Hearing aid services play an integral role in addressing hearing loss and improving the quality of life for individuals with hearing difficulties.
Atlantic Hearing Care offers hearing aid services that cover comprehensive evaluations, personalized fittings, and ongoing support to ensure the selection and use of the right hearing aids.
Importance of Getting the Right Hearing Aid for Your Specific Hearing Loss
- Improved Communication: Selecting the appropriate hearing aid tailored to your specific hearing loss ensures that sounds are amplified and processed optimally, leading to improved communication and speech comprehension with others.
- Enhanced Quality of Life: Hearing aids enable individuals with hearing difficulties to actively engage in conversations, participate in social activities, and enjoy everyday experiences.
- Better Cognitive Function: Untreated hearing loss has been linked to an increased risk of conditions like dementia and an overall cognitive decline. By using hearing aids, individuals can minimize the cognitive strain caused by hearing difficulties and maintain cognitive function.
- Reduced Social Isolation: Hearing loss often leads to social withdrawal and isolation due to difficulties in understanding conversations. With hearing aids, individuals can reconnect with their family, friends, and community, improving mental health and reducing social isolation.
Atlantic Hearing Care Hearing Aid Services:
We provide the following comprehensive hearing aid services to address individual needs:
- Hearing Assessments: We conduct thorough evaluations, including hearing tests and consultations, to determine the type and degree of hearing loss and recommend appropriate hearing aids and other solutions.
- Personalized Hearing Aid Fittings: Our experienced audiologists and hearing instrument specialists ensure precise fitting and programming of hearing aids based on the patient’s hearing loss and lifestyle preferences.
- Follow-up Care: We provide ongoing support, including follow-up appointments, fine-tuning, and adjustments to ensure the hearing aids continue to meet each patient’s changing needs and provide optimal performance.
- Hearing Aid Maintenance: We offer services for cleaning, repair, and maintenance of hearing aids to ensure device longevity and optimal functioning.
Hearing Aid Selection
Hearing aid selection is an important step in addressing hearing loss and ensuring optimal hearing rehabilitation. It involves a thorough assessment of a patient’s hearing needs, lifestyle, and preferences to determine the most suitable hearing aids.
The process of hearing aid selection begins with comprehensive hearing assessments.
Hearing assessments are conducted to evaluate the type and degree of hearing loss. The purpose of these tests is to assess an individual’s ability to understand speech and measure their hearing thresholds.
Based on the results of the hearing assessments, audiologists can make informed recommendations for hearing aids. The goal is to choose hearing aids that address the individual’s specific hearing needs and provide optimal amplification and sound processing.
It is essential to involve the patient in the decision-making process, ensuring their comfort and satisfaction with the chosen hearing aids.
Follow-up appointments and adjustments may be necessary to fine-tune the hearing aids for optimal performance and user satisfaction.
With careful hearing aid selection, it is easier to enjoy improved hearing, enhanced communication, and a better quality of life.
Hearing aid styles
Hearing aids come in several different styles with a variety of features. The price of hearing aids varies depending on the level of technology or listening support they can give you, as well as their features.
There is a wide range of prices due to varying sizes, styles, and what type of special features you need for everyday use or situational/lifestyle purposes.
If you’re looking at getting fitted for new ones in order to hear better, a visit to a hearing clinic would be the best thing to do. If you happen to be in Massachusetts and need to go to a reliable hearing clinic, visit us at Atlantic Hearing Care.
Hearing aid designers are always coming up with new ways to improve the effectiveness of hearing aids. When they make them smaller, it can be difficult for people to notice that you have one on.
Whether you choose a big or small hearing aid, the important thing to consider is that the device is aimed to address your hearing loss – not just for aesthetics.
Completely in the canal (CIC) or mini CIC
A completely-in-the-canal hearing aid, also known as a mini Canal or CIC is molded to fit inside your ear canal. It is the smallest and least visible type of hearing device available on the market today and it matches well with customers that don’t want a large device.
These types of devices are ideal for those who have mild to moderate levels of loss. With frequent exposure to loud sounds, there can be some sound distortion, but generally, this style utilizes the natural shape of the wearer’s ear to bring in sound and help them hear clearer in both quiet and noisy environments.
In the canal (ITC)
An in-the-canal hearing aid is custom molded to the shape of your ear canal and designed to fit partly inside the canal. This style of hearing aid may be better for mild to moderate hearing loss.
ITC hearing aids offer some controls on the hearing aid for adjustment of features such as volume. The ITC hearing aids, are also susceptible to clogging from earwax, so proper care must be taken to avoid reduced sound quality.
In the ear (ITE)
In the ear hearing aids are appropriate for mild to moderately severe hearing loss. They are a larger size, typically filling the ear canal and the concha bowl. These hearing aids are well suited for individuals who have difficulty with their dexterity, as they are easier to handle given their larger size.
Behind the ear (BTE)
A behind-the-ear hearing aid is a type of device that hooks over the top of your ear and rests on the backside. The BTE is held in this position by its tube, which connects to an earpiece called an ear mold that fits down into your ear canal.
BTE hearing aids are highly customizable and can be utilized for a wide variety of hearing losses, ranging from mild to profound.
Receiver in canal or receiver in the ear
The receiver-in-canal (RIC) and receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) styles are similar to a behind-the-ear hearing aid. However, instead of a tube connecting the behind-the-ear portion to the earpiece, it is a thin wire. This too is a highly customizable hearing aid and can be utilized for hearing losses ranging from mild to severe.
A receiver-in-canal hearing aid offers manual control options and often comes equipped with Bluetooth to allow for control of the hearing aid through a remote control or app on a smartphone, as well as hands-free streaming of phone calls and other audio.
Open-fit types of hearing aids
With an open-fit hearing aid, you will experience a natural sound because the ear canal remains very open. Sounds are then amplified through the device to ensure that all sounds can be heard.
The open-style hearing aids may not block the ear canal, which can make your own voice sound better to you. The dome is not custom so it may be challenging for some people to insert into the ear comfortably.
Hearing Aid Fitting
Hearing aid fitting is a critical step in the process of using hearing aids to address hearing loss. It involves adjusting and customizing the selected hearing aids to meet the individual’s specific hearing needs, ensuring optimal performance and comfort.
Hearing Aid Programming and Adjustments
Hearing aid programming and adjustments are crucial for optimizing the performance and benefits of hearing aids.
These adjustments may be necessary due to changes in the individual’s hearing and comfort or the need to fine-tune the devices for better performance.
Real ear measurements
Real ear measurements are an essential part of the hearing aid fitting process. They involve measuring the sound output of a hearing aid inside the ear canal to ensure that the amplification is accurately matched to the wearer’s unique hearing needs.
Why is a real ear measurement important?
Real ear measurements ensure that the hearing aid is appropriately adjusted to match the individual’s specific hearing loss and ear canal characteristics. It allows for personalized fine-tuning, maximizing the effectiveness of the hearing aid.
Real ear measurements help enhance sound quality, clarity, and speech understanding, leading to a more satisfying hearing experience.
Hearing Aid Repairs
We offer basic hearing aid servicing, cleaning, and repair for major hearing aid brands. For hearing aids needing more significant repair, we will send them to the manufacturer and provide the patient with loaner hearing aids to use while theirs are being repaired.
Atlantic Hearing Care: Hearing Aid Services in Swampscott and Peabody, MA
Atlantic Hearing Care is committed to providing comprehensive hearing aid services to ensure individuals with hearing loss can regain their auditory abilities, improve their quality of life, and enjoy a fulfilling and engaging lifestyle.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
