Hearing aids

Question 1

What issues to consider when prescribing RIC’s

Answer 1

Venting. Levels of venting will affect change mostly for lower frequencies. Greater venting for better low freq hearing.
Sound leakage from the open fit when measuring REMs and potential for feedback particularly if there is large gain in the high frequencies.

Question 2

Facts on noise reduction…

Answer 2

Is only of use for wearer comfort.
This is because gain will be reduced and a hearing aid can generally separate speech and BGN however due to complex speech signal, some speech information may be decreased by the HA.

Question 3

When soft sounds are annoying…

Answer 3

When soft sounds are annoying employ expansion to reduce gain for soft sounds.

Question 4

When struggling to hear people far away

Answer 4

Increase gain in the speech frequencies.

Decrease gain for soft sounds.

Question 5

I can’t hear well in restaurants

Answer 5

Use noise reduction
reduce low frequency gain
fixed directional microphones with positioning
Increase gain in higher frequencies

Question 6

It is too loud

Answer 6

Decrease MPO
Turn adaption level down
What sounds too loud and decrease those frequencies
Instruction to persist as it will sound loud.

Question 7

Always ask more questions about the situation

Answer 7

When, where, who

Question 8

Severe to profound loss fittings…

Answer 8

Nal NL2 prescribes lower compression ratios

Nal RP reduces gain in the high frequencies and increase in the low.