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What is hearing loss?

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  • Conductive hearing loss results from outer and middle ear problems that prevent sound from reaching the inner ear.
  • Sensorineural hearing loss caused by damage to sensory cells or nerve fibres in the inner ear.
  • A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss

The ear is a highly complex organ that transforms sound waves into meaningful information presented to the brain. The brain then makes sense of this information. This is the core of how we develop hearing care. It helps you socialise and communicate with friends, family and colleagues. It connects you with the world around you. In short, the ability to hear is a significant part of a meaningful life.

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    1 in 10 people over the age of 50 has trouble hearing

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    Hearing loss can develop at any stage

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    Without a proper treatment hearing loss leads to personal, professional and social limitations

Today, 1 in 10 people over the age of 50 has trouble hearing. The proper treatment for hearing
loss is the key to remaining cognitive and socially active. The higher the number of people being
treated for hearing loss, the less the burden to society from an economic point of view: With
treatment, you are able to stay longer on the job market and participate in the many aspects of
social life.

Causes and types of hearing loss 

Hearing loss can develop at any age and for any number of reasons. The most common cause is age or congenital defects.

However, hearing loss can also develop as a result of infection, after a head injury, if the eardrum is perforated and as a result of taking certain medications, most notably some cancer treatments. 

If you recognise signs of hearing loss, you should visit a professional 

An obligation

With more than 10% of the population in OECD countries having trouble hearing, we – and the society in general – have an obligation to offer solutions that can help people and make a difference – on a personal, professional and social level.

 

The difficult work of hearing

The hearing process starts when your ears pick up sounds and convert them into nerve impulses. They travel to your brain, which analyses the impulses and makes sense of the sounds by matching them with sounds stored in your memory. The difficult work of hearing takes place in your brain.

When your brain receives sound information from your ears, it performs four cognitive functions to make sense of the sounds: It orients, separates, focuses and recognises. This work takes place constantly, very quickly and all at the same time.

We design technology to support the brain in performing the four key functions involved in making sense of sound. Preliminary data shows that with this technology in hearing aids, you will enjoy 30% better speech understanding, reduce your listening effort by 20% and remember 20% more of your conversations.