by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked, Do you know anything about the new “Esteem” device? The ad says it is an implantable device that needs nothing outside the skull. As far as I can tell (without understanding what the ads are saying) it might be a replacement for a CI. What can you tell […]
Why People Don’t Get and Wear Hearing Aids
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A recent study (1) has given more insight into why people with hearing loss don’t bother to get and wear hearing aids. A number of people were given an initial hearing screening. Those that failed the screening, but did not follow up with a full hearing assessment (and go on to […]
Waterproof Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants—Here They Come
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Did you ever wish you could wear your hearing aids or cochlear implants so you could hear while swimming or splashing around in the water? How about when you were out boating, or while you were in the shower, or caught out jogging when a sudden deluge soaks you to the […]
NeutronicEar—What’s the Scoop on This Product?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked, What is your opinion on the NeutronicEar? It costs $500 and is advertised as ‘reading glasses for your ears’ in a magazine. The NeutronicEar is just another name for the older Crystal Ear hearing device that has been around for few years now. The two devices look identical. […]
Entrainment—What’s That?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained: I always wondered what the ‘immediate after-whoosh’ was while wearing my hearing aids, and was enlightened to find out that it was something called ‘entrainment’, which only those who wear hearing aids hear. Are there any techniques or tips for listening through, or coping with, entrainment, or is […]
Hearing Aid Subsidies for People Living in Canada
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Back in February 6, 2010 I wrote an article “Sources of Financial Assistance for Purchasing Hearing Aids“. Unfortunately, this information only pertains to people living in the USA. The good news is that there is also some government help available to hard of hearing people living in Canada. The Canadian Hard […]
Heat, Humidity and Humor—Troubleshooting Your Hearing Aid When It Quits Working
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Sometimes your hearing aids quit at the most inconvenient times. Often the problem is minor and is easily rectified—if you know what to do. Figuring out what to do can be frustrating. Here is one man’s story to remind you that humidity is an enemy of your hearing aids. He explained: […]
Time Traveler Using Cell Phone, or Old Hearing Aid?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. I’ve had a number of people ask me concerning a portion of an “outtake” of a 1928 Charlie Chaplin movie—wondering whether what was being shown was a time traveler using a modern cell phone back in 1928, or whether it was, more realistically, a person using an old hearing aid. For […]
Loopum or Loseum—Cool Way to Not Lose Your BTE Hearing Aids
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. © July, 2010 Has this ever happened to you? You are outside, perhaps playing golf, or rough-housing with your kids/grandkids when you realize you are not hearing much anymore. One ear seems deaf. You clap your hands to your ears, and to your horror, you discover one of your […]
Hearing Aid Batteries—What’s the “Gold” Standard?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. with Bob McPherson A lady explained: A person asked me about the best hearing aid batteries. She was inquiring about “gold” batteries and I’m not familiar with them. Are these “gold” batteries any better than the regular zinc- air batteries? The expert on hearing aid batteries, and where to get the […]
The Carina—A Fully-implantable Hearing Aid by Otologics
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Some people have been longing for a completely implantable hearing aid. Besides the (dubious) advantage of being completely invisible (people won’t be able to tell if you are hard of hearing so won’t make allowances when you don’t hear them), there are a few real advantages to a totally implantable hearing […]
Adjusting Hearing Aids to Eliminate Recruitment Problems
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man asked: Is it possible for hearing aids to be programmed to deal with “recruitment”, the loud “bursty” elements of sound? This seems to be quite a common problem for those of us with more severe hearing losses. Few audiologists seem to take the time to properly test for recruitment, […]
GN ReSound’s Alera “Wireless” Hearing Aid
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Distance and noise are two enemies of hearing aids. That is why hard of hearing people often need to use assistive devices coupled with their hearing aids in order to hear beautiful, clear sound. There are many “generic” assistive listening devices that couple with hearing aids via their built-in t-coils. This […]
Will Wearing Hearing Aids Help My Tinnitus?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote: I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. I have horrible tinnitus and can tell my hearing has gone horribly downhill. My question is, can a hearing aid help with the tinnitus to shut it out or anything? When I’m in a room with stuff going on I don’t usually […]
Options for Single-Sided Deafness
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained: I am deaf on my left side due to four acoustic neuroma surgeries. I now have a TransEar hearing aid but it doesn’t work like I expected. How about a CROS aid? Also, what else is new on the market? There are a number of solutions for single-sided […]
The SoundBite Fits Where?—An In-the-Mouth (ITM) Hearing Aid
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. © March, 2010 You’ve all heard of sound bytes (short pithy chunks of speech), but this interesting hearing aid literally puts the bite on sound. That’s why they named it the SoundBite. According to their web site, “Sonitus MedicalTM is pioneering the development of the world’s first non-surgical, removable […]
This New Hearing Aid Goes “Clik”
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Ear Technology Inc. has done it again! “Done what?” you ask. They’ve come up with another cool product. You probably first knew them for their Cadillac of hearing aid drying and disinfecting systems—the Dry & Store. Then about 3 or 4 years ago they designed their unique TransEar BTE bone conduction […]
Sources of Financial Assistance for Purchasing Hearing Aids
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. © Feb, 2010, Updated Nov, 2020 A question I get asked is: Where can I get financial help for purchasing hearing aids? They are so expensive, and I can’t afford them, but need them. Can you help me? There are a number of sources of help, but ferreting them out is […]
Haggle Over the Price of Your Next Hearing Aids
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A short article in the November, 2009 issue of the AARP Bulletin recommends that you do what most people don’t do—and that is, haggle over the price of your next hearing aids. The worst that can happen is that they say no, but if they want your business, they may sweeten […]
Prevent Elderly People from Losing Their Hearing Aids
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: I am a Social Service Director at a healthcare facility. I work with elderly people and continually run into the problem of resident’s losing their hearing aids. I was curious as to whether there are any devices or adaptations that are being sold to secure hearing aids to […]
