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Did you know that nearly one out of every five people in the US (nearly 36 million) have some sort of hearing loss, and out of the people who could benefit from using a hearing aid, only one out of five people wears one?
As audiologists, we are committed to giving our patients the best and most accurate hearing aid evaluation possible.
Hearing aids are not one-size-fits-all. While there are so many hearing aids and personal sound amplification products on the market, the success of a hearing device greatly depends on correct hearing aid evaluation.
Without proper hearing aid evaluation performed by an audiologist or hearing healthcare professional, even the most expensive product will not provide optimum results.
Initially, we will discuss some important medical aspects with you, including your medical history, any symptoms or complaints related to hearing loss, and details about your lifestyle – occupation, hobbies, etc. This will help us get a basic understanding and background of your hearing health.
During this step, you can also ask any questions you may have about the appointment.
To diagnose the type and degree of hearing loss, a hearing test will be necessary. Proper testing is crucial to ensure that we can recommend the correct hearing aid styles specifically targeted to your hearing requirements.
There are various tests to assess your hearing, but the most commonly used is pure-tone audiometry. With pure tone audiometry, patients will be asked to wear a pair of earphones or headphones and indicate their response to sound or a question by pressing a button.
The test usually takes 20-30 minutes to complete and the results will be plotted on an audiogram.
Other hearing tests may include speech or bone conduction tests to further assess hearing. Audiologists at Fort Bend Hearing are experts in conducting hearing tests and will guide you through each process
Real ear measurement helps clinicians and audiologists make accurate and informed judgments on the audibility of sound in the ear. With real ear measurement (REM), the success rate of the effectiveness of hearing aid treatment is higher.
REM is also referred to as probe microphone measurement since it involves putting a probe tube into the ear canal to measure the volume of the hearing aid across a wide range of pitches and frequencies.
In short, real ear measurement lets audiologists know how much volume you are receiving from your hearing aid across all frequency levels.
When you get fitted with new hearing aids, management of expectations should be in place. The results are not magical or instant. In fact, adjusting to your new hearing aids can take weeks or months.
Of course, the adjustment period is different for each person, and you will notice small changes from the day the hearing aids are placed in your ear.
Guidance and support from your hearing healthcare professional are very crucial as you adjust to your new hearing aids.
At Fort Bend Hearing, we are dedicated to providing guidance and support from hearing aid evaluation, hearing aid fitting, to hearing aid adjustments.
To help you manage your expectations with your new hearing aids, think of it this way – you lost your hearing gradually over time and it is expected that you would also be adjusting to hearing all those sounds all over again.
The key is to always wear your hearing aids because the more you wear them, the more comfortable and easily adjusted you’ll be.
Choosing the right style and type of hearing aid depends on the degree of hearing loss, lifestyle, and cosmetic concerns.
There are two general styles of hearing aids:
Common hearing aid form factors include:
Choosing the right hearing aid for you can be a struggle, especially if you are not familiar with the styles and hearing aid terminologies.
This is why it’s essential to work with an audiologist that you are comfortable with, someone who will help you in every step of your hearing loss journey.
Basically, all hearing aids work by amplifying sound with these three core parts:
These three parts work together to ensure that sound is amplified and transmitted to the hearing part of the brain. Hearing aids are often prescribed to people who have sensorineural hearing loss, a condition wherein the tiny hair cells of the inner ear are damaged.
The surviving hair cells transmit the sounds picked up by the hearing aid to the brain through the auditory nerve. The sound travels as neural signals.
For patients with severe to profound hearing loss, power hearing aids are recommended as these devices require more battery and technology to compensate for the hearing loss.
During the hearing aid selection process, you need to consider a lot of factors. First, you need to keep in mind that hearing aids vary in style, size, power, special features, and price. For you to choose the best hearing aid with confidence, you should seek the advice of an experienced audiologist.
At Fort Bend Hearing, we have a team of experienced audiologists who can help you get started on your hearing aid journey.
We provide personalized solutions and will work with your budget and preferences. From hearing aid evaluation, fitting and programming, it is our joy to see our patients live a better quality of life through better hearing.
Are you ready to hear better?
Fort Bend Hearing provides comprehensive preventative, diagnostic and rehabilitation hearing services for pediatric and adult patients. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
Are you ready to hear better?
Fort Bend Hearing provides comprehensive preventative, diagnostic and rehabilitation hearing services for pediatric and adult patients. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
Audiologists Providing Hearing Aid Evaluation in Fort Bend County, Texas
At Fort Bend Hearing, we believe that if you Hear Better, you Live Better! To know more about hearing aid evaluations and other audiology services we offer, we are more than happy to assist you!
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!