hearing health

hearing health_

We would like to share with you the opinions, advice and recommendations of our hearing health specialists. Information that we hope will be useful to you and those you care about:

1. Avoid prolonged exposure to loud noises, particularly close exposure, such as firecrackers at street festivals.

2. Lower the volume of your music or television if you are unable to hear nearby conversations.

3. Limit the amount of time you spend listening to music through earphones.

4. Avoid bathing in water that is not clean.

5. Try to avoid jumping too roughly into water.

6. Dry your ears well after bathing.

7. We recommend avoiding the use of cotton buds or pointed objects for drying your ears.

8. Use made-to-measure ear protectors, such as earplugs made from hypoallergenic material that can fully adapt to the shape of your ear canal.

9. Care for, clean and keep your made-to-measure earplugs in good condition.

10. If you notice any irritation, consult a specialist.

1. We recommend that you take precautions during winter, as our defences are much lower and we are more vulnerable to infections.

2. Avoid the wind and humidity, since they can be damaging to your hearing health. As it gets colder we need to take extra care of our ears.

3. Avoid sudden changes of temperature, as they can cause colds, otitis and other types of infections that can affect your ears.

4. Wear ear muffs or a woollen hat. In cold temperatures it is important to keep your ears protected.

5. If you notice that your ears have become inflamed due to the cold, you can apply a bag full of warm water to the outside of your ear to reduce the inflammation.

6. Follow a diet that is rich in vitamin B-12, which can be found in foods such as milk and dairy products, eggs, liver, red meat, aloe vera, seaweed and pollen. It is good for your nervous system, and for your ears.

7. Maintain good hygiene, using salt water to clean your ears.

8. Avoid the use of cotton buds or pointed objects for drying your ears.

9. Do not self-medicate. If you notice any irritation, go and see a specialist and let them prescribe the appropriate treatment.

10. Go for a hearing test after suffering from otitis or any other type of ear infection, to ensure that your hearing has not been affected.

Many people with hearing problems do not use hearing aids. We usually wait around 7 years from the moment that we accept that we are suffering from hearing loss until we decide to go and visit a medical specialist.

According to market research, the most common reasons for this are:

  • The process of getting a hearing aid is too long and complicated.
  • “Hearing aids are really expensive”.
  • People simply do not feel ready.
  • Hearing aids are not suitable for certain situations.
  • “Hearing aids are complicated”.
  • People worry about their image if they wear a hearing aid, that they will look “old”.

The latest hearing systems,thanks to changes in technology and appearance, are demolishing these preconceived ideas about hearing aids, about how they make us look and how they are perceived.

Throughout our lives, we are constantly bombarded with different sounds: at school, at home, at work and every time we leave the house. Sometimes these sounds are so intense that they damage our hearing.

Currently, almost one in two people over 50 years have difficulties hearing what other people are saying when there is background noise, and it is likely that this figure will increase in the future.

Young people run the risk of losing their hearing more quickly than previous generations due to their increased exposure to loud music and noisy environments.

If you are one of these people who are exposed to intense noise and worry about your hearing, go for a hearing test once a year with your audiologist. Your audiologist can give you a totally painless hearing test that lasts less than an hour and will reveal if there is any reason to be concerned.

If you work in a very loud environment, you should get this test done at least once a year. By doing this, your audiologist will be able to compare your results and detect if there are any changes from one year to the next.

Don’t forget that our hearing helps us to learn, to find a job, to create a family and to forge long-term friendships. Therefore, taking care of it is vital.

A harmful sound is considered to be one that is louder than 85 dB SPL. Some examples:

  • A whisper = 30 dB.
  • A rock concert or a noisy bar = 100 dB.
  • An environment with heavy traffic = 85 dB.
  • A firecracker = 150 dB.

Any exposure to loud noises can be damaging. If the noise is excessively loud, you will notice the following:

  • You won’t be able to hear people talking to you, even if they are right next to you.
  • Your ears will hurt when you leave a noisy place.
  • While you are exposed to loud noise, or immediately afterwards, you will hear a whistling or a buzzing sound.
  • After being exposed to loud noise you will be able to hear people talking, but won’t be able to understand what they are saying

Advice for protecting yourself from loud noise.

  • Always wear ear protection. Even when they are a bit uncomfortable or other people tell you that it looks strange or there is no need.
  • When you are in a loud environment, try and give your ears a break as often as possible.

Other simple ways to protect your ears.

  • Stay as far away as possible from the sound source, and if the sound gets too loud, move away.
  • At home, lower the volume of the radio, television and audio equipment.
  • Reduce the number of noisy devices that you have turned on at any one time.
  • Buy quieter products: compare the decibels that they produce; the lower, the better.
  • Use ear protection whenever possible.
  • If you are suddenly exposed to a loud noise (such as a pneumatic drill), cover your hears with your hands and put a finger in each of your ear canals.

Three tips for using music players.

  • Never use a music player at more than 60% of its volume capacity.
  • Don’t use music players for more than an hour a day.
  • Use cushioned over-ear headphones, which are better than the smaller in-ear headphones.

Answer the following questions

  • Do you struggle to follow conversations in a group?
  • Do you often have to ask others to repeat themselves?
  • Do you turn up the TV volume louder than the rest of your family?
  • Does it feel like everyone around you is always muttering?
  • Do you struggle to hear people on the phone?
  • Do you hear noises or buzzing sounds in your ears?
  • Do you struggle to hear the doorbell or the phone?
  • Do you find it difficult to hear kids’ voices?

If you have answered yes to 2 or more of these questions it would be a good idea for you to visit one of our centres as soon as possible for a full hearing test, as these can be early symptoms of hearing loss.

Being able to hear with both ears allows us to recognise the source of a sound: where the sound is coming from, how far away people talking to us are and where a car is coming from when we’re crossing the road.

In reality, it is not our ears that hear, but our brain. And in order to be able correctly interpret sounds, the information that it receives must be as precise and detailed as possible. Therefore, if your hearing loss affects both of your ears, it is better to use two hearing aids.

Here are 21 reasons to use two hearing aids

  1. Sound will be clearer.
  2. “Hearing aids are really expensive”.
  3. Your satisfaction will be greater.
  4. You will be able to enjoy sound in stereo.
  5. Listening will be easier.
  6. The response will be more natural.
  7. Your hearing will be in 3D and in every direction.
  8. You will feel in touch with your surroundings.
  9. You will not be limited to your “good side”.
  10. You will feel less tired at the end of the day.
  11. Your comprehension will be better in noisy environments.
  12. You will be able to find your mobile phone more easily when it rings.
  13. You will be able to enjoy higher quality.
  14. Your ability to locate sounds will improve.
  15. You will be more confident in expressing yourself.
  16. Both ears and both hemispheres of the brain will be kept in shape.
  17. You will be more comfortable as you won’t need to turn up the volume so high.
  18. You will be able to hear a wider range of sounds and in more detail.
  19. You will know where sounds are coming from, and where to look.
  20. You will be able to detect speech more easily, which is the first step to understanding.
  21. Speech and conversation will be easier to understand.
  22. To interpret sound correctly in our brain, the information needs to be as precise and complete as possible. Why overload your brain?

The key to being satisfied using hearing aids involves thinking about all the new situations that you will be able to enjoy. You will need to use your hearing aid at all times in order to get used to your new hearing. You will soon discover how useful it is.

  • You will discover so many sounds that you’d forgotten about.
  • The latest technology will help you to learn again with no effort.
  • You will register new sounds and your brain will soon be able to process them.
  • If the volume seems loud, that is just because your brain has become used to a lower volume. Now you will need to readapt to the original level.

Advice for getting off to a good start.

  • From day one you should wear your hearing aids for most of the day.
  • Use them in silent environments as well as in one-on-one conversations in your living room at home.
  • Listen to the radio or the television.
  • Use them when spending time with friends and family, at home or at a restaurant. This is the most difficult situation. At first, it’s likely that you won’t be able to hear everything that other people say, but very soon it will get easier and easier.

The best way to enjoy the hearing improvements that our hearing aids can provide is to adopt good habits for using, caring for and maintaining them, in order to prolong their life span and performance.

Cleaning:

  • Hearing aids should be cleaned daily and after every use.
  • Do not clean them with detergents, oils or water.
  • Only use products specifically designed for hearing aids.

Protection from moisture:

  • Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before swimming or having a shower.
  • Avoid using them while playing sports as this can make you sweat more profusely.
  • Don’t use aerosols, such as hairspray or perfume, while you are wearing them.
  • At night, put them in a container with desiccant tablets, or put them in a dehumidifier.
  • Check the sound output of your hearing aids and remove any wax build-up every day.

Other suggestions:

  • When you are not using your hearing aids, keep the battery case open. This will help to prolong the life of the battery.
  • Keep the hearing aids clean and dry at all times.
  • Avoid extreme temperatures: don’t leave your hearing aids in the sun, near a heater or exposed to very low temperatures.
  • Protect them from being knocked or dropped.
  • If you are not using them, keep them in their box.

Personalised service: It is essential that the audiologist studies your case in detail and advises you on the basis of your lifestyle and your personal needs, in order to find the best solution possible

Product features: With the current technology we are able to listen and understand in situations that were previously unimaginable. Hearing aids now combine a number of digital features to help us hear everything that we want to hear. Among the most important features you will find:

  • Noise reducers:
    • Ambient noise: Prolonged low-level noise, such as fans, background conversation, etc.
    • Transient noise: Intense noise in short bursts, such as doors being slammed, bangs, etc.
    • Wind noise: As the name suggests, noise made by strong wind.
  • Directionality: to locate the source of sounds and filter out other background noise.
  • Sound compressor: Prevents sounds from being amplified any more than necessary.
  • Frequency compression and transposition: Carries amplified sound to frequencies where hearing is better.
  • Anti-feedback or a sound suppressor: Prevents hearing aids from producing annoying whistling sounds.

While these are the most well-known features, they are not the only ones. Today’s hearing aids are highly powerful computers capable of making hundreds of thousands of calculations every second with one single objective: allowing you to hear and understand everything around you.

Connectivity: You can now speak through your hearing aids as if they were a hands-free device, whether it be for phone calls, music or television. You can hear everything directly in your ears with no effort, thanks to hearing aids with Microaudio technology (link to hearing aids)

Satisfaction guarantee: If for any reason you can’t get used to your hearing aids, we are committed to finding the best solution for you, whether by making the necessary adjustments, or if you prefer, refunding the cost of your hearing aids within the time period stipulated by the hearing centre.

Trial period: You have 30 days to try the hearing aids for yourself. This period is more than enough as, in most cases, all the benefits of using hearing aids will become clear in the first week.

Extension of guarantee: You will have a guarantee of up to 5 years with Microaudio hearing aids, and of 2 years with the other product ranges, which covers manufacturing faults. Along with appropriate maintenance, this will help to prolong the working life of the hearing aids.

After-sales support: You can visit any of the Multiópticas centres that are located throughout Spain. We would recommend that you make an appointment prior to visiting a Multiópticas hearing centre. If this is not possible, we will find a gap in the schedule to look after you.

The first thing you need to know is what type of hearing loss you have, and how you will use the hearing aids. Once this has been evaluated by your audiologist you will be able to see the type of hearing aids which are best suited to your needs. At Multiópticas, you can find high-quality hearing aids from €700 throughout the year.

Furthermore, during promotional periods you will be able to find interesting offers so you can save money while you take the important step of purchasing your hearing aids.

Is street noise preventing you from sleeping?

Earplugs are one of the best solutions. They are designed specifically to make your sleep more comfortable. They come equipped with a filter that allows certain frequencies to pass through, such as a baby crying, a doorbell or an alarm clock, but blocks others, such as traffic noise. We have standard earplugs and made-to-measure earplugs, but at Multiópticas we recommend the latter, as it is a product designed exclusively for you, entirely personalised so it is able to provide better results than the standard alternative.

So do I need earplugs if I work with a lot of noise?

Yes, we would recommend that you try made-to-measure earplugs. They are moulded to the shape of your ear, isolating and protecting it from noise that is damaging to your hearing.

  • Conductive hearing loss: the simplest type of hearing loss to relieve, as all that is required is power. It is caused by abnormalities in the inner and/or outer ear.
  • Sensorineural hearing loss: with this type of hearing loss we need to use advanced digital technology to achieve satisfactory results. This hearing loss is produced in the inner ear.
  • Mixed hearing loss: this is the most common form of hearing loss, and is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.