hearing the sounds of life 4
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sound and hearing we are surrounded by sound sound is created by vibrations when an object vibrates air molecules are set into a wave-like motion these waves move away from the source of the vibration like ripples on a pond after a stone has been thrown into it vibrations in the air are picked up by our ears and heard as sound when we speak the vocal chords vibrate creating sound waves which travel to our ears and are heard as speech sound waves can travel through air water or solid objects sound can be measured in terms of frequency intensity and time it can also be categorized as simple sound such as a pure tone or complex sound such as speech most of the sounds we hear everyday are complex sounds 6
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how does the ear work outer ear 1 the human ear is a remarkably complex sound-analyzing system capable of detecting sounds over an incredibly wide range of intensity and frequency the ear can be divided into three major sections the outer ear the middle ear and the inner ear the outer ear serves as a sound collector sound vibrations enter the ear canal outer ear these vibrations cause movement of the eardrum which is connected to a chain of three tiny bones called the ossicles middle ear the middle ear system serves to intensify the energy of the sound vibrations and deliver them to the cochlea inner ear inside the cochlea are thousands of tiny hair-like cells that are connected to fibers of the hearing nerve the pinna collects sound and provides natural loudness enhancement of sounds occurring in front of you using both ears together produces a stereo effect and helps you to localize sounds to detect which direction a sound is coming from and to focus on conversation when there
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middle ear 4 5 6 7 inner ear 8 9 10 organ of corti 11 12 13 14 4 malleus 5 incus 6 stapes 7 eustachian tube have you ever wondered why your ears feel plugged when you go up in an airplane or drive into the mountains the middle ear is an air-filled space behind the eardrum the eustachian tube leads from the middle ear to the back of the throat and serves to equalize the air pressure on both sides of the eardrum allowing for more efficient sound transmission when you experience a rapid increase or decrease in air pressure such as in an airplane your ear feels plugged because the pressure on each side of the eardrum is unequal when the eustachian tube opens to equalize the pressure you feel a pop and your ear feels normal again 8 balance system 9 cochlea 10 cochlear nerve 11 cochlear nerve 12 inner hair cells 13 tectorial membrane 14 outer hair cells did you know that your ear is also part of your balance system the system contains special cells that sense the motion and position of you
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conductive hearing loss is caused by any problem in the outer or middle ear that interferes with the transmission of sound vibrations conductive hearing losses can be caused by a large build-up of earwax infections or growths in the outer ear perforations holes in the eardrum a disease called otosclerosis which causes the ossicles to become fixed and unable to vibrate or genetic factors to name just a few this type of hearing loss can often be corrected or improved with medical intervention but when that is not possible hearing instruments can often help sensorineural hearing loss is the term used to describe problems in the inner ear either in the cochlea or the hearing nerve or both often called nerve deafness this type of hearing loss can be caused by things such as head injuries birth defects diseases or certain powerful drugs but the most common cause is deterioration of the hair cells in the cochlea due to aging and/or exposure to loud sounds 90 of all hearing losses fall into
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hearing instruments will a hearing instrument help hearing instruments can provide a significant improvement for most people with a hearing loss although they cannot totally restore your hearing the majority of hearing losses are the sensorineural type and include more than just a loss of the loudness of sound there is also a loss of the clarity of sound due to the damage of the delicate sensory structures in the inner ear people often report that they can still hear others talking but they can t understand all the words modern hearing instruments are designed to compensate for this problem by enhancing sounds in the range important for understanding speech a hearing care professional can evaluate your specific hearing problem and determine an appropriate individual prescription for your hearing loss a properly fit hearing instrument can make communication easier and result in more social confidence listening to conversation can be more comfortable and require much less effort result
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hearing instruments types of technology there are three main types of technology or circuitry used in hearing instruments this determines how the instruments process sound and how they can be modified to meet individual needs digital signal processing dsp hearing instruments use the newest and most advanced type of technology these instruments actually convert analog sounds to a digital form and use computer technology to process the sound signal which allows much more precise control of the signal the hearing care professional uses a computer to program and adjust the instruments conventional analog hearing instruments process sound in an analog form as an exact copy of the sound entering the microphone they can be adjusted manually by the hearing care professional analog programmable hearing instruments use analog processing but they contain a microchip which stores a program that controls the response of the instrument your hearing care professional connects the instrument to a com
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hearing instruments do i really need two hearing instruments if you have an aidable hearing loss in both ears two hearing instruments are definitely better than one your natural hearing system works with two ears just as your visual system works with two eyes cover one eye and you can still see but the range and depth of your vision become limited the same thing happens when you hear with only one ear your ability to detect the location of sounds depends on information from two equally functioning ears sound localization is important for your safety as in the example of an approaching car when you hear electrical impulses from the ears travel to both sides of your brain and many signals from the left ear cross over to the right side of the brain and vice versa for most people using two instruments improves speech understanding in situations where there is competing background noise listening with both ears is essential for our ability to focus on the sounds we want to hear while igno
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finding the right hearing instrument where do i go to try a hearing instrument hearing instruments are different from most other consumer electronics you can t just walk into a store choose one and take it home although it may cost less buying a hearing system without the help of a hearing care professional is risky you are likely to end up with a hearing instrument that isn t right for you and dissatisfaction will be the result a successful hearing instrument fitting requires the expertise of a trained professional many people are uncertain where to begin the hearing care professional your specialist you need to locate a competent professional who is trained to work with hearing instruments but where do you find one in many countries this professional will be an audiologist or a specially trained hearing instrument dispenser you may also wish to visit an otolaryngologist a physician specializing in problems of the ear to make sure you do not have a medical problem physicians special
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fitting your hearing instruments when your instruments are ready you will return to your hearing care professional to have the instruments fit they will have you listen with the instruments and will make adjustments based on your comments about how the instruments sound to you the process will vary depending on the type of circuitry contained in your hearing instruments your hearing care professional will make manual adjustments to analog instruments and will use a computer interface with specially developed software for programming instruments containing a computer chip you will be provided with complete information on how to operate and care for your hearing instruments adjusting to new hearing instruments takes time and patience though you will probably notice an improvement right away at first you may feel overwhelmed by suddenly hearing more sounds but after you have some practice you will realize just how much you had been missing as you gain more listening experience your hearin
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manufacturer bernafon ag morgenstrasse 131 3018 bern switzerland phone +41 031 998 15 15 fax +41 031 998 15 90 www.bernafon.com 11.04 bag 956-01-210-03 subject to change bernafon u.k ltd cadzow industrial estate low waters road hamilton ml3 7qe scotland phone 01 698 285 968 fax 01 698 421 456 www.bernafon.co.uk info@bernafon.co.uk bernafon llc 200 cottontail lane bldg b somerset nj 08873 usa phone 888 941-4203 fax 732 560-4876 www.bernafon-us.com info@bernafon-us.com bernafon canada ltd 500 trillium drive unit 15 kitchener ontario n2r 1a7 canada phone 519 748 6669 toll free 1 800 265 8250 fax 519 748 9158 tdd 519 748 1054 www.bernafon.ca contact@bernafon.ca bernafon australia pty ltd 512 wickham street fortitude valley qld 4006 australia freecall 1800 809 111 phone 07 3250 0300 fax 07 3252 2048 www.bernafon.com.au bernafon new zealand ltd 19 tarndale grove albany p.o box 302 149 north harbour auckland 1330 new zealand free call 0 800 442 257 phone 9 920 42 40 fax 9 920 42 43 www.ber
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