Don’t trust something as important as your hearing to just anyone!
Why do I need an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist and an audiologist for a successful hearing test and hearing aid fitting?
Hearing aids are medical devices regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and must be recommended and prescribed by licensed professionals. An Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist and an audiologist work as a team to properly diagnose the cause of your hearing loss and help you decide on the right treatment and options. Additionally, a hearing aid sold online without a face-to-face evaluation with an audiologist and Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist can potentially cause various medical and financial problems.
What is an audiologist?
An audiologist is a medical professional who evaluates, diagnoses, treats, and manages hearing loss. Most audiologists have earned masters and/or doctoral degrees and you may see the initials Au.D., (Doctor of audiology – clinical degree) Kathleen Rocuant, AuD, our ABA Board Certified Doctor of audiology has over 25 years of experience and is dedicated to providing the best for her patients.
Do you suspect that your hearing is not as good as it used to be? The following questions will allow you to make a quick assessment:
- Do people seem to mumble or speak in a softer voice than they used to?
- Do you sometimes miss key words in a sentence, or frequently need to ask people to repeat themselves?
- When you are together with other people, does background noise bother you?
- Do you often need to turn up the volume on your TV or radio?
- Do you find it difficult to hear the doorbell or the telephone ring?
- Is it difficult to carry on a telephone conversation?
- Do you find it challenging to pinpoint the location of the object (e.g. an alarm clock or a telephone) from the noise it makes?
- Has someone close to you mentioned that you might have a problem with your hearing?
If you have answered “yes” to one or more of the above questions you will benefit from a hearing consultation.
We offer the following Hearing Care and Hearing Aid Services
Battery Sales
We keep a supply of batteries for you to purchase in our office. Stop in routinely for fresh batteries. Make sure to check the batteries in your hearing devices often and make sure there is no dirt, wax or debris interfering with the batteries performance. Batteries that are properly charged will make a noise (a squeal) when cupped in your hand or after it has been inserted in your ear, when you cup your hand over the hearing aid it will also make a noise.
- Size 10 (yellow)
- Size 312 (brown)
- Size 13 (orange)
- Size 675 (blue)
Diagnostic Hearing Evaluations
During your examination you will be tested using a series of low & high frequency sounds. 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 how hearing aids will improve your ability to hear.
Ear Impression
Many hearing aids now do not need a custom fitting ear piece. However, there are occasions when this may be necessary. Ear impressions are also made to protect ears from noise or water.
Hearing Aid Dispensing & Fitting
At the hearing aid fitting, you will receive the hearing aids you selected. They are programmed based on a prescription that is specific to each person’s hearing loss. Our Audiologist may make adjustments after you try the hearing aids to make sure the settings and fit are ideal for you.
Hearing Aid Repairs
Some minor hearing aid repairs can be done in the office setting in a short period of time; others will need to be sent to the manufacturer for repair. Our Audiologist can help determine what kind of a repair is necessary if you feel your hearing aid is not working properly.
Tinnitus Evaluation and Management
Tinnitus is described as a ringing in the ear, and can range in severity. A tinnitus evaluation can help you identify how much tinnitus interferes with your daily life and if there are treatment options that can benefit you.