Common Questions About Hearing at Hearing Associates

In order to know if you need a hearing aid/hearing device, you will first need to get a completed hearing evaluation by a licensed professional. Based on your audiogram, we would determine if you are a candidate for a hearing aid/hearing device.

Hearing aids can greatly improve the quality of one’s life! I like to compare getting hearing aids for the first time to getting glasses for the first time. Glasses provide crispness and fine lines that people need to see clearly. Hearing aids provide the crispness and clarity of sound people need to hear clearly. Because of that, it can allow patients to want to participate more in social engagements and participate more in difficult listening environments like at restaurants or places of worship.

This question is a little odd because the 60:60 rule is actually not for hearing loss it’s a safety rule for protecting your hearing from devices like a phone or headphones, etc. It basically suggests a person listen at 60 percent of the maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes a day. It does not pertain to hearing aids.

A person’s hearing is typically plotted on a graph called an audiogram. There are different degrees of hearing loss that we measure the severity of one’s hearing loss. The degrees are mild hearing loss, moderate hearing loss, severe hearing loss, and profound hearing loss.

During your first visit with us at Hearing Associates, you will first take our cognitive screener. This screener screens for any type of memory loss, because studies have shown a direct correlation between memory loss and age-related hearing loss. The provider then checks for ear wax in your ears and performs various middle ear and inner ear tests to verify the function of your auditory system. The provider then will test your hearing in the booth and go over the results in detail.

Hearing loss has not been shown to cause dementia, however, studies do show a direct link between age-related hearing loss and memory loss. Studies have also shown that those who have dementia and who wear hearing aids for their hearing loss, tend to have a slower progression in their dementia.

Studies have shown that those who have dementia and who wear hearing aids for their hearing loss, tend to have a slower progression in their dementia.

Audiologists can diagnose and treat a variety of hearing and tinnitus problems, but Audiologists are not Medical Doctors, they are Clinical Doctors. So if a person is needing to be treated for a medical condition (for example an ear infection) or need ear surgery for any reason, an ENT or Otologist would be the type of Doctor to see.

Yes. There are a few different ways to help treat tinnitus. Although tinnitus is NOT curable, it is something we can help relieve with a variety of different treatments.

An Audiologist is a Clinical Doctor who focuses on diagnosing and treating hearing loss and tinnitus, where as an ENT (Also sometimes called an Otologist) is a Medical Doctor who focuses on diagnosing and treating any type of medical condition of the ear (for example an ear infection).

I would schedule to see an Audiologist if you have any concerns for your hearing, if you have difficulties hearing in background noise or in one-on-one conversations, or if you have any ringing, buzzing, chirping, or sounds in your ears/head.

We use an Otoscope to look in a person’s ears. We take a look at the ear canal and the eardrum to determine if there is any type of abnormality, foreign body, wax, or debris in the ear canal and we look at the overall health of the eardrum and ear canal.

Unfortunately, no. However, Medicare covers testing, which is the first step before using hearing aid technology. When investing in hearing technology, you want to buy the best hearing aid/s you can afford. We will help you make the decisions needed to get the best out of your investment.

We accept Medicare and most private insurances. If you are concerned we may not be in network, I would give your insurance a call to verify that we are in network. We are currently not in network with Medicaid or Kaiser.

Cash, Check, Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover, ApplePay, GooglePay, and Care Credit

Yes, we take FSA and HSA as forms of payment. However, please don’t wait until the last day of the year to use it. In years past, we’ve had to instill a deadline to ensure we could provide services before FSA/HAS plans reset.

It really just depends on the person’s reported difficulties, but typically we start fitting patients with even mild hearing losses earlier and earlier given the studies we know of the direct link between memory loss and age-related hearing loss.

There are many different types of hearing aids available including over-the-ear devices and in-the-ear devices. The style chosen depends on a lot of different factors including degree of hearing loss, ear shape/size, lifestyle, and if the person wears glasses and/or oxygen.

The provider ultimately helps to guide you in the right direction of the style of hearing aid that would work best for you.

On average, people upgrade their hearing devices every 4-6 years. But it’s not because they are no longer working, it’s typically because they want to get newer and better technology.

Hearing Aids are important for patients who have hearing loss and difficulties hearing in their day-to-day lives because it helps give that patient access to sound they have been missing. That can lead to an increase in overall quality of life and increase in social engagements.

Hearing degree itself doesn’t necessarily get worse, but there is something called Auditory Deprivation that causes word recognition difficulties and word understanding problems if a hearing loss is left untreated.

Typically, it is recommended to give your ears a break at night. If a person is concerned about hearing a doorbell or a fire alarm, there are assistive technology devices out there you can purchase to help when a person is not wearing their hearing devices.

Earmuffs, OTC earplugs, and custom earplugs (which also include digital custom earplugs like Sound Gear).

It really just depends on what you are using them for. There are hearing protection for shooters/hunters, for concert goers, musicians, occupational noise settings, and other various needs.

Hearing protection is super important because we only have 1 set of ears. If we do not protect our hearing while in noisy environments that require hearing protection, it leads to permanent hearing loss.

It really just depends on what you need hearing protection for. We will recommend the best type of hearing protection needed for your specific needs.

Custom hearing protection is nice because they are custom molded to your ears so they typically are more comfortable than OTC hearing protection.

Earmuffs, OTC earplugs, and custom earplugs (which also include digital custom earplugs like Sound Gear).

A baseline hearing test is always good to have! There are many things out there that can cause hearing loss (or even sudden hearing loss). Having a baseline allows you to monitor any changes that may occur.

A baseline hearing test can be performed at any age. Once a hearing loss is discovered, we recommend coming in yearly for a hearing test to monitor any changes that may occur just like your annual eye exams.

To determine if a person has a hearing loss.

Hearing tests are performed by a licensed professional.

There is nothing to prepare for a hearing test, but coming 15 minutes before your scheduled time to fill out your paperwork ensures that we have the entire appointment time available to provide you the care you are needed for your appointment.

No. There are no risks.

Many things can cause tinnitus, like trauma to the ear, hearing loss, earwax buildup, an ear infection, etc.

Hearing devices that have tinnitus maskers are typically the best hearing devices for patients who have tinnitus. Some places sell hearing devices but they may be devices that do not have tinnitus maskers.

Most of the time, hearing devices can help with tinnitus, but that may not always be the case. If the patient does not find relief with hearing devices alone, we may also recommend other forms of treatment like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.

Often times tinnitus and hearing loss go hand in hand, but not always.

Occasionally, depending on the type of tinnitus you have.

There is no cure for tinnitus, but there is treatment that may help relieve the tinnitus and help make it less bothersome.

Treatment for tinnitus is individualized, so it really just depends on the person and their specific needs.

The implant is there for life and the processor is what can be upgraded in the future for newer technology as it continues to evolve.

BAHAs are surgically implanted devices whereas hearing aids are not. BAHAs are also for specific hearing losses and your provider will let you know if you are a BAHA candidate.

Patients who have either unilateral hearing losses or mixed hearing losses. There is very specific requirements to candidacy for a BAHA, so that will be discussed with your provider if you are a candidate.

The implant is for life and the process is what can be upgraded in the future for newer technology as it continues to evolve.

The process receives the sound and is transmitted to the implanted with converts the sound to electrical stimulation, which is then sent through the auditory nerve up to the brain.

Cochlear implants sound very different than a hearing aid, however, those who are candidates for cochlear implants need to have a hearing loss where hearing aids are usually no longer a solution.

According to the National Institute of Aging, noise-induced hearing loss is the most common reason for hearing loss, however, there are many reasons that can cause a hearing loss.

Difficulties hearing in background noise, people sounding like they are mumbling or “under water”, lack of clarity, or muffled voices.

Depends on what your profession is. Many professions out there deal with a lot of noise, including loud power tools, machinery, factories, printing presses, lawn mowers, etc.

Sudden hearing loss is typically an unexplained rapid loss of hearing. When this occurs, it is important to have your hearing tested and see an Otologist within 48 hours from noticing the sudden hearing loss to receive treatment.

The only preventable hearing loss is noise-induced hearing loss. The way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss is by using hearing protection whenever you are in a noisy environment (for example: shooting range, concerts, loud power tools, etc.).

No. Sensorineural hearing loss cannot be reversed.

There is a range in cost for a pair of hearing devices and basically you are paying for the technology. The higher levels of technology are going to have all of the technology that closely mimics normal hearing ears, including ear-to-ear technology, noise reduction, wind reduction etc. As you step down in technology levels, the hearing devices may still have some of those features, but the features may not be as strong as the higher levels of technology.

There is not someone to go to if you have problems or need someone to troubleshoot your devices. They are like air pods, where you buy them right out of the box and you set them up yourself. If you need a professional to help you with prescriptive based devices and someone who can provide you with great customer service, we are the right choice. If you feel you don’t need that, then OTC hearing aids are a good start.