AAdvancecHearingCare.com

Having problems hearing certain voices, particularly children, or women's voices is a serious concern for lots of folks.

It is generally associated with a loss of sensitivity to the higher frequencies of sound, particularly those falling between 1K Hz and 4K Hz.

This problem is potentially one where we have the most to lose. If, the child we can’t hear is that special grandchild, or if, we are having problems with understanding the women, or the man that we love, then we have at risk those most tender and intimate of communications and relationships.

Let’s face it these are the communications that matter. If, we are having trouble understanding those closest to us, then we are introducing additional stresses and the potential for greater misunderstanding into those relationships and experiences that matter most in life.

Often times this problem is caused by a relatively mild or moderate loss of sensitivity to a select band of tones, particularly those in the higher pitch or frequency range. This very common problem can cause considerable difficulty understanding, even if you have normal hearing sensitivity throughout the entire range below 1 KHz.

You may hear certain people and all sorts of environmental sounds without difficulty, but other sounds are muffled and some people seem like they’re just mumbling.

It may often seem that you may have no trouble hearing men’s voices, but a very difficult time hearing the higher pitched voices of women and children. In some such cases great difficulty understanding easily and clearly can occur even when there is little or no background noise.

It’s a tremendous loss when even in relatively quiet environments you cannot understand your friends, wife, children and grandchildren.

This type of hearing loss causes all sorts of problems, misunderstandings and added tensions in the relationships we care most about.  And, because low frequencies are often heard at near normal levels, this type of loss is the hardest to self diagnose, as from the sufferers standpoint, people just sound like they are mumbling.

Yet, this is one of the areas where our industry has made some of the biggest strides over the past few years.

Every company making hearing aids is aware of the huge number of people suffering with this type of untreated hearing problem and the potential for equally huge profits if they can reach them. Most companies have excellent instrumentation specifically designed to help overcome this common problem.

A quick, simple, painless check of your hearing thresholds will let you know if this is what is causing your problems.

For a free consultation and hearing check, click here to make an appointment. You'll be glad you did.

Honest, but tough love seems to be the most effective tool to moving a reluctant spouse, or loved one.  It’s hard to admit that something might be wrong with us.  Be gentle, don’t exaggerate the problem, be kind, and be willing to be involved in the process from start to finish.

This includes going with the loved one to the appointment, and helping them to accept findings, and solutions that they might find expensive, challenging, and difficult at first.  This is particularly true of those who wait for years beyond when they should, before getting hearing aids.  In such cases there is often significant neural degradation to the processing centers associated with turning those nerve impulses collected by the ears into the experiences we know as sounds.

Rebuilding those neural networks takes time, persistence, and some amount of work.  But, the rewards are well worth it.  Just remember, all of the benefits of amplification do not show up right away, some take time to reestablish, be patient and persistent.

Remember, hearing is a process, not a product.  Even when you have hearing aids, you still have the hearing loss.  They aren’t a cure all, just a means of dealing with a persistent problem and they take time to learn to use, as there are definite physiological changes that are going on in the brains of recently fit hard of hearing people.

Provided your cell phone, or land line produces a decent sound signal to start with.  Yes, absolutely.  However, even the best hearing instruments only reproduce the sounds that go into them clearly, and without distortion.  If, there is an already distorted signal being produced by the cell phone, or land line, it will only be a louder, distorted signal coming out.  Hearing aids can’t change garbage into gold, any more than a computer can.

The old adage still stands, garbage in, garbage out.

This applies equally to understanding the Television.  Some of today’s TVs have great pictures, but very poor sound quality.  If, there is a poor quality audio signal to start with, no hearing aid can change that.

Absolutely.  Today’s better equipment is capable of reproducing distortion free music for our patients better than at any time in the past, though not all equipment is created equal in this sense, and some  circuits, and systems do a much better job than others.

That depends upon the hearing aids, your hearing loss, and the amount, and type of background noise that you are trying to get help in.

Determining what is, and is not background noise is the first issue.  Some of the better equipment does an incredible job of this today.

It all depends upon the sophistication of the system being discussed.  There are levels and layers of different noise reduction strategies, in use today by all the various manufacturers, some working better than others.

All types are available today, if you are referring to circuit type, or classification of circuit.  You can find everything from sixty year old design “class A” circuits, thirty year old design “class B” circuits, twenty year old “class D” circuits, twenty year old “hybrid” circuits, right on up through,  and to, the most sophisticated of today’s high end digital circuits, that are actually ultra miniature audio computers, many with broad band, radio chips piggy backed right on top, allowing them to talk to each other, BlueTooth devices, iPads, iPhones, Droids, Laptops and digital TV’s.

The one best suited to your own individual needs, lifestyle, expectations, and budget.  But, most of all, the one you’ll wear, and feel good about using.

It will be comfortable to wear, meet your goals, personal expectations, function in the sound environments that you live in, and you can afford it.

Yes.  We maintain a stock of high quality RIC, BTE, and modular instruments for just that purpose.

We offer no cost, or obligation (Beyond bringing them back, if you don’t want them, or paying for them, if you do.) trials for all our non-custom fittings.  During this mutually agreed period, our patients can take their aids home, and wear them in the environments where they live, and are having the difficulties.  This allows us time to fine tune, council, and make sure that our patients are comfortable with their buying decision, even before it’s cost them a penny.

Also, we will be happy to order any of the manufacturers we deal with particular models on request, for trial before purchase.

Excepting custom made products.  All custom products are just that, they are custom made for that particular patient, and once made, are of no value to anyone else.  Because of this, custom products are ordered on a CWO, or minimum 50% deposit basis only.

However, excepting for custom ear molds for RIC, or BTE hearing instruments, which are non-refundable, all custom made hearing aids do come with a full 30 day trial, from date of delivery, and may be returned for any reason within that thirty day trial period for a full refund, less two hundred dollars in professional, and fitting fees, and a five percent restocking fee.

Please refer to the thirty and sixty day return and exchange privileges, as outlined on our purchase agreement.

Yes.  All hearing aids sold, even our used ones, come with the state’s full 30 day trial return period.  You can return any hearing aid purchased for a full refund, less professional fees, and a 5% restocking fee, at any time within thirty days of your hearing aid being delivered to you.

All of our hearing instrument sales are also covered by our own, 60 day, no lemons policy.  Even if you’ve kept your hearing instruments past the thirty day return period, we will still give you a 100% exchange credit, toward any other instruments we normally handle within 60 days of your original purchase, and we never charge twice for fitting, or professional fees to do so.

However, there are no cash refunds made after thirty days from delivery.

Please refer to our purchase agreement for the specific language that applies.

You determine that, based upon what you are buying them for and what level of technology you are comfortable with.

That depends on a lot of different things, the most crucial one seems to be how long you have waited to get help.

Generally speaking those who adapt sooner, rather than later have a much quicker, and easier go at getting used to wearing amplification.

However, today’s gear is so good, and works so well that those times seem to be shrinking for everyone.  Normally less than a month, and they become pretty much second nature.

Again, this may take significantly longer for someone with a serious loss, who has put it off for a long time.  Those folks take the most time, and retraining to get the most out of their equipment.