Hearing loss can be caused by a number of different pathological conditions. Some of them can be successfully treated, mainly by surgery, depending on the individual's disease process. However, the treatment of chronic sensorineural hearing loss with damaged cochlear structures usually needs hearing rehabilitation by means of technical amplification. During the last two decades tremendous impro...

Using hearing aids may contribute to better functioning in the everyday lives of hearing-impaired older individuals. We introduce an integrative concept for the efficient use of hearing aids that involves both satisfaction with, and behaviour towards, hearing aids. We review theoretical and empirical work on the predictors of the efficient use of hearing aids in everyday life. Furthermore, we c...

BACKGROUND Frequency-lowering signal processing in hearing aids has re-emerged as an option to improve audibility of the high frequencies by expanding the input bandwidth. Few studies have investigated the usefulness of the scheme as an option for bimodal users (i.e., combined use of a cochlear implant and a contralateral hearing aid). In this study, that question was posed. PURPOSE The purpo...

Hearing impairment in older adults is a chronic condition with high prevalence that shows negative correlations with communication, social integration, well-being, and cognition. In the present study, a group of elderly individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss who received a hearing aid for the first time in their lives (aural rehabilitation group, n = 70) and two age-matched control grou...

Introduction Hearing loss is one of the most common problems in the elderly population. Besides compromising oral communication, it directly affects social relations and prevents elderly patients from living actively in society, possibly leading to the onset of depression or other conditions. Objective To analyze the effects of unilateral adaptation of hearing aids on symptoms of depression and...

Introduction Elderly individuals with bilateral hearing loss often do not use hearing aids in both ears. Because of this, dichotic tests to assess hearing in this group may help identify peculiar degenerative processes of aging and hearing aid selection. Objective To evaluate dichotic hearing for a group of elderly hearing aid users who did not adapt to using binaural devices and to verify the ...

Clinical audiologists were surveyed to determine the terms that their patients use to describe their reaction to hearing aid fitting problems. From this survey, a vocabulary of 40 frequently reported terms was developed. A second survey of hearing aid fitting experts was conducted to determine their methods of troubleshooting a hearing aid fitting when the patient reports one of the frequently ...

BACKGROUND An educational SUpport PRogramme called SUPR has been developed for hearing aid users (HAUs) and their communication partners (CPs) offering care beyond hearing aid fitting. SUPR teaches its users communication strategies, hearing aid handling skills and personal adjustment to hearing impairment. METHODS/DESIGN Using a cluster randomised controlled trial design, 70 Dutch hearing ai...

OBJECTIVES The goal of the present study was to examine whether Acceptable Noise Levels (ANLs) would be lower (greater acceptance of noise) in binaural listening than in monaural listening condition and also whether meaningfulness of background speech noise would affect ANLs for directional microphone hearing aid users. In addition, any relationships between the individual binaural benefits on ...