Answer:
Hello, I’m sure she appreciates you looking after her and I actually do know some information about medical alarm devices.

Typically with a medical alarm, the user (your mother) would wear the device as a necklace. The necklace is usually made with thick nylon string similar to a shoelace and has the device hanging from it. With the philips lifeline, the device is about 1.5 inches long and 0.5 inches wide and 0.25 inches thick. There is just a single large button that when pressed contacts the medical alarm provider via phone and someone answers – 24 hours a day to help. The wearer can describe the problem or emergency to the provider and that person would contact the appropriate people immediately – while always maintaining communication. Lifeline recently released the AutoAlert which will detect if someone falls and dials the emergency provider automatically. This is important because there are times when someone falls and is not conscious so pressing a button is not an option.

There is a monthly fee for having the 24 hour a day emergency contact available by phone and I believe it is around $50 a month for the Philips lifeline. The cost of the device alone is anywhere from $70 – $195, depending on which brand you choose. I am only familiar with the lifeline by philips but I hope to provide more information about the other devices in a new article in the next couple of days – including reviews.

Answer:
Before I give my opinion of the ‘best’ hearing aid, you must note that each person has his or her own preference. My opinion of the best hearing aid may be your choice for the worst hearing aid.

With that said, I feel that the best hearing aid in the market at this time is probably the Beltone True.

One of the thinnest hearing aids on the market and the smallest receiver-in-ear (RIE) hearing aid today.

Beltone did such a good job designing the device that many people will not even know you are using it. This is a fact.

It is a hearing aid, but also has built in Bluetooth technology to allow you to connect to your Bluetooth enabled phone, tv, ipod, stero, computer, etc. Hearing aids are historically poor performers when trying
to listen from these devices (and now talk to them) – but since the Beltone True actually connects to the wireless device directly it performs flawlessly. There is a microphone that you can clip to your clothes to pickup your voice when switching to Bluetooth.

As mentioned at the beginning, each person’s preference is different. Things like moderation of hearing loss, type of hearing loss/damage, shape of ear, color of skin, and even how much oil is present on the wearer’s skin plays a factor.

The best way to know what which hearing aid is best for you is to speak with your ENT / Audiologist and ask for a couple of trials and if he would recommend a certain model.

I’m not deaf, but my hearing is definitely worse now than it was 10 years ago – I’d say I have about 30% hearing loss. I am now looking at hearing aids and I know the Lee Majors hearing aid is inexpensive and popular. Can you give me more info?

Answer:
The Lee Majors hearing aid is one of the least expensive and that is why it is one of the more popular ones. The kit which includes one Lee Majors Rechargeable Bionic Hearing Aid, a charging case, AC adaptor, AAA batteries, ear caps, brush and storage pouch, is $299.85. There is additional fees like shipping and handling however.

Like almost all other hearing aids, there is a 30 day trial period.

The Lee Majors hearing aid receives high praise for people with mild hearing loss and since you estimate around 30% reduction it might be OK with you.

The aid fits inside the outer ear and amplifies surrounding sounds. Many customers order two Lee Major hearing aids since they offer a discount when ordering the second and people seem improve hearing when wearing an aid in each ear.

I would also recommend getting a real hearing test completed by an audiologist and he can recommend a number of devices. There are a number of similar products within that price range. Research, try, and compare some of the top hearing aids.

A: There are large number of items to consider so I will mention some of the most common points for comparison.

The Oticon is wireless enabled. This allows the hearing aids to work together (one in each ear). A lot of people feel that this helps with depth perception and and for better clarity with speech tones. Bluetooth can also be added via an accessory device from Oticon called the streamer. You can listen to your ipod, phone, etc wirelessly through the Bluetooth device.

Unfortunately, the Widex does not have this capability. However all Widex models have a reputation for superior noise reduction and for creating a very natural sound quality.

The Widex Mind 440 is a popular model, but there are newer ones available through Widex to consider. The Widex Passion 440 is an example of a popular new Widex hearing aid. This hearing aid does offer a receiver in the canal and is a very small device operating with size 10 batteries.

Since there are so many devices on the market right now and some features come down to personal preference, I would recommend consulting with your audiologist for free trials on a couple of the devices. This will allow you to compare and review the hearing aids first hand.

1) Have you ever heard of oticon ?
2) How does it compare to a device like the neutronicear?

Answer:
Yes, I have heard of the Oticon and know several people who have used the device. It’s actually one of the more popular models. You mention the neutronicear, but typically I find that the closest device to those offered by Oticon are the Acoustitone by MDHearingAid.

Both of the devices are good and both are typically more powerful than the neutronicear.

Manufacturers typically offer a trial period of 15-30 days for people to test the product. You have to also keep in mind that Oticon is a brand and there are a number of models with different shapes, features, and prices (i.e. Oticon Sumo, Oticon Vigo, Oticon Safran, Oticon Epoq , Opticon Agil , etc). Make sure to look around and compare.

I made an appointment with Kaiser to get my hearing tested and after being examined the doctor said I had over 85% hearing loss. He said it could have been a number of things: past infection, age, etc. He had recommended a device called a cochlear implant. I’m not familiar with hearing aids. Is it any good?

A: First, I’m sorry to hear about your hearing loss. The good news is there are a number of different options available. Someone with hearing loss like you are describing would likely benefit from a hearing aid or a sound generator ( the cochlear implant is a sound generator ).

To avoid confusion, a cochlear implant is like the name implies – a device surgically implanted under your skin. It picks up sounds and then converts them to electronic impulses. Then impulses are then relayed to your auditory nerve in your brain. Some people can ‘learn’ to hear better with the device is a fairly short amount of time. A device like the cochlear implant can work for deaf people very well.

Aside from the cochlear implant, a lot of people first try a hearing aid since it does not typically involve surgery. A hearing aid amplifies the sound and the sound is transmitted into the ear as normal. There are a large number of hearing aids available so make sure to ask your ENT for a couple of trials to see which works best for you if you are interested in going that route.

I used to work with loud machines when I was younger and I was diagnosed with tinnitus.

Answer:
Well, the device is not a hearing aid but it does help people that do not have nerve damage in their ears.

It basically just amplifies the sound or the area you are in.

Answer :
The Neutronic Ear ( neutronicear) is a personal sound amplification device and not a hearing aid.  It works in a much different way than a hearing aid.

A NeutronicEar amplifies the volume of the sounds in your surrounding area. For those with mild-moderate hearing lose it does help, but it doesn’t improve hearing much if there is sensory never damage. In most cases, a neutronicear device can can improve hearing. The manufacturer of Neutronicear sometimes offers a risk free trial of the produce for you to try-out and I would suggest calling them to get the trial.

If, however, you have still not gotten a thorough evaluation from an ENT, I would suggest you do so. It will help determine the extent of hearing damage or impairment.

Image of a Neutronic Ear below:

Have you ever heard of the Neutronic Ear device? Is it real? If so, what are your thoughts about it?

Also, it would help if you could provide as much info as you know about this product. It sounds really good.

Answer :

Yes, I have heard of the NeutronicEar. In fact, I know someone who currently uses it. Most people use the device as a middle-choice between nothing and an actual hearing aid. Please note that a NeutronicEar is not classified as a hearing aid. In fact, it is known as a Personal Amplification Device.

The way it works is by listening to the sounds in the area and amplifying/increasing those sounds. This is fine for people that do not have nerve damage in their ears. When there is nerve damage, a hearing aid is really the only option.

An ENT can perform the audiology tests needed to evaluate the extent of hearing lose – if you have not already had the tests.

The NeutronicEar does help a wide-range of people in most cases and is extremely possible because it’s pretty much invisible when someone is wearing it.