Why does my Voice Sound Funny with Hearing Aids?

Adapting to new hearing aids often requires adapting all over again to the sound of on'es own voice. hearing aid users sometimes describe their voices as sounding as if they are in a tunnel, a barrel, or talking through a microphone. The feeling is probably the most noticeable change for new users and the hardest thing to adapt to.  Your audiologist cannot make this sensation go away completely, but he or she can help alleviate some of the hollow feeling you may experience.

One of the principle sources of this funny sound is called occlusion. Occlusion is when there is a blocking or closing of the ear canal. Have you ever worn earplugs or put your fingers in your ears to block out sound? When you talk and your ears are plugged, your voice sounds much louder and a bit hollow. When you put hearing aids in your ears you do just that, plug them up. When we talk, the vibration of our vocal cords vibrates the bones in the head briefly, until it disperses out through the ear canals. When we plug up our ears, the sounds are no longer able to escape through the ear canals, but are redirected back to the eardrum, making the low tones louder. This causes us to experience that "echoey" or hollow tone in our voice.

So, if plugging up our ears causes occlusion, how do we get rid of it? Well, we do just the opposite; we unplug them, as much as possible anyway. Most hearing aids have a hole in the ear mold called a vent. This vent helps equalize pressure in the ear canal, lets air circulate and also helps alleviate some of the hollow feeling when we talk. So, as you can imagine, the larger we can make that vent, the more our internal sounds can disperse through the ear canal. Unfortunately, the size of the vent is sometimes limited by both the size of the hearing aid and the size of your ear canal, as well as the loudness of the hearing aid.

Occlusion is not the only factor causing this feeling of a loud, hollow sound. remember that we have hearing aids because we have a hearing loss. We are used to hearing our own voice at a level that reflects that of our hearing loss, but now we have turned that volume up using the hearing aid. So now our voice seems louder to us, even though it sounds the same to everyone else.

To alleviate this problem, your audiologist may try to turn the low-frequency volume down on your hearing aids, but this really only reduces the low-frequencies in everything you hear. Turning down everything we hear contradicts the goal of the audiologist to help you hear the best you possibly can. Needless to say, it is not the best solution. the best solution is to try to get used to your new voice. Try reading out loud to your spouse, kids, grand-kids, or yourself for 15 minutes 2-3 times a day. Reading out loud will force you to listen to your voice constantly. This is how we really sound to the rest of the world. They have gotten used to our voice; we have to try, too.

I know this process sometimes seems long and challenging, but stick with it. Your audiologist will be there for support.

What's New in Technology?

AGXO h300, powered by Oticon

In today's busy world, you go from one difficult listening situation to another. The AGXO h300 series lets you hear more and better in all of them. This hearing aid is built on the new Inium platform and is the most advanced technology available.

The h300 series not only features the most advanced sound processing architecture ever seen in a hearing aid, it is customized for your personal sound preferences. It works smarter so you don't have to work hard at hearing. Your day is easier, your life is fuller and your world is more complete, because with this brand new technology you can hear more. Anywhere. Anytime.

No two sets of ears are the same. We all have our own sound preferences and hearing needs. It all depends no how our brain "hears." Unlike previous generations of hearing aids, the AGXO h300 series is designed to accommodate your unique hearing requirements.  Your personal hearing preferences are actually used by the powerful sound-processing chip that is at the heart of every h300 series hearing aid.  Think of it as a micro-brain that works in harmony with your brain to help you differentiate sounds. You will hear more naturally and with more clarity, even when you are in a noisy restaurant, a large group or at a sporting event.

The AGXO h300 series' remarkable technologies work together, seamlessly and automatically. Every h300 series hearing device features Speech Path E Technology, a breakthrough in clear, transparent sound. Speech Path works like a shield to protect the clarity of speech even in noisy environments.

The evolutionary Audigy 360 Sound Experience Premium technology allows you to hear in 3-D, so you can better follow conversations that come from different directions. Free Focus automatically selects the best high performance directional mode for you and gives you clearer, more natural sound even in difficult hearing situations.

The amazing new technology comes in many designs or custom fittings to suit your lifestyle and your hearing needs. They are all avoidable in colors that match your skin and hair tones or to make a fashion statement.

Educational Seminar

We're hosting an educational seminar near our Bowling Green and Wauseon locations in mid-March.  (We're holding off on the Toledo region until our construction is completed. One project at a time people!)

We invite you to join us for lunch:

SATURDAY, MARCH 16 11:30 to 1:30 in WAUSEON

Fulton County Health Center, Conference Facility

725 S Shoop Ave, Wauseon

MONDAY, MARCH 18 - 11:30 TO 1:30 IN BOWLING GREEN

Wood County Hospital, meeting rooms near ER entrance

950 W Wooster, Bowling Green

PLEASE! Save your spot!
RSVP to 419-464-9265

so we have enough lunch to feed everyone who shows up!

"Hear What You've Been Missing" will be presented by Doctor of Audiology, David Lisko, who is the Midwest Clinical Trainer for Oticon Corp.  Come and learn how hearing loss can affect your life and about new developments in hearing care and communication strategies for you and your loved one.

Technology AND Service

Every year it seem we see more advertisements for simpler  cheaper hearing aids that claim to be every bit as effective as professionally fit hearing solutions.  Based on the regular stream of patients who come see us frustrated with the hearing aids they've purchased from mail order companies or warehouse retailers, we know firsthand how inferior - and even dangerous - these products can be.

To achieve the full benefits of today's advanced hearing aids, consumer advocates repeatedly stress the importance of an experienced provider. not only can an experienced provider accurately test your hearing, and fit your hearing aids,but they will also provide critical follow-up services - carefully listening to your experiences and fine tuning the aids to your specific needs.

Audigy Certified providers pride themselves on such service and an unmatched dedication to patient satisfaction. Truly effective hearing care solutions, like our current lineup of AGX Hearing devices, are highly customized pieces of technology.  Let us show you how - through expert fitting and follow-up care - the advanced features and programs of today's hearing technology can help you enjoy the full benefits of better hearing and improved communication.

Make a resolution to hear better this year! Cal today to learn about our advanced hearing devices and find out how today' state of the art hearing technology can surpass your expectations of how compact, comfortable and effective your hearing aids can be. Make your appointment before January 31 and we'll give you $500 off a new pair when you trade in your old devices!

Improvements in Hearing Aids: Delivering More Benefit

from Healthy Hearing, April 2010

If you have been doing your research on hearing aids you should know by now the majority of hearing aids sold today are digital. Just as any other electronic device, digital technology has brought innovation and improvements to hearing aids on many different levels.

One improvement reported by consumers is the utility of their hearing aids - the number of places where the wearer reports their hearing aids have improved their ability to hear. And thank goodness for that reported improvement, isn't that the point of wearing hearing aids - to hear better and improve your ability to hear in many different environments?

In a report from the Better Hearing Institute (BHI), a non-profit organization  the utility of hearing aids is on the rise ad consequently so it perceived benefit. According to BHI's report, the utility of hearing aids is directly related top received benefit; thus the higher the number of listening environments a hearing aid wearer feels their hearing has been improved  the more benefit they feel they have received. And any consumer knows benefit translates to satisfaction.

So exactly why has the utility of hearing aids improved recently? Well, many reasons with the core being a dramatic improvement in digital signal processing abilities of hearing aids - the ability to manipulate sound through digital technology. In addition, today's hearing aids boast a variety of features which allow them to work harder and more efficiently in previously challenging environments.

Bottom line: hearing aids deliver more features in more places than ever before.

And, if you think hearing aids are big, clunky and complicated, it's time to rethink your hearing loss.  Today, as shown in BHI's research, hearing aids deliver more than ever before based on the perceptions of those who actually use these tools in their daily lives.

Technology

The decision to purchase hearing aids can be a tough one. What do I do? What do I need?  I invite you to visit a website that explains the hearing aid technology we use in our office. There are several interactive questionnaires that you can use to help determine if you have the need for hearing aids and what type of technology is most appropriate for you.

Visit www.agxhearing.com or click on the image below: