If I had a hearing impairment, would I know?

Not necessarily. It is possible to gradually develop a hearing loss without noticing the changes. However, a simple and quick hearing test can identify if a hearing impairment exists.

What if I can hear people, but I just cannot understand them?

This is a common complaint among people with hearing impairments, specifically, high frequency hearing impairments.
Frequently, people can hear the energy of a person's speech (usually through the vowels sounds), but can not distinguish the words because they cannot hear some of the consonants.

What are possible symptoms of hearing impairment?

Sounds are not loud enough, and may at times be muffled or distorted. Many people find they may have to turn up the volume of the TV. Individuals with hearing loss may experience difficulty when in noisy or group situations. Hearing loss is often accompanied by ringing, chirping, roaring, or buzzing (known as tinnitus) in your ears. Finally, a common complaint of individuals with hearing loss is, "I can hear, I just cannot understand."

Can people with "nerve deafness" benefit from hearing aids?

In most cases, a hearing aid can help. Our risk-free trial period can give you the opportunity to see if you can benefit.

Should I see a physician regarding my hearing loss?

Our audiologists are highly qualified to fully evaluate your hearing. If the results of the audiological evaluation warrant, a referral to a physician will be made.

If I use a hearing aid, will people think I am old?

Cosmetic concerns regarding hearing aid use are vaild and reasonable. Hearing impairment is found in all age groups from birth to senior citizens; therefore hearing aid use should not be considered an indication of age. To more closely match your preference, current technology provides several styles of hearing aids including discreet models.

If I have tried hearing aids in the past, and they did not help, can I be a successful hearing aid user?

New hearing aid ideas and technologies are continuously being developed. Perhaps one of these new advancements can improve difficulties you have had in the past to make you a successful hearing aid user.

Will my insurance and or medicare pay for hearing aids?

In most cases, hearing aids are not covered by insurance plans or Medicare. However, we recommend you call your insurance carrier to inquire about hearing aid coverage.

Should I use one or two hearing aids?

After reviewing your hearing test results and discussing your communication needs with you, an audiologist can make a recommendation for one or two hearing aids. Typically, if an individual has a hearing loss that is similar in both ears, it is recommended that he/she get hearing aids for both ears. There are definite benefits to using two hearing aids:
*They help you locate the directions from which sounds are coming.
*They allow both of your ears to work together to decipher words for understanding.
*Studies have proven that if one ear is aided and the other is not aided, the understanding of words in the unaided ear may begin to degrade.
However, we understand that there are several considerations to make when getting hearing aids such as lifestyle, dexterity, and cost of hearing aids that may affect this decision.

Are hearing aids expensive?

The cost of hearing aids varies depending on the style/size of hearing aid and the technology that you choose to purchase.
An audiologist can make recommendations for you, but ultimately, you decide the details of your hearing aid purchase.
Since our office provides a risk-free trial period, you are given the opportunity to decide for yourself whether hearing aids are worth the price. That is, do they improve your quality of life?