Hearing Loss Does Not Discriminate

The inability to hear speech and other sounds can occur in any individual, regardless of race, gender or age. In the United States alone, an estimated 28 million people have some form of hearing impairment, and more than a million school-aged children have a hearing loss that can significantly impact speech/language development and education. Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent, mild or profound. Fortunately, in most cases, something can be done to improve the hearing impaired person's ability to communicate. For many, the purchase of a hearing aid is the first step in rehabilitating their hearing and reconnecting with the world around them.

So you realize you have a hearing problem...

What happens next?
Fortunately, there are many ways to help people with hearing loss. Although only a very few of the problems can be improved by medication or surgery, most people do benefit from hearing instruments. Special listening devices - such as phones that amplify speech - can also help.
Although even the most advanced hearing aids cannot fully restore your hearing, they can improve it considerably. If you take the necessary time to adjust to wearing professionally fitted instruments, you will see a definite improvement in the quality of your life.

Finding a solution
After determining the exact nature of your hearing loss, your hearing professional will review the results with you.
The hearing care professional will present the various solutions - hearing aids or other assistive listening devices - and discuss them with you in detail.
Together, you will talk about your lifestyle, and the way the hearing aids perform, in order to make the appropriate selection. The instruments should meet your personal preferences in terms of cosmetic appeal and convenience.
Once you and your hearing care professional have selected the instruments best suited to your hearing loss and lifestyle, a few additional steps are needed.

• In some cases, the hearing professional will need to take an exact impression of your ear to provide a custom fitted In-the-Ear instrument, or an earmold for a Behind-the-Ear instrument. A soft, putty-like material will be inserted into your ear canal and will fill up the outer portion of your ear. This is not painful, although you may experience a temporary fullness in your ear during this 7-10 minute procedure. The material firms up after a few minutes and is then gently removed. The impression is then sent to the hearing aid manufacturer or earmold lab to create a custom fit for your ears.
• Your hearing care professional might provide written material about your new instruments. He/She will certainly tell you what to expect from them.
• You'll make an appointment to return in 1-3 weeks for the initial fitting. Your hearing care professional will program the hearing aids to provide the appropriate loudness and tonal quality for your hearing loss.
• After demonstrating how to insert, use, and look after your new instruments, your hearing care professional will review your listening needs and expectations.
• A follow-up appointment can be scheduled for a few weeks later to monitor your progress and discuss your experiences. If necessary, your hearing care professional can adjust the settings on the instruments as you become used to hearing more sounds.
• You can arrange additional follow-up appointments to address your personal needs, your adjustment to this new amplification, and to evaluate your overall satisfaction.

This article courtesy of Oticon