Ask your audiologist...
Dr. Tia Flynn | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 5 months AGO
Be an encourager, not a discourager!
Hearing aids are a need, not a want. Don't discourage others from trying hearing aids. Watch what you say. If you have a poor experience with hearing aids and share that with others, they may not try them, even though they need them.
For most people that need hearing aids, they are a wonderful invention. Most people with hearing loss have a better quality of life when they are properly fit with hearing aids. A person properly fit will claim that they don't know how they could get along without them.
A quality hearing aid should do well in a quiet room. Some people sort noise and understand better than others. Try not to compare yourself to others; not everyone has the same benefits from hearing aids. Benefit will depend on your age, cognitive ability and degree of the loss of hearing. Buy what you can afford. Sound smoothing of background noise does cost more money.
Millions of people do well with hearing aids and are glad to have them because they help, yet millions of others don't even try them because of discouraging things other people have said. Remember, it is human nature to complain more than compliment.
Dr. Tia Flynn is a certified audiologist and has been in business for over 14 years. Every Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. to noon, Dr. Flynn provides free hearing screenings at 1601 3rd St. in Coeur d'Alene. (208) 664-2767. Visit our newly updated website www.affordablehearinginc.com for an online hearing test and watch helpful videos.
ARTICLES BY DR. TIA FLYNN
How long does it take to get hearing aids?
It depends on what style of hearing aid you are purchasing. If you are purchasing one of the new mini BTE’s (Behind the Ear) your hearing health care office may have some in stock that you may take home that day. There are generally two types of mini BTE’s. One is an open fit model, which has a selection of tubes, and tips that can usually fit anyone’s ear shape. The other type is a receiver in the canal, which also has a selection of receivers, and dome tips that can usually fit anyone’s ear shape. Some offices stock these types of aids but you usually have to special order the color that matches your hair.
About age-related hearing loss
Presbycusis is the medical term for age-related hearing loss. Causes of presbycusis include changes within the inner ear (damage to the tiny hair cells that pick up sound), changes in the middle ear (stiffening of the tympanic membrane and ossicles), complex changes along the nerve pathway leading to the brain, and cognitive changes in the brain.
Ask your audiologist: Free hearing help and repairs for the holidays!
Every holiday season I give back to the community by giving away a free pair of digital hearing aids to a deserving individual. I will also provide free in house repairs by appointment and bringing in a copy of this article. Everyone deserves to hear during the holidays! The holidays are usually the most important family gatherings of the year. Many people with hearing loss get left out of family conversations around the dinner table if they do not have hearing aids or if their hearing aid(s) are broken.