FAQs

Market research has shown that the average person waits 5 to 7 years to purchase some kind of hearing device after being informed about a hearing impairment. Current research also suggests that the longer hearing impaired persons wait to wear hearing instruments the more difficult their adjustment to them tends to be.

For many hearing impaired persons, learning to distinguish among the many sounds not heard for a long time is a gradual process. Many expect to immediately hear as well as they remember hearing in the past. Common sense will tell you that this may not be a realistic expectation. After all, most of us wouldn’t expect to throw a fast ball immediately after an arm injury begins to mend. We would exercise and work up to it gradually. Efforts to restore hearing ability are no different.

Remember that only your specific type of hearing loss, your everyday listening environment, and a sufficient amount of time will affect how well your hearing instruments will enhance your ability to hear.

A hearing instrument or hearing aid is simply a miniature sound system that receives, amplifies and transmits sound to your ear.

1. Sound is received by the microphone and converted into electrical energy.
2. The amplifier adds to the electrical energy, modifying the signal so that it meets the needs of your hearing loss.
3. The receiver converts the modified electrical energy back into sound energy, and delivers it to your ear.

The most natural and efficient way to improve your ability to hear in a variety of background situations is by wearing two hearing devices. Two hearing instruments also enhance your ability to pinpoint the source of any sound in your environment.

Just as no two people are exactly alike, ears differ in size shape and texture. Hearing losses differ in degree and type. More importantly, even if two people share similar types of hearing loss, they won’t share the same type of hearing experiences, with or without hearing instruments. For example: One person’s distracting background noise may include sounds that make another person feel they’re a part of what’s going on.

Even sounds we may enjoy hearing one moment may be distracting to us at another time. For example: Your grandchild’s voice may be music to your ears in the afternoon, then distracting while you are trying to watch the evening news.

Hearing aids also differ by size, shape, design, and purpose. They are more or less customized prescriptive instruments. You’d never consider wearing another person’s prescription eyeglasses. The same principle applies to hearing instruments.

Earwax or cerumen is a natural part of our ear canal. Cerumen is made of oil, skin cells, and other matter intended to keep moisture in the ear canal and debris out. Earwax typically moves out of the ear at night while we sleep. However, during the hot summer months or in times of stress, our ear canals can build up wax faster than it can be eliminated. These wax plugs can grow and harden in our canals and reduce our ability to hear.

As our bodies change during our life, so can the amount of earwax which should be removed by your physician.

The science concerned with the aspects of sound and its perception is called audiology.

See your physician first. They may recommend one of the following:

• An audiologist is one who has earned a minimum Master’s level education in the physical and psychological aspects of sound and its perception.
• A hearing specialist is someone who has been trained in audiometry and hearing instrument fitting practices. They are usually licensed to dispense by the state in which they practice.