Tag Archives: Audiologist

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Steps to Take When You’ve Recognized a Decline in Hearing

In our last blog post, our team talked a little bit about the different signs that you can keep an eye out for when it comes to hearing loss. These first few signs are things that you want to look for so that you can be as proactive as possible moving forward. In today’s blog post, the team at Platinum Hearing Aids is going to go over what you want to do when you do recognize a decline in hearing. Let’s go ahead and get started.

Online Hearing Test

If you start to notice that there is a decline in hearing, you are going to want to start with a hearing test. There are various online hearing tests that you can take advantage of to at least get an idea of where you stand with your hearing. One thing that we do want to note is that while there are online hearing tests that you can complete, these tests are not an alternative to a test completed by a professional. Online hearing tests are designed to provide you with a basic understanding of where you stand with your hearing and what you can anticipate during your professional hearing test.

Professional Hearing Test

Whether you choose to take a hearing test online or not, you absolutely need to get a professional hearing test scheduled. The signs that you’ve picked up on might have provided you with a general idea of where your hearing currently stands, but you are definitely going to want to get a professional test scheduled to confirm that hearing loss is what you’re struggling with.

There may be signs that you’ve picked up on, but to get hearing aids, a hearing test needs to be done. If you’re considering hearing aids as a solution, Platinum Hearing Aids is the place to go. Not only can we provide you with the professional hearing test that you need, but we are experts in hearing aids and can answer any questions you may have as well as help you find the right pair of hearing aids based on your needs.

This brings us to our next point: solutions for your hearing loss.

Consider Solutions

As we mentioned in our last blog post, the solutions associated with hearing loss have evolved significantly over the years. What works for one person may not work for someone else, and that’s okay. There are countless solutions available that, when a decline in hearing has been noticed, you want to start considering your options so that you can find the solution that will work best for you.

This can be incredibly overwhelming to try and tackle on your own. Rather than do that, give Platinum Hearing Aids a call and we would be more than happy to set up a hearing test so that you can get a better idea of the solutions that are available as well as the pros and cons of each.

Conversations with Loved Ones

Hearing loss is no small feat, and it can be incredibly frustrating to deal with in social situations. With that being said, something that you’re definitely going to want to do after you’ve confirmed a loss of hearing is have conversations with your loved ones. Your family and friends will be your biggest supporters during this period of adjustment, and it all starts with a conversation about what you’ve just discovered.

Aside from getting the support that you need, having a conversation with your loved ones can help make sense of why it is that you’re struggling to hear them at times. This is a great time to bring up the various things that people can do to ensure you hear what they’re saying. Maybe you need them to turn towards you as they speak or slow their speech as you get accustomed to your hearing aids. Whatever it may be, make it clear at this point so that they are able to take your needs into consideration while speaking.

Contact Platinum Hearing Aids Today

When you recognize a decline in your hearing, you want to make sure that you turn to someone that you trust to help you find a solution. Platinum Hearing Aids has provided the Detroit area with high-quality hearing tests and hearing aids for years. If you’re ready to start working towards a solution with your hearing loss, contact our team today. We would be more than happy to set up an appointment for you so that we can start working on a solution for you.

A Brief History of the Hearing Aid

One of the hallmarks of modern living is noise. Cars, HVAC, computers, phones, TVs, blenders, and refrigerators all make their own share of noise. As such, our hearing is subjected to more stimulus now than ever before.

But hearing loss isn’t a modern phenomenon. In fact, it’s a pretty ancient one, and people have been finding ingenious ways of mitigating the effects of hearing loss for centuries. Here at our hearing center in Detroit, we’re fortunate to work with the latest and greatest in hearing aid technology, but had you visited an audiologist hundreds of years ago, or even just decades for that matter, your experience might be very different. 

A Renaissance in Hearing Technology

Civilizations have found clever workarounds for hearing loss and damage for centuries. Between the 13th and 18th centuries, it was not uncommon to find individuals utilizing a primitive version of the hearing horn. In many cases, someone might hold up a literal animal horn to their ear. The horn, usually sourced from rams or cows, “caught” the sound in the wide opening and amplified it into the ear of the listener. This was a far more practical way of improving one’s hearing rather than just shouting “WHAT?” progressively louder.

Beginning in the 18th century, we start to see some of the first examples of a “modern” ear horn. Rather than being made from actual horns, these items were made from metals like copper and brass. Early ear horns, or ear trumpets, weren’t all that practical and didn’t work all that well either. On top of that, they could be cumbersome and heavy. In any case, they didn’t amplify the sound; instead, they funneled it from the wide opening and into the ear.

Around the same time, scientists in the 17th century discovered the concept of “bone conduction.” They realized that sound could be conducted through the skull and into the brain. While some used ear horns, others used devices that they wore over their heads that pressed on their heads, just behind their ears. These devices were shaped like small fans and helped to conduct sound through the skull.

A New Century Brings New Ideas

As the 19th century dawned, so too did new ideas on how to better conduct sound. At first, many of the changes to hearing devices were simply cosmetic. As the perception of injury and disease changed, people began to view hearing loss in a poor light. As such, many hearing instruments, including the trumpets and fans, were decorated with elaborate metalworking and engravings. In effect, the hearing aid became as much a fashion accessory as it did a functional one. But at the same time, other changes were made to these designs to help the user hear more clearly. 

But it was at the end of the 1800s that the hearing aid saw its biggest advancement to date. In 1876, the telephone was invented, revolutionizing the way that sound was conducted and traveled. Sounds could now be transmitted electronically. The world took notice, and those with hearing problems, in particular, celebrated the advent of the telephone. They found that they could hear the other person at the end of the line more clearly than they could from across the room. 

The rapid improvement of electronics at the end of the 19th century allowed for a proliferation of new sound and hearing technology. Early electronic hearing aids weren’t exactly nice to look at, but they were infinitely more effective than their metal horn counterparts. The hearing aid was worn around the neck and was a complex array of wires, heavy batteries, telephone-like receivers, and bulky headsets. The batteries didn’t last long, and if you needed several hours of hearing, you had to use a massive battery pack. The first hearing aid to adopt this design was the Akouphone. It featured a separate microphone, an amplifier and a set of headphones. While the system worked, it was cumbersome and expensive, ensuring it didn’t see widespread use.

It wasn’t until the 1950s, and the invention of the transistor, that electronic hearing aids started to become a practical option for those with hearing loss. Transistors found their way into hearing aids before they were used in radios, for which they’re famous. As transistors began to be made from silicon, hearing aids could be reduced in size. At first, these hearing aids were worn on the body, much like the Akouphone, but by the end of the 1950s, hearing aids could be worn comfortably behind the ear.

The Hearing Aid Today

By the turn of the 21st century, hearing aid design was ever more complicated and useful. Hearing aid manufacturers began to phase out the analog aids of the past and began using digital technology instead. Hearing aids now converted analog signals into a digital signal, and then send it into the user’s ear. The use of digital technology allowed users a degree of precision and freedom that they could have only dreamed of even a decade prior. 

Today, hearing aids are more versatile and accurate than ever before. Many now use smart technology and are a part of the Internet of Things, meaning that they can connect to any number of devices. You can connect your hearing aids to your smart devices so that you can make and receive phone calls and text messages right through your hearing aids. In other cases, hearing aids can actively predict the setting you’re in and adjust to meet your needs, all without any input from the user. 

Hearing aids today are discreet and powerful, making them easy to use and enjoy. This is undoubtedly a relief for some, as the idea of using a hearing trumpet is nearly unthinkable in a modern context.

A History of Quality Care

Here at Platinum Hearing Aids, we’re proud to be a part of a long history of audiology here in Detroit. We offer compassionate and skilled care, whether you need a new set of hearing aids or a simple hearing test. Call us today to schedule an appointment.