Q. Will fancy new digital hearing aid automatically eliminate unwanted background noise?

A. No instruments, no matter how sophisticated, can do what only the human brain does:  selectively cancel out sounds that you perceive as noise.  Better understanding with amplification in noisy environments will vary due to the type and degree of hearing loss, accuracy of the instrument fitting, and most important, your ability and patience as you relearn to hear with amplified sound. 

Q. Will hearing aids restore my hearing to normal?

A. Hearing aids can only aid your hearing, whatever its condition. They are not like glasses that can often improve your vision to 20/20.  They cannot restore normal hearing and they cannot stop the progression of nerve deafness.  They can help you hear what you are missing in conversation and depending on your loss, greatly improve the quality of your life and communication with others.

Q. Are mail-order hearing aids and disposable hearing aids just as good as custom hearing aids?

A. The biggest issue with these type of hearing aids is the lack of professional services and equipment required to fit, program, modify and fine tune the aids, as well as providing the patient instructions about operations.  The interaction and support of a Hearing Health Care Professional is so important to the process, that in most states it is against the law to sell a hearing instrument without such.  Disposable hearing aids also pose the problem of poor physical fit due to the use of generic “sleeves” or shells. These can be too tight, resulting in soreness or too loose resulting in feedback.  They may also not be powerful enough for your hearing loss.

Q.  Are new digital hearing aids really better than the analog ones I got 10 years ago?

A.  Yes!  New digital aids are better for many reasons. 

• Digital aids are programmable on the computer and can more closely match your specific hearing loss and comfortable listening levels.
• Digital aids offer better fidelity, much like a CD has better sound quality than a cassette tape.
• Most digital aids have a feedback manager to allow you to get the volume you need without the annoying whistle.
• Directional microphones that help reduce the noise behind you and focus on what is in front of you are available in digital aids.

Q. What sounds are dangerous for my ears?

A. Loudness of sound is measured in decibels.  The faintest sound that the normal human ear can detect is 0 decibels.  Normal conversation takes place at about 40-60 decibels.  The sound level of power lawnmowers, motorcycles and loud trucks is about 90 decibels.  Studies show that prolonged exposure to levels over 85 decibels destroys the delicate hearing cells and creates a permanent hearing loss.  Keep in mind that anytime you have to shout to be heard, your environment is too noisy.  Protect your hearing with ear plugs or muffs.