{"id":907,"date":"2019-02-07T17:40:46","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T04:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aucklandhearing.co.nz\/?p=907"},"modified":"2019-03-19T06:54:42","modified_gmt":"2019-03-18T17:54:42","slug":"detect-sound-with-your-ears-hear-with-your-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aucklandhearing.co.nz\/hearing-loss\/detect-sound-with-your-ears-hear-with-your-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"Detect sound with your ears \u2013 Hear with your brain"},"content":{"rendered":"

We hear with our ears right?<\/h3>\n

That\u2019s how\u00a0we\u2019ve always considered\u00a0it. But when we think about\u00a0hearing, we really mean how we use the sounds we collect from our ears.<\/p>\n

You\u00a0actually hear with your brain.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The brain has many complex hearing functions, including filtering the sound coming from our ears\u00a0so we can focus on what is important and matching sounds we hear to what is already familiar to us.<\/p>\n

Often we do not notice familiar sounds because our subconscious brain accepts them as normal. \u00a0We do notice new sounds and words that are important to us. They jump into our consciousness. For example, we are more likely to notice\u00a0if someone says our name.<\/p>\n

When you first get hearing aids you will hear a lot of new sounds. In the beginning, everything\u00a0will\u00a0sound new\u00a0and different. It takes time for the brain to locate, identify and then normalise sounds that have not been detectable for a while. It takes time to adapt and be able to\u00a0hear with your brain again.<\/p>\n

\"Hear

Hear with your brain<\/p><\/div>\n

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Detect sound with your ears<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Our ears are designed to\u00a0collect sound from the environment, amplify and change it into\u00a0a signal that can be delivered, via nerves, to the\u00a0hearing centre in our brain (auditory cortex).<\/p>\n

The brain identifies the signal and recognises it as sound from the environment or to\u00a0understand speech.<\/p>\n

Hearing loss usually means the ears are damaged or\u00a0impaired\u00a0in some way. For most hearing loss we lose the ability to detect the quieter sounds but louder sounds are not affected, or only affected slightly.<\/p>\n

In most cases, just increasing the volume of the sound to our ears is not helpful to improve hearing clarity. In some cases, loud sound can cause distortion in our hearing system which reduces our hearing clarity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Hear with your brain<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This diagram (and explanation below) by Oticon shows how sound is used by the brain.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Your brain uses the signals collected from your ears to\u00a0ORIENT\u00a0<\/strong>you by localising which direction the sound is coming from and to\u00a0RECOGNISE<\/strong>\u00a0familiar sounds, voices and words. Next the brain will\u00a0FOCUS\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0the important sounds like speech or music and\u00a0SEPARATE<\/strong>\u00a0out unwanted sounds or noise. \u00a0These fours tasks occur\u00a0simultaneously and consistently while you are awake.\u00a0From Oticon \u2013 Brain Hearing<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Hearing aids help your brain to hear<\/h2>\n
\"hear<\/div>\n
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Hearing aids are small computers that often\u00a0work together as a team, to optimise the signal received by the brain. They\u00a0are constantly measuring the sound environment and adjusting the way they amplify to optimise hearing comfort and\u00a0speech understanding and to reduce listening effort. They usually amplify quiet sounds more than loud sounds and very loud sounds pass through the hearing aid and are not amplified at all.<\/p>\n

Higher level hearing aids have more automatic features to modify the sound to help you hear clearer\u00a0and with less effort, especially in difficult listening environments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Regular hearing aid use will help your brain \u201chear better\u201d<\/h3>\n

Interpreting sound information requires regular exposure. People who wear their hearing aids \u201conly sometimes\u201d are giving their brain two signals, hearing and not hearing, some sounds.<\/p>\n

Their brain does not have as much practice interpreting\u00a0the sound information and will not be able to use the information so well.<\/p>\n

\n

Use it or loose it<\/p>\n

Wearing hearing aids more strengthens the auditory system by giving it more practice and helping it learn which sounds are important and which sounds are not.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0ability to understand speech, especially in noisy environments often improves\u00a0with increased wearing time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The ability to discriminate\u00a0words reduces over time \u2013 especially with\u00a0significant hearing loss<\/h3>\n

When there is hearing loss, the brain is not receiving a regular signal. As this continues for many years the brain does not have as much practice using this information and becomes less capable of using the sound information. It is possible that the brain may\u00a0even reallocate those brain resources to another function.<\/p>\n

The sooner you get hearing aids, the sooner you are providing your auditory\u00a0system with sound and keeping it active and functioning as optimally as possible.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI notice people ability to\u00a0repeat back single words, in quiet, improves with regular hearing aid use.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

This effect is strongest for people with more severe hearing losses.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Maree O\u2019Sullivan (Audiologist)<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

New hearing aids \u2013 Get\u00a0ready for\u00a0your hearing adventure<\/h2>\n
\n

Hearing aids do not act like a volume control. Everything will not just sound louder, like when you turn up the TV. Hearing aids are programmed specifically\u00a0to improve\u00a0your\u00a0hearing. They are set up and programmed to compensate for your specific hearing loss. They usually amplify quieter sounds more and louder sounds less, or not at all. You will pick up sounds you had forgotten about as you have been unable to detect them for years.<\/p>\n

The sound level and the way hearing aids amplify is constantly changing depending on the listening environment that you are in. They detect the environment and optimise\u00a0the sound directed to your ears, which\u00a0helps your brain use the sound information.<\/p>\n

It is important we\u00a0match the right level of technology to your listening needs. Well fitted hearing aids will help you to confidently hear what is said the first time. This means you will not need to keep doing mental calculations to work out\u00a0what they could have said and no need to ask for repeats.<\/p>\n

Most hearing aids will work well in easy\u00a0listening environments. \u00a0Higher end hearing aids are able to modify the sound in more detail often giving better sound quality\u00a0and\u00a0reduced listening effort for the wearer. Higher end hearing aids give better results in difficult listening environments like noisy and echoey rooms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Are you ready for your own hearing adventure?<\/h2>\n
\n

Are\u00a0you are at the point\u00a0where you are ready to do something to help your hearing? \u00a0You are welcome to make an appointment for a hearing assessment and hearing aid consultation.<\/p>\n

During the appointment we will program some hearing aids up especially for your hearing levels and let you experience the new and clearer sound.<\/p>\n

If there is\u00a0time you can even go next door to the cafe for a coffee so you can see\u00a0what is is like to hear clearly even in noise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

A bit about Auckland Hearing<\/h2>\n
\n

Auckland Hearing is an\u00a0independent hearing aid and audiology clinic<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0set up by\u00a0Maree O\u2019Sullivan<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Maree has worked in Audiology for nearly 25 years and started Auckland Hearing so she could focus on the needs of each client (rather than\u00a0corporate profits).<\/p>\n

We provide a full range of hearing\u00a0services<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and work with all of the\u00a0Ministry of Health approved hearing aid brands<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in New Zealand. This means we\u00a0can fit the hearing aids that best suit your needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"maree-osullivan\"<\/div>\n
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Hearing aid fitting process<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\"getting<\/a>

More information about the hearing aid fitting process here<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

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 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We hear with our ears right? That\u2019s how\u00a0we\u2019ve always considered\u00a0it. But when we think about\u00a0hearing, we really mean how we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":909,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[646,647,813],"tags":[401],"yoast_head":"\nDetect sound with your ears \u2013 Hear with your brain - Auckland Hearing<\/title>\n<meta \="" content='\"index,' follow,="" max-image-preview:large,="" max-snippet:-1,="" max-video-preview:-1\"="" name='\"robots\"'/>\n<link \="" href='\"https:\/\/aucklandhearing.co.nz\/hearing-loss\/detect-sound-with-your-ears-hear-with-your-brain\/\"' rel='\"canonical\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"en_US\"' property='\"og:locale\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"article\"' property='\"og:type\"'/>\n<meta -="" \="" \u2013="" auckland="" brain="" content='\"Detect' ears="" hear="" hearing\"="" property='\"og:title\"' sound="" with="" your=""/>\n<meta […]\"="" \="" about\u00a0hearing,="" always="" but="" considered\u00a0it.="" content='\"We' ears="" hear="" how="" how\u00a0we\u2019ve="" mean="" our="" property='\"og:description\"' really="" right?="" that\u2019s="" think="" we="" when="" with=""/>\n<meta \="" content='\"https:\/\/aucklandhearing.co.nz\/hearing-loss\/detect-sound-with-your-ears-hear-with-your-brain\/\"' property='\"og:url\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"Auckland' hearing\"="" property='\"og:site_name\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AuckHearing\"' property='\"article:author\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"2019-02-07T04:40:46+00:00\"' property='\"article:published_time\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"2019-03-18T17:54:42+00:00\"' property='\"article:modified_time\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"https:\/\/aucklandhearing.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hear-with-your-brain-1200x315.jpg\"' property='\"og:image\"'/>\n\t<meta \="" content='\"1200\"' property='\"og:image:width\"'/>\n\t<meta \="" content='\"315\"' property='\"og:image:height\"'/>\n<meta \="" content='\"summary_large_image\"' name='\"twitter:card\"'/>\n<meta by\"="" content='\"Written' name='\"twitter:label1\"'/>\n\t<meta content='\"Maree' name='\"twitter:data1\"' o\u2019sullivan\"=""/>\n\t<meta content='\"Est.' name='\"twitter:label2\"' reading="" time\"=""/>\n\t<meta content='\"5' minutes\"="" name='\"twitter:data2\"'/>\n<script class='\"yoast-schema-graph\"' type='\"application\/ld+json\"'></script>