Hearing Aids & Hearing Loss FAQ
Below you will find some of the most commonly asked questions about hearing aids & hearing loss. Enjoy!
How do I know I have hearing loss?
Hearing loss can be sneaky. It often happens over a long period of time, allowing the brain to get used to it as it occurs. If you aren’t positive you have hearing loss, good indicators are turning the TV up, having to concentrate to understand people, or feeling as though you hear someone speaking but that they are mumbling. Come on in to see us for a hearing exam, it won’t cost you a dime! Go visit our hearing loss page to learn more about different types of loss.
Which hearing aids are “good” hearing aids?
“Good” hearing aids are hearing aids that are suitable for your specific hearing loss. These devices are programmed to your hearing exam, and not using a ‘one size fits all’ programming. Good hearing aids will match your lifestyle, meaning that if you are a socially active person, they will be able to handle the complex environments that are important to you. In other words, good hearing aids will be programmed specifically to your hearing loss and recommended to you specifically based on the environments that you find yourself in. A person with severe loss and a quiet lifestyle will likely wear a different product than someone with a moderate loss and active lifestyle. Check out our page on hearing aids!
Are “amplifiers” hearing aids?
If you have ever had your hearing tested, you will know that we test several different frequencies to find what the softest sound that you can hear in each frequency. If you have ever had your hearing test explained, you will know that you hear differently at every frequency. Amplifiers will amplify every frequency, but by the same amount, which means over amplifying in some areas and under in others. Digitally programmed hearing aids are programmed specifically to every individual frequency in each ear - specific to YOU. Amplifiers can’t come close.
What if I buy digital hearing aids online?
We live in an online world in which we have access to everything.. including “hearing aids”. There are a few reasons to avoid the online approach:
You don’t really know what you are getting.
How are they programmed? Real Ear Measurement is impossible to do if you are not in person.
The same way that smart phones get firmware updates, so do hearing aids, several times a year at least. Firmware updates can only be done through manufacturer software, meaning you would have to trust an online company to contact all of their customers when an update is available and then you would have to send it to them to be updated.
If you feel like you are not hearing as well in 6 months, are they re-adjusted?
Manufacturers are not required to honor warranties for hearing aids sold online (you can ask the manufacturer directly).
We do several in office repairs to hearing aids a month. If you need a repair, how long will you be going without your hearing aids? You will be sending them to a supplier who will be sending them to the manufacturer who will send them back to the supplier to then send them to you.
We offer complimentary 3 month follow ups and we encourage every client to take advantage of this service. At this appointment, we check for firmware updates, we change the parts of your hearing aids, and address anything you are experiencing. We offer these appointments for free because we’ve seen that they are truly necessary to long term hearing satisfaction.
Can I get an invisible hearing aid?
We are independently owned and operated. This is important because it means that we are not financially tied to any manufacturer. We work with every top manufacturer offering the latest in invisible technology.
There are pros to every product and we will be sure that when you make your decision, you have been fully educated on the differences so you can make the choice in style and technology that is best for you. Check out our page on hearing aids!
Do I need 2 hearing aids?
Most people have hearing loss in both ears. If you don’t, be sure to check out our page on single sided hearing loss.
If you have hearing loss in both ears, its VERY beneficial to wear 2 hearing aids for a couple of reasons.
The brain was meant to hear with 2 ears. If you choose to wear only one hearing aid, the un-aided side will work harder and compensate for the imbalance. This imbalance causes more rapid deterioration to the auditory nerve on that side. In the long run, it’s not worth it.
Technology. Hearing aids are designed to work the same way the brain uses 2 ears to hear. They talk to each other, communicating 100’s of times a minute in order to make automatic adjustments and pin point speech patterns and narrow in on them. One hearing aid has no capability to do this, no directionality when it doesn’t have it’s counterpart to complete the cycle.
What if I can hear but I cant understand?
This is very common. Because of the way the little hair cells in our cochlea are positioned, we tend to lose high frequency hearing first. The cells responsible for high frequencies sit at the entry of the cochlea, hit first by sound. In both male and female voices, very important parts of speech are high frequencies.. these are consonant sounds, the beginnings and ends of words. High frequency hearing loss effects clarity and diction of speech.
Did she just say “What time is it?” or “What kind is it?”
Luckily, hearing clearly is only a phone call away. While you are at it, go take a look at our page about types of hearing loss.
Does hearing loss effect my health?
It sure does!
Untreated hearing loss is linked to decreased brain processing speeds, memory and attention span. Untreated hearing loss has also been proven to have a direct correlation to falling, depression and dementia. Head over to our page on “Brain Hearing” to learn more about how untreated hearing loss effects your brain.
What’s the latest in hearing aid technology?
As the owner of Hello Hearing and with 13 years of experience, I could not be more excited about how far hearing aid technology has come. Manufacturers spend millions of dollars in research & development every year in order to make hearing aids better. After all, hearing is not a one-size-fits all so they require very fast processing chips and the ability to be adapted to every individual.
The latest in hearing technology comes in all sizes, it’s incredibly good at separating background noise from speech patterns. It’s rechargeable, streams phones call and music seamlessly, connects to your TV and CHANGES LIVES. Go check out our page on hearing aids.
