New Technology for Coping with Hearing Loss, from Harvard’s Hearing Loss Special Health Report

BOSTON—Our hearing is the gatekeeper to human communication. Hearing loss has many causes, including genetic defects, infection, side effects from medication, and exposure to very loud noise. According to Hearing Loss: A Guide to Prevention and Treatment, a newly updated report from Harvard Medical School, the good news is that advances in hearing aids and surgical options have improved tremendously. Among other information on all aspects of hearing, this report includes a Special Section on advances in hearing technology.

Like cell phones, computers, and televisions, hearing technology has benefited from the digital revolution. As a result, hearing aids are smaller and have better sound quality than ever before. There are many choices now in size, shape, price, and type of technology.

The newest technologies include models that can connect wirelessly with your phone, TV, or music player. New hearing aid models are smaller, more comfortable, and put more components inside the ear canal than ever before. New receiver-in-the-canal models help improve hearing for a wider range of hearing loss while reducing feedback between microphone and receiver. Some hearing aids are now capable of sending wireless signals back and forth between each other to coordinate sound processing.

Also in this report:

• When hearing loss occurs

• Hearing loss surgery

• Coping with hearing loss

• Preventing hearing loss

Hearing Loss: A Guide to Prevention and Treatment is available for $18 from Harvard Health Publications (www.health.harvard.edu), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School. Order it online at www.health.harvard.edu/HL or by calling 877–649–9457 (toll-free).

Media: Contact Raquel Schott at Raquel_Schott@hms.harvard.edu for a complimentary copy of the Special Health Report, or to receive our press releases directly.