and venue acoustics. The dB A, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is a weighted scale that describes the relative loudness of sounds as perceived by the human ear with a correction for frequency. Fifteen minutes is the amount of time you can listen to 100 dB A or louder before it can cause damage to your auditory system. So, if you want to continue to enjoy music, protect your ears. Wear earplugs An affordable solution to the excessive noise is to wear disposable foam earplugs. You can still enjoy the music--just at a reasonable sound level. Nowadays you can get them right at the concert for a small amount of money. When inserted correctly, they deliver 22 to 32 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR), depending upon the specific brand. But most people complain that the music doesn’t sound as intense that way. Better earplugs There is an answer to the complaint about earplugs destroying the intensity of the music. Get the best earplugs for listening. They are called musician plugs. It’s not that they provide more protection than regular earplugs, it is that they preserve music fidelity in the process of protecting your hearing. Standard earplugs have sound distortion, but musician plugs don’t. Music is minimally affected as it goes through musician plugs into your ears. They are custom fit plugs and have filters inside that flatten the frequency response. There are three different filters designed by Starkey Hearing Technologies for music listening. They are: ones for singers or string music, which are 10 dB; ones for jazz, bars or stadiums, clubs, or acoustic music, which are 17 dB; and ones for heavy metal, very loud DJs, or rock concerts, which are 26 dB. Select something Whether it is the conventional type of hearing protection or the custom kind, select something. For clarity and comfort, the musician plugs are best. With musician plugs, you can choose based upon your music preference or get multiple filters and switch back and forth. Custom plugs naturally cost more, so purchase the over-the-counter ones if cost is a concern. In getting custom earplugs, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids to get an ear impression for custom devices. You’ll be thankful you protected your hearing.  Because of extensive advances of medical technology in recent years, assistance devices can further help patients manage their health in new ways. Hearing aids are an example. Bluetooth® connectivity, remote access to a hearing specialist, and wireless streaming increase patient convenience and assistance in hearing. But is there a risk? Credit card information, servers, emails, and more are hacked on a daily basis. Of course your financial information should be a cause for concern, but should you worry about your hearing aids being hacked, too?
Concerns with new technology Cyber security with hearing aids and other biomedical devices, such as insulin pumps and pacemakers, which are linked to the internet, may engender some legitimate concern in patients. Although it may seem surreal, hacks on hearing aids can be a serious cause for worry. Hackers listening to patients’ conversations could possibly happen. The severity of concern is exemplified by a potential national risk, such as digital leaking of information to which the patient former U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had access. A security clearance for his Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids was necessary to prevent the possibility. But privacy is not the only issue; hackers can disrupt the volume and settings of hearing aids, causing more hearing damage. A hacker may even demand a ransom to continue use of internet-connected hearing aids. Digital life is a reality in many ways, one of which affect may hearing aid users. The good news Hearing aid hacks have not yet happened to hearing aid wearers, nor have hacks on other medical devices occurred. The Food and Drug Administration offers help to prevent cyber security breaches of hearing aids throughout their entire time of use of the devices. As well, there is a standard to which manufactures must adhere. Hearing devices that don’t meet the federal bylaws established are blocked from disbursement. So, rest assured; despite any real concerns, major manufacturers, like Signia, Rexton, Starkey, and Phonak for instance, are diligent in removing potential hacks. These companies are committed to cyber security through encryption and secure wireless technology, they make sure your hearing aids are perfectly functional as intended and protected from security breaches. Contact a Pure Sound Hearing Aids specialist with any further concerns about hearing aid safety.  Some of the negative stigma surrounding hearing aids and their use is based on the fact that hearing aids were once bulky items that would squeal or squeak in the wearer’s ears. This squeaking or whistling is known as feedback. Fortunately, today’s technology is much more appealing cosmetically and significantly more sophisticated in terms of managing feedback than prior generations of hearing devices. What is feedback? Acoustic feedback occurs when the amplified sound from a receiver re-enters the amplification system through the microphone and is amplified again. While most feedback tends to sound like a whistling, the actual sound can vary from a hum to a piercing screech.  Can feedback be managed? Yes! Most current hearing aid technology offers a feedback management system that makes whistling a thing of the past. The system is typically run during the initial fitting process or any time a modification or repair is complete.
At Pure Sound Hearing Aids, we pride ourselves on offering industry-leading feedback management systems. We use a complex system of phase cancellation to identify possible situations where feedback may occur, and create a signal opposite in phase to eliminate that feedback. (“Phase” refers to the up and down movement of a sound wave.) In addition to the feedback management systems present in today’s technology, your hearing professional can also make changes to your hearing aids’ output and gain (amplification), which can be beneficial in the elimination and prevention of feedback. However, there are situations in which feedback may occur for reasons outside of the device itself. Possible causes of feedback (1) Hearing aid fit/seating When a custom hearing aid or the earmold/dome does not create a proper seal within the ear canal, sound may be able to leak out and become re-amplified. In this situation, a different acoustic option may be most the appropriate solution. Other times, the receiver may be misaligned with the path of the ear canal, causing the sound to hit the wall of the ear canal. This creates a potential for feedback. In this case, a remake or deeper earmold impression may be the most appropriate fix. (2) Earwax Earwax or cerumen can also create a potential for feedback. If the sound is unable to effectively travel to the eardrum because it’s blocked by earwax, it may bounce off the cerumen and be re-amplified. It is important to have regular earwax management in place if one is prone to wax build-up when using amplification. Feedback is no longer an issue. Many of today's high tech hearing aids have come a long way from the hearing aids your parents or grandparents wore. The ability to eliminate feedback is just one of many benefits that Pure Sound hearing aids now provide. Experience these benefits for yourself by asking your hearing professional for a demonstration of the latest technology. A hearing aid is a small electronic device that is typically worn in or behind the ear(s) to assist with and improve hearing, speech understanding, communication, and overall quality of life. All hearing aids, regardless of style or size, have the same basic components: a microphone, an amplifier, a receiver and a battery. Together, these parts make sounds louder and clearer to the user. Let’s break down these key components Every hearing aid has four key components Microphone The first major component or part is the hearing aid microphone, which picks up sounds from the surrounding environment and converts them into electrical signals. Amplifier Next is the hearing aid amplifier. The hearing aid amplifier increases the overall power or loudness of the signals received from the microphone. Specialized filters and equalizers modify the sounds, so that only sounds relevant for the user are amplified. Receiver The third basic component of a hearing aid is the receiver, also known as a speaker. It converts the electrical signals from the microphone into acoustic signals heard by the user. Battery The battery serves as the power source for hearing aids. Hearing aids typically require special batteries that come in a variety of sizes. Hearing aid batteries typically last between 5 to 14 days. Battery life varies depending on the battery size, needs of the user, hearing device, complexity of the user’s listening environments, amount of usage and more.  Many hearing aids have these common parts Depending on the size and style, some hearing aids may have additional parts. These are typically decided upon and ordered with the clinician, based on the user's lifestyle, needs, hearing loss, etc. Some examples of these are: an earmold, ear hook, an air vent, a volume control, a memory control, a telecoil, and a wax guard. Ear Hook This is a clear plastic attachment that connects to the device and loops over the top of the ear. The ear hook attaches the hearing aid to the tubing. This part can only be found on Behind-The-Ear (BTE) devices. Earmold An earmold is a custom in-the-ear piece that is attached to the hearing aid in order to help contain the sound within the wearer's ear. A custom earmold is made from an impression of the ear, taken by the clinician. Whether someone needs an ear mold is a decision best made with your hearing professional.  Vent This is a hole that goes all the way through a custom hearing aid or earmold. It allows for airflow in and out of the ear to help prevent infection and the felling of a plugged-up ear. Wax Guard (ex. Hear Clear) A wax guard is a small filter that catches the earwax, preventing it from getting into the electronic components of the hearing aid. Ask your hearing healthcare provider if you have questions about how often to change your wax guard (Hear Clear). Volume Control This allows the user to adjust the loudness of sounds. This switch or button is not available on all styles of hearing aids and may not be desirable for all hearing aid users. Note, many hearing aids today offer volume control via a mobile app or wireless accessory. Memory Control A memory control allows the user to switch between memories that have been pre-programmed into the hearing aids for a variety of environments. A switch or button control feature is also not available on all styles of hearing aids and may not be desirable for all hearing aid users. Note, many hearing aids today offer memory control via a mobile application or wireless accessory. Telecoil A telecoil (sometimes called a t-coil) is a small magnetic sensor offered in some hearing aids. T-coils allow hearing aids to directly connect to different sound sources, like a telephone or public address system. In some specific situations, a t-coil offers sound quality improvements over a traditional microphone allowing the hearing aid user to hear the desired signal more easily, particularly in environments with background noise. In properly equipped venues, t-coils can permit a hearing aid to act as a personal loud speaker for a public sound system.  A hearing professional will ensure you get the right hearing aid for your needs Remember that the key to hearing aid satisfaction is not the device alone but working with a professional you trust to help you choose and fit the right hearing aid for your unique needs. To find a Pure Sound hearing aid professional near you, click here.
 How Do Hearing Aids Help Us Hear Better? Hearing aids are electronic sound amplifiers that work similar to the way a microphone amplifies your voice when you speak into it. With the help of modern technology, however, hearing aids the size of a dime are able to incorporate a loudspeaker, amplifier, battery and microphone into one discreet package that fits in or over your ear. How Hearing Aids Work Sounds emerge as longitudinal waves in response to pressure variations within a specific medium, such as air or water. When an object vibrates, the air around it will also vibrate. If you are not wearing a hearing aid, the vibrations spreading outward from a vibrating object create sound waves that eventually reach your ears. The sound waves stimulate special hair cells that send the waves to your eardrum to make the eardrum vibrate rapidly. Nerves extending from your eardrum into the parietal lobe of your brain help the brain interpret sound waves as recognizable sounds. Analog Hearing Aids If you are wearing an analog hearing aid, the microphone inside the hearing aid will pick up sound waves and convert them into electrical currents or signals. Analog hearing aid amplifiers then increase the size of these electrical signals so you can hear them more clearly. Also called programmable hearing aids, analog hearing aids offer more than one volume setting so you can adjust to soft, loud or normal range sounds. Digital Hearing Aids Instead of converting sound waves into electrical signals, digital hearing aids convert them into numerical codes. You could compare these numerical codes to the binary code a computer needs to operate, except that converted sound wave codes contain information about the sound’s loudness or pitch. Digital hearing aids may also be programmed to detect sounds coming from specific directions instead of on all sounds coming from all directions.  What Material Are Hearing Aids Made Of?
Hearing aid materials include acrylic, soft vinyl and silicone. Acrylic is a popular material because it facilitates insertion and removal of in-the-ear hearing aids and comes in hypoallergenic formulas. Although soft vinyl offers benefits for active children needing hearing aids, it tends to shrink and harden in time. Receiver-in-canal (RIC) and open-fit hearing aids are often made using soft vinyl because this material increases comfort level and works well as a retainer of receiver tubing coming from the hearing aid. For people with allergies to acrylic or soft vinyl, regular or “pure” silicon eliminates allergy issues and is almost as comfortable as soft vinyl. Hearing aids can also be fashioned out of polyethylene if the wearer is allergic to all other hearing aid materials. Leading Hearing Aid Manufacturers Pure Sound Hearing Aids provides superior quality hearing aids from virtually all of the country’s leading hearing manufacturers, such as Siemens, Oticon, Phonak, Resound, Starkey, Unitron, and many more. Call us today at to learn more about how to find the best hearing aid for your needs and how to receive your free hearing test. |
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