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1. What is an Audiologist?
A. An Audiologist is the professional
who specializes in evaluating and treating patients with hearing
and balance disorders.
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2. Can nerve
loss be treated?
A. Yes. The phrase "nerve loss" has been used to describe sensorineural hearing loss. This is a loss of hair cell function in the inner ear. The hair cells are nerve endings that stimulate the auditory nerve, which then carries the sound information to the brain. In most cases there is not complete hair cell loss, and the residual hair cells can be stimulated and amplified with hearing aid amplification. Advances in hearing aid technology have enabled us to address even the most difficult types of hearing loss.
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3. Do I have to wear two hearing aids?
A. Wearing hearing aids will not necessarily
save your life. But improving your hearing through the use
of hearing aids can contribute to improved overall health
and quality of life. If an individual has hearing loss in
both ears, and is a candidate to use hearing aids, then he/she
will hear best by using hearing aids in both ears. Our brain
processes by receiving information from both sides of our
body. If it only receives information from one ear it will
not process as proficiently as it would with sound coming
from both ears. This is probably why we were born with two
ears. two eyes, etc...
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4. How often should I have
a hearing test?
A. It is recommended that an individual have a hearing test
every year. If an individual is going to order hearing aids,
the Audiologist must test your hearing within 6 months prior
to ordering the hearing aids under Colorado State Law.
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5. Should I buy my hearing
aids off the internet?
A. This would be similar to buying your eyeglasses without
a prescription lens. How would you know what strength of lens
you need for the glasses? What would you do when you get them,
and you cannot see with them? Who would you call for follow-up
care? The fitting of hearing aids is more service oriented
because the prescription is often times not what the patient
can use during the trial part of the adjustment process. Furthermore,
because hearing aids are custom fitted to your ear shape,
it is often times necessary to make modifications in order
for it to function properly and feel comfortable in the ear.
If hearing aids are purchased on-line, it appears to be less
expensive. However, in the long run, it will usually cost
more to find a hearing care provider to make necessary adjustments
and modifications. Hearing aids purchased
on-line do not come with professional service and follow-up
care.
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6. Can a hearing aid restore
my hearing back to normal?
A. No. No hearing aid whether it is digital, implantable, or both can restore hearing back to normal hearing levels. Hearing aids are designed to amplify residual hearing function in order to enable an individual to hear sound that is not audible with their current hearing. Although hearing aids cannot fully correct hearing loss, proper use of amplification can improve an individual's mental health, personal relationships, and quality of life.
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7. Is the ringing in my ears
life threatening?
A. Most likely, no. Tinnitus "ringing in the ears" is very
rarely caused by a life threatening condition. The cause of
tinnitus is not always known. But a visit to an ENT doctor
or Audiologist for an evaluation is a good way to rule out
any medical conditions that may be causing the tinnitus. Most
Audiologists can help address tinnitus when no medical condition
is found.
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8. What causes hearing loss?
A. Some common causes of hearing loss include: the aging process, loud noise exposure, trauma, hereditary, middle and inner ear disease, and some medications.
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9. Are hearing aids helpful
in noise?
A. Today we have hearing aid technology that can help hearing
impaired individuals hear more effectively in background noise.
Digital hearing aids offer several different features that
help make a hearing aid perform better in noise, some of these
include: Noise reduction, dual/directional microphones, spectral
enhancement, and Voice-Finder.
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10. How can hearing aids help
me?
A. The use of hearing aid amplification to address a hearing
problem can improve an individual's overall mental and physical
health, relationships, emotional well-being, and restore an
individual's communication confidence.
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