Compression for Clinicians: A Compass for Hearing Aid Fittings, Third Edition

Compression for Clinicians: Considerations for Hearing Aid Fittings, Third Edition explains many developments that have taken place in the world of hearing aid compression, fitting methods, and real ear measurement. Directional microphones and digital features of noise reduction, feedback reduction, and expansion are also covered. The text aims to make difficult concepts easier to understand and to explain in plain language many topics pertaining to compression. The third edition recognizes two distinct clinical populations of sensori-neural hearing loss; mild-to-moderate on the one hand, and more severe on the other. These two clinical populations are well served by a corresponding pair of compression types; wide dynamic range compression and output limiting compression. Another double distinction held throughout the text is the two-part task for all hearing aids; providing gain and also, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. Gain is addressed by compression, while listening in noise is addressed by directional microphones and digital noise reduction.

New to the Third Edition:

• Includes new chapters on common clinical encounters (Chapter 1), real ear measurement (Chapter 5), and adaptive dynamic range optimization (Chapter 10)
• Distinguishes between sensory and neural hearing loss and devotes a separate chapter to each of these types of sensori-neural hearing loss
• Contains updated coverage of digital hearing aids, directional microphones, and digital noise reduction
• Retains a strong focus on the historical development of compression from yesterday s analog hearing aids to digital hearing aids of today

Compression for Clinicians is intended for those studying to become hearing health care professionals, including audiologists and hearing instrument practitioners. It is also intended for practicing clinicians who simply want to refresh their knowledge base concerning hearing loss and hearing aids. Clinically relevant and very thorough, it provides a relevant compass in the world of compression hearing aids.

Praise for the previous edition:
"This type of book could easily find a niche with Audiologists or hearing-aid dispensers...with some refocusing, it could easily become a classroom text or clinical reference guide to hearing aid fittings." - Jeffrey DiGiovanni, PhD, Ohio University
"Venema's text covers compression in more depth than Dillon's text, and Venema covers the topic in a format that is easy to understand. Venema presents a difficult topic in a user-friendly format." - Rebecca Henning, PhD, University of Wisconsin
"I think this is a very good book that thoroughly covers an aspect of hearing aids that is often not clear to many audiologists and dispensers. It is written in a language that is easy to read and understand." - Sarah Hickey, McIntire Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic
"Everything you wanted to know about compression but were afraid to ask." - Roger Green in ''British Journal of Audiology'', April 2000