14 0367 consumer guide 2014 a5 booklet

INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE A SOUND BUYING DECISION

Consumer Guide to Hearing Instruments

CONTENTS

How our hearing works

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Signs of hearing loss

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Hearing loss types and treatment

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Hearing instrument technology

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Balanced hearing - one ear or two? 10

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Hearing instrument styles

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Halo - the Made for iPhone hearing aid

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Adjusting to a better life with hearing instruments

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How our hearing works

Signs of hearing loss DO YOU Frequently have to ask people to repeat themselves?

DO YOU have trouble in noisy or busy places?

DO YOU misunderstand conversations?

DO YOU find that people are mumbling or speaking more softly than they used to?

DO YOU turn up the volume on the TV or radio?

DO YOU avoid social situations?

CAN YOU hear people talk, but have difficulty understanding the words?

The ear consists of three main parts and performs a vital function in receiving and interpreting sound.

DO family, colleagues or friends suggest you might have a hearing problem?

a) Outer Ear b) Middle Ear c) Inner Ear The Outer Ear collects sound vibrations in the concha 1 and passes them along the ear canal 2 The sound vibrates the ear drum 3 which in turn moves the tiny bones 4 in the Middle Ear.

DO YOU FIND difficulty understanding a speaker at a business meeting or service?

You may have trouble understanding what people say, especially when you are in a noisy place; difficulty hearing the TV when others can is just another example that could indicate you have some degree of hearing loss.

This movement transmits vibrations to the cochlea 5 in the Inner Ear where they are received by fragile microscopic hair cells that convert vibration into nerve impulses for onward transmission by the auditory nerve 6 to the brain for recognition. It is very important as human beings to use our sense of hearing. Losing the sense of hearing can completely change a person’s way of living. We should be properly educated in how to care for our sense of hearing by knowing how it works and preventing common causes of hearing loss.

Hearing loss is much more common than you expect, especially as we get older. For the over 50s, one in five people has a hearing loss.

Hair cells are fragile and some die as a function of disease, head injuries, medications, exposure to noise and age 7 These conditions cannot be medically or surgically corrected. The best treatment for hearing loss from damage to the hair cells or auditory nerve are hearing instruments.

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For example, a child comments on the sound of a bird singing around you but you are unable to hear high pitched sounds that others can hear. This can leave you feeling isolated and frustrated or even depressed.

It usually develops gradually, over a number of years.

Since it is painless, it may be a while before you realise that your hearing is no longer as good as it was. On the other hand, the realisation can be quite sudden.

YOU FEEL it is especially difficult to hear women or children speak?

YOU often hear a ringing or buzzing in your ears?

YOU might notice a slight muffling of sound after noise exposure?

YOU find it hard to tell where the sound is coming from?

If you answer YES to any of these questions, you should have your hearing assessed professionally.

The sooner your hearing loss is assessed and dealt with the better it will be for you. It could bring about great improvements to your life all round.

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Hearing loss types and treatment As we grow older, many people begin to experience hearing loss. This is a natural part of the ageing process and develops gradually over time. Already at the age of 20, we’ve lost the ability to perceive some of the sounds infants can hear. By the time we reach 30 or 40, subtle – but significant – losses may begin to occur.

With the added factor of prolonged exposure to high intensity noise at work and at home hearing impairment is increasingly common at an earlier age. Even a slight hearing loss can have a negative impact on your ability to work, socialise and enjoy life. Once we reach our 80s, more than half of us suffer from significant hearing loss.

Many of us don’t notice the early signs of hearing loss because we slowly adjust to the change. By the time we realise what’s happening, we may have already lost the full appreciation of sounds and music we once enjoyed.

TYPES OF HEARING LOSS CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS This occurs when the external and middle ear can no longer conduct sound into the inner ear. One of the most common causes of conductive hearing loss is blockage in the external ear canal, typically caused by ear wax build-up or infection. Most cases are temporary and can be corrected with proper medical treatment.

SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS Often successfully treated with hearing aids, this type of hearing loss may result from: damage to the sensory cells or nerve fibres of the inner ear, exposure to diseases like mumps, meningitis, multiple sclerosis or acute Grave’s Disease, use of certain drugs like aspirin, cisplatin, quinine and the antibiotics streptomycin and gentamicin, your mother contracting rubella (German Measles) during pregnancy, low birth weight, genetics head or ear injuries.

Mild Hearing Loss: Soft sounds are hard to hear. Understanding speech clearly in noisy environments may be challenging.

Moderate Hearing Loss: Soft and moderately loud sounds are hard to hear. It’s often difficult to understand speech, especially when there’s background noise.

Severe Hearing Loss: Some loud sounds are audible, but without a hearing instrument is impossible.

Profound Hearing Loss: Some extremely loud sounds are audible. Communication without a hearing instrument is impossible.

TREATMENT If you’re diagnosed with a hearing loss, we will then discuss the treatments available. One of the common treatments of hearing loss is a hearing device.

At their most basic, hearing aids are microphones that convert sound into electrical signals. An amplifier increases the strength of the signal, then a receiver converts it back to sound and channels it into the ear canal through a small tube or earmould.

A battery is necessary to power the hearing aid and to enable amplification. Today’s hearing aids are sophisticated, state-of-the-art instruments that require computer programming to adjust to your specific lifestyle and listening environments. Hearing loss treatment is a simple process that can put you back on the track to better hearing.

When you consider all the benefits of better hearing, you can see that hearing instruments hold great potential to positively change your life.

MIXED HEARING LOSS This is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. This type of loss may be successfully treated with a combination of medical assistance and use of a hearing device.

DEGREES OF LOSS Hearing loss affects everyone differently and it varies by degree from person to person. The medical community recognises four levels of hearing loss:

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AT 20 WE’VE LOST THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE SOME SOUNDS - BY 40, SUBTLE LOSSES BEGIN TO OCCUR 7

Hearing instrument technology The most important part of any hearing instrument is the technology inside. Put simply, the more sophisticated the technology the more precise and realistic the listening experience.

Until now, the majority of hearing instruments used either analogue or digital technology to process sound, but the very latest advances in hearing instrument technology have led to the introduction of state-of-the-art hearing instruments with nanotechnology.

Everyone’s hearing difficulties are different but the choice of hearing instruments today, particularly through private hearing care professionals, is comprehensive enough to provide clearer hearing to everyone. All instruments work on the principles of amplifying sounds received by the ear so they can be transferred to the brain, but hearing instruments differ enormously in their refinement and customising.

The two basic categories of hearing instruments are analogue and digital. A simple way to understand the qualities of these different technologies is to compare them with personal music players. Analogue instruments are from the same generation as cassette tape players.

Digital instruments are from today’s generation of CDs and MP3 players and, being digital, they are capable of exceptionally refined individual adjustments and programming so that they automatically respond to changing conditions. Not surprisingly, thousands of previous users of analogue hearing instruments have already converted to digital hearing instruments.

ANALOGUE HEARING INSTRUMENTS This was the oldest, simplest and least expensive hearing instrument technology.

Analogue hearing instruments amplified sounds, both speech and noise. Quiet sounds were amplified until they were loud enough to be heard, but loud sounds that were already loud were given less amplification, so you were protected against uncomfortably loud sound levels. Many of the advanced features which are offered in digital instruments were not available in analogue instruments.

DIGITAL HEARING INSTRUMENTS With the advent of digital sound quality, patients were able to experience significantly better sound quality. Digital hearing instruments are embedded with 8

DESIGNED TO MAKE LISTENING EASIER - DESIGNED TO FIT YOUR LIFE.

computer chips which allow sound to be amplified at the specific frequencies where hearing loss has occurred. This enables the hearing care professional to customise the hearing instrument to your unique needs, resulting in a more realistic and natural hearing experience.

Digital hearing instruments are also available with wireless technology. These instruments are capable of streaming sound from your TV, radio, MP3 player, computer and even your mobile phone directly to your hearing instrument. They are self learning and gradually and automatically learns your volume control preferences and pinpoints sounds you want to hear while minimising those you don’t.

NANOTECHNOLOGY Beyond digital, this cutting-edge science occurs at the molecular level to further enhance the listening experience and deliver more features than previously possible.

Hearing instruments built with nanotechnology can virtually eliminate several of the most troublesome characteristics of older instruments like feedback and sound artefacts. Other advantages include a seamless transition from one listening environment to the next, improved speech intelligibility, automatic activation to eliminate the need for manual adjustments and near-perfect feedback elimination.

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Balanced hearing ONE EAR OR TWO? If your evaluation shows that you have hearing loss in both ears, two hearing aids will almost certainly be recommended. While it may be tempting to try a single hearing aid, the truth is that one hearing aid will never be able to do the job of two just like our own natural hearing abilities.

As we know when we listen to music, hearing in “stereo” rather than “mono” massively improves the quality of sound. Stereo is more generally natural and clearer, with a fuller, cleaner and richer sound. The brain naturally hears sound in this way, but it needs the signal from both ears to do so. Using only one hearing aid when two are required does not provide the full signal input the brain requires.

Just as you have two ears, you have two halves of your brain, they both work together to create what is known as auditory intelligence. Each ear sends a slightly different signal to your brain, and the signals travel a complicated neural pathway.

Some signals stay on the same side of the brain; others cross over to the opposite side where they are received differently and have different effects on perception and understanding.

is speaking with greater ease. This helps to reduce auditory fatigue. With only one hearing aid, noises blend together and it is difficult to discriminate between the sounds you want to hear and those you don’t.

The quality of sound provided by two hearing aids significantly enhances the listening experience.

Most say once they’ve tried two hearing aids, they would never go back to wearing just one.

10 REASONS WHY PEOPLE FIND TWO HEARING AIDS BETTER THAN ONE!

This complex system - involving both ears and both sides of the brain - helps increase auditory function giving you a better understanding of everything around you. Sound signals from both ears give your brain the ability to locate the sound source. This is particularly important when in company, being able to quickly identify which person in a group is speaking so you can bring your attention to them. It is also important for reasons of personal safety; for example, binaural hearing helps you identify the direction from which traffic is approaching.

• Better understanding in speech

Being able to hear speech both sides in a group setting is crucial to participating fully in a conversation. If you’re only wearing a hearing aid in one ear, you can’t hear the person on the other side of you as well.

• Greater listening comfort

When two hearing aids are worn, you can keep the volume lower and still hear perfectly well. With just one hearing aid, you often need to turn up the volume to an uncomfortably high level in order to compensate. This often causes some sounds to be over amplified and also can cause the hearing instrument to feedback causing whistling.

Two hearing aids especially ones with directional microphones, enables you to draw speech when in a noisy environment helping you focus on the person who 10

• Better understanding in a group or even in a noisy situation • Better ability to tell the direction sounds are coming from • Better sound quality • Hearing is less tiring and more pleasant • Keeping both ears active preserves speech understanding in both ears • Preference • Satisfaction • Tinnitus masking

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Hearing instrument styles Some people who know they have a hearing loss are too embarrassed or feel they’re showing a weakness if they acknowledge the problem. While you are no doubt concerned about appearance, others will be much less aware of your hearing instruments than you.

The majority of today’s hearing instruments are very discreet - keep in mind that your hair style and colour can also play a role too. Most likely, once you have a hearing instrument your quality of life will be so improved that cosmetics won’t be as much an issue for you. In fact, some hearing instruments even come in bright and metallic colours, making hearing instruments a fashion statement instead of something to hide!

There are many factors we will discuss with you before recommending a hearing instrument style, including your hearing requirements, lifestyle, and of course your budget. The following styles are all available with many different programmable technologies to suit your needs.

IN THE EAR (ITE) ITE instruments house the technology components in a custom earmould that fits within the outer portion of the ear.

RECEIVER IN CANAL ABSOLUTE POWER (RIC AP) The RIC AP combines a custom earmould with a sleek RIC instrument allowing people with even the most severe hearing loss to enjoy style without sacrificing power and performance.

RECEIVER IN CANAL (RIC)

INVISIBLE IN THE CANAL (IIC) The newest custom fit style is virtually invisible when worn. Living in the second bend of the ear, the IIC comes complete with the world’s industry-leading technology.

The RIC device is small, discreet and incredibly quick to fit; perfect for many first-time wearers.

MINI BEHIND THE EAR (miniBTE) COMPLETELY IN THE CANAL (CIC) These devices fit completely in the ear canal. Only the head of a tiny plastic line with which you insert or remove the instrument - shows above the canal.

The mini BTE rests behind the ear. The case at the back of the ear houses the technology, while a clear tube then directs amplified sound into the ear canal via a custom earmould or earbud.

IN THE CANAL (ITC)

BEHIND THE EAR (BTE)

ITC instruments feature a custom earmould that fits down the ear canal and a small portion that faces out into the outer ear.

BTE instruments’ technology is housed in a casing that rests behind the ear. A clear plastic tube then directs amplified sound into an earmould inside the ear.

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Connect to the things you care about most INTRODUCING HaloTM, the Made for iPhone® HEARING AID Control your hearing experiences with Halo, the breakthrough Made for iPhone® hearing aid and our personalised TruLinkTM Hearing Control app.

Halo hearing aids are engineered to connect directly to your iPhone®, iPad® and iPod Touch® via the easy-to-use TruLink Hearing Control app. Together Halo and TruLink deliver the most personalised hearing experience ever and are designed to: • Stream calls from your iPhone directly • to your hearing aids using Bluetooth® • 4.0 wireless technology • Deliver pristine sound and exceptional • listening clarity • Help you hear comfortably in noise • Eliminate buzzing and whistling • Stream FaceTime®, music and more, directly to your hearing aids

HALO HEARING AIDS ARE IDEAL FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY ENGAGED AND ACTIVE

MADE FOR iPHONE. MADE FOR TODAY. Halo are advanced, feature-rich hearing aids designed to help you hear everything better even in today’s challenging environments. TruLink offers additional features designed to enhance anywhere you go - so you can easily enjoy everything you do.

Pristine Audio Streaming - Halo provides direct from the iPhone streaming of phone calls, music and media - so you can enjoy clear communication and pristine audio streaming anytime, anywhere, requiring nothing more than your iPhone.

TruLink Memories - You can create up to 20 TruLink Memories using the SoundSpace tool on the TruLink app. You can even geotag TruLink Memories if you want to. This cool functionality simplifies life even more by using the built-in GPS feature on your iPhone to know where you are, then automatically changing memory when you are at the tagged location. For instance, “coffee shop” memory automatically activates when you walk into your favourite coffee shop.

SoundSpace - TruLink SoundSpace enables you to easily adjust sound settings to your specific environment. By simply moving your finger on the screen, you can adjust sound to suit your preferences - then save it as a TruLink memory - so every place you visit sounds the way you like it.

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Remote Control - With the touch of your iPhone, you can easily change volume and switch memories on your hearing aids. And because both are adjusted via a visual indicator bar, you have better control and nearly infinite levels to suit your preference.

TruLink Adaptive Car Mode - With TruLink’s Adaptive Car Mode, Halo will automatically change to a setting designed to reduce the annoying sounds of driving and enhance your “audio” driving experience.

Siri® Integration - You can have Siri read texts and emails directly to your Halo hearing aids.

YOUR WORLD IS AT YOUR CONVENIENCE If you’re ready to laugh more, smile bigger and connect conveniently to the things that make you happy, then you’re ready to try Halo.

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Adjusting to a better life with hearing instruments Many of life’s important activities involve learning. Although not always easy, learning combines desire, practice and a belief that if you keep trying, success and enjoyment will eventually occur.

Acquiring hearing instruments is only the beginning of the journey back to better hearing. Time spent adjusting to your new hearing instruments is crucial to better hearing. To achieve better hearing you must work at it daily.

Successful hearing aid users will gladly tell you that their effort to learn and their time spent practising was worth it.

Inconsistent use of hearing instruments does not permit you to attain full benefit from them.

Because you haven’t heard some sounds and noises for a long time, at first, the sounds amplified by your hearing aids will sound tinny, metallic, artificial and unnatural. But, this is because you are hearing the high frequency speech sounds like s, f, k, that you have been missing, or have heard differently for years. Stick with your new hearing instruments until your brain has had a chance to adjust too.

Understanding occurs in the brain, not in your ears. Getting your brain reused to sound is like priming a pump - you’ve got to stay with it long enough for the water to flow. Once it’s flowing - and it will flow, the hardest part is over. While we encourage new hearing instrument users to start at a slow pace at home, your ultimate goal is to use your hearing instruments all day, every day. This includes times when it’s quiet, times when it’s noisy and times when you may think you don’t need to be wearing them. After you have completed your initial couple of weeks of gradual hearing use, you should put your hearing instruments on first thing when you wake up and take them out at bed time. It is a mistake to only wear them when you go out to social functions because your brain will be flooded and startled by unfamiliar ambient sounds.

Be patient, and don’t give up. Retreat temporarily if you become tired, but don’t give up. Keep working - it will become easier. Call your hearing care professional whenever you need help or encouragement - they are there to support you with any concerns or questions that you may have. Many people initially treat hearing problems as an individual matter, something that can be dealt with by themselves.

But because communication involves more than just one person, so too does the impact of your impairment.

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LEARNING TO HEAR WELL AGAIN COMBINES DESIRE, PRACTICE AND BELIEF THEN SUCCESS WILL OCCUR

HOW FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN HELP The continuing support of family and friends are crucial as you pursue improved hearing and communication. While you are adjusting to the acoustic and relearning part of amplification, family and friends can help you with the many emotional needs that accompany the transition. Hearing is only one part of how we exchange ideas, thoughts and feelings. Effective communication combines listening, understanding, attention, concentration, interest and visual or non-verbal cues.

You may have relied on these ever present cues as your hearing loss gradually impaired your understanding of speech. Now they are equally important as you learn to hear with your hearing instruments. Reading the lips, facial expressions and gestures of others can enhance the learning process and supplement what amplification alone may miss. There is a tendency for those around you to speak loudly - especially if it is how they previously communicated with you. With your hearing instruments on, a loud voice can actually make understanding more difficult, if not more irritating.

Now that your hearing instruments provide the amplification, others should speak clearly at a normal level, without rushing or slurring their words. Be sure that they have your full attention before they begin speaking. It is often preferable to rephrase rather than repeat the same words over and over, as you may find it easier to understand different words.

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START IN QUIET, FAMILIAR PLACES At first, use your hearing instruments only in familiar, quiet surroundings, where you can identify and locate simple background sounds - running water, doors closing, birds singing that you may not have heard for a while.

Other sounds like your own voice, will sound different. In the same quiet environment, practice listening to and conversing with someone facing you who has a familiar voice and understands your needs. Don’t be alarmed if you can’t immediately understand everything.

A low, comfortable volume level is preferable as you adapt to the new sound quality, even if you occasionally miss soft sounds or parts of conversation.

FOCUS ON SPECIFIC SOUNDS As you wear your hearing instruments in a wider variety of sound environments, practice selecting specific sounds and voices and focus your attention on them.

As you venture into familiar public places such as restaurants, bars, church or meetings, sit reasonably close and within easy visual distance of those speaking. Because every area has its own characteristics, you may need to try different locations for the best results.

WORKING TOGETHER Be assured that your hearing care professional is prepared to do all they can to help you achieve the highest level of hearing satisfaction. You may have friends or relatives who also experience hearing difficulties.

Encourage them to have their hearing tested with a hearing care professional too.

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HINTS AND TIPS FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION Be sure that friends or colleagues have your full attention before you begin to speak.

Face the person with whom you’re talking. Don’t try to converse from a different room or with your back turned.

Stand in well-lit areas to make reading lips and facial expressions easier.

Avoid activities that make lipreading difficult like chewing, smoking, reading a newspaper or leaning your cheek on your hand while talking.

Try not to talk too quickly. Speak naturally, but try to pronounce your words more clearly. This will naturally slow your speech, so be careful not to overdo it.

If others are having trouble under-standing you, try rephrasing your sentence rather than just repeating yourself. Some words are easier than others to hear or lip-read.

Try to eliminate background noise when holding a conversation. Turn off the television and close any windows to reduce outside interference.

Move closer to your listener so your voice is louder than the background noise. Your face and lips will also be easier to read.

enjoy hearing again.

Find somewhere quieter to talk.

You’ll simplify the situation and protect your own hearing in the process.

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Consumer Guide to Hearing Instruments INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE A SOUND BUYING DECISION

A global company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA. Starkey Laboratories Ltd. William F. Austin House, Bramhall Technology Park, Pepper Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport, SK7 5BX T: 0500 262 131 F: 0500 262 350 W: www.starkey.co.uk Halo and TruLink are compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, iPad Air, iPad 4, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation). “Made for iPod,” “Made for iPhone,” and Made for iPad” mean that an electronic accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPod, iPhone, or iPad, respectively, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Please note that the use of this accessory with iPod, iPhone, or iPad may affect wireless performance. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch , Siri and FaceTime are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. © 2014 Starkey. All Rights Reserved. V2(update10.900)14.0367ukvlpc