Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most commonly asked questions and our answers to them!
An Audiologist is a hearing healthcare professional who specializes in the prevention, identification, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of hearing difficulties in both adults and children. They provide hearing assessments, and hearing aid prescriptions, fittings and adjustments as needed.
Common symptoms of hearing loss include increased difficulty in hearing the high pitched sounds such as birds chirping, “th” and “sh” sounds of speech, or even female voices. You may also experience ringing in the ears, and have difficulties hearing the phone or front door bell ring. You may also experience difficulty hearing speech in public gatherings, group conversations and in background noise.
There are Conductive (outer or middle ear), Sensorineural (inner ear), and Mixed (a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss) hearing loss.
The ringing in your ears is known as Tinnitus. Those who suffer from Tinnitus often experience persistent hissing or ringing in their ears. It can be highly bothersome and uncomfortable. Tinnitus may be caused by loud noise, a variety of health problems, some medications, caffeine, alcohol and smoking.
There is no cure for tinnitus, unless it is due to an easily fixable case of earwax buildup. You may minimize the effects of Tinnitus through the effective use of hearing aids, auditory distractions, and stress management.
Talk to your Audiologist for more in detail information regarding this.
The most common type of hearing loss is a high frequency hearing loss. When someone is speaking to you, you can make out low-pitch vowels, but high-pitched consonants such as “ss” and “th” are missing. This makes speech sound muffled and hard to understand.
Hearing assessments are easy, painless and non-invasive. The assessment is conducted by an Audiologist and takes about 45 minutes. The hearing assessment includes an ear examination and specialized testing to evaluate hearing sensitivity and response to speech.
If hearing loss is detected the Audiologist will guide you through your options.
An audiogram is a chart that shows the results of your hearing test. The graph measures pitch (frequency) vs. intensity (decibels). Will I have to see my doctor first? You don’t need to see a doctor before making an appointment for a hearing test. Just call us to book an appointment with an Audiologist. Once the hearing assessment is completed, we will send your hearing results and a written report to your doctor or medical specialist. Should you require hearing aids, your Audiologist will explain what’s involved in the selection and fitting process.
Modern hearing aids have drastically improved the way sound is processed, which enables superior listening comfort, speech clarity and user control.
All hearing aids are programmed to your individual hearing and lifestyle requirements.
All hearing aids use batteries, some of them even function on rechargeable batteries, but these rechargeable batteries may only be available in selected models.
In most situations, depending on the age of the hearing aids, you can get your hearing aid repaired. In the case of malfunction or breakdown, we will assess your device and repair it either in our facility or through the manufacturer.
Hearing aids that are programmed by an Audiologist will not make your hearing worse. Through the regular use of hearing aids your hearing and auditory comprehension is less likely to deteriorate as fast as if you were not wearing them.
Yes, two hearing aids are better than one. The hearing test will determine the extent of hearing loss in each ear.
When both ears are impaired, they will help to improve speech understanding in a majority of listening environments, especially in the presence of background noise.
It also ensures that both ears stay active to reduce hearing deterioration and helps your ability to localize a sound source.
The first step in getting hearing aids is being examined by an Audiologist, who will identify the extent and type of your hearing problem.
Should you require hearing aids the Audiologist will help you select the best option.
During the appointment, the Audiologist may take an impression of your ear to capture an exact duplicate of its contours for the best fit, and will order the selected hearing aids. You will receive the order in about one to two weeks.
During the fitting appointment, the Audiologist will program the aids to fit your hearing and lifestyle requirements, and show you how to use and take care of them.
Through regular follow-up visits, the Audiologist will monitor your progress and fine-tune the hearing aids for optimum performance.
Once it’s up and running, your new hearing aids should last at least five years. All hearing aids use batteries, which should be changed regularly.
The Audiologist will help you decide which hearing aid is best for you depending on your hearing and lifestyle requirements.
Everyone’s hearing is unique, and a hearing aid that is appropriate for one person’s hearing loss may be inappropriate for another person.
Have Questions?
Call our office if you have any questions about our hearing aids or the process. We are here to answer any questions you may have.
