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Widex introduces IIC – a truly invisible solution

With the introduction of the Invisible-in-canal (IIC) hearing aid, Widex offers hearing aid users a truly invisible solution.

Because the IIC model is so small, it is placed deep into the ear canal, providing not only better sound but also more comfort.

Small size, big sound

Its clever, all-in-one design means that all the electronics of the hearing aid are placed in the shell to provide the ultimate small fit. Unlike other hearing aids, the IIC has no joined parts and therefore no hard edges - adding extra comfort for hearing aid users.

Outstanding features of the IIC include:

• Perfect fit: each IIC hearing aid is custom made to ensure a perfect fit.
• Better localisation: tight fit means users can better determine where sounds are coming from.
• All-purpose use: can be worn in all listening situations.
• Durability: all components are contained in one unit making it extremely durable More comfort: no joined parts mean there are no hard edges.

Available at Celtic Hearing.

Budget 2012, changes have been made to the amount of assistance available and to the frequency of the claim:

• The frequency of the grant for hearing aids will change from 2 years to 4 years. (January 2012).
• The maximum grant available for one hearing aid will change from €760 to €500 and from €1,520 to €1,000 for two hearing aids. (January 2012). www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/Budget/Bud12/Pages/bud12s17.aspx
•  

Further details about this grant www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/DentalOpticalAndHearingBenefits/Pages/Aural.aspx

Aural Benefit for January 2012;

Hearing aids may be provided by suppliers who have a contract with the Department of Social Protection. The Department pays half the cost of a hearing aid subject to a fixed maximum of €500 for each hearing aid every four years. It also pays half the cost of repairs to aids.

Application forms are available in our offices, please contact Celtic Hearing for details.

Free remote control and Phone Dex. With every pair of Widex hearing aids purchased receive a free remote control to turn your hearing aids up and down and mobile a phone Dex device which allows you to directly hear phone conversations through your hearing aids valued at €350.

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WHO: Adult onset hearing loss has great impact on our lives Adult onset hearing loss is one of the 10 afflictions with the greatest impact on quality of life. According to ”The European Health Report 2005”, issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), adult onset hearing loss is on the top-10 list of most impactful conditions in terms of human costs in 47 of the 52 European countries. Adult onset hearing loss is ranked highest (and worst) in Monaco, in third place. It is ranked fourth in Israel and San Marino. In 12 European countries, hearing loss is seen as the fifth most impactful affliction, with Austria, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland among these countries. In the remaining countries, adult onset hearing loss ranks between sixth and 10th on the list. The most commonly higher-ranked disorders in terms of adverse impact on quality of life include depressive disorders, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. The yardstick employed by WHO in determining thye impacts of various disorders is the DALY, a recognized measure of overall disease burden. DALY, or ”disability-adjusted life year” uses time as a measurement of chronic illness, both time lost due to premature death and time spent disabled by disease. One DALY is equal to one year of healthy life lost. http://www.hear-it.org/page.dsp?page=6596

Very simply put: a hearing aid is a device used to help hard of hearing people to hear sounds better. A digital hearing aid achieves this by receiving sounds through a number of microphones, processing the sound and outputting it into your ear. The processing of the sound is performed by what is essentially a mini computer inside the hearing aid.

Noise reduction

Noise is unwanted sound. As mentioned above, noise reduction is extremely beneficial in hearing aids to enable the wearer to more easily hear the sound they are interested in. Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) technology in hearing aids can often cause a problem when listening to music – the aid will identify the music as noise and attempt to drown it out. For this reason, many aids come with a separate programme (see below) specifically for music.

Feedback reduction

Similar to noise reduction. Aids will provide dedicated processing to avoid feedback noise.

Programmes

Hearing aids are worn in many different environments and situations. For this reason, most digital aids have a number of programmes. A programme is a set of instructions for the hearing aid, it tells it how much noise or feedback reduction to apply, what the volume setting should be and so on. The wearer is able to switch between programmes using a button on the shell or on a remote control.

Directional microphones

Some aids have more than one microphone. This not only helps to get a better range of hearing, it can also be used to improve noise reduction. If you are listening to someone directly in front of you, it is possible to turn off the backward-facing microphone to eliminate noise from behind – some aids may do this automatically, some may allow the wearer to switch too.