Overview
If you had poor vision, you probably wouldn't hesitate to don a pair of glasses. But if you had trouble hearing, would you wear a hearing aid? For some reason, many of us resist the idea. According to a recent survey by the Better Hearing Institute, less than 7 million Americans out of the almost 30 million who could benefit from hearing aids, actually wear them. That's too bad because good hearing is the key aspect of effective communication. And unlike the clumsy hearing aids of the past, today's devices are smaller and much more sophisticated allowing you to hear with greater ease and clarity.
Your quality of life is affected when you have problems understanding conversation by simply missing a key word, in person or on the telephone; or in a group situation, a dinner gathering… you suffer. Your capacity to enjoy listening to music or television…even a movie with a loud soundtrack may be enhanced! How? With a corrective device, a hearing aid.
But let's start at the beginning… once a loss has been established a wide range of solutions present themselves. First and foremost will be your choice of an audiologist, a person qualified to test, evaluate and fit your specific level of loss to the appropriate device.
Professional Hearing Services is an organization that is not only qualified but fully understands the perceptions that society has placed on individuals in even seeking a solution to a problem that affects over 10 percent of the nation.
Types of Technology
The Choices you Have
The solution to any hearing loss is the proper match between the actual loss and the instruments that are best suited to regain what is lost. Your audiologist will assist you in selecting the hearing aids that best meet your hearing, cosmetic, and financial preferences. With so many digital options available today, suitable instruments are not only affordable, but can achieve desired results in most listening situations. Internal hearing aid circuits consist of microphones, receivers, and computer chips for digital signal processing. The hearing aid circuit that you choose can be built into any size hearing aid. Remember, size is not everything. Often the case size that is most cosmetically appealing to you will not deliver the best hearing performance.
100% Digital Signal Processing Hearing Aids
The majority of hearing aids dispensed today are digital. The difference between digital and the older style analog aids is analogous to a tape deck (analog) and CD player (digital). Sound is processed in 0's and 1's making it easier to analyze the incoming signal and make fine changes that closely match the needs of individuals' hearing loss. Hearing aids can be tuned to match the pitches of the audiogram (hearing test). Digital hearing aids also have 3-20 channels of amplification compared to 1-3 in conventional devices. Think of pixels in a digital camera or television. More hearing aids channels may be likened to more pixels and therefore greater resolution and sound quality.100% digital hearing aids provide clearer sound quality than most analog hearing aids. Although no hearing aid can completely eliminate background noise, digital hearing aids have the ability to suppress (make softer) the background noise and amplify direct speech.
Special Features in Hearing Aids
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.
Noise Reduction - Varying degrees of noise reduction can be programmed into your hearing aids. This helps to reduce the annoyance of unwanted sounds.
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 program 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 can come 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.
Sizes
Types of Hearing Aids
Behind-the-Ear (BTE)
Behind-the-Ear hearing aids fit snugly behind your ear and are attached to a custom earpiece molded to the shape of your outer ear. Don't let the name fool you; these aren't your grandfather's hearing aids. Manufacturers have updated the look on the outside, as well as the digital computer chip on the inside. Today's models are smaller and available in sleek and modern colors. BTE aids are desirable for patients with moderate to profound hearing losses. They are a smart choice for patients who produce a lot of ear wax. The standard BTE style has the lowest rate of repair among hearing aid styles because all of the electronics are housed outside of the ear, where there is less moisture and ear wax.
Open Fit Behind-the-Ear
Open Fit Behind-the-Ear hearing aids are very tiny BTE instruments that are coupled to your ear via a very slim plastic tube. These aids can fit mild to severe hearing losses and are very cosmetically appealing due to their small size. The real advantage of the instrument relates to keeping the ear canal open, or unoccluded. For people with good hearing in the low pitch range, the annoyance of hearing your own voice reverberate when you talk is eliminated or greatly reduced when the ear is unoccluded. Patients who rejected hearing aids in the past because they did not like the sound of their own voice may be successful with these.
In-the-Ear (ITE)
In-the-ear style hearing aids are custom made to fill the bowl of your ear. They are sufficiently large enough that they can be used for mild to severe hearing loss. This style is sometimes the easiest to insert and remove if manual dexterity is a problem.
Receiver In-the-Canal Aids (RIC)
RIC aids are similar in appearance to an open-fit BTE instrument. The difference is, the microphones and amplifier are housed in a tiny casing that sits on top of the ear, and the receiver is placed in the ear canal. The two components are connected by an ultra slim wire that is nearly invisible. RIC instruments are tiny therefore cosmetically appealing. They are comfortable to wear, and the user's own voice does not reverberate, because the ear canal remains relatively open. These aids are appropriate for mild to severe hearing losses. RIC aids may not be suitable for patients who produce an abundance of ear wax.
In-The-Canal (ITC)
In-the-canal hearing aids are small enough to fit almost entirely in your ear canal, occupying about one-quarter of the bowl of your ear, to reduce their visibility significantly. With recent improvements in digital circuitry, this style can now be used to fit mild to severe hearing loss.
Completely-In-the-Canal (CIC)
Completely-in-the-canal hearing aids, the smallest hearing instruments available today, fit deep inside your ear, where they're hidden in the shadow of your ear canal. Many people are drawn to this style based on the cosmetic appeal. Often special hearing aid features are sacrificed when this style is selected, due to size limitations. This case size is typically suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss.
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. A small percentage of patients are fortunate enough to have hearing aid benefits through their medical insurance carrier. Professional Hearing Services does not currently participate as a hearing aid provider with any carriers. We are happy to furnish any patient with the necessary paperwork to submit claims to their insurance companies on their 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.
A thirty-day return privilege is part of our hearing aid fitting policy. You will have thirty days to use the instruments and determine the amount of benefit they provide for you.
Doing something about a hearing loss is more than employing devices to amplify sound. It's taking the necessary time to thoroughly evaluate your hearing loss with regard to sound thresholds across the wide spectrum of human hearing. It's testing each frequency, the highs, the lows, the decibel levels, your word comprehension and then, only then, programming all of these variables into the appropriate devices that will compensate for your unique loss.
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.
Our goal is to satisfy your needs. Because it's your quality of life that makes the difference in your success and ours! We succeed together.
Be prepared though, because we work thoroughly to achieve that success. Your initial evaluation will result in fitting of hearing aids for you to evaluate. Over a trial period of thirty days you will subject them to a variety of different listening situations where they must prove their worth. We will continue to work with you, beyond testing, re-fitting, re-programming.... whatever it takes...to ensure that this solution works for you.
Compatible Products
As your primary provider we shall assist you in ensuring your hearing aids are compatible with other types of equipment to find effective solutions for all of your listening needs. Many of today's hearing aids have Blue Tooth technology, enabling your cell phone or MP3 player to be heard directly through your hearing aids. We have electronic dehumidifiers that are effective in maintaining the performance of, and extending the life of today's most advanced technology. And of course we have batteries, cleaning tools, and many other accessories readily available.
For those who don't currently wear hearing aids, we have TV and telephone amplifiers available for purchase. We also dispense custom hearing protection devices for musicians, shooter's protection, and can even make a custom ear piece to help your Blue Tooth phone fit more securely into your ear. |
