This is the place for more information about getting the help you need to understand your degree of hearing loss and how to improve your hearing.
Hearing Self-Evaluation
Not sure about the state of your hearing? This brief quiz can give you an idea of whether you’re experiencing hearing loss. Answer yes or no.
- Do you hear people talk but have difficulty understanding the words?
- Do long conversations make you feel tired or irritable?
- Do people seem to mumble or speak more softly than they used to?
- Do you need to ask people to repeat things frequently?
- Do you piece together the meaning of speech without hearing all the words?
- Are you turning up the volume on the radio or TV above where others listen?
- Is it difficult to converse on the phone or your cell phone?
- Do you hear better with one ear than the other?
- Is it harder to hear when background noise is present?
- Do you strain to hear in crowded bars or restaurants?
- Have you had any significant noise exposure at work, recreation or in military service?
- Do you have difficulty following dialog at the movies or in a theater?
- Is it easier to understand men’s voices than women’s?
- Do you often misunderstand what others say?
- Is it sometimes difficult to understand the speaker at a public meeting or service?
- Does difficulty hearing cause you anxiety or embarrassment in new situations?
- Does difficulty hearing cause you to visit with friends or family members less often than you’d like?
- Has anyone close to you suggested that you might have a hearing problem?
Many people can answer yes to at least one question. But if you answer yes to two or more, it’s time for a more thorough investigation. Our hearing professionals can give you an in-depth analysis of your hearing abilities and some options.
Next Steps
You might want to keep track of your hearing experience for a few days or a week. Track the number of times you experience difficulty in conversation, or how often you ask someone to repeat themselves. Ask a friend to set the TV volume to a comfortable listening level; is it loud enough for you to hear comfortably? What do your answers tell you?
A variety of high-tech solutions exist today to deal with hearing loss. There are many more hearing aid options today than there once were. As technology progresses solutions are becoming more discreet and blending better with modern lifestyles.
Developing Realistic Expectations
Some people put on a hearing instrument and hear better right away. For most, there is more of an adjustment period. The single most important factor in the process is the attitude and commitment of the wearer—and the development of realistic expectations.
Just as if you had a knee replacement or other medical procedure, you can expect to go through a period of rehabilitation, followed by adjustment to your new circumstances. You can also expect that this will take some time. You’ll need both a willingness to go through that process, as well as the patience to re-learn a new way of hearing.
Part of that re-learning is recognizing that hearing instruments won’t replicate the way you used to hear, nor will they restore or prevent further loss. Most people gain significant improvement in their sense of hearing with hearing instruments, though it is a gradual process that can and will take some time.
Adjusting to Hearing Instruments
There are two things to know right from the start.
- Hearing instruments don’t sound the same as having your old hearing.
- Adjusting to wearing them takes time.
Just like getting comfortable with a pair of bifocals, you may experience some frustration at first, but it will pass in time.
The single biggest determinant of success is your attitude toward your new hearing instruments. In the beginning, you’ll need to make a conscious effort to wear them consistently, and work with them in a variety of situations.
However, don’t overdo it, especially at first. It makes more sense to integrate hearing instruments into your life gradually, starting with a few hours a day. Overexposure to new stimuli can result in fatigue, discomfort and disappointment—all factors that can actually slow down the learning process. Give it some time. After a few weeks, you should be able to wear your hearing instruments routinely without undue fatigue or tension.
There are also physical adjustments to consider. At first, hearing instruments may feel funny in your ear. Depending on the style of hearing aid, there will be some part of the instrument in your ear or ear canal, which you may find distracting. Minor irritation or inflammation may occur as your ear becomes accustomed to having an object in it. This is usually easily correctable through trimming and polishing by our hearing professionals. In fact, many people forget they’re wearing hearing instruments once they’re used to them.
Your voice may also sound funny to you when wearing hearing instruments, due to a phenomenon known as occlusion, the result of air trapped between the hearing instrument and your eardrum. Most new hearing instruments are equipped to minimize this distortion.
The Fine Tuning Process
Because learning to hear again is an ongoing process, you may need to have your hearing instruments fine-tuned for best results. Our hearing professionals will fit your hearing instruments, and make sure they’re working properly. However, if they don’t feel or sound right after you’ve worn them for a few days or weeks, you should return to us for further modification. This is all quite normal, so we offer services as part of the purchase price. If you feel your instrument needs an adjustment, make an appointment with us.