Frequently Asked Questions
How
do two hearing aids benefit over one? As
our brain has developed with hearing from both ears, unless
born
hard of hearing or deaf, we naturally continue to benefit from
sound being received and processed binaurally. Several
reasons for binaural hearing are better understanding of
speech, especially in noise,
localization abilities, wider range of hearing soft sounds, and
easier listening reducing stress.
At
what level if hearing loss is a hearing aid required?
The hearing loss level that requires a hearing aid is highly
dependent on the individual. Some individuals have the ability
to manage with even a minor hearing loss while others cannot. As
soon as a person finds they are having difficulty following conversational
speech, or missing out on environmental cues they should have their
hearing assessed. With the advancement of hearing aid technology
individuals will be able to select a product that meets their hearing
needs.
What
questions should I ask to determine whether my client has hearing
concerns/hearing difficulties? To help
determine if your patient has a hearing loss we recommend that you
ask the following questions:
Do you have difficulty hearing in a group?
Do you have difficulty understanding speech?
Do you turn the television volume up louder than others prefer?
Do you have difficulty hearing in background noise (restaurants, other public
places)?
Do you have difficulty hearing the telephone ring?
Do people appear to whisper or mumble in meetings?
Do you have difficulty hearing conversation from room to room?
If
your patient answers “yes” to any of these questions, a hearing
loss is suspected.
When
should I send my patients for a hearing test? A baseline of
hearing should be established at least by the age of 55. In that
way an individual can monitor their hearing and make accurate comparisons.
Why
do hearing aids squeal? Hearing
aids squeal when the signal they have amplified leaks out
to be reamplified i.e. they pick up their own amplified acoustic
signal. This may be caused by a loosely fitted ear mold or
hearing aid, or a buildup of ear wax in the ear canal.
What
is an air - bone gap? An air bone gap is the difference between
air conduction thresholds and bone conduction thresholds.
Air conduction thresholds are obtained when testing hearing via
the eardrum and middle ear to the cochlea, as compared to bone conduction
thresholds determined by a bone oscillator on the mastoid which
directly measures the neurologic hearing in the cochlea. If there
is a difference between the air conduction thresholds and the bone
conduction thresholds this could indicate abnormalities with the
ear canal, eardrum, middle ear ossiccles, or middle ear pressure.
|
