Overview
When someone has been diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss that cannot be corrected by surgery or medication, hearing aids and other assistive listening devices are the standard treatment. With so many digital options available today, suitable instruments are not only affordable, but can achieve desired results in most listening situations. Your audiologist will assist you in selecting the hearing aids that best meet your hearing, cosmetic, and financial preferences. Certain hearing aid models may not be appropriate for individuals with manual dexterity problems, or for those who make a lot of earwax. A thorough consultation with an audiologist is an important first step in selecting the hearing aid model that will work best for you.
Essentially all hearing aids dispensed today are digital and contain at least one microprocessor. Incoming sounds are constantly being analyzed by the computer chip and classified according to pitch and loudness. Hearing aids are programmed to match the user's hearing loss. The amplification provided by the instrument is both frequency dependent (pitch) and level dependent (loudness). Digital hearing aids have between 4 and 20 bands, or channels of amplification. Bands can be likened to pixels on a digital camera; the more pixels, the better the resolution. Likewise, more channels in a hearing aid allows for more specific the fine tuning and enhanced sound quality and fidelity.
For several reasons, digital hearing aids have a much higher user acceptance rate than old analog models. The biggest change is the reduction of unwanted noise, which is constantly improving. Feedback cancelation eliminates the annoying whistling sound often heard in older hearing aids. An open fitting approach is used whenever possible, to keep the ear canal unobstructed so the wearer's own voice sounds natural. And finally, miniaturization of the microchip allows for much smaller and more discrete hearing aid models.
Levels of Technology
Premium - This level of technology is suitable for those with active lifestyles who encounter a variety of different listening situations. The hearing aids can be fully automatic and adapt to environmental changes. These aids afford the fitting audiologist with optimum flexibility for fine tuning and reduction of unwanted noise.
Advanced - Advanced digital technology will work well in both quiet environments and in moderate levels of background noise. The user may have access to multiple listening programs if that is desirable.
Basic - This level of technology is designed and priced for individuals with less active lifestyles. These hearing aids perform best in quiet surroundings. The fitting audiologist may have less flexibility to fine tune the instruments for very specific listening needs.
Special Features in Hearing Aids
Speech Enhancement - The circuitry in today's hearing aids can differentiate speech from other sounds in the environment. The goal is to provide the optimal level of speech clarity and comfort in both quiet and noisy environments.
Noise Reduction - Varying degrees of noise reduction can be programmed into your hearing aids. This helps to reduce the annoyance of unwanted sounds, like machine noise, wind noise, and crowd noise.
Ear to Ear Communication - Information is rapidly exchanged between the left and right side devices, providing for a more natural sound quality, synchronized noise reduction, and the ability to hear phone conversations in both ears.
Comfort Enhancement - This feature reduces the annoyance of sudden non-speech sounds like the rustling of a newspaper or the sound of typing on a keyboard. The sophisticated signal processing ensures that the reduction of these noises does not interfere with the user's ability to hear conversation. Some hearing aids have features to diminish interference from echoes in highly reverberant rooms.
Multiple Memories - All of today's hearing can be equipped with multiple memories or listening programs. Hearing aid programs that are specific to a situation allow the instrument to deliver optimum performance depending on the environment. For example, a Music Program has amplification characteristics that ensure that best possible fidelity for listening to music. Other programs may include Speech in Quiet Surroundings and Speech in Noisy surroundings. The program in the hearing aid can be changed by pushing a button. In the most advanced hearing aids the programs change automatically when the instrument detects your environment has changed.
Dual Microphones - Most hearing aids are equipped with microphones that pick up sounds all around you (omni-directional) and just in front of you (directional). The microphones can be manually switched by pushing a button, or may switch automatically. In the most advanced units the circuits seek out speech sounds and "aim" the microphones in that direction. With dual microphone technology sounds other that speech are not amplified when they are loud enough to interfere with your understanding.
Telecoil - a telecoil (t-coil) is an item that can be added to most hearing aids to assist with talking on the telephone without annoying whistling. The t-coil picks up the electromagnetic leakage that is emitted from the telephone. This feature amplifies only the sound from the phone rather than the sounds in the environment. The t-coil feature can be accessed by pushing a button, or, in some units, comes on automatically when you pick up the phone. A tcoil can also help users tap into wire loop amplification systems in some churches and public venues.
Wireless Connectivity - Many of today's hearing aids can wirelessly intercept signals from television, stereos, MP3 players, or cell phones. The user can experience clear sound quality, balanced listening between ears, and amplification customized for their hearing loss.
Learn More About Our Manufacturers
At Professional Hearing Services we are proud to offer instruments from several of the industry leading manufacturers. Click the links below to learn more about each company:
Our Policies
All hearing aid fittings require a current hearing examination conducted within the past six months. We will gladly provide you with the necessary testing, or we will accept complete test results from other facilities. Some patients are fortunate enough to have hearing aid benefits through their medical insurance carrier.
Professional Hearing Services currently participates as a hearing aid provider with Hear PO and Tricare. If we do not participate with your plan, we are happy to furnish you with the necessary paperwork to submit claims to your insurance company on your own.
A deposit of one half of the total cost of the hearing aids is required to order one or two hearing aids. The balance is due at the time the hearing aids are delivered to you. If you need financial help you may speak with your audiologist about a payment plan.
Diagnostic hearing evaluation is accomplished with state-of-the-art testing equipment. The evaluation is performed by doctoral level audiologists, specialists highly trained in understanding the complexities of different hearing losses and their impact. We will apprise you of the latest breakthroughs in digital technologies that are available.
Your audiologist will help guide you in selecting the devices that will best meet your needs. Over a trial period of thirty days you will subject them to a variety of different listening situations to assess their effectiveness. We offer a thirty-day return privilege. Routine hearing aid checks every 3-6 months are recommended to ensure the proper functioning of your hearing instruments. These visits are included at no charge for 12 months after hearing aid purchase.
