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Patient Education : Hearing Aids - A Guide to Selection, Wear and Care

	1- Anyone Can Have Hearing Loss	5- Getting Your Hearing Aid
	2- How You Hear	6- Caring For Your Hearing Aid
	3- Your Hearing Evaluation	7- Living With Your New Hearing Aid
	4- Types of Hearing Aids	8- Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)
		9- Resources

Hearing Aids - A Guide to Selection, Wear and Care

Page 2

How You Hear

The ear is a complex and delicate organ that allows you to detect passing waves of sound energy and thus hear the sounds of the world around you. The ear also contains an organ that helps you to keep your balance. Most of the ear is hidden inside the head, so you are seldom aware of the job your ears are doing until they begin to fail. Fortunately, a hearing aid can often help make up for lost hearing.

Normal Hearing

Your ear has three parts, each with a different purpose. The outer ear collects sound and funnels it to the middle ear. There the sound is amplified (made stronger) and sent to the inner ear, where it is converted into nerve impulses (signals) that go to the brain. The brain compares the loudness of incoming signals from each ear to determine the direction of the sound.

1) The external ear collects and concentrates sound energy.

2) The ear canal carries sound to the eardrum, a membrane separating the canal and the middle ear.

3) The eardrum vibrates in response to changes in sound energy, setting into motion three tiny bones.

4) The tiny bones of the middle ear vibrate against the fluid-filled cochlea, transmitting the sound energy.

5) Inside the cochlea, special nerve cells pick up the sound waves in the fluid and generate nerve impulses.

6) The auditory (hearing) nerve carries nerve impulses from the cochlea to the brain, where they are received and heard as sound.

Types of Hearing Loss

You may have one of two basic types of hearing loss: conductive (con-DUK-tive) or sensorineural (senso-re-NU-ral). If you have both types, you have what's called a mixed hearing loss.

Conductive loss occurs if sound waves are disrupted before reaching the inner ear. The canal can be blocked by earwax, infection, a tumor, or a foreign object. The eardrum can be damaged by injury or infection. In the middle ear, abnormal bone growth, infection, or tumors can block the sound.

Sensorineural loss occurs when sound energy reaching the cochlea is not properly processed or if the nerve signals are disrupted on the way to the brain. Also called "nerve deafness," it usually occurs in both ears. Often it's caused by aging or loud noise, or by injury, disease, infection, toxic drugs, or an inherited condition.

How a Hearing Aid Helps You Hear

A hearing aid is an electronic device that receives sound, amplifies it, and transmits this stronger sound down the car canal into the ear. Sound may reach the inner ear without a hearing aid. But without enough amplification, the impulses reaching the brain may be weak and distorted. With a hearing aid, sound is amplified to make the weak and distorted signals more audible.

The microphone picks up the sound and sends it to the amplifier.
The receiver inside the aid sends the amplified sound into the ear canal.
The amplifier inside the aid makes the sound louder and helps correct distortion.
The volume control adjusts loudness
The battery inside supplies the power.

This information is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. (c)1995, 1998 The StayWell Company, 1100 Grundy Lane, San Bruno, CA 94066-3030. (800) 333-3032. All rights reserved. Lithographed in Canada. Krames Communications. Consultants: Philip Bartlett, MD Lawrence M. Eng, MS, CCC-A Contributions By Robert Harris, MD Alison Grimes, MA CCC-A

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