HEARING AIDS
Latest Information
Dr. Maw is the first provider in the South Bay to offer the Lyric Hearing device. The Lyric device sits completely in the ear canal and is invisible to the eye. Call our office to find out if you are a candidate for this product.
How Hearing Aids Work
The modern hearing aid can help people with hearing loss be able to communicate and function in society, but it cannot restore normal hearing. A hearing aid amplifies sounds (makes them louder). While they may amplify some types of sounds more than others, at this time they cannot be made or programmed to amplify only one type of sound, such as a voice.
All hearing aids consist of the following components:
- a microphone to detect sound
- an amplifier to make the sound louder
- a speaker to deliver the sound into the ear
- batteries to power the hearing aid
Types of Hearing Aids Available
Hearing aids differ in appearance, the degree to which they can amplify sounds, and in size. A hearing aid's size is not a good indicator of the device's sound quality. Hearing aids also differ in how they may be worn: behind the ear, in the outer ear, or in the ear canal. The majority of today's hearing aids utilize digital technology—the most current available—to process and deliver sounds to the listener.
There are two types of digital hearing aids available, adjustable and programmable.
Digital Adjustable Hearing Aids
Digital adjustable hearing aids provide digital sound quality but the audiologist has limited flexibility in the adjustments that can be made to fit specific hearing needs. The hearing aids are manufactured to a frequency (pitch) based on your hearing tests. The wearer generally is able to control the volume.
Digital Programmable Hearing Aids
Digital programmable hearing aids can analyze the listening environment and adjust to the sound. They allow more flexibility in programming and may be fully automatic or allow the wearer to control volume and the listening program.
One of the advantages of these hearing aids is the capability to reduce or eliminate feedback or "whistling." Most digital programmable hearing aids contain sensors that allow the hearing aid to detect sounds exceeding a certain loudness level, and then self-adjust to reduce the gain for those sounds. Unfortunately, because noise is comprised of many of the same frequencies as speech, it is virtually impossible to "shut out" noise without also adversely affecting the quality of the speech signal. New techniques using multi-band compression and multiple microphones within the same hearing aid are improving the listener's ability to function in noisy environments.
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How Do I Know if a Hearing Aid is Right For Me?
The first step in determining whether you need a hearing aid is to be evaluated by an experienced licensed audiologist. You undergo medical and audiologic testing to identify the cause and severity of the hearing loss.
After your audiogram and medical evaluation, we may recommend you proceed with a hearing aid evaluation. For your convenience, a hearing aid evaluation can be scheduled on the same day as your audiogram and medical evaluation. Just let us know and we can accommodate your needs.
The Hearing Aid Evaluation and Fitting Process
The hearing aid evaluation is an appointment with one of our licensed audiologists who specializes in the fitting of hearing aids. The appointment is free of charge, and you are under no obligation to purchase a hearing aid. You meet with the audiologist, who evaluates your hearing needs, audiogram results, lifestyle, and the situations in which you are having difficulty hearing.
Recommendations for hearing aids and assistive listening devices (ALDs) are then made based on your price range. We recommend and review several options. Once you purchase a hearing aid, we make an ear mold and order a custom-fit hearing aid for you.
Hearing aids take approximately two weeks to arrive, at which point you can schedule your first fitting appointment. It generally takes one to three appointments to fine-tune your hearing aid and make any required adjustments as you get used to hearing the world again. You will likely be amazed at what you've been missing!
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