Which Hearing Aids Should You Wear if You Have High-Frequency Hearing Loss?

Have you ever wondered why dogs have the ability to hear particular sounds, while humans do not hear those same sounds?

The average human ear has the ability to hear limited frequencies, ranging between 20 hZ to 20 kHZ.  

High frequency hearing loss is caused by dead or damaged sensory hearing cells that are located inside your cochlea (the spiral-shaped cavity that forms a division of your internal ear). These sensory hearing cells are also known as hair cells, and function as translators for the sounds that you hear. After you hear a noise, your brain will decipher it as a sound. High frequency noises are recognized in the lower section of the cochlea, and low frequency noises are recognized near the top of the cochlea.  

Those who have high frequency hearing loss also have trouble hearing sounds that have a higher pitch. This may include the treble sounds in music, some women’s voices, or the chirping of birds. High frequency hearing loss is very common, especially among men. Early signs of high frequency hearing loss is struggling to understand speech in noisy circumstances, notably if the individual who is speaking is a woman or a child.   

Being exposed to noise, aging, Meniere’s disease, or using ototoxic drugs (any drug that has a toxic effect on the ears or their nerves), are common causes for high frequency hearing loss or permanent damage to your inner ear hair cells.

Technology for Frequency Compression

Technology used for compressing or lowering frequencies, is a phenomenon in the development of modern hearing aid devices. This component takes high frequency sounds and changes them, with little distortion, to lower frequencies so that hearing aid wearers are able to hear. Those with high frequency hearing loss can now hear sounds that they have been missing.

Phonak, a Swiss hearing aid manufacturer, made this technology well-known using their SoundRecover feature. This is an original, non-linear frequency compression algorithm, which restricts selected high frequency sounds to a lower frequency range, allowing better hearing responses and the ability to comprehend speech.

Hearing Aids for High-frequency Hearing Loss

Phonak’s Audéo™-B and B-R

Phonak is a leader in frequency compression technology. The Audéo™-B and B-R is powered by Belong Platform, which help hearing aid wearers better comprehend speech (at 20%) and noise (at 60%). It features AutoSense OS, which allows the device to detect surrounding sounds every 0.4 seconds and automatically adjusts itself to give the wearer a vivid experience with listening.  The Audéo™ B-R uses a lithium-ion battery, which gives the users a rechargeable solution. The most recent hearing aids from Phonak have SoundRecover 2, which is the latest adaptation of their frequency shifting technology.

Signia’s Nx

The Signia Nx combats two primary challenges for those new to wearing hearing aids: getting used to the sound of your own voice (some have claimed to hear their own voice as though they are talking out of a barrel), and finely-tuning the hearing aid adjustments. Signia’s Own Voice Processing feature individually examines your voice and your surroundings, to guarantee that your voice will sound natural to you. In contrast to earlier hearing aid designs, the Signia Nx enhances the automatic acceptance of your own voice by 75%.

Signia Nx features: frequency compression, feedback cancellation, EchoShield, SpeechMaster, Ultra HD e2e binaural listening, HD music, and wireless connectivity.

Starkey’s Halo

Starkey has consistently been favored among hearing aid wearers who want a reliable hearing device mixed with state-of-the-art technology. Starkey's Halo made its debut a few years ago, and has now become one of the top award-winning hearing devices available. It’s latest version is the Starkey Halo iQ. This device allows wearers to link their hearing aids and their smartphones (iPhone or Android) using Bluetooth technology. This connection allows you to stream music,  phone calls, videos, and other media directly into your ears.

The Halo iQ also has frequency compression technology, a GPS that archives your listening preferences, and rapid sound processing for a consistent hearing experience.

If you believe that you, or a loved one, may suffer from high-frequency hearing loss, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation about the best hearing aid options available for you. 

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