EPISODE 7 FOR HEARING TV :

How The Ear Works

Hello and welcome to Hearing TV.  My name is Merren Davies.

In recent episodes we have been talking about Styles of Hearing Aids. But what if something has happened to your ear and hearing aids are of no help?
Before we look further into this, let’s have a look at the human ear and understand how it works.

Sounds around us reach our ears by a relay of air molecule vibrations.  These vibrations reach our eardrum, which transmit the VIBRATION of sound through to the INNER EAR via the interconnection of the 3 smallest bones in the body:​ the malleus, the incus and the stapes.

This mechanical vibration causes the fluid inside the inner ear to move, and this movement causes sensory cells inside the inner ear to TRANSDUCE the mechanical Vibration into an Electrical signal, which is picked up by our Hearing Nerve and transmitted up to the BRAIN – where the true ‘HEARING” happens.

People with a hearing loss can either have a problem with the Mechanical part of the ear – or the Electrical part of the ear – or both!

These are usually overcome by hearing aids, which can increase the volume of the sound to overcome the hearing loss.

In our next episode we will start looking at what can be done if hearing aids are no longer enough to overcome the hearing loss.

Stay tuned to Hearing TV to hear about implantable hearing devices.

Hello, and welcome to Hearing TV.  My name is Phillippa, and today we’re talking about RIC hearing
aids.

Receiver in the canal aids, otherwise known as RIC, or RIE, are an excellent option for many reasons.

The RIC Comprises a small hearing aid which sits behind the ear, to which is connected a speaker, or receiver, which goes into the ear.  On the end of the receiver you can use either a disposable silicon dome, or a custom made hard acrylic tip.  So, by separating out the various components of the hearing aid, the device becomes modular and parts are easily replaced.

Let’s start with the part behind the ear. This incorporates the microphones, which pick up the sound coming through the air and send them to the computer chip inside.  The computer chip analyses the sound using the features you have chosen – meaning that it will apply more or less sophisticated
noise management and replication of the sound you want to hear depending on what level of technology you have chosen.  Then, the signal is sent down the wire to the speaker, or receiver, which sits in your ear.

The receiver comes in different strengths, from normal to super-power, which is dictated by your degree of hearing loss.  Then, we put aa disposable dome, or a custom-made shell, over the receiver so that it sits comfortably in your ear.

The RIC aid is our favourite option for various reasons:

Firstly, because the aid is modular, the parts can be easily replaced if they break.  The receiver wire is the weakest part, most prone to blockage or breakage, so we simply take it off and replace it either under warranty or at a small cost.

Secondly, if your hearing drops, the receiver can be replaced by a stronger one, which means that you don’t have to buy a new hearing aid.

Thirdly, the apparatus is almost invisible as the receiver wire sits against your skin, and the hearing aid is hidden behind your ear – most people will not even notice you have one on!

Then because your ear is not blocked, we have much less difficulty with what we call an “occlusion effect”, where your voice echoes in your head.  The open design means that you can hear sounds naturally, combined with amplification only where you need it.  The whole sound experience is much more natural.

Then, because the receiver, or speaker, is close to your eardrum, the range of high frequency sound that can be delivered is greater, resulting in clearer speech.  And because of that distance between the speaker and the microphones, you are less likely to get the dreaded whistle, or feedback which was one of the most offputting features of older hearing aids.

Overall, the RIC is a lightweight, virtually invisible, and versatile hearing aid for most people.

6 of 10 FAQ FOR HEARING TV

WHICH HEARING AID SHOULD I BUY? (Levels of STYLE OF HEARING AIDS – Custom Fit)

The final STYLE of hearing aid we’re going to discuss is Custom Made hearing aids.  These are
hearing aids that are CUSTOM MADE for your ear.

To do this a silicon impression is made of your ear.  This is a 5-minute procedure to obtain
the ear’s INDIVIDUAL SHAPE.  The ear impression is then used to make a CUSTOM FIT
hearing aid by the manufacturer using a 3-D printer.  Then the MICROCHIP, SPEAKER,
AMPLIFIER, MICROPHONE and BATTERY HOUSING is fitted into this CUSTOM MADE shape.

The final size of the CUSTOM FIT hearing aid is dictated by (1) the physical shape of your ear
that is, HOW MUCH hardware can FIT in your ear;
(2) your hearing loss SOoo the bigger the hearing loss, the larger size the SPEAKER needs to
be;
(3) your preference of size, for example the smaller CUSTOM aid size has very small batteries
and need nimble fingers to physically manage them.  A larger size may be preferable for
those who have less movement or feeling in their fingers.

The ADVANTAGE of CUSTOM FIT aids include the fact that…:​

• No technology needs to be housed behind the user’s ear​
  This can make the aid easier to manage and does not compete for space with glasses
• Another advantage is that the aid’s microphone can be located in line with user’s ear canal,
  which has advantages such as standard placement of a phone to the ear

The DISADVANTAGES of CUSTOM FIT aids include:

• The electronics of the aid are close to the MOISTURE and EAR WAX of the ear canal and
  therefore the device needs to be well maintained.
• Not all hearing losses suit having a solid aid in the ear, especially when your low pitch
  hearing is good – as the aid in your ear canal can than make your own voice sound
  unnaturally loud and uncomfortable.

Well, that’s a brief overview of the CUSTOM FIT hearing aid.  Join us next week for more
insights.  Happy Hearing from the HEARING TV team.

4 of 10 FAQ FOR HEARING TV

WHICH HEARING AID SHOULD I BUY? (Levels of STYLE OF HEARING AIDS – Open Fit BTE)

In our last conversation we discussed the Behind-the-Ear (BTE) and earmould STYLE of
hearing aid.
Today we are looking at the smaller BTE option, the Open Fit BTE.

The Open Fit BTE is in two parts: the actual hearing aid which sits behind your ear which is
connected by slim tubing to a custom-made shell or a disposable dome.

The ADVANTAGES of the Open Fit BTE are​:

• The slim tubing is much less visible than the wider tubing of an earmould
• The custom made shell is smaller than the classic earmould
• The domes are smaller again
• The electronics of the aid are well away from moisture and ear wax, and the slimtube and
  shell can be pulled off the hearing aid to be cleaned with wire.

3of 10 FAQ FOR HEARING TV

​WHICH HEARING AID SHOULD I BUY? (Levels of STYLE OF HEARING AIDS – BTE)

In our last conversation we discussed how “which hearing aid to buy” in terms of technology
level and budget.  Today we are going to discuss the STYLE of your hearing aid.

Within each TECHNOLOGY LEVEL and BUDGET, a model of hearing aid may allow you to
choose a style of hearing aid.  In the next 4 episodes we will discuss the 4 major styles, their
pros and cons.

Today we are looking at the largest STYLE of hearing aid, the BEHIND-THE-EAR or BTE for
short.

The BTE is in two parts: the actual hearing aid which sits behind your ear which is connected
by tubing to a custom-made ear mould.

This hearing aid has been around for many years, but is fitted less often than in your mother
or grandmother’s time.

The ADVANTAGES of the BTE are​:

• It can provide the best benefit for severe-profound hearing losses, as it can house a large
  battery to drive the sound.
• The large battery is less fiddly to manage and lasts longer
• The electronics of the aid are well away from moisture and ear wax, and the earmould can
  be pulled off the hearing aid to be washed.​

The DISADVANTAGES of the BTE are:

• The aids are larger
• ….And therefore more visible and uncomfortable to wear.

2 of 10 FAQ FOR HEARING TV

WHICH HEARING AID SHOULD I BUY? (Levels of TECHNOLOGY)

In our last conversation we discussed how “which hearing aid to buy” will depend on what
level of artificial intelligence best suits your lifestyle needs.  Today we are going to discuss
the different levels of technology in hearing aids.

Hearing aid manufacturers have large Research and Development Teams working on ways to
improve people’s ability to hear with their devices.  This results in the development of the
next “you beaut’ ” artificial intelligence MICRO CHIP which then becomes a new MODEL of
hearing aid.

The new MODEL of hearing is then made available to the public for purchase.  But not
everyone has the budget to buy the best “you beaut’ “ hearing aid, so the manufacturer will
dumb down the microchip to allow lower price points of the same hearing aid.

Therefore the new model of hearing aid will have a hierarchy of technology levels and
corresponding prices.  Which hearing aid you buy will depend on your lifestyle needs and
budget.  Sometimes your budget may over-ride your life-style needs!

1 of 10 FAQ FOR HEARING TV

WHICH HEARING AID SHOULD I BUY? (INTRO)​

Hearing loss affects one in seven Australians, and three out of four people aged over 70. Hearing aids won’t restore hearing but can make an enormous difference in being able to maintain employment and an active social life.  A big question for anyone needing hearing aids is “Which hearing aid should I buy?”​

To answer this question, you need to understand what technology is available in hearing aids today.  Hearing aids are computers and have various levels of artificial intelligence. Depending on your lifestyle you may need more or less of the features offered by the various levels of artificial intelligence.

For example, if you regularly go out to dinner in noisy restaurants, you would benefit from the highest level of noise control features in hearing aids.  The highest artificial intelligence will automatically reduce the noise in the restaurant, while lower levels of hearing aid technology require you to manually choose to reduce background noise by pushing a button on the hearing aids.

This is an example of the type of discussion you will need to have with your audiologist, when deciding which hearing aid you should trial before deciding to buy.  It’s all about what best suits your lifestyle needs.