I’ve tried Lyric, the invisible hearing aid, in the past but it didn’t fit in my ear, is there anything new?

Lyric is an extended wear hearing aid.  What this means is that it can stay in your ear canal for months at a time.  The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved the Lyric device to remain in the ear canal for up to 4 months at a time.  The longevity of the device in your ear canal all depends on your personal body chemistry, meaning wax build up and how much your ear canals sweat.  The average lifespan of Lyric is about 2 months.  At the end of the two months, we remove the old devices and replace them with new devices.  The Lyric device doesn’t not fit everyone.  The only way to know if it is the right device for you is to try it.  Your audiologist first needs to measure the length and width of your ear canal.  To answer your question, yes there is something new with Lyric.  There are two new sizes.  There used to be only 5 sizes and now there are 7 sizes.  Lyric added an XXS and XXL.  If you are still interested in Lyric but were contraindicated in the past based on sizing, make an appointment to try Lyric again.  Allow your audiologist to resize your ear and allow you to trial it again for 30 days risk free.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

If I wear hearing aids, will they make my hearing worse in the long run?

This is an excellent question.  We actually hear with our brains, not with our ears.  Our ears are just the pathway to the brain.  Stimulating the brain is important.  Keeping the nerves to the brain and the brain stimulated appropriately is actually the best way to make sure that your brain can continue to accurately interpret the signal provided.  When the brain is under stimulated, research actually shows that word recognition skills can decrease more rapidly.  Word recognition is your ability to decipher what word is being said over another word without visual cues.  For example, being able to interpret the difference between use or youth, fat or sat, meat or neat.  Therefore whenever your audiologist diagnoses hearing loss through an audiologic assessment, they will most likely recommend the use of hearing instruments. Our goal is to help keep our patients youthful and active.  If you feel like you are having people repeat more often than you did before or you feel like people mumble more or talk more softly, it may be time for an audiologic evaluation.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

Hearing Loss, Alzheimer's and Dementia

Hearing loss is associated with several diseases among them are dementia, cognitive dysfunction, and alzheimer's disease.   We now know there are more older adults with dementia who have hearing loss then there are older adults in general with hearing loss. 

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.  What we found is a link between hearing loss and Alzheimer’s disease.   For every 10 decibels (a measurement of volume) of hearing loss there is a 20% increase in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  Another study demonstrates adults with a mild to moderate hearing loss used so much energy to hear, they were unable to recall a short list of words.  Other cognitive abilities affected by hearing loss include learning new tasks, reduced alertness, irritability, anger and fatigue.   Thus hearing loss can make it appear as if someone is having memory issues when really it is a hearing problem.  Left untreated, hearing loss can result in permanent changes in the way the brain works. 

On a positive note, when treated with hearing aids and listening training, symptoms such as depression, anxiety, cognitive decline and disorientation can be reduced.  Just as we know working crossword puzzles and other word games stimulate the brain, so does hearing.  Just hearing sounds in your environment stimulates the brain.  Basically it is a case of use it or lose it. And unfortunately, while there are many people with Alzheimer’s who have hearing loss, they are less likely to receive hearing help. 

The Better Hearing Institute recommends regular comprehensive audiologic examination and hearing aids when recommended.  Hearing aids can and do improve the quality of life of those with Alzheimer’s.  Call today to schedule an appointment. 

Life Sounds Great! Enjoy Every Moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD
Paula Webster, MA
Board Certified Audiologists
Advanced Audiology Concepts
8897 Mentor Ave
Mentor, Ohio 44060
440-205-8848
http://www.aachear.org/