 According to an author for the Harvard Business Review, 70 decibels of background noise may actually enhance our creative thinking ability. Moderation is the key with listening--but at 70 decibels, everything seems right.
The author explains that a coffee shop, for example, might be more conducive to creativity than an office. David Burkas examined how background noise levels affect creativity. Noise that is not too loud but not too soft, either, seems to be the best. The study concluded that between silence and a range of decibel levels that everything was statistically insignificant, except for 70 decibels. At 70 decibels, these groups outperformed other groups with creativity. Noise can be good, but watch out for anything 85 decibels and louder. If you think you might have hearing loss, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
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 We have been hearing a lot about Over the Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid scams recently. Many of these scams are in everyday TV, Newspaper, Direct Mail, and Internet ads right here in Lancaster County, PA. The following statement was posted on the FDA's website a few days ago.
There are no products that can claim to address hearing loss that are, or can claim to be OTC hearing aids within the meaning of section 520(q) of the FD&C Act as amended by FDARA." The statement goes on to say: Hearing aids continue to be restricted devices, for which sales must follow applicable federal and state requirements. When shopping for hearing aids, use caution and always use a professional who is licensed to fit hearing aids. Our hearing aid specialists are licensed and trained to fit most of the brand named products on the market today. If you are noticing hearing difficulties, please contact Pure Sound Hearing Aids to have your hearing professionally amplified.  There are Seeing Eye service dogs for their blind or low-seeing partners, but you might not know that there are also Hearing Ear service dogs to assist the deaf or hard of hearing.
What can Hearing Ear dogs do? Hearing Ear dogs can alert their partners about various sounds, such as someone calling their owner’s name, alarms, a baby crying, or the doorbell. The Hearing Ear dog can wake up the owner at night during a fire alarm and get him or her to safety. Even if a certain sound has not been part of training, the dog looking in a certain direction can help alert the owner of trouble, such as a traffic accident. The world of sound is vastly varied and a Hearing Ear dog can be vital in the process. How are Hearing Ear dogs trained? Hearing Ear dogs can be gotten from breeders or animal shelters. The main thing is that they need to be friendly, energetic, and ready to work. Dedicated professionals train the dogs. Basic obedience training, plus acclimation to everyday public situations, comes first. Public situations can consist of everything from riding an elevator to navigating busy streets. Then, they receive audio response training. They learn to respond to specific sounds and subsequently physically alert their handler. Training takes a few months to a year. Sometimes the trainer will work with the dog in the owner’s home to recognize other sounds, such as the washing machine buzzing or microwave beeping. Recognizing a Hearing Ear dog You will see a special brightly-colored leash and collar or a cape or jacket. They can access any public area by law and are protected in housing developments that don’t allow pets. They offer love and protect their partners well in the world of sound. If you would like to know more about Hearing Ear dogs, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  If you have just five friends, one of them is guaranteed to experience hearing loss. It’s the case that 20 percent (one in five) of Americans have hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. The thing is, hearing loss is common. As you age, the more common it becomes. It’s a major public health issue, and it is the third most common physical condition for adults. More statistics are below:
The good thing is that hearing loss can be treated. The Better Hearing Institute reports that 90 to 95 percent of people with hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids. If you need to find out more about hearing loss, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  According to experts, a third of people will have enough irreversible damage to the hair cells in their inner ear to experience hearing loss by age 65. It has been said that we are likely to experience an increase in hearing loss as we age. Age-related hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss. The tiny hair cells in our ears, which are critical to hearing, wear out over time. Everything weakens with age. But we can protect our hearing by using hearing protection over the course of life, plus hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids. In this way, the quality of life can be preserved.
To get more hearing information, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Today’s hearing aids have revolutionized the lives of people with hearing loss. These high-tech devices allow for better hearing in any situation. Conversely, there are many apps created for additional help. Apps help you get the most from your hearing aids, guard your hearing health, and offer new ways to connect with others.
The 5 best hearing apps are:
If you have any questions about apps, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  The United States has been helped by the Starkey Hearing Foundation more than any other country. The Foundation provides hearing help to low-income Americans. An application-based program, the initiative is to provide and fit qualified people with new, top-of-the-line hearing aids that are customized to their hearing loss. If you know someone who is in need, contact the Hear Now program at 800-328-8602.
Thousands of generous providers around the country donate their time and services to the cause. They do hearing aid fittings and follow-up care. New providers are always welcome to further the cause. If you need hearing aid assistance outside of the United States, please call the international team at 866-354-3254. Please contact Pure Sound Hearing Aids for more hearing information.  Generating billions in annual health care costs, falls are some of the most frightening injuries experienced by older adults. The reasons seniors are more prone to falls are that they might have a reaction to medications, experience weakness, possess slower reflexes, or develop vision problems.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say people with mild hearing loss are three times more likely to have a history of falling than people with normal hearing. In their 2012 study, they determined that untreated hearing loss can increase the risk of falling. Less awareness of the overall environment is why people without hearing aids may be more prone to falling. If you don’t want to risk tripping and falling anymore, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for the best quotes on hearing aids.  Hearing is a complex process, which involves various neurological pathways to the brain, sound waves, tiny nerve cells, and tiny bones. They work together so we can hear all types of sounds. However, some people hear in color, which is called synesthesia.
What does it mean to hear in color? Psychology Today says that hearing in color (synesthesia) is a condition of the brain in which the stimulation of one sensory pathway--like hearing--leads to stimulation of another sensory pathway--like vision. Synesthesia can occur in different ways, but one of the most common ways is to hear in color. For instance, musical notes bring about flashes of color, specific to each unique noise. Other occurrences, although less common, constitute people experiencing physical sensations when hearing sounds or even having distinct tastes in their mouths when hearing sounds. The link between synesthesia and hearing loss People with hearing loss or deafness heavily use other senses to comprehend the world around them. With music, for example, your brain bypasses your ears so you can experience it if you can’t hear. Vibrations are experienced in the auditory cortex, which shows activity, and that doesn’t happen with those who have normal hearing. The auditory cortex processes sound but vibrations of music can strongly be experienced there in those who are deaf or have hearing loss. Essentially, your brain fills in the soundscape gaps with your other senses. If you want to know more about synesthesia, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Finding a professional to trust for your hearing care needs can be challenging. Hearing is important to your well-being, just like having good health, vision, and dental care. Your quality of life and peace of mind are conducive to finding the most dependable hearing professional. Here’s how to find who’s right for you:
They don’t just fit hearing aids Hearing care professionals do a lot to ensure your hearing health. They do evaluations and treatment recommendations, as well as hearing aid services and follow-up care. You will need to find a hearing instrument specialist you feel comfortable with and who will take good care of you. For the best help with hearing needs, please contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 360 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. That’s 5 percent of the world’s population. If you subtract the word “disabling” from the equation, there are 750 million adults with hearing loss, they say. That’s 10 percent of the adult population. However, hearing loss doesn’t have to be disabling to disrupt the quality of someone’s life.
Treating hearing loss is a wonderful thing indeed. You can experience life’s precious moments again. You will want to embrace life, not hide from it, because you won’t be missing out on special times. Also, treating hearing loss minimizes or negates negative consequences, such as related health problems. If you would like to seek treatment for hearing loss, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for help.  Don’t worry; hearing tests don’t hurt at all, so there’s no reason not to get regular checks on your hearing.
The overall process A hearing test is only part of the process. You will be given a hearing evaluation, which includes a hearing test. In a hearing evaluation, you will provide your case history, and your ears will be examined painlessly with an otoscope. The otoscope allows for a clear view of the ear canal and eardrum to see if there are any problems. Also, there will be a check for debris in the ear canal--any debris, like excessive earwax, would interfere with the hearing test results. If earwax has to be removed, that won’t hurt either--it just may be a little uncomfortable. The hearing test None of the steps in a hearing test are painful. You will sit in a soundproof booth or quiet area. The hearing specialist will have you wear headphones or ear inserts. A series of tones of changing frequencies will occur in each ear separately. You will respond to each tone by raising your hand or pushing a button. It’s called a Pure Tone test. What follows the hearing test is a speech test. You will have to repeat words spoken into the headphones. This test doesn’t hurt either. Afterward, a tympanometry test may be done to check the movement of the eardrum. This is done by placing an insert into the ear. The insert releases a puff of air to quantify movement of the eardrum. It’s also painless. It’s just to assess your middle ear health and to determine if there is fluid behind your eardrum. Once everything is done, the specialist will review the results with you. And then he or she will make any needed recommendations for consideration. If you would like to schedule a hearing test, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Many people living with someone who has hearing loss have learned a lot along the way, like enunciating words, having face-to-face interactions (to direct their voices), and not taking the gift of hearing as a given.
People who have hearing aids will tell you that their quality of life has vastly improved by wearing them. More sounds come their way and the clarity is phenomenal. Also, hearing aids have come a long way since the old analog days. They are now digital and so far reaching. When someone has tinnitus and hearing loss together, the challenge to hear is all the more greater. Many people with this problem have learned to have a sense of humor. Counting your blessing, not your losses, makes a big difference in life. Some people with hearing loss have become really great listeners, too, learning body language and listening to tones to become a totally present listener, which adds a whole new dimension to hearing when you do get hearing aids. Therefore, hearing loss can be a blessing in disguise in that way. It teaches a beautiful lesson. With hearing loss, you can feel isolated and depressed without hearing aids. You might feel like everything in life is lost. But with hearing aids, all the joy returns. Don’t settle to be just a spectator in life--be an active participant. Don’t miss out on important moments. Get hearing aids. Most wearers will tell you that it is truly worth it. The world is filled with noise; it shapes your reality. You need to know what’s going on. And, it’s not good to make others suffer with your hearing loss--your children might grow up repeating themselves all of the time with everyone out of habit. This awareness is something some wearers have learned. Don’t let hearing loss slow you down. Be resilient. Many people suffer from hearing loss, so you are not alone. With hearing aids, you will lose the word “huh” from your vocabulary, as wearers will tell you. Also, if you can’t afford hearing aids, there are foundations that can help. Wearing them will help you change embarrassment from not hearing to empowerment in being able to hear again. So, if you have hearing loss, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for more information and a free hearing test.  Hyperacusis is a diminished ability to stand normal environmental sounds. Listening becomes unbearable because everything is heard with a lot of pain and as much louder than someone who doesn’t have it. A person with regular hearing can stand noise without discomfort up to about 120 decibels, while ordinary sounds can be intolerable to someone with hyperacusis.
Many hyperacusis sufferers also have tinnitus--ringing in the ears. Sound therapy can help people with either of these conditions. But nothing can cure hyperacusis. The collapsed tolerance of normal listening to sounds is something that can only be managed, not cured. If you have problems with hearing and need more information, please contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Starkey, a hearing aid manufacturer, strives to help people hear better. That’s their goal, and it has been for the last 50 years. Starkey promises to help you.
Starkey says that there are five stages to hearing loss. They are:
Let Starkey help you. They make great hearing aids for whatever stage of hearing loss you’re in. Contact Pure Sound Hearing Aids for more information.  Understanding speech is one of the hardest problems in dealing with hearing loss. There’s a difference between hearing and understanding. You can hear speech, but not necessary be able to understand it. With hearing loss, it is not really about hearing the speech but being able to tell one letter or sound from another. Frequencies are lost and the brain can’t interpret those sounds anymore. Each consonant, word ending, sound, and vowel corresponds to a particular frequency; when frequencies are lost, speech understanding goes with it.
Perception of speech will suffer. The auditory and neurological pathways are affected. You might be able to hear sound but not be able to interpret it. As the tiny hair cells in the ears diminish, speech perception diminishes--according to a 2012 study. Listening fatigue, poor cognitive performance, and slow speech perception all impact someone with hearing loss. Therefore, it becomes horribly hard to understand what’s being said. It’s not so much about failures of perception as it is diminishing cognitive performance. The auditory system is a conduit to hearing but the brain is what hears. If you have even mild hearing loss and are worried about cognitive decline, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for solutions.  Your brain is just as important as your ears in the hearing process. You experience sound via the brain harnessing sound waves, which enter through the ears. The brain translates the sound waves into music, words, and other noises. But how does the process really work?
Steering sound to the brain Steering sound to the brain, ears are complex pathways that capture, process, and transmit sound. The outer ear helps send sound into the ear canal until it gets to the eardrum. The eardrum then vibrates from the sound. Vibrations go through the three tiny bones in the middle ear, which raise the vibrations and push them into the inner ear. When getting to the cochlea, tiny hair cells react to the vibrations and make them become electrical signals, which are captured by the auditory nerve. At this point, the brain is in charge and the process of hearing really begins. The brain’s role Vibrations are sent from the auditory nerve in each ear to the cochlea nucleus, one of two clusters in the brain stem. The cochlear nuclei process the sound information gathered and organize it according to duration, intensity, and pitch. Based on how each sound is arranged, they’re sent to different parts of the brain for more processing and interpretation. At the base of the brain is the thalamus, which also aids in processing sound. Here, sound is further scrutinized to determine if there is any danger in what’s heard, like screams for help or an alarm. Such sounds trigger the fight or flight response. Then, the next destination is the auditory cortex. It enables us to understand conversations by processing individual syllables and words. In essence, it processes speech. Another function of the auditory cortex is to identify and recognize other sounds, such as musical instruments. It also determines volume and directionality. Other parts of the brain are also instrumental in processing sound. The prefrontal cortex gives sound meaning, by adding context from the facial expressions, tone, and words of other people. Hearing loss Hearing loss diminishes the process of the brain turning vibrations, which enter through the ears, into recognizable sounds. Left untreated, hearing loss causes sound to become garbled, muddled, or meaningless. However, hearing aids can help correct this problem. If you think you need hearing aids, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  The global hearing aid market is growing. Development of new products has become the trend. Why? The market is growing because of the global rise in hearing loss patients. As the global aging population increases--and it is increasing--there is a rise in hearing difficulties, which creates a bigger need for hearing aids. Some of the factors contributing to hearing loss include increasing noise pollution, genetic factors, trauma, aging, and bacterial infections.
The hearing instruments segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 77 percent of the market. This product segment is expected to dominate for some time. If you suffer from hearing loss, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  Hearing loss doesn’t just happen to older people; that’s a myth. It’s not just the effects of the aging process that lend itself to hearing loss. Young people and children in increasing numbers experience hearing loss, too.
Hearing loss causes Some form of hearing loss affects about one out of five teenagers. Today, there is a huge increase of about 30 percent of teenagers with hearing loss compared to the 1990s. Sadly, those numbers will probably continue to grow. One point one billion individuals between the ages of 12 and 35 years old are tremendously subject to hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Why is this happening? Even though side effects of illnesses and genetics are two of the usual culprits out of several, noise-induced hearing loss is the biggest reason for it in teenagers. Wearing earbuds and headphones too much contribute largely to the problem, today. There are plenty of warnings about the detriments of listening to loud music all the time, but these cautions usually go unheeded. But is not only listening devices that contribute to hearing loss in teenagers. Loud bars and concerts or playing music in a band are also factors. Conversely, obesity in young people is another problem connected to hearing loss, according a study at Columbia University, which found that hearing in 15.16 percent of obese young people, compared to 7.89 non-obese peers, experienced hearing difficulties. Ways to protect your hearing Sixty percent of of childhood hearing loss is preventable, according to the WHO study. The way to prevent the hearing loss is to not put yourself in excessively loud situations too often. When listening to music through earbuds or headphones, use the 60/60 rule: put the volume at 60 percent and only listen for 60 minutes per day. You can also wear hearing protection at concerts or in other loud situations. With obesity, lifestyle plays a major role. Hearing health can be protected by weight loss in a healthy manner. Staying active and eating healthy foods are the best ways to combat obesity and hearing loss. However, remember to have regular hearing tests as a prevention, as well. Now is the time to act. Contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a hearing test and, if needed, treatment options.  Members of the Downtown Fort Smith Sertoma Club helped raise money for an 80-year-old woman’s hearing aids. Her hearing was so bad that she forgot, for example, the sound of frying bacon. It was to the point that, after getting hearing aids, such a sound was “fantastic” to her. She is grateful to the Club.
The Club raises about $12,000 to fund each campaign for hearing aids for those in need. The Club president said that hearing aids are expensive, depending upon the severity of hearing loss. But they make it their mission to help, as do other clubs. A lot of insurance companies offer little or no coverage. Medicare and Medicaid offer nothing. Sometimes a church or family member will help, but non-profits like the Club are indispensable. There are organizations and programs out there for those in need. For more information, contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  On June 7, 2018, it was reported that the U.S. State Department has brought a group of U.S. diplomats home from China for observation for illness, after they reported hearing strange noises. At least one diplomat was confirmed to be suffering from a mysterious illness and another diplomat reported sickness, too. The situation is possibly related to a sound assault that previously occurred in Cuba and caused a malady resembling a brain injury. The diplomats are all being evaluated and an investigation is being conducted to see if the situation is related to the Cuba incident. Some time ago, 24 U.S. diplomats in Cuba were the victims of sinister sound weapons used in an acoustic attack. The incident in China may be unrelated, but an investigation continues. The precise nature of the injuries suffered are being analyzed.
For more information on noise-induced hearing loss, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  School-aged children with hearing loss benefit from wearing remote microphones. But researchers wanted to know about preschoolers wearing a system at home. Your child must hear 45 million words to be ready for school. The Roger™ microphone system (RMS) worn in addition to hearing aids at home for preschoolers can expose your child to two million more words per year.
What does that mean for a growing brain? According to the Journal of Hearing, Speech, and Language Research, exposure to a large number of words and a child’s subsequent vocabulary are correlated. Also, consistent exposure to a plentiful vocabulary means a lot for language development and additional learning. Plus, word exposure has a positive impact on academic success, cognitive abilities, and language abilities. Normal hearing children who heard 45 million words by their fourth birthdays were better prepared when they entered school than language-deprived peers, according to a Hart and Risley study done in 1995. And when these same children were followed into the third grade, they were stronger readers, got higher test scores, and had bigger vocabularies. The RMS It’s hard for children with hearing loss to hear in the presence of background noise and at a distance. The RMS doesn’t just help children with hearing loss to have better vocabulary and language development. Parents with a child having this system were more willing to talk at a distance with more confidence that their child would hear them. The RMS gives a child with hearing loss the tools he or she needs to reach his or her full potential. For more information on hearing loss, please contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  There are ideal places for people with hearing loss to travel. Even though vacations are fun, some destinations might prove to be a challenge because of the listening environment. But below are five ideas for great vacationing, if you have hearing loss:
Contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for more great ideas. You can also get a free hearing test.  The news sweeping the nation is all about Yanny versus Laurel. Have you heard about it?Or, let’s ask, what do you hear when you listen to the soundbite recording? There’s one recording, but some people hear the word “Yanny,” while others hear the word “Laurel.” The two are vastly different. It’s kind of like an optical illusion, where some people see a duck and others see a bunny. Shading allows the artist to draw two things that occupy the same space. With the recording, it’s all about frequency. With the Yanny versus Laurel story, Laurel is the correct word. A student played the word Laurel and heard Yanny. Now, everyone is talking about what is heard.
Everyone hears differently Your ears collect sounds, while the brain interprets them.The frequencies your brain is tuned into will determine what you hear, scientists think. Your ears are unique. Someone else’s ears on your head would sound differently, according to a psychologist who studies speech science. He says that differently shaped ears hear differently. In addition, everyone’s brain is unique. Perspective, background, and experience are all factors that influence the brain. All factors put together, including with your ears, it’s no wonder there’s a big debate on what’s heard. Your particular hearing needs If you have hearing loss and want to see a hearing instrument specialist, keep in mind your particular hearing needs. A professional can help you select what’s best for you, according to what you hear. For more information, contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids.  According to the CDC, a New Vial Signs study shows that millions of people with hearing damage perceive their hearing as excellent.
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