For a person who is suffering from hearing loss, a hearing aid can be practically a life- changing device. A hearing aid is a medical device therefore it should be prescribed and fitted by a specialist only. Previously, hearing aids were nothing more than simple amplification cones, better known as ear horns which simply collected the sounds in the environment and directed them into the ear canal. But over the years, more sophisticated and advanced hearing aids have been developed that can be customized completely suiting to the person who is wearing them. Most hearing clinics which prescribe hearing aids St. Catharine’s now have state of the technology and all types of modern hearing aids are available in them.
What is ‘fitting’ of modern hearing aids?
As stated earlier, modern hearing aids can be completely customized to suit the needs of the patient. The hearing aid can be configured to suit the hearing loss perfectly. It can also be designed to suit the physical features of the user as well as suit his lifestyle.
How effective are modern hearing aids?
Before you go to a specialist to get a prescription hearing aid, it is very important to set realistic expectations from the outcome of the usage of hearing aid. Hearing aids cannot help complete hearing loss. However they make the sounds a little more amplified so that they are sent to the ear canal and then to the brain to be processed as audio signals. There can be some issues with all hearing aids. These issues can reduce the effectiveness of hearing aids. One of the most common complaints of most new users is the occlusion effect. It is complaint regarding the tuning of the hearing aid. As the user gets more and more used to the hearing aid, this problem can be reduced, however some it may need some tuning as per the requirement of the user, by the audiologist. Compression effect can also be quite a problem. As loud sounds should not be directly sent to the ear canal, they are compressed which gives some inherent distortion to them. Impulse noise suppression is also provided some of the higher- end hearing aids. In most cases, the hearing aid does not fit the patient completely ion the initial appointment, the audiologist may call the patient for multiple visits to get the fitting right. Be sure to carry your latest audiogram to your audiologist whenever you go to get your hearing aid fitted in St. Catharine’s.
Assessment of the results of hearing aid usage
How effective is the hearing aid can be measured by three factors; how well the user is able to cope with aid, how well are the speech recognition and the total overall benefit of the hearing aid. The correct adjustment of hearing aid can also be made through real ear measurement.
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Before you go to a specialist to get a prescription hearing aid, it is very important to set realistic expectations from the outcome of the usage of hearing aid. Be sure to carry your latest audiogram to your audiologist whenever you go to get your hearing aid fitted in St. Catharine’s.
