{"id":9186,"date":"2021-10-13T20:40:11","date_gmt":"2021-10-14T00:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehearinginstitute.org\/?p=9186"},"modified":"2021-10-13T20:40:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T00:40:13","slug":"how-hearing-aids-can-help-you-better-understand-sound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehearinginstitute.org\/how-hearing-aids-can-help-you-better-understand-sound\/","title":{"rendered":"How Hearing Aids Can Help You Better Understand Sound"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Though they are similar, hearing a sound and understanding it are not the same thing. Imagine you are out to dinner at a busy restaurant. Maybe you have friends visiting from out of town and decide to take them to Jack Fry\u2019s<\/a>. It\u2019s packed inside and there is live jazz music playing in the background. Your friend is trying to catch you up on how work has been going. You can hear him speak, but you can\u2019t quite make out every word. With all the background noise it\u2019s just a little too hard to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the difference between hearing and understanding. Thankfully, if you struggle with hearing loss,<\/a> using hearing aids can help you better understand sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Distraction Makes Understanding Sound Harder <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Friends<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To understand your friend, the sound must go through your middle ear, inner ear, and auditory nerve to the brain. The brain must then process those sounds for you to register and comprehend what they are saying. At the same time, you must filter out all the noise from other restaurant-goers, servers and live music. That\u2019s a lot of work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even people who don\u2019t struggle with hearing loss can have problems understanding speech when there are other distractions happening at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever had to turn the music down in your car when you were trying to read street signs? Or found yourself focusing on a task so intently that you realized you hadn\u2019t really followed what was being said on the podcast to which you were listening? This is because your brain can\u2019t process all that information at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing Loss and Speech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People who have hearing loss have greater struggles comprehending speech than those without. A 2017 study<\/a> explored the relationship between hearing loss and the ability to understand time-compressed (sped up) speech. They found that even when adjusting for age, people with hearing loss had lower speech-recognition scores than those with no hearing loss. The more severe the hearing loss, the worse the ability to comprehend compressed speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Hearing Aids Can Help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hearing aids<\/a> are designed to help you pick up speech, even in loud conditions. Your hearing expert can help you pick out the right pair and program them to meet your individual needs and preferences. Using your hearing aids daily will put less stress on your brain and help you process sound better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about hearing aids or to schedule an appointment with a hearing loss expert, contact Heuser Hearing Institute today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n