Not Ready for Hearing Aids

Why do you need an Audiologist?

 There an many options for people considering a hearing aid. You could purchase an Over The Counter or OTC hearing aid. These tend to be cheaper and they look much like the a hearing aid purchased from a professional.

 What does the Audiologist provide to make up for the increased cost?

  Hearing is very complicated. To determine what will best meet your specific needs you need a hearing evaluation In a hearing evaluation we look at all three systems that impact your hearing.

   - Outer ear through the ear drum

   - Middle ear assessing health and possible chronic middle ear problems.

    - Brain stem and neural function.

Further we evaluate your life, and the communication issues you face in life.

   What is your environment, quiet at home or a high noise job?

  Do you deal with soft spoken people?

  Where are you having problems?

    -In all settings.

    -only in noise.

    -only with women's voices or children.

   Do you have tinnitus?

    How much does this bother you?

 This is a very thorough evaluation of your hearing and your communication needs.

 From this information we prescribe the best communication solutions for you.

  Once you are wearing hearing aids we will work with you to get the most from these aids to enhance your life. This is a relationship that will last for years from first using the aids to being an experienced hearing aid user. We will provide you as much or as little help as you need.

As an Audiologist , I am often asked. "Do I realy need two hearing aids?" A simple answer is would you go to your Eye doctor and ask for a Monicle.

For most people, two hearing aids is the best answer. Do you ever wondered why we have two ears instead of one? The body is a finely tuned "machine," and our ears are designed to pick up sound waves from our surroundings. If you've ever had hearing loss in one ear, you know that it can be challenging to decipher noise, or understand where it came from. Two ears provide balanced hearing. This allows a person to "focus" their hearing based on the subtle differences in the sound arriving to each ear.

Some of the binaural benefits include

1. Hearing from both ears.

2. Safety: You can tell direction sound is coming from.

3. Improved Speech understanding

4. Restful Listening: People only using one ear need sound twice as loud to understand.

5. Cushions loud sound. Less loudness required to hear.

6. Better able to Identify what a sound is.

7. Better sound quality

8. Increase sound range: Helps to hear quieter sounds and increases tolerance for loud sound.

9. Ability to focus hearing improving ability to Understand speech in noise.

If you have problems hearing clearly any time it might be time to get your hearing screened. Come to A&D Hearing Center for a free Screening. We have been serving the Leavenworth area since 1976. Let us help you hear the sounds of your life.

HEAR BETTER LIVE BETTER.

I have often been asked how often should a person have a hearing exam. The answer to this question is really different for every person. Hearing loss can have very serous effects on a persons life. Research has show that if not addressed in children even mild hearing loss or a unilateral loss, that is a loss in only one ear, can cause delays in speech development and educational performance.

Adult with hearing loss can experience feeling of issolation. Often experience higher levels of depression. You need to understand that if you have a hearing loss you are not alone. Hearing loss Affects people of all ages and has many causes.

Hearing loss caused by middle ear problems are very common in the young. In fact, at any time as many as 1 in 3 children under the age of 12 are likely to have an ear infection any time you check. Prior to the onset of modern antibiotics ear infections that persisted could actually become life threatening. Today in the United States 97% of childern are screened within 3 days of birth. All children in public schools recieve a hearing screening at least once every two years. Most recieve one every year.

People who work in high noise environments have hearing screenings annually to ensure that the hearing protection they are using on the job is actually preserving their hearing. So what about everyone else.

After the age of 50 you should have your hearing screened at least every two years. Once any loss has been discovered your hearing should be screened annually. As discussed in a previous article very mild hearing losses can result in significant changes in how the speech centers of the brain proccess sound. Even before you have a hearing loss where you might feel you need amplification there are things you can do to improve your communication.

One thing I always tell my patient's It doesn't matter what the test says. If you are not ready for hearing aids in your heart wearing hearing aids is the worse thing you can do. You have to be ready. Before you are ready for hearing aids you can do other things to improve your comunication and we can help you discover what works for you. When you are ready for hearing aids we will be hear to help you with that as well.

As an Audiologist, I am often asked the question. If I only have a small hearing loss it wont hurt me to wait a while before I do something about it will it?”

The brain is truly an amazing thing. When a person loses a sense the brain compensates by using the areas normally dedicated to that sense to heighten others. A blind person will often have heightened senses of smell and touch.

When a person loses their hearing the same thing happens. Recent research has shown that this occurs even with very mild hearing losses.

As an Audiologist I am often asked. Do I realy have a hearing loss, do I realy need Hearing aids. My response is. If you have a hearing loss you have a hearing aid. This may be an electronic device in your ear or a significant other who answers you question. "What did they say?"

Many people with hearing losses are not ready to use amplification. I often tell my patients It does not matter what the test says if you are not ready in your heart to accept a hearing aid it is the worse thing you can do. As good as current technology is you still have to put it on, clean it and get used to wearing it.

The problem is even with a small hearing loss the brain begins to change how you understand speech. The brain is truly an amazing thing. When a person loses a sense the brain compensates by using the areas normally dedicated to that sense to heighten others. A blind person will often have heightened senses of smell and touch.

When a person loses their hearing the same thing happens.As the brain centers devoted to speech and hearing become used for other functions the areas of the brain normally used for higher level thinking and short term memory take over the essential functions of hearing. If they are busy hearing these areas are not available for the work they are meant to do. These findings lend support to the researchers that has shown a link between hearing loss and cognitive declines.

Are you the significant other of a person with a hearing loss? Are you their hearing aid.? The earlier you stimulate the speech centers of your brain the better you will maintain your ability to understand speech. Don't wait. Get help early and you will preserve the best function of the speech centers of your brain. Understanding those you love as they talk to you.

Give the gift of hearing LIVE BETTER HEAR BETTER.

If you have problems hearing clearly in noise it might be time to get your hearing screened. Come to A&D Hearing Center for a free Screening. We have been serving the Atchison/Leavenworth area since 1976. Let us help you hear the sounds of your life.

HEAR BETTER LIVE BETTER.