- Empathise with Des and explain why treatment is necessary
The main advantage of having binaural hearing aids is that sound presented to both ears is interpreted to be louder than in just the one ear. So the hearing aids can be set at a lower volume, resulting in less background noise being audible.
Des’ hearing loss is most evident in higher frequencies. Development has resulted in hearing aids that have variable amplification i.e. they are frequency specific, and also mimic the function of the outer hair cells by reducing amplification in the presence of intense ambient sound.
‘In canal’ may preferable for the wearer for cosmetic reasons (as it is less visible), however ‘behind the pinna’ offers better direction sense, which assists the wearer to focus on what one person is saying when other people are talking near by.
Hearing aids cost several thousand dollars, however there is a maximum contribution of $6,900 (at April 2004) from the Victorian WorkCover Authority.
While adjusting the wearer is advised to stay at home or in familiar surrounds. The wearers own voice and the noises around them sound different and at first may be tiring and irritating. The wearer should not force or prolong conversations when they are tired and most importantly do their best to exercise patience as they adjust to their hearing aid.
Over the first few days the hearing aid feels like a foreign object. It may stimulate excess wax production and as the ear canal epithelium is thin, it may become inflamed or bleed – this is reduced as the epithelium thickens to adjust. Care must be taken to keep the hearing aid clean and protected from physical damage.
Others can assist in the transition by ensuring that they speak clearly (but not shout) and also be ensuring that they have the speaker’s attention (their lips may act as a visual cue) and by avoiding conversations in areas with high background noise.
Get it? FogHORN! ... like the original hearing HORNS!? ...Ahh screw you guys...
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