Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are a common treatment for hearing loss. We understand choosing the right hearing aid for you can be overwhelming with the many different types, but we are here to help you find the right kind.

How do Hearing Aids Work?

There are three parts to a hearing aid:

  1. The microphone receives sound and changes it to a digital signal.
  2. The amplifier takes that digital signal and increases it.
  3. The speaker takes that increased sound into your ear.

Simply put, hearing aids make sounds louder so that you can listen and communicate with others more easily. Hearing aids can also help you hear others better when there is a lot of background noise.

Hearing Aid Styles

Our audiologist, Michael Lazarczyk, AuD, will look at a number of factors to determine which hearing aids may be best for you, such as:

  • How well you can use your hands and fingers
  • Severity of your hearing loss
  • Size and shape of your ear

He will work closely with you to determine your preferences based on your lifestyle as well. This is crucial to our patient care because hearing aids can widely vary in price, size, and special features.

Behind-the-Ear: rests behind your ear and has a clear tube that connects to an ear mold in your ear.

In-the-Ear: Fill your entire ear or a portion of it.

Receiver-in-the-Ear: Similar to behind-the-ear, it rests behind your ear and has a clear tube with a soft tip that sits just inside your ear.

In-the-Canal: Fit deeper into your ear canal and are smaller than in-the-ear hearing aids.

CROS/BiCROS: If you have minimal hearing loss in one ear and very little or no hearing in the other ear, this kind may be for you. You wear the hearing aid on your better hearing ear and an additional microphone on the worse hearing ear. Sounds will be delivered to your better hearing ear and transmit them to your worse hearing ear to allow you to hear better.

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

While the FDA has cleared some hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter (OTC) for mild to moderate hearing loss, there are still times this may not be a good solution for you. OTC Hearing aids may not be a good option for you if:

  • You are under 18 years of age.
  • You have an ear deformity as OTC hearing aids are mostly one size fits all, whereas hearing aids prescribed by an audiologist can be custom fitted.
  • You have hearing loss or ringing in one ear only.
  • You have pain, discomfort, or a history of excessive earwax.
  • Your hearing loss changes suddenly or fluctuates.
  • You are experiencing severe dizziness.

If you aren’t sure whether OTC or prescription hearing aids are best for you, you can always schedule a consultation with our Audiologist for an expert recommendation. Even if you choose an OTC hearing aid, it is still important to speak to an audiologist about whether your chosen hearing aids meet your hearing needs. Our audiologist can also perform hearing tests to ensure your hearing isn’t getting worse over time.

Hearing Aid Fittings

Our audiologist, Michael Lazarczyk, is committed to providing you with high quality hearing care. That includes using best practices when fitting your hearing aids. He follows these steps each time:

  1. A thorough assessment is performed to determine your hearing needs.
  2. A hearing test is completed, and he will review all results with you one-on-one.
  3. Together, you will determine treatment based on your lifestyle, needs, and goals.
  4. If hearing aids are selected, Michael will review the different styles of hearing aids with you.
  5. He will then fit the hearing aids, test them, and teach you how to use them.
  6. Follow-up appointments will be scheduled to check the hearing aids and see how you are doing so we are setting you up for success.

Your Hearing Aid Partner

Once we work together to determine the correct hearing aid for you, our care doesn’t stop there. We will continue to meet with you regularly to make adjustments to your hearing aids to ensure you are comfortable with them, and they help you hear clearer.