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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

  • You often have to ask people to repeat what they say.
  • People seem to be speaking unclearly.
  • It’s hard to follow a conversation against background noise.
  • Friends and family say you have the TV or radio on too loud.
  • You have to sit in the front rows to hear properly in church, in large conference rooms or at the theatre.

Sounds have different frequencies and different levels of intensity (volume). The unit of measurement for frequency is Hertz (Hz), and for volume, decibels (dB).

The frequencies we can hear range from the very low (20 Hz) to the very high (20 000 Hz). Volume ranges from 0 dB (very quiet) to 120 dB (extremely loud). A hearing test (audiogram) measures the lowest volume we can hear at each frequency.

If you notice your child isn’t hearing very well, try to get help as soon as possible, even if he or she has already had a hearing test. Consult an ear nose and throat specialist (ENT), who will assess the problem and find out the cause. He or she might also suggest treatment if required. You should have an audiogram done by an audiologist to ascertain the hearing thresholds of your child.

Our Hearing Aid Acousticians are here to guide you and refer you if need be to other professional resources such as our ENT and audiology partners. These are situated in the same building and on the same floor as our Clinic.

 

Signs of hearing loss in toddlers:

  • Reacts strangely to noises.
  • Is slow to pick up language skills.
  • Speaks unclearly.
  • Turns up the volume of the TV or CD player.
  • Doesn’t follow instructions.
  • Often says “What?” or “Huh?”
  • Doesn’t answer when called.

Signs of hearing loss in babies:

  • Doesn’t flinch, move or cry at unexpected noises.
  • Is not wakened by loud noises.
  • Doesn’t turn his or her head in the direction of your voice.
  • Doesn’t spontaneously mimic sounds.

There are health risks involved in listening to iPods and MP3 players. They can seriously damage the ears, and listening to music on them at high volume for a long period can cause irreversible hearing loss.

 

Scientists estimate that between 5% and 10% of people risk deafness if they listen at high volume and for more than one hour a day for at least 5 years.

 

To reduce these risks, the device should not be used for more than one hour daily, and the volume should be below 60% of its maximum. Also, headphones should be used and not ear buds.

Many factors can cause hearing loss:

  • Ageing
  • Regular exposure to loud, repetitive noise
  • Heredity
  • Illness
  • Drug intoxication
  • Build-up of ear wax
  • Violent blow to the head
  • Difficulty following conversations at a meeting or in a small group of people.
  • You fear you won’t hear properly during a conference call using a hands-free phone.
  • You fear difficulty hearing in large conference halls with no microphone or loudspeakers.
  • You often have to ask colleagues, clients and family to repeat themselves.
  • People seem not to be speaking clearly.
  • When using a cellphone you don’t hear everything.
  • You feel tired and have trouble concentrating.
  • You avoid noisy restaurants where you won’t be able to hear colleagues, clients, friends or family.
  • You avoid dimly-lit bars and restaurants where you won’t be able to lip-read.

In the case of work-related hearing loss, it’s difficult to control the source of the noise. Usually, the individual has to take measures. He or she should use a hearing protection accessory if measures in the collective agreement to eliminate or reduce noise are insufficient or impossible to apply. If you think you might be at risk, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Our Hearing Aid Acousticians can recommend a range of equipment to protect you from noise damage.

  • Ear-muffs, earplugs etc. made-to-measure at our clinic.
  • Regular Hearing tests.

In many cases, the problem is the result of illness or trauma such as:

  • Hearing loss
  • Heart disease or high blood pressure
  • Ear or sinus infections
  • Side-effects of drugs
  • Blows to the head or neck
  • Auditory trauma such as exposure to explosions or to extremely loud music
  • Dirt or ear wax lodged in the ear canal
  • Dental problems
  • Some types of tumour
  • Unknown cause

Tinnitus is more a symptom than a disease, so it is important to tackle its cause. However, current research indicates it may be possible in the future to treat tinnitus by stimulation of the vagus nerve.

Our audioprosthetists are trained in hearing disorders. They can suggest a variety of solutions for people suffering from tinnitus:

  • Masking the tinnitus (white noise or Zen generator, plus hearing aid)
  • Treatment of the illness causing the tinnitus
  • Special medication
  • Acoustic habituation therapy
  • Cognitive behavioural therapy

Even if your tinnitus proves persistent, there are ways of helping you tolerate it. It depends on its intensity and how much it interferes with your life.

In around 25% of cases, the problem disappears of its own accord, without any treatment.

Sufferers can follow certain rules to avoid making the problem worse:

  • If you also suffer from hearing loss, wear your hearing aid
  • Avoid loud noises
  • Listen to music at a reasonable volume
  • Don’t take drugs that are potentially harmful to the ears, over a long period
  • Avoid complete silence if you have hyperacusis (extreme sensitivity to sound)
  • Don’t hesitate to get regular medical follow-up if the tinnnitus is a booming pulsation or occurs in one ear only.

If you think you have tinnitus, contact us now for an appointment with one of our Hearing Aid Acoustician, who will inform and guide you.

What could be more natural and normal than to hear well with both ears. This is how the human hearing system is designed. This is why hearing loss very often occurs in both ears. Remember that deafness is one of the primary causes of loss of autonomy in the elderly.

It is therefore important to understand that if you have hearing loss in both ears, it is best to wear two hearing aids, one in each ear. This is the best way to hear as naturally as possible. You will enjoy greater listening comfort since the volume will be of better quality than with a single hearing aid. You will have a better ability to localize sounds and a better understanding of speech in noise.

The combined efficiency and sound quality provided by new connectivity technologies between two hearing aids are also recognized by the Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). It covers the costs for children, workers and the visually impaired.

 

For the elderly, the RAMQ covers the cost of the first device if the hearing loss is at least 35 decibels in each of the ears. Unfortunately, the RAMQ does not cover the costs of the second device despite representations made by hearing care professionals and organizations representing the elderly. This is why many older people wear only one hearing aid despite the recommendation of the hearing care professional, and despite the clear benefits of wearing a binaural hearing aid.

The decision to opt for binaural hearing aids is made when choosing the hearing aid.

 

Would you accept that your glasses only had one lens fitted to your eyesight even if you also have a visual impairment in the other eye?

 

It is important to trust the recommendations of your hearing care professional. In addition to the comfort and the feeling of stereophony that you will experience, know that technology evolves very quickly. This is why we recommend that you have both hearing aids on at the same time to prevent the model from being incompatible with your first hearing aid. When making the choice, you can take advantage of a set period of learning that allows you to truly appreciate the benefits that a binaural hearing aid can give you.