Hearing Testing, Hearing Aids and Hearing Solutions
Find Everything You Need for Better Hearing
We’re here to do one thing—to help you and or your loved ones hear better and get more out of life. Everything we do is focused on that one goal, from the staff we hire, our knowledge and skills, our hearing tests, the brands we select and expertly fitting your hearing aid. It’s all to help you hear better.
We offer a wide range of solutions and it is important to remember that there is no such thing as “one size fits all.” Just as each person’s hearing loss is different, so are each individual’s listening needs and preferences. What works for your neighbor, friend or family member may not be appropriate for you.
Hearing Testing
What happens during a hearing test?
When you arrive for your hearing exam, you will be greeted by the front office staff and asked to fill out several forms, including those that record your personal information, medical history and insurance verification.
When your hearing exam begins, your audiologist will review key personal information with you and will ask you a few questions to discover the specific types of environments in which you may be experiencing hearing loss and hearing problems.
Next, your audiologist may look into your ears by using an otoscope. This instrument is used to see the ear canal and the eardrum and whether or not there is earwax obstructing the canal. Sometimes the audiologist will have a video otoscope, so you can see inside your ear as well.
This testing will enable your audiologist to determine:
- Whether or not a hearing loss exists
- The possible cause of any hearing loss
- The degree and type of hearing loss and whether the loss exists in one or both ears
- The best treatment options
Hearing Test Results
The results of your tests will be recorded on a form called an audiogram, which the audiologist will review with you. The audiogram reflects your hearing loss in frequencies and decibels. You will be shown the type, pattern and degree of hearing loss, as well as the percentage of normal conversational speech that you are still able to hear.
Your audiologist will then relate these results to your concerns about your hearing. The next step is to consider treatment solutions. You can count on our team taking the time necessary to understand your concerns so that they can provide you with everything you need to make an informed personal decision.
You can’t solve what you don’t understand. Schedule a hearing test with our trained audiologists and discover how much sound you’ve been missing…and how much more you could be hearing.
Types of Hearing Tests
Audiometric Test
You will be tested using a series of low and high frequency words to determine your ability to understand verbiage within a short distance (as in a conversation). We will also give you several words to repeat. The results will help us determine your percentage of hearing loss, your ability to understand speech and if hearing aids will help you.
Tympanometry
Tympanometry is an examination used to test the condition of the middle ear and mobility of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and the conduction bones, by creating variations of air pressure in the ear canal.
OAEs
Acoustically evoked otoacoustic emission testing (OAEs) allows the hearing instrument provider to understand how the outer hair cells of your inner ear are working.
Hearing Aid Fitting
How do we help you get the best sound with your hearing aids?
When people need eyeglasses, they have their eyes examined, the doctor writes a prescription for the glasses, the glasses are made to order and sent to the doctor or optician. When you put the glasses on, you can see better. But sometimes the optician has to adjust the way the glasses fit on your nose or over your ears so they are comfortable.
With your hearing aids, the initial prescription may need some fine tuning to help you hear the best in all of your listening situations. Usually this is done over the course of two to three follow up visits. We can fine tune your hearing instruments to help you hear in a variety of situations including restaurants, crowds and other difficult listening situations.
Live Speech Mapping
We also use Live Speech Mapping, a fitting process that uses probe microphones and live real-time speech to allow you and your family members to immediately see and understand the benefits of hearing aids and fitting adjustments.
There are three things you can do to get the most from your hearing aids and to help us adjust them so you get the maximum benefit from wearing them:
- Wear the hearing aids as much as possible. The more you wear them, the more you’ll get used to them and, most importantly, the more information you’ll have to tell us so we can make adjustments.
- Write down the situations where you feel your aren’t hearing your best, that way, we can re-program the devices to work better in that specific situation.
- Be patient. Most of the time we can help you get more from your hearing aids, but it does take two or three visits to make this happen.
Tinnitus Evaluation and Management
Tinnitus is a common condition, where a person experiences a ringing, rushing or buzzing in the ears. Tinnitus will not cause you to go deaf, but its presence may affect your daily activities. Our professionals can help recommend a course of action to deal with this persistent problem. Each person has an individual response to treatment. Our goal is to work with you to relieve this condition.
Discover how to stop or at least reduce the ringing in your ears. Find out how Tinnitus Therapy can help you.
Cerumen (Ear Wax) Management
Earwax (or cerumen) is a waxy substance secreted in the ear canal. Its purpose is to protect and clean the skin of the human ear canal while protecting it from debris, bacteria and water. Sometimes the ear produces too much wax which can become impacted and press against the eardrum. This can impair the ability to hear. We can assist in the safe removal of ear wax.