Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. Our hearing plays an important role in how we interact with the world around us. It facilitates the forming of relationships and opens up a wealth of sensory experiences. It is also very complex and extremely sensitive, so let s give it the attention it deserves... www.signia-hearing.co.uk
Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. Contents What will happen at my appointment? 5 Which hearing aid is right for you? 6 Match your hearing aids to the technology 8 level that is best for you. Types of hearing loss and good communication tactics. 10 Pocket Guide to audiological and hearing aid 12 features terminology. App and accessory overview. 14 3 3
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Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. What will happen at my appointment? The Hearing Care Professional will: Ask you questions about - your hearing difficulties, e.g. hearing your family and TV. - any ear pain, infections, noises in your ears etc. Look in your ears. Perform a simple hearing test. Discuss and agree with you the best options available for you. This may include fitting hearing aids. 5
Which hearing aid is right for you? Choosing the right hearing aid can seem like a bit of a minefield. There are so many different names, colours, technology levels, features and sizes it can all seem a little overwhelming. There is no one size fits all answer, as each hearing solution is as unique as its user. This step-by-step guide is designed to help navigate you towards finding the perfect hearing aid. Anatomy of the ear OPTIMUM HEARING INSTRUMENT Degree of hearing loss When choosing a hearing aid, there are many factors which have to be taken into account; for example, is discretion important to you? Personal lifestyle requirements Do you lead a particularly active lifestyle? Or do you have to attend lots of meetings? BTE Colours RIC Colours SLIM-RIC Colours Click-ITE Colours ITE Colours 6
Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. There are three basic types of hearing aids: Behind-the-Ear (BTE), Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) and In-the-Ear (ITE) systems. BTE. Behind-the-Ear. Finding the right type of aid for you will depend on: your level of hearing impairment the shape and size of your ear and the kind of lifestyle you lead. Behind-the-Ear aids sit behind the ear and are discreet and comfortable. Power BTE BTE RIC. Receiver-in-Canal. Receiver-in-Canal hearing aids have an external receiver that sits directly in the ear canal (RIC). SLIM-RIC mini-ric RIC ITE. In-the-Ear. In-the-Ear aids are worn directly in the ear. ITEs are custom-made based on the anatomy of your ear and sit either in the bowl of the ear or deep in the ear canal, providing you with a very discreet hearing solution. Click ITE Instant fit, with Click Sleeves CIC/IIC Completely-In-Canal Invisible-In-Canal ITC In-the-Canal ITE In-the-Ear 7
Match your hearing aids to the technology level that is best for you. SIGNAL PROCESSING EASE OF USE AT AND IN A QUIET ENVIRONMENT PRIVATE CONVERSATION DUST, SHOCK & MOISTURE OUTDOORS TV & MOVIES DIRECT STREAMING RESTAURANT Signia 7 Nx 48/20 Signia 5 Nx 32/16 Signia 3 Nx 24/12 Signia 2 px 16/8 Signia 1 px 16/8 8
Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. MUSIC RECORDED PARTY & SOCIAL EVENTS MEETING CAR CROWDS OVP (OWN VOICE PROCESSING) ENHANCED MUSIC LIVE MUSICIANS ECHOSHIELD AUTO AUTO MANUAL 9
Types of hearing loss and good communication tactics. Audiogram of familiar sounds FREQUENCY IN CYCLES PER SECOND (Hz) 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 Mild May have difficulty following speech, especially in noisy situations. This type of loss is often noticed by family first. Moderate Often has difficulty following speech and misses other quiet noises. Amplification is very successful for this loss, but you also need to use good hearing tactics. 0 Moderately severe HEARING LEVELS IN DECIBELS (Db) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 Mild Moderate Moderately-severe Severe Profound Unable to hear speech even in quiet surroundings and may not hear general noises such as traffic unless they are loud. Amplificatio n is very successful for this loss, but you also need to use good hearing tactics. Lip-reading classes could benefit people with this hearing loss. Severe Unable to hear most sounds unless they are very loud. Amplification is often useful, but you will also need to rely on good hearing tactics. Lip-reading classes would also be useful for people with this hearing loss. If you fall into this category, you may also use sign language and watch sign assisted programmes. 120 Profound Will need to wear appropriate amplification technology (e.g. hearing aids, cochlear implant, FM) in order to hear conversational speech. 10
Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. Here are some tactics that may help you hear more easily. It may be helpful to introduce them to your family and friends. Use plain language and don t waffle. Get to the point Don t cover your mouth Speak clearly and use normal lip movements, natural facial expressions and gestures. Don t shout Keep your voice at a normal level. Shouting can distort speech making it more difficult to understand. Get my attention Before you start to speak to me, make sure you are in the same room as me and you have my full attention. Find a suitable place to talk It is easier to hear when there is good lighting and not too many noises and distractions. Face me Always turn and face me when you talk. It helps me pick up any visual clues you might give me. Don t speak too fast If I don t understand what you are saying, try and say it in a different way and slow down. If you are experiencing difficulties communicating with a particular person or in a specific situation, the best thing to do is explain these tactics to them as it s likely they are not aware. Once they understand this they can help make the situation easier for you. 11
Pocket Guide to audiological and hearing aid features terminology. The language surrounding audiology and hearing aids can be a bit of a minefield embedded with jargon and terminology you just don t hear day-to-day! Below is a handy pocket-guide to some of the terms you may hear when on your journey to finding the right hearing aid. The ear a miracle of nature The ear is an amazing and incredibly skilled organ that performs the wonderful and highly complex task of hearing. It can distinguish between 7,000 different pitches and enables the brain to locate sound sources... Pinna Outer ear Middle ear Inner ear Ear canal Malleus Incus Auditory nerve How hearing works: Tympanic membrane (eardrum) Stapes Cochlea Outer ear: The outer ear picks up sound and transmits it to the eardrum via the ear canal. Middle ear: The sound makes the eardrum vibrate and is amplified by the ossicles (three tiny bones Malleus, Incus, Stapes). Inner ear: The cochlea converts movements of the ossicles into electrical signals. The auditory nerve transmits these to the brain. 12
Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. Features Connectivity OVP - Hearing your own voice Many hearing aid wearers do not like the sound of their own voice as it sounds loud and unnatural. As a world s first, Signia Nx hearing aids solve this: OVP (Own Voice Processing) provides you with a natural sounding own voice combined with optimal hearing of all other sounds for the most pleasant, natural listening experience. Speech Quality - Speech in noise Speech Quality, enables you to hear speech clearly in all situations through advanced noise suppression technologies. This makes it easier for you to understand your conversation partner in very noisy environments such as a restaurant or a conference. 3D Classifier - Conversation while moving The 3D Classifier in Signia Nx hearing aids provides optimal hearing of your own voice and your acoustic environment, even when moving it automatically adjusts the settings based on the mycontrol App s motion data. echoshield Reducing reberberation echoshield reduces the negative effects in environments where lots of reverberation is experienced. For example, in rooms with hard surfaces such as bare walls or marble floors, speech signals are made clear and crisp, reducing listening effort to the wearer. Sound Clarity Providing life like sound Sound clarity provides lifelike sound which covers the full spectrum of wearing situations. Exceptional clarity is achieved with features such as: HD Spatial hearing speech from every direction Extended bandwidth - enriching streamed audio, up to 12kHz HD Music bespoke programs for listening to different forms of music ewindscreen binaural for optimal hearing outdoors Feedback cancellation for the most comfortable hearing Direct Streaming for iphone and Andriod Signia Nx hearing aids can be connected directly to Apple devices for phone calls and audio streaming without additional accessories. With the StreamLine Mic accessory, direct streaming is also possible from Android devices. With the StreamLine TV accessory, high-quality stereo sound can be streamed directly to Nx hearing aids. Telephone Stream phone calls directly from your iphone (and with StreamLine Mic from all smartphones) to your hearing aids for complete convenience. Music Listen to your favourite music streamed directly into your hearing aids from your Apple device (and with StreamLine Mic from any device with Bluetooth) for an outstanding sound experience. TV Stream audio from your television directly into your hearing aids with StreamLine TV. Remote control Technically inclined wearers often appreciate having extra control over their hearing aids. Signia Nx hearing aids offer these wearers a comprehensive range of adjustment options via the mycontrol App. Signia tinnitus solutions Tune out tinnitus with the unique built-in tinnitus therapies from Signia. Ask your hearing care professional which solution is best for you. Durable high performance Signia hearing aids offer a long-lasting, superior hearing experience even when you re streaming audio. CROS Wireless CROS/BiCROS Improved listening and communication for wearers with unaidable hearing loss in one ear. 13
Apps Remote support Via the myhearing App, you can experience all benefits of TeleCare to familiarise yourself with your new hearing aids in as little time as possible. You can follow special listening exercises, consult the user guide and your Hearing Care Professional can connect to you on the go. App and accessory overview. Accessories Audio streaming and remote control Remote controls The mycontrol App enables direct streaming and remote control for hearing aids using Bluetooth. It also optimises hearing aid settings for each individual listening environment and lets you track their communication time and hearing performance. Small enough to carry on a keyring, the minipocket is the ideal solution for anyone who wants discreet, convenient hearing aid control without the need for a large remote control or smartphone. Remote control The touchcontrol App for hearing aids without Bluetooth enables discreet and convenient changes to hearing programs, volume, bass, and treble via your smartphone without any extra hardware. The sleek easypocket with large buttons and an easy-toread display even gives users with dexterity issues easy access to their hearing aids. Audio streaming and remote control With the easytek App, you can discreetly control the easytek via your smartphone for program or volume adjustments and audio streaming. 14 All apps are compatible with Android and ios. Their download on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store is free of charge.
Your guide to finding the right hearing aid. Streamers CROS/BiCROS Via StreamLine TV, TV sound can be fed directly into Bluetooth-equipped Signia Nx hearing aids. You can even adjust the TV volume individually via the mycontrol App. The StreamLine Mic transforms Signia Nx devices with Bluetooth into more than state-of-the-art hearing aids. They also become hands-free mobile headsets and wireless stereo headphones that stream highest quality audio into both ears from any Bluetooth device. You can even adjust the streaming volume individually via the mycontrol App. The easytek wirelessly connects hearing aids to different Bluetooth enabled devices so sound is streamed directly into the hearing aids. Plus, it also acts as remote control for program or volume adjustments and is controllable via the easytek App. For people with unaidable hearing loss on one side. CROS Pure Nx, CROS Silk Nx, and CROS Pure receive sound on that side and transmit it to a hearing aid on the other side. Transmitter The TV Transmitter connects TVs to the easytek. This way, sound can be wirelessly streamed directly into the hearing aids. Charging stations The chargers recharge applicable hearing aids so you don't need to worry about handling batteries. Ask your hearing care professional about which accessories would be appropriate for you and which hearing aids they are compatible with.
The information in this document contains general descriptions of the technical options available, which do not always have to be present in individual cases and are subject to change without prior notice. The required features should therefore be specified in each individual case at the time of conclusion of the respective contract. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc. Apple App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Sivantos is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. Dispenser: Legal Manufacturer Signia GmbH Henri-Dunant-Strasse 100 91058 Erlangen Germany Signia GmbH is a Trademark Licensee of Siemens AG. United Kingdom Sivantos Limited Platinum House Sussex Manor Business Park Gatwick Road Crawley RH10 9NH Phone: 01293 423700 www.sivantos.co.uk Sivantos Limited is a Trademark Licensee of Siemens AG Signia GmbH 10.2018 JN9598 www.signia-hearing.co.uk