Faq

Ask yourself these questions to determine whether you may have hearing loss:

• Do I / they often ask people to repeat themselves?
• Do I / they have trouble following conversations with more than two people?
• Do I / they have difficulty hearing what is said unless facing the speaker?
• Do I / they struggle to hear in crowded places like restaurants, malls and meeting rooms?
• Do I / they have a hard time hearing women or children?
• Do I / they prefer the TV or radio volume louder than others?
• Do I / they experience ringing or buzzing in my ears?
• Does it sound like other people are mumbling or slurring their words?

If you answered yes to several of these questions, chances are you suffer from hearing loss.

There are several causes. The main ones include excessive noise, genetics, birth defects, infections of the head or ear, aging, and reaction to drugs or cancer treatment. Each type of hearing loss has different causes.

There are three types of hearing loss including: sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss. Most people lose at least some degree of their hearing as they age, and by the time they reach age 65 and older, one in three people has some type of hearing impairment.

Hearing loss can occur at any time, at any age. In fact, most people with hearing loss (65%) are younger than age 65! There are 6 million people in the U.S. ages 18-44 with hearing loss, and around 1.5 million are school age.

Only 5 percent of hearing loss in adults can be improved medically or surgically. The vast majority of Americans with hearing loss (95 percent) are treated with hearing aids.

• Audiologists: Professionals with a master's degree in audiology, specializing in testing, evaluating, and treating hearing loss. They may also fit hearing aids.
• Hearing Aid Dispensers: Trained in fitting and dispensing hearing aids. Often licensed and certified to test for hearing loss and fit consumers for hearing aids.
• Otolaryngologists (ENT Doctors): Specialize in diagnosing and treating ear, nose, throat, head, and neck disorders.

You should make an appointment with a hearing professional like an audiologist, hearing aid specialist or ENT for an evaluation, consultation and hearing test. Many hearing care professionals offer this evaluation at no charge.

When seeking treatment for hearing loss, be sure to select a hearing professional who understands the available technology and offers follow-up care.

While you are no doubt concerned about appearance, compensating for a hearing loss by asking people to repeat themselves, inappropriately responding to people (or not responding at all), or even withdrawing from social situations is more obvious than wearing a hearing aid.
Today’s hearing aids are small, discreet and more stylish than ever. Some are even invisible. And, chances are that once you have a hearing aid, your quality of life will improve so much that cosmetics won't be as much of an issue for you.
While hearing aids have helped millions of people around the world improve their hearing experience and quality of life, there are still some misconceptions about them. Don’t let these common myths keep you or someone you care about from getting help to overcome hearing loss.

Research on people with hearing loss and their significant others has shown that hearing aids play a significant role in a person's social, emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. More specifically, treatment of hearing loss has been shown to improve:

• Communication in relationships
• Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
• Ease in communication
• Earning power
• Sense of control over your life
• Social participation
• Emotional stability

At their most basic, hearing aids are microphones that convert sound into electrical signals. An amplifier increases the strength of the signal, then a receiver converts it back to sound and channels it into the ear canal through a small tube or earmold. A battery is necessary to power the hearing aid and to enable amplification.

While no hearing aid can restore your hearing to normal (except in cases of very mild hearing loss), hearing aids are designed to let you hear soft sounds that you could not hear before, and prevent loud sounds from becoming uncomfortably loud for you. They are also designed to improve your ability to understand speech, even in noisy environments.
Hearing is a complex process that starts with the ears and ends in the brain where information is received, stored and "decoded" into something we understand.

While no hearing aid can filter out all background noise, our advanced hearing aids are designed to reduce some types of background noise so that you can enjoy conversation and improve communication in places like restaurants, business meetings and social gatherings.

Today’s hearing aids come in a wide variety of sizes and styles — from those that sit behind the ear to completely invisible hearing aids — and feature different technology levels to match your specific needs and budget.

There are several factors that will determine which hearing aid will be the right one for you. They include the nature and severity of your hearing loss, your lifestyle and the activities you regularly enjoy, your job, your eyesight and dexterity, and the size and shape of your outer ear and inner ear canal. You can start with our Hearing Aid Finder Tool, though ultimately your hearing professional should advise you as to the best choice for you

Like many other high-tech devices (TVs, phones, computers), hearing aids have experienced a major technological revolution in the past decade and especially in the last few years. The best of today’s hearing aids are designed to virtually eliminate feedback, make listening in noisy environments easier and more comfortable, stream stereo sound from TVs and radios directly to the hearing aid itself, let you talk on your phone hands-free, and much more. Now, instruments are smaller (and in some cases, invisible), more comfortable and powerful than ever.

Yes. Most people need an adjustment period of up to four months before becoming acclimated to — and receiving the full benefit of — wearing their hearing aids. However, you should expect to notice obvious benefits during this trial period. Remember, your hearing professional is there to help. Do not be afraid to call or visit to discuss your concerns.

• Be Realistic: Your hearing loss has been gradual; over the years, you have lost the ability to hear certain sounds in the speech spectrum and normal sounds of the environment, such as traffic and wind noise, the hum of machinery, and other background noises.
• Practice: When you begin to wear hearing aids, these sounds will be restored, but your brain will need practice and reeducation in order to selectively focus on and filter sounds. Some sounds may even startle you at first. Know that your brain will acclimate to these sounds again over time.
• Be Patient: It takes time to adapt to hearing aids. Wear them as much as possible at first to become more skilled at recognizing sound direction and to learn which hearing aid settings work best for you in different situations.
• Rest: The adjustment period may be tiresome. It’s a lot like retraining a muscle that hasn’t been used in a while. But the benefits will be worth it after you’ve made the adjustment.

Two-ear hearing (called "binaural") is better than one. If you have hearing loss in only one ear, you may be fine with one hearing aid. Age and noise-related hearing loss tend to affect both ears, but your hearing profile for each ear is probably different. If there is a loss in both ears, you will probably benefit more with a binaural solution. Today, about two-thirds of new users opt for dual hearing aids, and as a group they report a higher level of satisfaction than purchasers of a single hearing aid.

The price of a hearing aid will vary depending on the specific model and features you need, and how effective it is in various noise environments.

Inexpensive models are simply hearing amplifiers that will make everything louder (including all the ambient noises around you). They will not, for example, separate human voices from background noises, or hear directional sounds like today’s more sophisticated hearing aids are designed to do.

There appears to be a connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline according to research conducted and published by a team of physicians at Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging. According to the study, “older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than older adults whose hearing is normal.”