Now that you’ve got hearing aids and can hear everything, there’s just one problem: You can hear everything.

The presence of background noise is a big adjustment for most new hearing aid users. They’re simply not used to having to hear it. Even with modern devices’ abilities to reduce background noise, it can still be challenging to hear the intended speaker when there is other noise in the listening environment.

Even if you can hear the speaker, it can be difficult to focus on them with traffic sounds, wind blowing through the trees or other people talking. Fortunately, there are a number of technological advancements and hearing techniques you can use to hopefully yield more productive listening experiences, including:

"Drawing is a way I can express myself and feel safe when I feel lonely or sad," said Suaad, a 14-year-old Syrian refugee now living in Jordan. Her work is part of a traveling exhibit of art done by Syrian refugee children living in camps in Jordan. Suaad was orphaned when a bomb killed her entire family. 

Suaad also had hearing loss which not only makes it hard for them to learn to realize their potential, kids tend to become withdrawn. They end up being cut out of their friends, family and community. When Suaad first came to the Hearing the Call humanitarian clinic, sponsored by Dr. Ed Bravo and Audio Help Hearing Centers, Suaad was quiet and reserved. Art helped her reconnect with her world. 

On Tuesday, November 27^th, Dr. Bravo from Audio Help Hearing Centers will share the stories of these brave children. Many of these works of art were done on the back of old United Nations tent canvases.

Hear how local people are helping to support these kids as well as hearing stories of survival and hope. Learn how art is being used to support audiology treatments to overcome the results of trauma.

One of the hidden workplace hazards in many jobs is the damage that can be done to your hearing.

Most people think of physical injuries requiring immediate medical treatment when they think of workplace injuries. However, statistics show that hearing damage is actually the most common type of employment injury – with hearing loss potentially taking years to make itself known.

With October being National Audiology Awareness Month, Audio Help Hearing Centers in New York City, Scarsdale and Stamford offers the following information about job-related hearing loss and how you can protect your hearing and minimize further damage to your ears.

Audio Help Hearing Centers offers aural rehabilitation classes to help remove the stigma of hearing loss in an open, supportive environment with other individuals in similar situations.

The classes are ideal for patients who purchase new devices or individuals struggling to communicate effectively due to their hearing loss. Audio Help realizes that hearing loss can have a serious impact on one’s quality of life in different areas: personal relationships, employment, hobbies, and more.

The format allows participants to feel empowered by voicing their hopes and fears for life with hearing loss. The classes aim to accomplish this through:

Approximately five years after wireless technology first came to hearing aids, a number of devices have separated themselves from the rest of the Bluetooth pack.

Audio Help Hearing Centers in New York City and Connecticut offer a look at some of the latest technologies offered by the top hearing aid manufacturers:

Seasonal allergies can affect your ears as much as your eyes and nose, leading to pressure, tinnitus (ringing sound) and even temporary hearing loss.

The body produces antibodies as a result of exposure to allergens such as pollen, grasses, weeds, foods, drugs and other substances. The antibodies release histamine, which can cause allergic reactions such as the typical runny nose, sinus congestion and itchy eyes. It also has the potential to affect the outer, middle and inner ear.

Audio Help Hearing Centers in New York City, Scarsdale and Stamford offer the following information about how allergies can affect different parts of the ear:

Getting in a good workout can benefit more than our muscles and heart – it can also do wonders for our ears and hearing.
There are a number of exercises – both physical and mental – that can boost your hearing potential.

Cardiovascular

Everyone knows cardio exercise is good for the body, but the increased blood flow to the head can help hearing sensitivity by maintaining proper nerve function in the ears. As we age, it’s increasingly important for our bodies and ears to make aerobic fitness a priority. Aim for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) – occurring with inner ear damage – is the most common type of permanent hearing loss.

The tiny hair cells in the cochlea are lost throughout our lifetimes, causing our hearing to gradually become less sharp. In addition to the natural aging process, these hair cells can become damaged by exposure to excessive noise.

Someone with SNHL may have difficulty hearing soft sounds, while even loud sounds may be muffled. Although medications or surgery cannot typically resolve SNHL, hearing aids are likely to significantly improve the person’s ability to hear.

Despite the profound advancements of hearing aid technology, wearers may find they still have problems understanding words while wearing them.

Although properly fitting hearing aids often greatly help the word comprehension deficit, there are certain words or reasons why understanding what you’re hearing is difficult.

There are three types of hearing loss: sensorineural (issue in the inner ear and/or beyond), conductive (issue in the middle ear bones and ear drum) and mixed (combination of the two).

Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss tend to treat the issue with hearing aids, as there is no medical treatment for the issue. While the devices can help, they don’t actually treat the loss – rather, they amplify sounds in the environment and send them through a faulty hearing/comprehension system.

Hearing loss is not always due to cranking up the music through earbuds or prolonged exposure to other sounds.

Sometimes, the cause of our hearing impairment comes from within. There are a number of diseases that can contribute to hearing loss.

High Blood Pressure

A very common disease affecting nearly 75 million Americans, high blood pressure causes damage to arteries and blood vessels throughout the body – including the ears. Pressure on these blood thoroughfares causes damage to their linings and eventually, the buildup of fatty plaque. Hearing ability generally goes down as blood pressure rises.