Treatments and Options for Hearing Impairment (Hearing Aid Centers)
Henry Ford Health System’s Hearing Aid Centers offer a full spectrum of hearing aid services to patients of all ages with hearing loss.
Obtaining hearing aids involves a five-step process:
Hearing Test: The evaluation involves testing the ear’s sensitivity for different frequencies of sound, hearing for speech and the function of the middle ear. Afterward, an audiologist determines whether hearing aids are necessary.
Medical Clearance: The hearing test results are forwarded to the patient’s physician, who must provide a medical evaluation and clearance before hearing aids are ordered. This clearance is assurance that a physician evaluated the patient and test results, considered treatment options and agrees that hearing aids are appropriate.
Hearing Aid Selection: An audiologist will review the hearing test results and perform additional assessment and counseling. The different styles and technologies of hearing aids will also be discussed. A non-refundable fee is required at this appointment. This is applied toward the total cost of the hearing aids. Patients may pay for the hearing aids with cash, personal check or credit card.
Hearing Aid Orientation & Counseling: The hearing aids are delivered at this appointment, during which the audiologist discusses their use, care and maintenance. Patients are welcome to bring a family member or friend to understand how the hearing aids operate.
Hearing Aid Recheck: During the 30-day trial period, patients meet with an audiologist to ensure they are adjusting well to their hearing aids.
Most patients who have hearing loss benefit significantly from hearing aids. The ability to understand speech varies, depending on the nature of the hearing problem. The best time to begin wearing hearing aids is as soon as hearing loss becomes apparent. Hearing aids cannot stop the progression of hearing loss or return hearing to normal.
The goal of hearing aids is to make sounds easier to hear and improve the level of communication. It takes time to get accustomed to hearing aids and learn how to achieve their maximum performance.
Are two hearing aids better than one? Most patients with equal hearing loss in both ears can enhance their hearing quality by wearing two hearing aids. The brain processes sound more efficiently when it receives sound from both ears. Two hearing aids provide the best advantage for hearing in noise and improve the ability to localize sound direction, thus making listening more comfortable. Patients who wear two hearing aids also find they can be set at a lower volume than a single hearing aid.
High-tech Hearing Aids
The type and degree of hearing loss, as well as environment are all among the many factors considered when choosing a high-tech hearing aid over a traditional one. The choices of more advanced technology include:
Multi-channel hearing aids: These allow sounds to pass through separate amplifiers so lower frequencies receive less amplification than higher frequencies. Remote controls can be used to adjust the volume for different environments.
Dual-microphone hearing aids: These have microphones that selectively amplify sounds facing the wearer instead of sounds at the side or from behind. Multiple listening programs are available in the remote control that will change the amplification frequency to suit the wearer’s listening environment.
Digital hearing aids: These provide a clearer, crisper sound quality than traditional hearing aids. These automatically adjust amplification to the listening environment.
