An increase in product specialization has TechNavio analysts predicting a rise in the Global Hearing Aid market. More specifically, analysts forecast the market to grow at a CAGR of 6.3 percent between 2010 and 2014. An increase in acquisitions and new vendors also contribute to the market prediction. (more…)
Hear to Help seeks Lisbon volunteers
A service project in Northern Ireland seeks Lisbon area volunteers for ‘Hear to Help’, a campaign funded by The Big Lottery and run by Action on Hearing Loss Northern Ireland. The program aims to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation that are often experienced by people with hearing loss. (more…)
Induction loop: Growing in American market
A telecoil is a component in newer hearing aid technology that can provide users with assistance akin to a personal wireless loudspeaker. It is an improvement upon the widely used FM systems installed in many public places for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Rather than having to get up, locate, check out, wear and return special equipment, the wearer can press a button on each hearing aid to activate the feature. When activated, the hearing, or induction, loop transmits a sound via a magnetic signal to the telecoil in a hearing aid or cochlear implant. (more…)
An end to hearing aids? Scientists make genetic discovery
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine have discovered a gene which could hold the key to reversing deafness. The type of deafness that could benefit from treatment is that which affects half of people over age 60: age related deafness. (more…)
Musicians hold back the years
A recent Canadian study by Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute in Toronto indicates being a musician may contribute to better hearing in old age by delaying some of the age-related changes in central auditory processing. This study is the first to examine hearing abilities across such a wide age spectrum, from 18 to 91 years old. (more…)
New technology means less stress fitting your hearing aids
Time and stress involved in fitting hearing aids are now reduced thanks to a new technology by Panasonic, in cooperation with the University of Fukui. Eelectroencephalogram (EEG) brain wave patterns can now be recorded as example sounds are played at normal volumes into the user’s ears. Because these levels differ from person to person, this advanced technology uses the EEG recordings to estimate the loudest level of sound the user can comfortably tolerate. This method enables the hearing aid to be set more accurately and comfortably in an individualized volume range. (more…)
New study: One in eight Americans have hearing loss
A new study suggests that one out of every eight Americans has hearing loss in both ears; one out of every five people have hearing loss in at least one ear. These new national estimates are based on hearing exams between 2001 and 2008 given to approximately 7,500 people age 12 and older.
This study examined participants’ hearing in a soundproof booth at different noise levels. For the purpose of the study, hearing loss was defined as the inability to hear sounds softer than 25 decibels, about the volume of a whisper. (more…)
Waterproof among the features of new hearing aids
A thin polymer substance is responsible for the ability to have waterproof hearing aids. When applied to hearing instruments, the nanometer- thin coating repels water, causing it to bead up and roll off. (more…)
Low cost hearing aid available to UnitedHealth subscribers
Consumers will soon have access to a line of low-cost hearing aids provided by UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), the largest U.S. health insurer by revenue. These devices will be offered for no out-of pocket cost to some consumers and a co-pay of up to $649 for others via Medicare managed care and prescription drug plans. (more…)
Could life-long music training reduce hearing loss as you age?
A recent study found that lifelong musicians process sound as they age better than non-musicians. As participants in the study became older, the gap in hearing abilities expanded. For example, a musician at 70 years old could understand speech in a noisy environment as well as a 50 year- old non-musician. It is interesting to note that as the time spent practicing increased, the better their scores on the hearing tests. Hearing diminishes as people age, but this study implies that musicians may have an advantage at staving off hearing loss. (more…)
