Hearing Aids |  Hearing Services |  Types of Hearing Loss |  FAQ's
- There are many different screening tools online including: The Better Hearing Institute’s Quick Hearing Check.
- Many times friends and family members will notice a loss before you will. If other people are telling you the television is too loud or that you miss a lot of conversation you may have hearing loss.
- The best way to find out is to consult a professional for a full hearing evaluation.
- Only 13% of physicians screen for hearing loss. Ask your doctor for a hearing screening or to be referred to an Audiologist or Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist since it is not a routine part of physical exams.
- The vast majority of Americans (95%) with hearing loss have their hearing loss treated with hearing aids. Only 5% of hearing loss in adults can be improved through medical or surgical treatment.
- The need for amplification is based on many factors including: degree of hearing loss and the impact on the individual. Two people with the same hearing loss may have very different recommendations for amplification based on their lifestyle and how much they are noticing the loss. A hearing healthcare professional such as an Audiologist or an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist can help you to determine if amplification will be beneficial to you.
- Insurance typically does not cover hearing aids. A few plans may offer a discount or some coverage for amplification but this is rare.
- Hearing aids cost approximately $3000-$6000 for a pair of digital hearing aids.
- Nearly 90% of hearing aids are digital.
- Hearing aids today are essentially miniature computers for each ear. They can be programmed for your individual hearing loss and hearing needs. The research and development of these unique computer chips account for most of the cost of hearing aids.
- Most hearing aids have at least a thirty day trial period during which you may take the hearing aids home and see if they are improving your quality of life. Hearing aids will be ordered and fit for your hearing loss. If you decide during the trial period that you do not want the aids simply return them to your hearing healthcare professional. You will be refunded all of your money except for a nominal fee, usually about $200, to cover the cost of time and services.
- On average the life expectancy of a hearing aid is 3-5 years.
- Most patients replace their aids after 5-6 years, sometimes longer depending on the style of the aid. Behind the ear models tend to last longer than in the ear models.
- Over the course of the life of the aid the cost averages out to approximately $2.00-$4.00 per day.
- 75% of people with hearing loss in both ears use two (binaural) hearing aids.
- Using two hearing aids will help you to be able to hear softer sounds better.
- Two aids help individuals hear better in noise.
- When two hearing aids are used it makes it easier to tell where sounds are coming from.
- Modern directional hearing aids can now help the hard-of-hearing to hear in noisy situations.
- Treatment of hearing loss will improve interpersonal relationships.
- The use of hearing aids is associated with reductions in anger, frustration, paranoia, anxiety and overall improvements in emotional stability.
- Most people who use hearing aids have improved social lives.
- People who use hearing aids report better health than hard-of-hearing people who do not use hearing aids.
- 9 out of 10 hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life.
- Hearing aids often help to make Tinnitus less noticeable.
- Some hearing aids on the market today have specific programs to help make the Tinnitus less noticeable.
- If hearing aids do not help the Tinnitus there are other treatment options such as masking devices and the Neuromonics Tinnitus treatment device.
- Amplified telephones are now available to help people with hearing loss.
- Most public places (i.e. movie, place of worship, government building, schools) are required under the American with Disabilities Act to provide assistive listening devices for the hard-of-hearing.
- Telecoils in hearing aids improve the ability to hear in public places and on the telephone.