Perception of One's Own Voice After Hearing-Aid Fitting for Naive Hearing-Aid Users and Hearing-Aid Refitting for Experienced Hearing-Aid Users.

Dissatisfaction with the sound of one's own voice is common among hearing-aid users. Little is known regarding how hearing impairment and hearing aids separately affect own-voice perception. This study examined own-voice perception and associated issues before and after a hearing-aid fitting for new hearing-aid users and refitting for experienced users to investigate whether it was possible to differentiate between the effect of (unaided) hearing impairment and hearing aids. Further aims were to investigate whether First-Time and Experienced users as well as users with dome and mold inserts differed in the severity of own-voice problems. The study had a cohort design with three groups: First-Time hearing-aid users going from unaided to aided hearing (n = 70), Experienced hearing-aid users replacing their old hearing aids (n = 70), and an unaided control group (n = 70). The control group was surveyed once and the hearing-aid users twice; once before hearing-aid fitting/refitting and once after. The results demonstrated that own-voice problems are common among both First-Time and Experienced hearing-aid users with either dome- or mold-type fittings, while people with near-normal hearing and not using hearing aids report few problems. Hearing aids increased ratings of own-voice problems among First-Time users, particularly those with mold inserts. The results suggest that altered auditory feedback through unaided hearing impairment or through hearing aids is likely both to change own-voice perception and complicate regulation of vocal intensity, but hearing aids are the primary reason for poor perceived sound quality of one's own voice.

Perceived Voice Quality and Voice-Related Problems Among Older Adults With Hearing Impairments.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate problems relating to phonation and self-perceived voice sound quality in older adults based on hearing ability and the use of hearing aids. Method: This was a cross-sectional study, with 290 participants divided into 3 groups (matched by age and gender): (a) individuals with hearing impairments who did not use hearing aids (n = 110), (b) individuals with hearing impairments who did use hearing aids (n = 110), and (c) individuals with no hearing impairments (n = 70). All participants underwent a pure-tone audiometry exam; completed standardized questionnaires regarding their hearing, voice, and general health; and were recorded speaking in a soundproof room. Results: The hearing aid users surpassed the benchmarks for having a voice disorder on the Voice Handicap Index (VHI; Jacobson et al., 1997) at almost double the rate predicted by the Swedish normative values for their age range, although there was no significant difference in acoustical measures between any of the groups. Both groups with hearing impairments scored significantly higher on the VHI than the control group, indicating more impairment. It remains inconclusive how much hearing loss versus hearing aids separately contribute to the difference in voice problems. The total scores on the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (Ventry & Weinstein, 1982), in combination with the variables gender and age, explained 21.9% of the variance on the VHI. Perceiving one's own voice as being distorted, dull, or hollow had a strong negative association with a general satisfaction about the sound quality of one's own voice. In addition, groupwise differences in own-voice descriptions suggest that a negative perception of one's voice could be influenced by alterations caused by hearing aid processing. Conclusions: The results indicate that hearing impairments and hearing aids affect several aspects of vocal satisfaction in older adults. A greater understanding of how hearing impairments and hearing aids relate to voice problems may contribute to better voice and hearing care.

Patient characteristics and intervention effect as measured by Voice Handicap Index.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze patients with a confirmed voice disorder in order to identify patterns regarding age, gender, and occupation compared to the general public. To explore effects of voice therapy according to the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) score pre- and post-therapy in relation to the number of sessions, age, and gender. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted as a collaborative project between Linköping University and hospitals in the south-east health care region in Sweden. Six voice clinics participated by asking their patients voluntarily to complete the Swedish version of the VHI at the beginning and end of therapy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The two most prevalent diagnoses were dysphonia (43%) and phonasthenia (25%). Among the working population, the three most common occupational fields were education, health care, and child-care. The majority of the patients were women (74.3%), and the mean age of all patients was 55 years. A significant improvement in VHI scores was found after therapy, with an average decrease of 19 median points in total score and a substantial effect size (0.55). The number of sessions did not significantly correlate with the mean VHI score difference but had a weak correlation to the start and end scores. Increasing age correlated with a higher median VHI score both at the start and end of therapy but did not affect the average decrease between the two measurements.