I can hear people when they speak, but sometimes I have a hard time understanding what they are saying. It becomes worse when I’m in an environment with a lot of background noise. What does this mean?

Many people with hearing loss describe these same difficulties. The problem often lies in the range of pitches at which your hearing loss takes place and the severity of the loss. Understanding words and sentences is a function of the collected sound being transformed into nerve impulses that are then sent to the brain where the understanding takes place. If deadening of the nerves (inner ear hair cells) has occurred, speech understanding may become difficult or even impossible because parts of the sound are missing. A properly fit and programmed hearing aid compensates for this loss of sensitivity and can help greatly in your ability to not only hear, but understand speech.

Why can I understand when speaking with one person in a quiet room, but in a crowded environment I can’t understand anything?

Much of background noise in most surroundings is low-pitched and these sounds tend to cover the weaker, high-pitched sounds of speech that give speech its meaning. In addition to this, many people with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) have hearing loss that is greater for high-pitched sounds. This creates a “perfect storm” for hearing difficulties. However, today’s hearing aids and their new technological advancements work to overcome this specific issue and make hearing better in noisy settings and are specifically designed to help you understand more speech in noisy situations by automatically (or manually) adjusting to the ideal settings for that environment.

I hear enough and my hearing isn't really too bad. Why shouldn't I put off looking into hearing aids?

Hearing loss, when untreated, can progress, resulting in a condition known as "auditory deprivation.” This condition occurs when hearing loss goes untreated for an extended length of time and can result in the inability to distinguish and understand certain words even when amplification is provided.

I have previously had my hearing tested and have been told that I have nerve deafness. Can hearing instruments help?

Most likely. Most hearing aid wearers suffer from this type of hearing loss, more appropriately called sensorineural hearing loss. Estimates are that near 95% of hearing losses can be helped with amplification. No truly effective medical treatment has been found to repair sensorineural hearing loss. If you are one of the 31 million Americans who suffer from this kind of hearing loss, you should consider the benefits of a hearing aid trial and call to schedule an appointment with us today.

I have hearing loss in both ears. Does this mean I have to wear a hearing aid in both?

Much research has been devoted to this question. You will do better with two. When both ears have a hearing loss, two-ear amplification is often superior to that of just one. Using both ears helps you better discern speech in background noise, and using both ears also gives us localization information for where a sound/speech is coming from.

A doctor once told me that a hearing aid wouldn't help me much. What can I do if I want to hear better?

Probably the best thing to do is to have your hearing tested and again have an evaluation for the help a hearing aid could offer you. So much has improved with today’s hearing aids and these technological advances in the design of hearing aids have given thousands of people, just like you, a better opportunity to enjoy the benefits of restored sound. You should you call to schedule an appointment with us today.

I want to hear better but I don’t want my friends to know I am wearing hearing aids. Will others notice I am wearing hearing aids?

Truthfully, anybody who knows you well probably already knows you have a hearing problem. We are often the last person to know we have a hearing problem and hiding a hearing loss is much harder than hiding a hearing aid. Even so, we offer a variety of options for hearing aids that can fit so they can look and feel virtually invisible.

My friend has a hearing aid but I know he/she doesn't use it. I am worried that I may do the same thing if I get one.

There is a wide variety of hearing losses, hearing aids, and lifestyles of people wearing them and each situation is unique. Your friend may have been incorrectly fitted or obtained a stock hearing aid considered not suitable for their precise hearing loss and/or was unable to wear it comfortably in their daily activities. Today's advanced hearing aids, when fit by our hearing professionals with great precision, will make a large difference in a person’s successful hearing aid use and delight for their hearing experience..

I have heard that hearing instruments are difficult to tolerate.

At one time, the only hearing instruments available were bulky and uncomfortable to wear. However, today’s hearing aids allow you to be fit with a multitude of comfortable options, including open-ear canal choices as well as custom-built choices that fit comfortably and are hidden from view, deep within your ear canal. All of our hearing instruments are sleek and sophisticated looking. Many of the styles are virtually invisible when worn.

I am sure my hearing has been getting worse and I worry that it will continue to worsen. If I am fit with hearing aids, will I just have to replace them soon?

We ensure that every hearing aid is selected and fit with adjustable circuitry, which enables the hearing aid to have the volume increased should there be a change in your hearing over time. In other words, we plan on needing the extra volume, but hope we don’t have to use it. We want your purchase of hearing aids to be a value that does not soon become obsolete over the years.

What should I do if my hearing aid needs repair, sound adjustment, or are accidentally misplaced and lost?

Policies for each of these situations vary, and also by each hearing aid manufacturer, but your purchase of hearing aids most often includes in-office service for repair, adjustment, and cleaning of the hearing aids for as long as you own them at no charge. You may also purchase a separate policy from the manufacturer of the hearing aids that protects against loss or damage.