If you have hearing difficulties then no doubt you will have either booked yourself in with a local audiologist or an audiologist will be coming to your for a home visit. If you have never had a hearing test before you may be wondering what makes up a consultation. There are subtle differences between the more conventional consultation where you visit a clinic and the home visit consultation. The main difference being the equipment used. This article will take you step by step through a typical hearing aid consultation and what happens next.

First consultation

Your audiologist will first make a thorough examination of the ear canal before asking you to enter their sound proof booth for some audiometric testing. This part of it may be slightly different with a home visit as the audiologist will not be able to take a sound proof booth with them everywhere they go.

Following your examination your audiologist will explain your results. A good audiologist will explain your results in great detail so if you don’t understand then don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Once you know your results you will receive a recommendation on which type of hearing aid will best suit your needs dependant on various considerations. Lifestyle is a big one in terms of, do you work in particularly loud and noisy environment in which the aid will have to cope? Cosmetic feel is another as some people are more conscious of how their aid will look to other people. Will you need an automatic device or will it be better if you have a remote control aid. There are many more considerations but the three previously mentioned are definitely the most popular.

Fitting

Your hearing aids will be expertly programmed by the audiologist based on your results and level of hearing loss. As with most new equipment a complete run down of how exactly the device works will follow. Most people expect a lot from a hearing aid so your expectations will be dealt with at this stage and the audiologist will tell you exactly what you can expect from your new aid. Usually with good hearing centres you will receive at least a forty day trial period whereby you can get used to your new instrument.

Follow Up Visits

These are vitally important as it is at this stage when your device will be fine tuned based on your experience since fitting. People are usually called for their follow up appointments within a few weeks of the fitting.

Aftercare is what separates good hearing centres from bad hearing centres. First class aftercare is what you are looking for especially as your hearing is so essential to your well being. If you can come back to the centre to ask questions or have your device tweaked then this will make you feel more re assured that you are being looked after properly. Always check what assort of guarantee you get with your hearing aid. Your device will be covered by the manufacturers guarantee for an agreed period of time so its always worth checking just how long this is.

There are probably lots more little points that haven’t been covered in this article that you would experience during the whole hearing aid process and the above procedure will differ between hearing aid centres but serves as a good guide so you are not going into the whole thing blind.

That is probably a bold statement saying that a hearing aid saved my life. I did not mean that literally rather that as soon as I received my latest hearing instrument my quality of life improved one hundred percent. Hearing aid technology has moved on significantly and is now more advanced than ever which is why I have decided to tell the world about the wonderful Audeo Smart hearing instrument.

Sound recovery technology

The sound recovery technology has been built in to this instrument to allow users to be able to experience everyday sounds that other devices may not allow. Subtle sounds such as singing birds or whispering conversations. Its such a joy to be able to hear my wife when she whispers sweet nothings in my ear again and is something that should be rolled out to all hearing aids.

Speech zooming

Another big flaw of some other hearing aids is the ability to help improve hearing in noisy environments. As the shape of this model is slightly different than other conventional aids, combined with the latest in built audio processing chip I can now hear people much clearer even in busy environments like a football match. Maybe not so well in a nightclub or concert but in generally noisier environments and not extremely noisy environments the sound quality is excellent.

Size

This is the smallest hearing aid I have ever used so I can say without a shadow of doubt that my confidence has improved vastly. I can only put this down to the fact that unless you are really looking for it or know its there you probably wont be able to see it. I say that but as they come in all sorts of different colours I suppose it depends on which colour you choose.

Flexibility

You have the ability to make changes to the device dependant on your situation. You have greater control over your hearing experience. The aid can be controlled directly using the device or by a clever remote control. The remote control is a wonderful idea as no longer do I have to stop somebody in mid conversation whilst I fiddle with my hearing aid just so I can hear them better. I just use the remote discretely in my pocket to adjust the instrument until I can hear more clearly.

Im sure there are many more benefits to this device but speaking from experience being able to hear better in noisy environments, hearing subtle sounds and being able to adjust quality more discretely have helped improve my daily life greatly. There are lots of other hearing aids out there and its really a personal choice and although I will never hear the same as I did before I have hearing difficulties this device has helped hugely.

No longer do you have to make an appointment to go and see your local audiologist and then have to travel all the way down to wherever it is their office is to get your hearing aids. This may sound silly but more and more audiology hearing centres are now coming out to you rather than the other way round. Mobile audiology, is it the future?

It is common practise for audiologists to work out of different centres whilst having a base where they store all of their big bulky fixed equipment whilst using smaller mobile equipment out of their satellite offices. It was only a matter of time before they moved on and made the next logical step and do house calls especially if they already have the equipment. This service will suit some people but not others and this article outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using a mobile service over the more conventional method of booking an appointment and getting there yourself.

Convenience (Advantage)

By far the biggest advantage of using a mobile service over more conventional methods is convenience. The old method of having to battle either public transport, the elements or the ever busier roads can be eliminated completely and you can just sit back make yourself a nice cup of tea in the comfort of your own home and let the audiologist do all the hard work and come to you.

A more personal service (Advantage)

Hearing aid consultations are very personal in the first place but anything that is performed in your own home immediately becomes even more personal. This is a huge advantage as will give you an opportunity to build a better working relationship with your audiologist. The better the audiologist knows you the better his or service will be. Unfortunately a more personal service will not change any diagnosis but it will help when delivering it good or bad.

Easier for Older People (Advantage)

This could have probably come under the convenience part but in some cases not being able to travel because of age or medical condition it becomes less of a convenience factor and more of a necessity. The majority of hearing aid wearers are people of a certain age who may struggle travelling long or short distances or simply just might not be able to. A mobile service to this group of people is a huge advantage as it allows them to obtain treatment that they may not have been able to otherwise.

Price (Disadvantage)

As with everything that is convenient to the end user it usually comes at a cost. Mobile hearing aid consultations usually come at a price. Why you ask? The simple answer is time. If you require the audiologist to come to you then you need to cover all of his costs and one of those will include travel time. He or she couldn’t possibly travel without building in some travel costs so expect this when considering using this service. Just as you, can make better use of your time whilst waiting for your hearing consultation the audiologist will have to be compensated for loss of earnings due to travel. All that said for such a first class convenient service it is well worth that little bit extra.

All in all mobile hearing aid consultations seem to be a better option as long as you can afford the slightly higher than normal costs. As it becomes more popular we will no doubt see a reduction in costs as competition becomes more widespread. Certainly for older people and people who cannot walk or travel very well this service is an excellent idea and will continue to expand until it becomes common practise.

The hearing aids world as with most medical practises is full of jargon that normal people just do not understand. If you know what your audiologist is talking about you will feel more comfortable about the whole process. A good audiologist will explain everything he or she is talking about anyway but it never hurts to go to an appointment armed with as much information as possible. Hopefully this article will explain what some of the jargon you would hear during a hearing examination actually means.

There are various different styles of hearing instruments out there which are specifically designed for different uses.

CIC

A CIC hearing instrument is a device that fits completely in the canal. This type of device would suit somebody who is significantly more self conscious about having a hearing aid in the first place. As it sits deep in the canal unless you are really looking out for a hearing aid you probably would not even notice there was one there.

ITC

An ITC hearing aid fits in the canal but does not go completely down the canal and is slightly visible. An in the canal device although still visible is a lot less noticeable than older models.

ITE

An ITE or in the ear hearing aid fills the inner ear completely. This style is very popular within the ear defender and hearing protection world. Most musicians where ear defenders when performing and are usually custom built to fit their ear perfectly. This type of hearing device as with all other models is no different in as much as it is custom built to fit snugly in your whole ear. The entire device is contained within the ear and is easily noticble.

BTE

The BTE behind the ear device is probably the type of hearing aid that springs to mind when somebody first mentions the word hearing aid. This is because this type of aid was extremely popular in the past and works by having part of the instrument in the ear with a tube to the receiver module that sits behind the ear.

RITE

The newest member to the hearing aid family as of writing this article is the rite hearing aid or receiver in the ear hearing aid. It has similar characteristics to the BTE in as much as it also has a tube that leads behind the ear. The difference here is that the receiver actually sits within the ear canal. The external tube is also much thinner giving the whole device a much more natural and un-noticeable feel.

Technology is moving extremely fast and new hearing aids are being developed all of the time. The hearing aid world has evolved quite drastically since the first hearing aid hit our streets. No longer do people have to feel embarrassed about having to use a hearing device as no doubt there will be a device certainly from the list above that will suit just about anybodies personal needs.

Tinnitus is the term for noises heard 'in the ear or ears' or 'in the head' when no obvious source of sound is apparent. The noises are usually described as ringing, whistling, hissing, buzzing or humming.

We've just launched a new page with information all about Tinnitus - "What it is", "What causes it", and "What to do if you think you have Tinnitus".

Click here to read the full article on Tinnitus.

Most people with hearing difficulties have to take the leap at some point in their life and make the decision to get a hearing instrument of some description. In order to ensure that they are fitted with the most suitable instrument for their ailment there are a number of processes to conduct. This article describes the thought process that people will go through before getting their ideal hearing aid in three easy steps:

Admitting There is A Problem

In some cases individuals will be reluctant to admit that they have hearing issues but before they can get any help they need to be fairly certain that their hearing needs looking at. There are lots of online tests that can be taken to establish roughly if there is a problem but usually if any of the following apply you should really be seeking help from a local audiologist:

• People appear to be mumbling.
• You ask people to repeat themselves a lot.
• The television, radio or telephone needs to be louder for you than anybody else.
• You have to face the person speaking to you so that you can make out everything they are saying.
• You have trouble understanding somebody when there is back ground noise.

The above five pointers are useful in assessing whether a hearing issue is present, but in the case of online hearing tests there are no universal parameters so variations in diagnosis are prevalent. The general rule of thumb however, is that if you are even considering the fact that you may need your ears checking then there is a high probability that you do.

Progressing to Professional Assistance

The next step to better hearing is deciding to visit an audiologist. An audiologist is a medical professional who has trained specifically in the hearing sector. Currently in the UK there are three ways to become a registered audiologist and this begins by obtaining either a:

• BSc degree in Audiology
• MSc in Audiology
• Post Graduate diploma in audiology

Once one of the above four year qualifications has been completed they are then eligible to become registered with the Council for Clinical Physiologists.

Once registered with the Council for Clinical Physiologists full audiologist status is obtained and with it comes the entitlement to diagnose and prescribe auditory aids. Things to look out for when selecting an audiologist include qualifications, years of experience and past employment. Any audiologist worth their salt should have no problem selling them self and certainly no problem offering up this information.


Finding the Right Audiologist

Now that you are armed with the information on what an audiologist is and what sort of qualifications they should have you need to find one close enough to you for you to book an appointment. With over 90% of the world population turning to the internet for help in this situation, a search engine is a logical place to start. A simple search for ‘Audiologist’ and your local area or ‘hearing aids’ and your local area should bring you up a list of local practitioners.

Having found the website of a local audiologist and concluded that their credentials and experience are acceptable it is time to make an appointment.

To summarise, in order to find the best hearing aid to suit your needs you need to first of all admit there is a problem, find out what makes a good audiologist and then go and locate a suitable audiologist in your local area. It is also prudent to opt for an audiologist that is independent and consequently not tied to one particular brand of hearing aid as if he or she is they will only be able to advise on a limited number of instruments.

If you are looking for Alan Aaronson Hearing Centre's then you have come to the right place. Please click here to visit our full home page.

Common mispellings of our name include "aronson", "aaronsen", "aaronsen" etc. Our name is spelt Alan Aaronson.

Regards,

Alan Aaronson Hearing Centres

Being a totally independent organisation, we have no manufacturer tie-ins, and can supply hearing instruments from all of the major brands such as:

• Phonak Hearing Aids
• Oticon Hearing Aids
• Siemens Hearing Aids

As well those above, we also supply hearing instruments from other companies such as Starkey Labs, Widex, Bernafon, Unitron and many more. We pride ourselves on our ability to give you the very best advice we can, and from our 13 years of experience in the industry, we have earned a reputation for quality.

So whether it's a Phonak Audeo Smart that you require, or an Oticon Epoq, we can recommend the very best instrument for you.

Historically hearing aids were cumbersome yet fiddly pieces of equipment which had to be persistently tweaked and adjusted in order to be of any benefit to the user. From memories of older generations struggling with the inadequate auditory devices through to comic sketches and scenes of the ilk of Fawlty Towers, the hearing aid has been a long maligned and ridiculed device due to its multitudinous shortcomings and unsightly appearance. This negative image extends to the modern day, with the American National Institute of Health claiming that only 1 in 5 of individuals who require a hearing aid actually use one. This fact leads those involved in the industry to the conclusion that the majority of the public are not aware just how much hearing aid technology has advanced over the past decade.

Traditional hearing aids operated with analogue technology, which simply served to amplify sound and in doing so, hopefully aid the wearer in picking up all sound. The controls were limited to minor tweaks in frequency or volume. As such, in noisy environments the hearing aid was essentially useless, as it would generally increase the volume of the background noise in proportion to the volume increase in the sound source the wearer was hoping to hear. Equally, the extent to which a hearing aid could be attuned to boost or cut out specific frequencies was very limited.

In the present day, digital hearing aids are considerably more prominent. Digital hearing aids are literally worlds apart from the analogue behemoths of the past. Coming in various shapes and sizes, ranging from behind the ear models which feature Bluetooth connectivity with mobile phones to virtually invisible in the ear models which are fully contained within the auditory canal and consequently, incredibly discreet: the aesthetic aspect of hearing aids has changed drastically. This major reduction in size is a mere bonus however; the real progress lies in the effectiveness of digital aids in comparison to analogue hearing aids.

Digital hearing aids utilise incredibly sophisticated microchips which can be programmed to perfectly compensate for a specific individuals hearing deficiency. By running a series of cutting edge tests, an experienced audiologist is able to diagnose which frequencies an individual has trouble hearing, and using a computer, instruct the hearing aid to compensate for the hearing loss in these frequency ranges. By programming the hearing aid in such a meticulous and personalised manner, the device becomes an invaluable means of improving the overall hearing experience rather than an unsightly amplifier and troublesome burden.