A hearing instrument is something personal. It is adapted to your hearing impairment, the shape of your ear and in many cases to your listening preferences. Therefore, the process of obtaining a hearing instrument consists of several steps to ensure an optimum fit in all respects.
The following steps are involved in obtaining a hearing instrument:
Discovering the hearing impairment
For adults, the way to a hearing instrument fitting often begins with a feeling that one’s hearing is not as it should be. This feeling may originate from situations where one has to ask for sentences to be repeated or when other people complain that the television is too loud while we regard it as comfortable.
A hearing loss in children may be discovered straight after birth or later on, for example, with a behavioral test or by observing language development.
Hearing Instrument Options
- Multiple Memories
- Directional Microphones
- Telecoil/T-coil
- Volume Control
Features are not available on all styles and technology. Discuss the availability
of these add-on options with your hearing healthcare provider.
Multiple Memories
- Not all listening environments are the same, and thus, the listening needs
in these different listening environments are also not all the same.
- Consequently, having multiple memories can allow the individual to change
the hearing aids response in order to maximize comfort and clarity in particular
listening environments.
- For instance, the individual can use one memory for everyday listening,
another memory for listening in background noise and a third memory for use
on the telephone.
- To access the multi-memory your hearing instrument may have a push button or toggle to switch between the different memory settings. A push button services 2-4 memories; while a toggle is available on a 2-memory instrument. We will discuss these options with you as part of youe hearing aid evaluation and instrument selection.
Directional Microphone
- Parties, restaurants, and meetings are difficult listening situations, especially
for the person with hearing loss.
- Directional technology offers help in situations with competing background
noise.
- Sounds originating from the front of the hearing aid receive maximum amplification
and sounds originating from behind the hearing aid receive considerably less
amplification. Thus, the signal in front of the individual is emphasized and
the background noise behind the individual is reduced.
- Benefits by reducing background noise from behind the individual.
- Directional setting can be accessed via a pushbutton or toggle. This option is only available on select models.
Telecoil/T-coil
- Listening on the telephone can be problematic for a hearing aid user. The Telecoil or T-coil is designed to be used when talking on the phone.
- The Telecoil option can be accessed via pushbutton or toggle switch.
- The Telecoil is designed to pick up the signal from a hearing instrument compatible telephone.
- The whistling or feedback that may be encountered when a telephone is placed next to the hearing instrument is eliminated when using the Telecoil setting.
- Please note that all cell phones are not hearing instrument friendly. Cellular phones are not designed to be used with the Telecoil option.
Manual Volume Control
- Manual Volume Control is also referred to as external volume control or
user volume control.
- This control is operated by the hearing aid user to turn the volume/gain
up or down.
- Manual volume controls, directional microphones and t-coils are not available on all styles of hearing aids.
No Volume Control
- No Volume Control is also referred to as programmable or pre-set volume.
- The volume is set by the hearing healthcare provider.
- The hearing aid user does not have to deal with adjusting the volume control.
Options
- All hearing aid options are size and technology permitting.
- The Completely-In-Canal (CIC) type does not permit the use of these options
due to size constraints.
