An article on the MarketWatch website examines how home acoustics can affect or exacerbate existing hearing problems.
Those with normal hearing may be fine with “ecohey” reverberations, according to the article, however, those with hearing loss may not adapt as well.
“It takes longer for the brain to process how the sound is occurring in the space,” Erika Shakespeare, owner of Audiology & Hearing Aid Associates, was quoted in the article as saying. “So when you also have reverberation, where sound is bouncing around, and you’re already having this delay in temporal processing, it makes it that much worse.
“Even the most sophisticated of hearing aids do a poor job of managing reverberant backgrounds,” she said. “I will say that they’re way better than they were 20 years ago when I first started working with hearing aids, but they still kind of stink in that area, because it’s our brain that handles that processing, not the technology.”
In addition to outfitting a new home or one undergoing renovation with acoustic materials, the strategic placement of certain fabrics and carpeting can help absorb sound and reduce echo.
To read the article in its entirety, please click here.
Source: MarketWatch
