Hearing Aid Buyer's Guide – Hearing Aid Information

If you have hearing loss, you are not alone - Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the United States. Over 30 million people in the United States suffer from hearing loss. A third of all adults over the age of 65 experience hearing loss as a direct result from aging. While hearing loss is normally associated with aging, more than 25% of individuals between the age of 40 and 65 experience hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds, illness, infection, reactions to certain medications, and head trauma.

Where do I go?

The first place you should go if you have a hearing loss is an Audiologist. Audiologists are highly trained professionals who hold graduate degrees from accredited universities. They are licensed in most states to practice audiology, and they have completed state and national competency examinations.

The audiologist or hearing specialist will perform a diagnostic hearing test to determine the type and severity of your hearing loss. This test will involve testing how well you hear at certain frequencies (pitch) and how well you can understand different sound compositions. Then a hearing aid evaluation will be used to determine which hearing aids are right for you. Ear impressions will be taken of your ear to ensure proper and comfortable fit. Audiologists use the most advanced digital computer programming equipment to individualize the fitting of your hearing aids to fit your unique hearing loss. After your hearing aid is properly fitted, your hearing specialist will provide follow up care and maintenance to ensure that your hearing aids stay at the top performance level.

Which Hearing Aid is Right for Me?

Significant advances continue to be made to the circuitry and design of modern hearing aids. There is no one hearing aid that is right for everyone. We all have different lifestyles and different hearing losses. Your hearing is as unique to you as your fingerprints. At the time of your hearing test, your audiologist can make several suggestions as to what the right hearing aid might be.

During this discussion, your audiologist will speak with you at length about the available styles and technology levels available and several that will work best for your hearing loss. The audiologist will explain all of the policies, return policies, HIPPA agreement, talk about the costs, take impressions of your ear, and order your hearing aids.

When your hearing aids come in, your specialist will ensure that they properly fit and are comfortable. They will also explain how the hearing aids work and how to operate them (change the battery, change memory settings, use the remote control, etc) More testing will be done with your new hearing aids to make sure that you are hearing everything at the right level. This means ensuring that everything is at a comfortable listening level – not too loud or soft. It takes around five visits to get the hearing aids completely programmed correctly in all listening situations. Be sure to talk with your specialist about all of your concerns and use descriptive language to explain any problems that you might have. It is normal for the hearing aids to not be perfect on the first time around. Patience is key.

Coping with Hearing Loss

One of the main jobs of the audiologist is to council the patient and their families to help them understand the extent of their hearing loss and how it might be affecting them. They might offer suggestions or strategies to help with getting used to a hearing aid and how to better cope with a hearing loss. This personal counseling is called hearing rehabilitation. There are many other peripheral devices that you can use in addition to your hearing aids, such as TV ears to help with listening to the TV and telephone amplifiers. Your audiologist will be able to help you use assistive hearing technology that is right for you.

What Can I Expect from My Hearing Aids?

It is likely that your hearing gradually deteriorated over time, so you should not expect your hearing aids to immediately return your hearing to "normal". Using hearing aids successfully takes time and patience. Remember that it is important to tell your audiologist about any problems you are experiencing so appropriate adjustments can be made. Plan to consult your audiologist annually - more frequently if you notice a change in your hearing - to check on your hearing aids' performance and to stay up-to-date with the rapidly advancing technology.

If you would like to compare different digital hearing aids, look at a digital hearing aid comparison chart, or download a hearing aid buyer's guide, please click here.