Hearing Aid Test

Choosing the right hearing aid for you

While there are many types of hearing aids, considering what will soon be the determining factor of your purchase can help alleviate some, if not all, of your concerns: knowing and understanding the differences between different hearing aid options available, what to look for when buying and how to break in it in.

Getting down to BASICS

There are many hearing aids available. However, all of your options will be weighed among four (4) common hearing aid components that are required to carry sound from the environment into your ear, including:

1. A microphone which collects sounds from the environment.
2. An amplifier which amplifies or increases the volume of that sound.
3. A speaker which acts as a loudspeaker, sending the sound into your inner ear so that it can be audible to you. The amplified signal stimulates the inner ear, which then activates the nerve fibers that carry the sound impulses to your brain.
4. A battery which provides power to the electronic parts of the hearing aid.

Hearing Aid Styles

There are many types of hearing aids, differing in size and the way in which they are placed in and or around your ear. Some are nearly invisible, small enough to fit inside your ear canal. Others will fit partially inside of your ear canal. In general, the smaller the hearing aid, the less powerful it is, and thus, the shorter the battery life and more it will cost.

When looking at hearing aids, one thing that you should always keep in mind is that your choice should not be based on looks along, but rather, on the style and fit that’s best for you - that is, what helps you hear the best.

There are three (3) basic styles of hearing aids available - differing by size, placement on or inside the ear, and the degree to which they amplify sound. Among the most common hearing aid style to choose from include:

1.      Behind-the-ear, or BTE hearing aids generally consist of a hard plastic component that is worn behind the ear and connected to a plastic earmold that fits inside the outer ear. BTEs are the largest and therefore the most visible type of hearing aid, although newer versions are much smaller, streamlined and barely visible. They are the most powerful and among the easiest type to adjust.

2.      In-the-ear, or ITE hearing aids fit completely inside the outer ear (filling most of the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear) and are used for mild to severe hearing loss. Like BTEs, electronic components are encased in hard plastic. ITEs are also fairly visible to others and are susceptible to wind noise. While they are also large in appearance, they are easily inserted into the ear and adjusted.

3.      In-the-canal, or ITC hearing aids are meant to fit partially in the ear canal, as opposed to deeply in the canal aids and can easily accommodate mild to moderately severe hearing loss in adults. Because they are so small, they can be very difficult to adjust. Recent improvements to ITCs now boast a remote control option for those who have trouble with small controls.

There are two (2) new types of hearing aids available.

A new kind of hearing aid option known as an “open fit” hearing aid are very small BTE devices. They are generally best for those with mild to moderate high-frequency losses where low-frequency hearing is still normal. They are generally less visible and do not plug up the ear like small ITE models do.

Another new kind of hearing aid available is known as a bone-anchored hearing aid, or BAHA. BAHAs are small devices that are attached to the bone behind the ear. Because the device transmits sound vibrations directly to the inner ear through the skull, bypassing the middle ear, BAHAs are generally used by those with middle ear problems or deafness in one ear. Although they work differently than the hearing aids described above, BAHAs are implantable hearing aids that are designed to help increase the transmission of sound vibrations entering the inner ear. Many specialists feel that the benefits may not outweigh the risks as surgery is required to implant either of these devices.

Hearing loss occurs to most people as they age. Hearing loss can be due to aging, exposure to loud noise, medications, infections, head or ear trauma, congenital or hereditary factors, disease processes and other causes. The vast majority of hearing problems do not require medical or surgical intervention. Some 90 to 95 percent of all cases of hearing loss can be corrected with hearing aids.

There are some 31.5 million people in the USA (as of 2005) with hearing loss. Hearing loss is the single most common birth “defect” in America. Approximately one third of all seniors aged 75 years and older have significant hearing loss. About 14 percent of all people aged 45 to 64 years have demonstrable hearing loss. Hearing loss negatively impacts quality of life, personal relationships and of course, the ability to communicate.

You may have hearing loss if…

• You hear people speaking but you strain to understand their words.
• You frequently ask people to repeat what they said.
• You don’t laugh at jokes because you miss the story or the punch line.
• You frequently complain that “people mumble.”
• You ask others about details of a meeting you just attended.
• You play the TV or radio louder than friends, spouse and relatives.
• You cannot hear the doorbell or the telephone.
• You find that when people look directly at you while they speak to you, it makes it easier to understand.

If you have any of these symptoms, you should see an audiologist to get an “audiometric evaluation.” An audiometric evaluation (AE) is the term used to describe a diagnostic hearing test, performed by a licensed audiologist. An AE is not just pressing the button when you hear a “beep.” Rather, an audiometric evaluation allows the audiologist to determine the exact type and degree of hearing loss, and it tells the audiologist how well/poorly you understand speech. Afterall, speech is the single most important sound we listen to and the ability to understand speech is extremely important. Your ability to hear and understand speech in quiet and noisy situations can be accurately tested by your audiologist. The AE also includes a thorough case history (interview) as well as visual inspection of the ear canal and eardrum. The results of the AE are also useful to the ear, nose and throat doctor, in the event the audiologist refers you for medical or surgical alternatives.

Written hearing tests, “dial a hearing test” and other online hearing tests are not 100% accurate and are not diagnostic, but they may be utilized as screening tools. Screenings are usually free and can be scored within seconds. Screenings may help validate that a hearing problem exists.

Therefore, we’ve designed a written hearing screening to provide you with general guidelines about your hearing ability. It’s free and it may offer you insight regarding the likelihood that hearing loss is present. If you would like to take the written hearing screening.