Managing an "own voice" problem that has an amplifier origin.
The complaint from hearing aid wearers of hollowness in the sound of their voice is typically associated with excessive low-frequency sound pressure level (SPL) in the ear canal. Increasing the vent diameter and/or reducing the gain in the low frequency would typically minimize this complaint. This paper reports on a case where the origin of hollowness was insufficient low-frequency gain compared to a previous hearing aid fitting. It describes the systematic process that was followed in uncovering the origin of the patient's hollowness complaint. Clinicians might follow a similar objective approach in their fine-tuning process to resolve wearer complaints.
Kuk
Francis
F
Widex Office of Research in Clinical Amplification, Widex Hearing Aid Company, 2300 Cabot Drive, Suite 415, Lisle, IL 60532, USA. Fkuk@widexmail.com
D000368:Aged; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires