Three Interesting Facts About Balance and Dizziness

Although Balance Awareness Week has come to a close, September is still Vestibular Awareness Month and Arizona Balance & Hearing Aids is committed to raising as much awareness as possible about balance, dizziness and vestibular disorders throughout the entire month.In a previous post, we overviewed what vestibular disorders are, and the festivities and fundraisers surrounding Balance Awareness Week. We also added new and in-depth information on symptoms, types, and causes of vestibular disorders on our page dedicated to the issue.This week, we have decided to outline 3 interesting facts that you probably didn’t know about balance, dizziness, and vestibular disorders.

1. Your Ears Control Your Blood Flow

You read that right. We’ve learned from previous posts that our vestibular (or balance) system is made up of three semi-circle canals that lie within the “labyrinth” of our inner ear. Each of these three semi-circles are positioned at different angles and contain a liquid called endolymph. The movement of this liquid as we walk, swim, lie down or swing sends signals to our brain as to where we are within our physical environment – and thus helps us to keep our balance and refrain from dizziness.Did you know that the movement of endolymph in our inner ear also sends signals to the part of our brain that controls blood flow? For example, when you move from lying down to standing, these signals trigger your brain to compensate for this change, and send blood to the appropriate areas of your body that won’t automatically get blood due to gravity. When our vestibular system isn’t working correctly, this can also trigger changes and issues with our blood flow.

2. The Most Common Type of Vestibular Disorder is Very Easily Treatable

As health care professionals, it is always exciting when we can tell patients that treatment for their concerns is quick, non-invasive, painless and effective. Luckily for doctors that treat vestibular disorders, this most often the case when the cause for patients’ dizziness is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or (BPPV).BPPV is the reason for approximately 50% of cases of dizziness in older adults. BPPV is caused by some pieces of calcium carbonate crystals or (otoconia) becoming dislodged and migrating into the three semicircle canals within the labyrinth of our inner ear. Treatment is quick and painless, and at AZ Balance and Hearing Aids will be treated the same day. We simply move your head in painless but extremely carefully calculated positions to move the crystals back into their correct locations. Typically, this simple correction alleviates the symptoms of BPPV.

3. Your Diet or a Vitamin Deficiency May be Making you Dizzy

There are many health concerns that we may automatically attribute to diet – but dizziness isn’t typically one of them. However, dieting and dehydration are leading causes of dizziness. It is recommended that adults drink about 8 glasses of water in an 8-ounce container per day. Considering the busy lifestyle most Americans live, consuming this much water typically takes effort. A chronically dehydrated person may not even notice that they are dehydrated, however, it may be the reason you are feeling dizzy. Follow the 8x8 rule for a few weeks to see if some of your symptoms of dizziness correct themselves.A deficiency of vitamin B-12 can also cause dizziness. According to the CDC, about 3% of adults over the age of 51 have a vitamin B-12 deficiency. B-12 can be found in supplement form in many grocery stores or pharmacies and can also be found in foods such as meat and dairy products. Vitamin B-12 also increases energy levels – an added bonus we could all use from time to time!If you feel concerned about balance issues or dizziness in yourself or a loved one, contact us at AZ Balance & Hearing Aids. We are experts in the area of vestibular disorders and our friendly team is eager to take care of you. Remember, September holds Balance Awareness Week – so what better time than now to seek help for your balance concerns?

About 69 million American adults have suffered or will suffer from a vestibular or balance disorder in their lifetime. To help promote awareness, education and resources for people with vestibular and balance disorders, we at AZ Balance and Hearing Aids (ABHA) have partnered with the Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA) in celebrating Balance Awareness Week. The goal of this year’s Balance Awareness Week is to “Defeat Dizziness TM”, and encourage patients to educate themselves and seek help from a vestibular professional with their balance issues.Although Balance Awareness Week is scheduled for September 12th-18th this year, ABHA will be delving deeper into vestibular and balance issues for the entirety of September.The human body’s process of balancing is also known as the vestibular system. This system allows us to walk, run, swim, and swing without becoming confused – by collecting information that helps our brains to understand our body’s relationship to the environment and gravity.The primary processes of the vestibular system occur within our inner ear. Inside our inner ear lies a “labyrinth” within which the vestibular system operates. Within each labyrinth are three semi-circle canals that lie at different angles and represent our three-dimensional world. Inside each of these canals is a fluid called endolymph. Movement in our bodies causes these fluids to move and “swish around”. The movement of this fluid is the crux of our vestibular system, as it sends signals to our brain that helps us process and understand our body’s location in space.When disease, injury or unknown factors interfere with the vestibular system’s delicate processes, vestibular disorders can occur. Vestibular disorders can cause vertigo (dizziness or a false sense of spinning) and problems with keeping your balance.The symptoms of chronic dizziness or imbalance can have a significant and disabling effect on a person’s quality of life. Including limited ability to groom, or simply move about the house. It is reported that about 11.3% of people with chronic dizziness report symptoms that are severe enough to be considered disabling, and the condition is disabling for 33.4% of adults with chronic imbalance. VEDA reports that, “the painful economic and social impacts of dizziness are significantly underestimated”.The most common vestibular disorder is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). However, labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis, Ménière’s disease, secondary endolymphatic hydrops and perilymph fistula are also quite commonly diagnosed.While most common in older adults, vestibular disorders can affect individuals at any age, including babies and children. Approximately 35% of adults in the United States who are 40 years of age or older have experienced some form of vestibular dysfunction. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 80% of people over 65 experience dizziness, and BPPV (the most common vestibular disorder) is responsible for 50% of these cases of dizziness.[/cs_text][/cs_column]If you want to help ABHA and the Vestibular Disorders Association spread awareness and increase revenue for resources and research on vestibular disorders, there are many ways you can help by celebrating Balance Awareness Week.1. Sign Up for the Dizzy Dash – The Dizzy Dash is a virtual 5K run, which gives you and your team flexibility on when and where you make the dash. Register your team to begin fundraising and for your Dizzy Dash t-shirt! Click here for more information.3. Help spread awareness – Download a free Balance Awareness Week poster, and “Top Ten Vestibular Facts” sheet to hang up at your work place or other boards throughout your community.4. Make Balance Awareness Week go viral – “Like” VEDA’s and ABHA’s Facebook pages and share the inspiring stories, posts and videos with your friends and family!Are you struggling with dizziness or balance issues? Don’t wait for Balance Awareness Week. Contact AZ Balance and Hearing Aids and schedule your consultation today.

Think back to the last time you had a deep and fulfilling conversation with a friend or loved one. What made it so memorable? Where were you, and what did you talk about? Now consider how many times you asked your friend or loved one to repeat themselves, or couldn’t understand what was being said.It’s likely that your most fulfilling conversation with a loved one didn’t include you asking them to repeat themselves, or to speak up. Connection, after all, usually happens when things flow naturally and we are able to focus our energy on what is being shared with us.For those that experience hearing loss, the realities of more difficult and tense conversations is very real. Age-related hearing loss most often affects our ability to understand speech, so we often find ourselves struggling to keep up with conversations or in social environments.So, can a hearing aid improve our relationships with friends and family? The answer is an overwhelming yes. Here are just some of the ways that hearing aids help us lead richer and more fulfilling lives with our loved ones.Those that suffer from hearing loss often find they are exhausted after challenging sound environments, including restaurants and social gatherings. It can be difficult to simply understand what one person is saying, much less an entire group! As our hearing deteriorates, we often find that we withdraw from social situations that would leave us exhausted and embarrassed.Finding a hearing aid that can not only amplify sounds used in speech – but also help amplify speech coming from a certain person or group of people – can prevent this withdrawal. Those that begin using a hearing aid will often find that they feel more social and happier around people. That makes not just the hearing aid wearer happy, but their loved ones happy, too!When we lose our hearing, we most often lose our perception of higher-frequency sounds first. Those sounds are common in the voices of children, whose voices are higher-pitched than those older than them. Of course, it is often difficult to explain to children that we have difficulty hearing or understanding them, so those with hearing loss often feel they are missing out on important opportunities to connect with their children and grandchildren.When we use hearing aids, we are able to hear these higher-pitched voices more clearly. There’s no longer a need to ask a child to repeat themselves or to create distance in our connections with them. This is often one of the most profound reasons we seek out hearing solutions. We only get so much time with those that we love!We often spend time with our loved ones outside of our home – often in restaurants, at parties or even outdoor events. When we leave our homes and go to unfamiliar locations, however, we often find that they are more challenging sound environments. Ambient noise and sound interference can make it hard to focus on the sounds we need – like speech or music.A hearing aid means we can filter out these distracting ambient sounds and amplify more important sounds, like conversations in a movie or over a dinner table. Certain hearing aids even connect wirelessly with hand held microphones or have directional microphones we can control with a smartphone app for even more control!If you are finding that your relationships are suffering because of possible hearing loss, now is the time for a hearing test. Contact our team about scheduling a test and starting your journey toward better hearing.

Really, please don’t panic. It might be distressing to receive a letter from your child’s school stating they have failed their hearing screen. You might feel alone, scared, or even guilty. Firstly, it may be a false positive. You child may have been excited by the break in the normal school routine, trip to the nurses’ office, and the new experience of taking vision and hearing assessments. He may not have understood the directions clearly or taken the assessment seriously. There are many reasons your child could have falsely failed a hearing screen. Even if your child’s hearing seems fine, it is imperative you take the school recommendation seriously and schedule a hearing assessment with us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids. At the screening, the doctor will first ask you a series of questions regarding your family and child’s health and history. Be prepared to answer questions regarding what antibiotics your child has taken and at which age linguistic milestones were accomplished.Next, the doctor will look into your child’s ears with an instrument called an otoscope in order to note any physical damage to the canal or eardrum. Then, your child will undergo a series of painless and quick hearing assessments. The type of assessments will vary based on your child’s age and recommendations from the audiologist, but most involve responding to faint sounds while wearing headphones.When the exam is completed, your audiologist will review the results with you and answer any and all questions you may have. If further treatment is necessary, your doctor will discuss your options based on your child’s specific hearing profile, hearing needs, and lifestyle.If recommended by an audiologist, hearing aids are incredibly powerful tools in helping children with hearing loss achieve all the same milestones and accomplishments as their peers without hearing loss. Study after study has shown astronomically positive effects of hearing aid use in all areas of life.It is estimated that about 80% of people who could benefit from hearing aids do not use them. Don’t let your child be part of that 80%. Instead, allow them the opportunity to accurately hear all the beautiful sounds life has to offer, and develop on par with their peers, both socially and academically.It may feel like you’re the only parent on the planet dealing with this news, but you are absolutely not alone. In fact, there are approximately 32 million children living with hearing loss, all over the world.In the US, the Center for Disease Control estimates that about 15% of children aged 6-19 have low or high frequency hearing loss in one or both ears. You and your child are not alone on this journey. If your child does, in fact, have a hearing issue, early identification and treatment are the best ways to ensure your child will develop appropriate social and academic skills and lead a perfectly normal, healthy, and happy life.Hearing loss should not interfere with your child’s ability to do the things they love. Whether your child is an avid swimmer, dancer, chess player or mathematician, he or she will still be able to participate with the right hearing support. However, it is still imperative that you inform the staff at your child’s school and leaders of their activities of their hearing loss and required interventions.It may also be recommended that certain accommodations be made for your child to succeed in the classroom. This could include simple solutions such as preferential seating or providing your child with visuals to accompany information given verbally. If your child is not able to work to their potential with their hearing support and simple accommodations, you may reach out to the school regarding their process on obtaining a 504 Plan or IEP for your child.Some students with hearing loss need more intervention and support, such as weekly sessions with a speech therapist or alternate modes of taking assessments. If needed, these types of supports will be provided by the school district completely free-of-charge to you.

Manufacturers and researchers are constantly on the hunt for the next big advancement in hearing aid technology. And every year, their hard work pays off with incredible advancements in hearing aid performance and functionality.This year is no different, with 2016 bringing some truly incredible hearing aids onto the market. From digital connectivity to super-fast sound processing, these hearing aids are the ones changing the game this year.Early this year, Signia unveiled what they call their most advanced hearing aid platform yet with the Primax aid. It was the first with technology clinically proven by independent studies to reduce the effort required in listening – plus providing “better than normal” hearing in tough listening environments. That means an easier time understanding what’s being said in busy restaurants and cocktail bars, where disruptive sounds are a continuous problem.Using the binax platform, the Primax provides a binaural experience for easier listening. Plus, Primax boasts the SpeechMaster system, which is specifically designed to enhance speech by orchestrating digital noise reduction, directionality and amplification for a fuller, richer and more intuitive listening experience.Music lovers will love the Signia Primax as well, since it has an HD Music platform to make music even better through the aid. Pair that with EchoShield to soften echoes, and Signia Primax wearers will find a whole new world in hearing with this state-of-the-art aid.Just like the Starkey Halo, ReSound’s LiNX 2 is the perfect aid for the perpetually connected. It’s made for iPhone technology isn’t its best feature, though. The LiNX 2 boasts Binaural Directionality II and Spatial Sense.Binaural Directionality allows the brain to pick up the right sounds when you need them, and Spatial Sense hones in on the direction that the sound comes from for more context. Both work with the brain’s natural ability to process sounds. That means more effortless hearing that leaves a wearer less tired or taxed after a challenging sound situation.Additional SureFit receivers pairs more comfort with better sound quality, and iSolate nanotech coating repels dust and water to keep your hearing aids working better for longer.Powered by the Synergy platform, the Starkey Muse takes its promise of “Made for Life” seriously. Part of a family of wireless hearing instruments new from Starkey, the Muse offers high-quality sound without sacrificing comfort and personalized listening.Like other wireless hearing aids from Starkey, the Starkey Muse connects with SurfLink to connect with phones, music players and other media players to stream sound directly to the aids. The Muse offers a high-definition music listening experience as well, which makes it the perfect aid for musicians and music aficionados.Feedback cancellation and excellent speech intelligibility makes it a great hearing companion for challenging sound environments. An enhanced radio sensitivity also means a streaming range that’s double that of older Starkey models, too. Last but not least, Starkey’s Multiflex Tinnitus Therapy is perfect for those who experience tinnitus as well as single-sided deafness – a unique feature of the Muse.Oticon’s OPN uses Oticon’s exclusive BrainHearing technology, which works in harmony with your brain to provide sound solutions that are more intuitive than other aids. The OPN aid uses a scanner operating at 100 scans per second to analyze a sound environment and adjust accordingly. This hones in on individuals sounds and adjusts levels as needed.At 50 times faster than previous technology, the OPN aid is distinct in its processing ability. The OPN means improved speech recognition by 30%, and listening effort reduction by 20%. That means an easier time listening to conversations in noisy environments, with an aid that can easily separate between noise and sound. Pair that with Bluetooth connectivity for digital devices and the OPN is one of the top aids in 2016.Ready to take 2016’s best aids for a test drive? Contact our team to learn about how you can start your path toward better hearing with one of these groundbreaking hearing aids.

Oticon OPN Hearing Aid Demo DayAugust 26th, 2016! Sometimes there are new advancements in hearing aid technology that you just have to see (or hear!) to believe. That’s exactly the case with the new OPN hearing aid, Oticon’s latest in the BrainHearing line of aids. While every hearing aid has the ability to transform your life for the better, Oticon’s new aid is a breakthrough in hearing aid chip technology that’ll provide the best possible solution for hearing loss.On Friday, August 26th from 8am to 12pm, Lisa Huston of Oticon will visit our office to help you experience the difference in Oticon OPN. This exclusive demo day is your chance to see how this state-of-the-art technology could change your life for the better.What makes Oticon OPN such an event for AZ Balance and Hearing Aids? It’s all about the massive steps forward this new aid brings to challenging sound environments. Before you attend our demo day on August 26th, here’s what you should know about Oticon OPN.

What Makes the Oticon OPN different from other aids?

OPN uses Oticon’s exclusive BrainHearing technology, which works in harmony with your brain to provide sound solutions that are more intuitive than other aids. That’s because OPN is constantly working to analyze your sound environment. This aid scans sounds in your environment 100 times per second, and uses this data to adjust for each individual sound.It wasn’t without a lot of hard work that Oticon developed this game-changing technology. OPN comes from 10 years of research and development, and is 50 times faster than previous technology.

How Will Oticon OPN Help Me?

Oticon OPN is designed to do a couple of things: improve your speech recognition by 30%, and reduces your listening effort by 20%.First up, speech recognition. The OPN is different in how it focuses on how our brains are meant to process speech with background noise. When it scans your environment, it decides what sounds are most important to understanding speech and adjusts accordingly.Plus, it adjusts sound in a way that closely matches how your brain perceives particular sounds, which makes the hearing experience more natural. This reduces listening effort by up to 20%, which is simply to say that hearing in challenging environments becomes less tiring. You can enjoy conversations in restaurants, parties and other noisy environments thanks to the OPN’s more advanced processing technology.The best part of OPN’s technology, however, isn’t just its processing ability. OPN is different in how it processes sound all around you – not just sound right in front of you. You’ll be able to switch between different speakers easily, which means you’re more likely to join into conversations with multiple people.Oticon OPN knows how to separate noise from sound, and works with your brain to make sense of even the most complicated sound environments. Using more advanced processing as well as its TwinLink technology for your aids to communicate ear-to-ear, these hearing aids are transforming hearing aids.

How Will Oticon OPN Fit Into My Lifestyle?

Oticon OPN follows in the footsteps of other Oticon aids by staying connected to your devices. They can connect to your iPhone and even has downloadable apps via the App Store and Google Play so you can take control of your hearing with the swipe of a finger.Plus, OPN connects to the internet via If This Then That, a web service that automates web-based functions. That means that these aids can connect to things we use in every day life, including baby monitors, thermostats, door bells and other devices. Find out what products are compatible over at IFTTT.com.Don’t miss the chance to find out about this game-changing hearing aid! Visit our office on Friday, August 26th from 8am to 12pm for an exclusive chance to demo Oticon OPN for yourself! To reserve your spot, please call call us at 602-265-9000 (or contact us via "LiveChat").

Stay Tuned forFuture Demo Days atAZ Balance & Hearing Aids!

AZ Balance and Hearing Aids offers state-of-the-art hearing aids from many leading manufacturers. We are excited to share the many diverse options available on the market. Our Oticon Opn Demo Day is just the first in a series of Demo Day events! Stay tuned for our upcoming Demo Day featuring Siemens and Signia hearing aid products.

Think back to the last time you had a deep and fulfilling conversation with a friend or loved one. What made it so memorable? Where were you, and what did you talk about? Now consider how many times you asked your friend or loved one to repeat themselves, or couldn’t understand what was being said.It’s likely that your most fulfilling conversation with a loved one didn’t include you asking them to repeat themselves, or to speak up. Connection, after all, usually happens when things flow naturally and we are able to focus our energy on what is being shared with us.For those that experience hearing loss, the realities of more difficult and tense conversations is very real. Age-related hearing loss most often affects our ability to understand speech, so we often find ourselves struggling to keep up with conversations or in social environments.So, can a hearing aid improve our relationships with friends and family? The answer is an overwhelming yes. Here are just some of the ways that hearing aids help us lead richer and more fulfilling lives with our loved ones.Those that suffer from hearing loss often find they are exhausted after challenging sound environments, including restaurants and social gatherings. It can be difficult to simply understand what one person is saying, much less an entire group! As our hearing deteriorates, we often find that we withdraw from social situations that would leave us exhausted and embarrassed.Finding a hearing aid that can not only amplify sounds used in speech – but also help amplify speech coming from a certain person or group of people – can prevent this withdrawal. Those that begin using a hearing aid will often find that they feel more social and happier around people. That makes not just the hearing aid wearer happy, but their loved ones happy, too!When we lose our hearing, we most often lose our perception of higher-frequency sounds first. Those sounds are common in the voices of children, whose voices are higher-pitched than those older than them. Of course, it is often difficult to explain to children that we have difficulty hearing or understanding them, so [x_blockquote type="center"]those with hearing loss often feel they are missing out on important opportunities to connect with their children and grandchildren.[/x_blockquote]those with hearing loss often feel they are missing out on important opportunities to connect with their children and grandchildren.When we use hearing aids, we are able to hear these higher-pitched voices more clearly. There’s no longer a need to ask a child to repeat themselves or to create distance in our connections with them. This is often one of the most profound reasons we seek out hearing solutions. We only get so much time with those that we love!We often spend time with our loved ones outside of our home – often in restaurants, at parties or even outdoor events. When we leave our homes and go to unfamiliar locations, however, we often find that they are more challenging sound environments. Ambient noise and sound interference can make it hard to focus on the sounds we need – like speech or music.A hearing aid means we can filter out these distracting ambient sounds and amplify more important sounds, like conversations in a movie or over a dinner table. Certain hearing aids even connect wirelessly with hand held microphones or have directional microphones we can control with a smartphone app for even more control!If you are finding that your relationships are suffering because of possible hearing loss, now is the time for a hearing test. Contact our team about scheduling a test and starting your journey toward better hearing.

Hearing Aid Accessories For Even Better Hearing

Hearing aids have the ability to change our lives for the better. Our relationships improve, we're able to enjoy our hobbies more easily and we reconnect with the world around us. To say the least, a hearing aid might be the best thing you can do for your health and happiness as you age.But even beyond a hearing aid, there's more to know about solutions to hearing loss. Hearing aids are often just the first step toward better hearing – the right accessories can make all the difference in your hearing experience.After finding the right hearing aid, the next step is to find the right aid accessories. Depending on your budget and your lifestyle, these three clever accessories could be the perfect hearing addition for you.

Hearing Aid Bluetooth Wireless Transmitters

Believe it or not, we're even more connected to our devices than most of us even know. Technology advances every single day, and with each new advancement are new ways to stay connected with our phones, televisions, radios and tablets. Unsurprisingly, hearing aids aren't far behind, with opportunities to connect with our devices included in many aids.Depending on your hearing aid, you can easily connect to your phone and other devices via a Bluetooth transmitter. For an aid wearer, that means getting to bypass listening to sound through a speaker, and instead streaming that sound directly to your aid. This is done using an external transmitter that does the work for you – and with a few clicks of a button, you can take phone calls or listen to the television more easily and with more sound clarity.These are great accessories for those that use their phones, tablets and other ‘smart’ technology on a regular basis.

Rechargeable Batteries and Charging Docks

No one likes finding themselves with a dead battery at an unexpected moment. There are few experiences more frustrating than finding your car battery, phone battery or e-reader battery dead without a replacement or a place to charge them. So imagine how frustrating it can be for hearing aid wearers to find their hearing aid battery dead while out and about – and having no replacement batteries on hand!This is more common than you think, since carrying around replacement batteries is not exactly commonplace. That's where smartphones and aids are different – one can easily be charged while the other needs a replacement battery. However, certain hearing aids make it even easier with rechargeable batteries and charging docks.That means you can easily charge your hearing aid batteries alongside your phone at night, on your bedside table. Depending on the aid, these charges can last up to 12 hours, which means you're unlikely to find yourself without an operating hearing aid during the day. Plus, that means you won't need to fumble with small hearing aid batteries either!Hearing Aid Remote ControlsCall it lazy, but hardly any of us want to get up and walk across the room to change the channel or adjust the volume on our televisions. The same goes for our radios – and the reason we can stay seated while changing settings on our TVs and radios is thanks to the remote control.For hearing aids, settings are often adjusted directly on the aid or automatically adjust. For many aid wearers, they'd prefer more direct and easy-to-see control at their fingertips. Certain hearing aids have remote controls (or even connect to remote control apps for smartphones) so that a wearer can have more control over basic settings like volume or sound environment settings.For those that want control at their fingertips, a remote control can be a great accessory!Of course, it’s always best to make decisions about your hearing needs with the help of a hearing professional. Contact our hearing experts to talk about your specific hearing needs and how to meet them. We’re ready to make your hearing experience the best that it can be!

Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids

333 W Thomas Rd. Suite 208aPhoenix, AZ 85013(602) 265-9000

info@arizonabalance.com

When we begin to lose our hearing, one of the first things that we notice are changes in conversations with friends and loved ones. While we might not notice changes in our ability to hear music, we often notice that conversations on our favorite television shows or chats at parties become almost impossible to understand.This is often one of the biggest reasons someone will seek out a hearing test. That's because these changes we have in our ability to understand speech can have a big impact on our relationships, and our happiness. Hearing aids can transform not just our hearing, but also our relationships with loved ones since they make these conversations not just possible, but also enjoyable!Even though hearing aid wearers will notice improvements in conversations after getting a hearing aid, they often don't know why. Hearing aids are more than just amplifiers of sounds – they change the way we understand particular sounds depending on our hearing needs. When it comes to speech, this is what you should know about hearing aids and speech recognition.

Frequencies in Speech

Just like most sounds, speech is made up of many different frequencies. Combinations of frequencies is what tells our ears and brain if a sound is high or low – high-pitched sounds are actually higher frequencies, while lower sounds are lower frequencies.Combinations of frequencies and our ability to perceive them is what makes it possible to understand speech. That's because these combination of frequencies make up the letters and sound combinations we use in words and sentences. Lower frequencies make sounds like G or B, while higher frequencies make the sound for P or T.When we hear someone speak, we often use these higher frequency sounds to differentiate between words and sounds. It's what tells us if a person is saying the word “bad”, or the word “pat”. However, when we lose our hearing, what often goes first is our ability to understand higher frequency sounds. Consequently, we might not have all of the sound information we need to differentiate between “pat” and “bad”.When words become muddy, we have to concentrate even harder to understand sentences – sometimes to the point where we must watch someone's mouth to understand what is being said. This can be tiresome, and often makes it hard for us to carry on lengthy conversations without becoming too tired or even cranky!Hearing aids target these higher-frequency sounds and amplify them, which makes all the difference in speech. Suddenly our brains are getting the information we need to understand what a person is saying. This can in turn make it easier to carry on longer conversations and help our relationships in the process!

Background Noise and Speech Perception

Understanding speech when we experience hearing loss is hard enough. Combine that with loud environments where background noise competes with sound from speech, and we might find ourselves withdrawing from social situations entirely for fear of losing our ability to speak with our friends and family.Beyond just amplifying high frequency sounds to help with speech, many hearing aids have the ability to amplify sounds coming from a particular direction. That means that when we are in a restaurant and talking to someone across the table from us, our hearing aids can focus amplification on them instead of the clanking of dishes behind us. This makes speech recognition even easier.Depending on your hearing aid, certain aids can focus their microphones in specific directions either automatically or manually. Some hearing aids even have remote controls or smartphone apps that allow us to control the direction of our hearing aid microphones. For even more control, some aids connect to hand-held microphones that we can point toward a speaker!Hearing aids change our lives for the better, and improve our relationships in the process. If you are having a difficult time understanding speech and conversations, it might be a sign that it's time for a hearing test. Contact our team to find out about your hearing and to find the right hearing aid for you!

Best Hearing Aids for Severe to Profound Hearing Loss

What is Severe to Profound Hearing Loss?

Those with hearing loss know that hearing is a personal experience. Within the condition itself, there are many degrees and configurations of one’s hearing abilities. Hearing loss degrees range from mild to profound. Mild and moderate hearing loss interferes with the ability to clearly hear sounds between 25 to 40 decibels (mild hearing loss) and 40 to 70 decibels (moderate hearing loss).Severe hearing loss makes it difficult for people to hear anything quieter than 70 to 95 decibels. People who experience profound hearing loss struggle to hear anything quieter than 95 decibels or higher.Approximately 33% of people with hearing loss experience severe to profound degrees. For those who experience severe to profound hearing loss, high-powered hearing aids are necessary.

Our Top Picks for Severe to Profound Hearing Loss

Hearing aid manufacturers offer hearing aid models that treat severe to profound hearing loss. Here are our top picks.

Siemens Nitro

The Nitro is a behind-the-ear hearing aid that is designed to address severe to profound hearing loss. Nitro offers excellent amplification, outstanding speech intelligibility (especially sounds in lower frequencies), and listening enjoyment. Powered by Siemens’ BestSound Technology, Nitro is equipped with wireless connectivity, allowing wearers to stream phone calls, music, and other media directly to their ears. For all of its power, Nitro has low battery consumption. Nitro also comes equipped with tinnitus therapy and telecoil (to connect to hearing loop systems for extra amplification).

Oticon Dynamo, Sensei SP, and BTE Plus Power

Oticon introduced three power hearing aids in 2015 to address the diverse needs of severe to profound hearing loss. Built on the Inium Sense platform and equipped with Oticon’s BrainHearing Technology, all three hearing aids offer clear sound and better speech understanding. The Speech Rescue feature enhances speech in higher frequencies, and BrainHearing Technology supports the brain’s function in the auditory process, allowing for an easier listening experience. Feedback cancellation eliminates the frustrating sounds of feedback, especially in aids with higher amplification. BTE Plus Power may be found in popular Oticon hearing aid models such as Alta 2, Nera 2, and Ria 2 families. Sensei SP is designed for pediatric hearing loss, while the Dynamo may be coupled with a cochlear implant.

ReSound ENZO2

ReSound’s ENZO2 is a super power smart hearing aid with excellent sound quality and durable design. The Spatial Sense feature gives ENZO2 wearers enhanced directionality to identify where sounds are coming from. ENZO2 has greater amplification without noise and feedback, and better speech understanding. These wireless behind-the-ear hearing aids connect to your personal electronic devices, allowing for phone call and music streaming. Other features include Binaural Directionality II, to deliver spatial awareness and focus on speech within noise; Noise Tracker, to improve listening in noisy environments; and Sound Shaper, to capture high frequency sounds and improve speech audibility.

Widex SUPER

SUPER is a small, receiver-in-the-ear hearing aid that enhances speech in noisy environments, boasts a long battery life, and is weather resistant. SUPER is especially useful for capturing speech from speakers who are situated behind the wearer. SUPER is equipped with a powerful receiver and amplifier, as well as InterEar feedback cancellation which eliminates the whistles of feedback with higher levels of amplification. SUPER is also equipped to soften sudden, harsh loud sounds for a comfortable listening experience. Customized earmolds for the receiver ensure a good fit – and thus, good sound.If you believe you are experiencing higher degrees of hearing loss, contact us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids.

Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids333 W Thomas Rd. Suite 208aPhoenix, AZ 85013(602) 265-9000info@arizonabalance.com

Best Hearing Aids for Kids and Teens

Children with hearing loss face many challenges during different stages of life, from infancy through the school years, and beyond. Hearing loss will impact their life differently in the transition from being in the security of your home to being on their own in challenging environments such as school, sports, and other activities.Studies have shown that early detection and intervention can vastly improve their abilities to develop language skills on a par with hearing peers. These interventions include early family-centered therapy, speech therapies, assistive listening devices, and, of course, hearing aids.

Hearing Aids and Childhood Development

Hearing aids, in particular, are vital to the development of children and teens. Studies have shown that consistent use of hearing aids for children with hearing loss benefits in many ways:

• Although hearing loss happens in the ears, the real effect is in the brain’s auditory centers, so the brain structures must be stimulated to develop. The ears receive the sound, and send signals to the brain, where they are processed to give meaning.
• In order to develop full, rich verbal language, children must be able to tune into the speech sounds around them. It is critical to hear as much as possible during waking hours to support language development, which includes vocabulary, sentence structure, and speaking.
• Hearing aids improve self-confidence and esteem, which, in turn, help with the development of social functioning, academic achievement, and vocational success.

Makers and developers of the latest hearing aid technology have focused on the challenges of hearing impaired children and teens, and offer many safe and resilient hearing aids options to meet their ever-changing needs as they progress from infancy to adolescence.

Best Hearing Aids for Kids & Teens

Siemens Active Kids and Teens Portfolio feature several options. The Carat A connects to FM assistive listening systems and streams sound directly to kids’ ears – an asset in the classroom. It also improves speech in noise and wind. The Pure hearing aid is discreetly designed and rechargeable, with many high-tech features.For teens, Siemens offers Motion SX, SA, and PX, rechargeable hearing aids with the capacity to treat higher degrees of hearing loss. The Nitro hearing aid is designed specifically to address severe to profound hearing loss. Insio is a discreet, in-the-ear hearing aid. For more active kids, the fully waterproof Aquaris provides great sound in any environment, whether it’s the pool or the classroom.Oticon offers their Sensei line of fully automatic, durable and customizable hearing aids that provide high quality and fast sound processing, adaptive directionality, noise management and feedback cancellation. Equipped with BrainHearing Technology, it is designed to support the brain in the listening process. Sensei is equipped with Voice Priority to enhance speech intelligibility in the classroom, and is a wireless hearing aid, connecting to TV, phones, and Bluetooth audio sources. ReSound offers Up Smart Hearing Aids for children. As a behind-the-ear hearing aid, it grows with your child, providing comfort, stability, durability and tamperproof casings. It is equipped with excellent speech recognition and noise cancellation features, and a line of wireless assistive listening devices, supporting classroom performance by enhancing the teacher’s voice and cutting out distracting background noise.Starkey offers hearing aids with kid-friendly features and colors equipped with BluWave 3.0, a fast operating system to balance sounds from the environment, and are tamperproof and resistant to water and debris. Starkey hearing aids provide kids with a clear and comfortable listening experience, customizable to give kids an opportunity to share their personalities. Starkey’s Dynamic Direct Audio Input gives kids an extra boost through an FM assistive listening device, excellent for academic use.Phonak has dedicated four decades to developing hearing aids designed specifically for children and teen: the Sky V offers durable behind-the-ear hearing aids. With automatic adjustment to any environment and optimal auditory input, Sky V encourages learning and language development. The simple controls indicate when the battery is low and when the different features and programs have been activated.Widex offers several hearing aids targeting different age groups in childhood. The Widex BABY hearing aid provides babies with access to sounds in their environment, supporting their language and speech development. This hearing aid is very small in size, designed to fit in the smallest ears, safely and securely. For older children, the entire catalogue of Widex hearing aids is available, with the same robust Widex features available to adults.

You don't have to live with untreated hearing loss. Contact us today!

Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids333 W Thomas Rd. Suite 208aPhoenix, AZ 85013(602) 265-9000info@arizonabalance.com

All About Pediatric Hearing Loss

While hearing loss can occur at any age, hearing difficulties at birth or that develop during infancy and toddler years can have serious consequences. Just as each child is unique, so is a child’s hearing loss. It is helpful to understand how the ear works, how hearing loss is diagnosed (with degrees and types of hearing loss), and what treatment options are appropriate for your child’s hearing.Sound enters through the ears, but is processed and understood by the brain. Children with hearing loss have the same listening and understanding potential as those with normal hearing. However, without proper diagnoses and treatment, these children can experience difficulties in the development of normal speech and language development – vocabulary, grammar, word order, idiomatic expressions, and other aspects of verbal communications.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss in Children

Between one and six of every 1,000 children in the United States may be born with a severe to profound hearing loss, which fall into three categories:Conductive Hearing LossMay indicate an abnormality in the structure of the outer ear canal, the middle ear, or fluid in the middle ear that interferes with sound transfer.Sensorineural Hearing LossA type of impairment caused by abnormalities of the inner ear or the nerves that carry sound impulses from the inner ear to the brain. While most severe sensorineural hearing loss is genetic, it can also be caused by an infectious illness.Mixed Hearing LossA combination of conductive and sensorineural, as described above.Hearing loss of any kind is further divided into degrees:

• Mild – A child hears some speech.
• Moderate – A child hears almost no speech.
• Severe – A child hears no speech at normal level.
• Profound – a child hears no speech at any level.

Understanding Signs of Hearing Loss

If can be difficult to know if your child has hearing loss, especially in infancy. Here are some signs:Infant or Toddler:

• No reaction to loud noises or voices, or nears some sounds and not others
• Does not notice you until he/she sees you
• Has stopped babbling or experimenting with making sounds, other than those that he/she can feel (such as gurgling or vibrating noises)
• Babbling does not progress to understandable speech, such as single words, by 12-15 months
• Has trouble with balance when sitting or walking

School-Aged Children:

• Does not follow or understand simple commands
• Is easily frustrated or has communications breakdowns
• Depends heavily on lip-reading
• Is falling behind with speech and communications skills
• Is easily exhausted from constant concentration just to understand speech

Testing and Treatment

A person of any age can be given a hearing test, even newborns. While many doctors (especially ENTs) can test and treat for fluid in the middle ear, which is a common cause of childhood hearing loss, actual levels and degrees of hearing should be tested by an audiologist. The audiologist will record testing data onto an audiogram, which is a visual illustration of your child’s hearing loss, measured in hertz (Hz) for pitch and frequency, and decibels (dB) for loudness, for both ears.Upon diagnoses of hearing loss, your child will be referred to an Otologist, Otolaryngologist, or Pediatric Otolaryngologist (also known as an ENT physician). The initial role of this physician is to determine the specific nature or cause of the hearing loss, whether it is medically or surgically treatable, and, if appropriate, provide clearance for hearing aid fitting.No single treatment or intervention is the answer for every child or family. Treatment and intervention options include:

• Early detection, intervention and special education, available through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, starting as early as 3 months
• Hearing Aids
• Cochlear Implants – for severe to profound hearing loss
• Bone-anchored hearing aids
• Other assistive devices, such as an FM system and captioning
• Medical and Surgical procedures
• Speech Therapy

With proper diagnoses and treatment, even children with severe hearing impairment can grow to be full participants in the world around them.If you are concerned about your child's hearing, contact us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids.

Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids333 W Thomas Rd. Suite 208aPhoenix, AZ 85013(602) 265-9000info@arizonabalance.com

Best Hearing Aids to Treat Tinnitus

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the term used to describe the condition of having ringing, buzzing, cricket, ocean or other kinds of noise in the ear or originating from the head, that only you can hear. Tinnitus is a Latin word that literally means ringing. It is an abnormal perception of sound, unrelated to an external source, and can range from a low roaring to a high pitched squealing or ringing.Tinnitus is a symptom of an underlying condition, not a disease in and of itself, like headache, pain, temperature, hearing loss and vertigo. It will not cause deafness, although many people with tinnitus also have hearing loss or pressure symptoms to some degree.Tinnitus is a fairly common disorder. It can be occasional, constant, or fluctuating, mild or severe. It can affect one or both ears, originating in the middle ear (behind the eardrum), or in the sensorineural auditory system, or within the head.Common causes of tinnitus include:

• Hearing Loss
• Stress and depression
• Loud noise exposure
• Buildup of earwax or other form of blockage
• Abnormal bone growth in the ear
• Meniere’s disease (and inner ear condition involving abnormal fluid pressure of the inner ear fluid
• Disorders of the temporomandibular joint (where the jawbone meets the skull).
• High blood pressure
• Medication

Effects and Impact of Tinnitus

Tinnitus affects everyone differently, but can have a major impact on one’s daily life. Some people can ignore their tinnitus most of the time. For others, the condition can be so disrupting and disturbing that it negatively affects their everyday lives in a host of ways.The most common areas in which tinnitus has a direct influence are:

• Sleep – Many sufferers of tinnitus report that their symptoms interfere with their ability to get to sleep.
• Focus and concentration – Some people report that they have difficulty staying on task and concentrating because of their tinnitus, including reading and working.
• Hearing – For many, the unwanted sounds produced by tinnitus compete with or mask speech and environmental sound perception.
• Thoughts and feelings – Tinnitus sufferers frequently report feeling anxious, irritable and depressed because of their condition.

Can Tinnitus be cured?

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for tinnitus. Although there is no cure, there are many ways to take control of your tinnitus and reduce its impact on your life.Education and counseling, in combination, can be effective tools to help you learn to manage the effects of tinnitus.Your hearing professional can help you manage your symptoms and help you to find relief through sound therapy, in conjunction with hearing aid technology.

Hearing aids that provide tinnitus solutions

Many makers of newer-technology hearing aids are addressing the need for tinnitus relief. Some have designed built-in features into the hearing aids themselves, and others utilize apps that work seamlessly with smartphones to provide on-the-go control of the tinnitus support benefits of your hearing aids. All are designed to help reduce the effects of tinnitus by providing relief sounds, or “noisers”, which are soothing, often rhythmic sounds and tones. This type of sound therapy helps push the unwanted sounds to the background. These therapeutic solutions address white noise, pink noise, speech noise, and high tone noise, and most offer remote control management of the programs. Here is a run-down of tinnitus relief solutions as offered by the following makers:

• Siemens – BestSound® Technology, available with their Ace™, Pure®, Carat™, Aquaris™, Motion®, Siemens Life™, Insio™, Nitro®, and Orion™ products.
• Oticon – Built-In Tinnitus SoundSupport, available with their ProTi line: Alta2, Nera2, and Ria2 hearing aids.
• ReSound – Their Lirax2 hearing aid offers add-on smartphone app compatibility. This therapy ranges from a library of relief sounds to more advanced frequency shaping and sound variation settings.
• Widex – Widex’s approach is their unique Zen Therapy, which employs counseling, stress relief, and a program of random, soothing harmonics, available on their newer devices, and as a stand-alone therapy.
• Unitron – Unitron’s MoxiKiss aid provides integrated tinnitus suppressor, a sound generator called SoundCure Serenade.
• Starkey – MultiFlex Tinnitus Technology provides relief sounds and remote control, available with their “Z” series products.
• Phonak – The Phonak Tinnitus Balance Portfolio is a customized management plan based on sound therapy, which has 3 key elements: Tinnitus Balance hearing aids, relief sound generator, and an add-on app.

If you are experiencing a ringing of the ears, contact us at Arizona Balance & Hearing Aids about the best solution for your tinnitus – relief may be just around the corner!

Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids

333 W Thomas Rd. Suite 208a

Phoenix, AZ 85013

(602) 265-9000

info@arizonabalance.com

When Should I Update My Hearing Aids?

The answer to this question is not as cut-and-dry as you may think. There are several factors to think about when you consider updating or upgrading your hearing aids.Innovative new hearing aid technology is constantly addressing issues that tend to prevent optimum hearing experiences, with new functions and technological innovation. In addition, your hearing changes over time, and older hearing aids can have adjustment limitations. Here are some questions and suggestions to help you decide whether you should update your hearing aids.

Are your hearing aids functioning well?

If you have experienced the following within the past year, your hearing aids may no longer be serving your needs:

• Turning up the volume on your aids more often?
• Diminished hearing capacity in situations that were previously easier?
• Increased static or other unwanted noise from your aids?
• Trouble hearing on the phone?
• Wearing your aids is more tiring than before?

If you’ve had your hearing aids for less than 3 years, and they are no longer meeting your needs, you should talk to your hearing health provider. A provider can determine if adjustments or repairs can resolve the issues. Excess humidity and temperatures, dust and dirt buildup can signal the need for cleaning and maintenance. Without regular maintenance, the performance of your hearing aids can greatly diminish over time.If you have had your hearing aids for more than 3 years, and especially if you are wearing older analog hearing aids, consider that there are many issues older aids cannot resolve, such as suppression of background noise and annoying whistling that are often the hallmark of analog hearing aids.

Are your current hearing aids sufficient to your needs?

It might be helpful to list the most important issues surrounding your hearing environments. Such issues might include hearing conversation at parties or in restaurants, hearing on the phone while away from home, and hearing during outdoors activities. If your current hearing devices are not delivering significant benefits in these situations, you might want to consider newer technology than can address the issues, and can be customized to your particular lifestyle and environment. Additionally, newer hearing aids can be much less obvious, with choices regarding size, hair color and skin tones, while others are designed to be invisible in the ear canal.

Are your current hearing aids sufficient for your hearing prescription?

For optimum benefit from your hearing aids, they must be set to your hearing prescription. Your hearing provider should verify for you that your aids are meeting your prescription by performing a real-ear measurement” to determine the sound levels produced by your hearing aids inside your ear canals. If these sound levels are insufficient, it may require an adjustment to the digital programming, or cleaning and/or repair. If the fitting cannot be made corrected, you might want to consider replacement.

Is the cost of upgrading worth it, in order to take advantage of new technology?

If your hearing aids are performing optimally, meet your prescription, and otherwise are not problematic, should you upgrade just to have the latest technology? To answer this, it is important to identify your current needs and wants concerning your hearing environment. New technologies can be a huge boon to your lifestyle, and here are some features that might tip the balance:

• Bluetooth technology – hands free streaming of phone calls to both hearing aids simultaneously, resulting in bidirectional hearing.
• Longer battery life with the convenience and ease of rechargeability.
• Waterproof, dustproof and shock resistant designs for active lifestyles
• Customizable programming to enhance your hearing experience
• Noise and reverberation suppressionThe bottom line is that you need to assess your level of satisfaction with your current hearing aids, list and prioritize your hearing needs and wants, and have your hearing professional evaluate your current aids. Learn about what new hearing aid technology can do to improve your hearing experience, and decide on cost versus benefit expected.

If your current hearing aids are utilizing out of date technology, and not meeting your needs, then the answer is a resounding yes! To learn more, contact us at Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids.

Arizona Balance and Hearing Aids

333 W Thomas Rd. Suite 208a

Phoenix, AZ 85013

(602) 265-9000

info@arizonabalance.com