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Dec. 03, 2013

Bluetooth 101 – Part I

Wayne Staab
Bluetooth Technology Is Used With Hearing Aids.  Do You Understand It? Hearing aids today employ Bluetooth technology to turn hearing aids into wireless headsets so that those with hearing loss can talk on cell phones with ease and without annoying acoustic feedback.  Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as MP3 players, PCs, radios, televisions, and landline telephones can connect wirelessly to the hearing
Nov. 25, 2013

Audiology in the USA

Wayne Staab
Occasionally, we get an opportunity to present material of significant historical interest.  We are honored to provide the post that follows, reprinted with permission from the book “Audiology in the USA” by Dr. James Jerger. The book aims to give students and young audiologists a sense of the history of the profession.  Beginning with the first commercial audiometers, the book
Nov. 19, 2013

Trivia: History of Hearing Testing

Wayne Staab
At the 2013 Audiology Now meeting in Anaheim, a group of us (Robert Margolis, Charles Berlin, Jay Hall III, and myself, were invited to give a presentation on topics related to the History of Audiology (hearing testing, hearing aids, and vestibular testing).  That which follows takes on the format of questions, utilizing materials from the session on “History of Pure-Tone
Nov. 13, 2013

Trimming the Sails: Part IV

Wayne Staab
Part IV of “Trimming the Sails” by Dr. Christopher Schweitzer is the last post in this series that discusses why hearing aid market penetration fails to meet desired goals.  Dr. Schweitzer is Director of HEAR 4-U International; Chief of Auditory Sciences at Able Planet, Inc.; and Senior Audiologist, Family Hearing Centers in Colorado.                      
Nov. 04, 2013

Trimming the Sails – Part III

Wayne Staab
In Part III of “Trimming the Sails” by Dr. Christopher Schweitzer continues his provocative treatise as to why hearing aid market penetration fails to meet desired goals.  This builds upon many of the posts that have been provided previously on this HHTM site, including a ten-part series on hearing aid dispensing. Dr. Schweitzer is Director of HEAR 4-U International; Chief of Auditory Sciences
Oct. 28, 2013

Trimming the Sails – Part II

Wayne Staab
Part II of “Trimming the Sails” by Dr. Christopher Schweitzer continues as a provocative treatise relating to directions and thoughts as to why hearing aid market penetration fails to meet desired goals.  Dr. Schweitzer is Director of HEAR 4-U International; Chief of Auditory Sciences at Able Planet, Inc.; and Senior Audiologist, Family Hearing Centers in Colorado.  This series’ content is longer
Oct. 21, 2013

Trimming the Sails

Wayne Staab
“Trimming the Sails” is scheduled as a five-part series presenting some history related to hearing aid dispensing, and thoughts as to what might be in store – issues that current and future hearing aid dispensers should investigate as they plan their future forward, especially if they view themselves as marketers and not just sales people.  Some of the thought is
Oct. 14, 2013

Severe Headache When Wearing Hearing Aids

Wayne Staab
Fact or Deception? I recently had a conversation with a hearing aid dispenser whom I highly respect, and whose opinion I often seek when I have hearing aid fitting problems.  So, I was somewhat surprised when he presented me with a “difficult” case for which he had no solution and asked if I could share it with other dispensers to
Oct. 06, 2013

Hearing Aids and Further Hearing Loss? Part V

Wayne Staab
Predicted PTS (Permanent Threshold Shift) From Hearing Aid Use Various researchers have utilized data from TTS (Temporary Threshold Shift) and ITTS (Integrated Temporary Threshold Shift) in formulae that have included the length of time worn during the day, number of years worn, age at which the aid was first worn, the gain level used, and the hearing aid’s output.  These
Sep. 30, 2013

Hearing Aids and Further Hearing Loss? Part IV

Wayne Staab
Potential Deterioration in Hearing Due to Hearing Aid Usage This past series of posts has posed the question as to whether hearing aids, especially those of high power, lead to further loss of hearing.  In other words, does wearing hearing aids cause further hearing loss because of the high levels of amplification sometimes needed to overcome the hearing loss?  Individual