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Frequently Asked question
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| How do I know if I need hearing aids? |
The most important thing you can do to choose the right hearing aids is to work with someone you trust and who will work with you to make sure you are getting the most from your hearing aids. If you are struggling to understand, even if it is only in certain noisy situations, you should have your hearing tested. It means that your level of understanding for certain words or parts of words is not as good as it used to be. Maybe you just have trouble understanding certain people, like children, or soft-spoken individuals. It is still a good idea to have your hearing tested to find out if you do or do not have a hearing loss and if hearing aids could help you.
Most hearing loss in adults is the result of a lifetime of exposure to loud noises/sounds and the natural process of aging. It can also be caused or made worse by illness, genetics or some medications, like chemotherapy. The majority of hearing loss can successfully be treated with properly fitted hearing aids. ASHA recommends getting your hearing tested at least once a year to make sure you are getting the help you need sooner rather than later.
SELF-EVALUATION
- Family and friends complain or make jokes about how loud your TV is.
- You often ask people to repeat themselves. Or you rely on your spouse or someone close to you to repeat what others say.
- You often have trouble understanding telephone conversations. You often avoid using the telephone at all.
- You find yourself avoiding social activities and participating less in conversations, even with family and friends.
- You watch people\'s faces as they\'re talking so you can fill in the gaps by reading their expressions, or lips. Social activities and conversations can be exhausting.
- You get frustrated and irritated with people when you can\'t understand what they\'re saying
If 2 or more of these conditions apply to your or a loved one, it may be time to admit there may be an issue and time to get a complete hearing evaluation. |
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| How is my hearing tested? |
| A hearing test is no more difficult than getting your eyes checked. The test takes about an hour. There are is a test to measure how softly you can hear different pitched sounds (puretone testing) which will determine the amount and severity of your hearing loss. You will also be tested to measure how well you hear and understand speech. There are usually tests of middle ear function to determine if there are medical causes of your hearing loss. After the testing is completed, the hearing professional (audiologist or hearing instrument specialist) will explain your test results to you. If you have a hearing loss, the hearing professional will probably recommend hearing aids. According to the FDA guidelines, you should have a medical examination, preferably by a physician specializing in diseases of the ear, before you purchase a hearing aid to rule out any possible medical conditions that could be causing the hearing loss. The vast majority of hearing loss in adults is sensori-neural and cannot be corrected medically or surgically. The tests will determine whether you have a sensor-neural hearing loss, a conductive hearing loss, or a mixed hearing loss. If you have never used hearing aids, it is always a good idea to have a complete otologic examination to rule out any medical conditions that are causing or worsening your hearing loss. |
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| What can I expect from my hearing aids? |
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If you have a hearing loss that can be helped by properly fitted hearing aids, we will discuss all of those options with you. There are many factors to consider when recommending hearing aids. Lifestyle, social activities, work environment, dexterity issue, other health problems like macular degeneration, your expectations, finances, technology, etc. We will discuss all of these factors with you in detail to help make the most appropriate recommendation to solve your hearing problems.
The primary function of hearing aids is to help you better hear and understand speech. Hearing aids will improve your ability to hear and understand speech in MOST listening situations. Even a normal hearing person will struggle if the noise in the room is louder than the conversation, as they would at a loud party. Hearing aids will not give you normal haring, but there have been significant advances in recent years to make hearing aids work well in most situations. |
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| How long will it take me to get used to wearing a hearing aid? |
| Most people can adjust to hearing aids within 30 days with regular use. The longer you wait to start using hearing aids, the longer it will take your brain to get used to the new sounds that are heard. It is important to wear your hearing aids regularly so that you can adapt more quickly and more completely. |
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| Will I be able to hear everything just like when I was 20? |
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Short answer – NO!. Hearing aids are like dentures they are great in most situations, but hearing aids are not a true replacement for perfectly normal hearing. You shouldn\'t expect to hear like did when you were 20, but you should expect to hear better in most situations with hearing aids. |
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| What is the best kind of hearing aid? |
There is no one “best” kind of hearing aid. We will explain the different types of hearing aids to you and will select the type of hearing aids most closely matched to your hearing loss, the anatomy of your ear and your lifestyle. All of these things must be considered in order to make the right recommendation for you.
There are several different styles of hearing aids everything from tiny completely in the canal models to behind the ear hearing aids. Each style has specific performance characteristics that will be taken into consideration when you receive a recommendation. The tiniest hearing aids are not the right choice for everyone, nor does everyone need the most powerful kind of hearing aid. |
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| Will Medicare or my insurance pay for my hearing aids? |
Medicare: will not pay for hearing aids under any circumstances. if you have a secondary insurance that does have a hearing aid benefit, we will have to file with medicare first to get the medicare denial in order for the secondary insurance to pay.
Health Insurance: the vast majority of health insurance plans (over 95%) DO NOT cover hearing aids for adults. Oklahoma has a requirement for health insurance plans to cover hearing aids for children 18 and younger but there are many loopholes in that coverage. It is best to check with your insurance provider directly or your benefits specialist through your employer to avoid any surprises. |
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