If you have trouble hearing certain voices, high-pitched sounds or even certain letters, you probably suffer from High Frequency Hearing Loss (HFHL). HFHL is usually a sensorineural hearing loss that results in the inability to hear sounds within the 2000Hz and 8000 Hz range caused by sensory hearing cells in the cochlea dying or being damaged.
What Are The Main Causes of High Frequency Hearing Loss?
The main causes of high frequency hearing loss are noise, aging, genetics, diseases, and medications. Those suffering from this type of hearing loss are unable to hear sounds like birds chirping, female voices and baby coos and are limited to speech intelligibility, meaning the clarity of speech is difficult to understand. For example, the consonants s, f, and h are difficult to hear. When seeking treatment options, it is important to choose the best hearing aid for High Frequency Hearing Loss for the best results.
Today’s technology makes it easier to get the best hearing aid products for specific types and degrees of hearing loss. When discussing options for High Frequency Hearing Loss with your audiologist, consider hearing aids with frequency compression technology. Frequency compression technology works by taking the high frequency sounds and shifting them into lower frequencies to make them more audible.
Which Hearing Aid Brands Work Best For High Frequency Hearing Loss?
Popular hearing aid brands like Phonak and Oticon offer products equipped with frequency compression technology. The best hearing aids for high frequency hearing loss are the Phonak Audeo P, Oticon More™, and Signia Pure hearing aids. These are appropriate for most kinds of losses but are the most appropriate for specifically HFHL. Both the Phonak Audeo P and Oticon More™, are referred to as RIC (receiver in canal) that sit over the ear with an open dome in the ear to allow for the ear to naturally process the frequency information and balancing that with the amplification from the HA, allowing for a balance in sound and clarity.
Like other forms of hearing loss, High Frequency Hearing Loss is irreversible and if untreated, can lead to issues like anxiety and depression, affecting your overall quality of life. With the right hearing aid HFHL can be significantly improved.
For more information about High Frequency Hearing Loss and help choosing hearing aids best suits your needs, please call our Miami audiologists today for your free consultation.
