Hi guys. Rachael Cook,
Doctor of Audiology at Applied Hearing Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona,
and in today's video,
I'll be kickstarting the Everything You Need to Know series, coming up.
It's hard to know what you don't know,
and when it comes to treating your hearing loss, nothing could be more true.
There is a lot that you need to know if you wanna maximize your success with
hearing treatment. As an audiologist,
I specialize in diagnosing and treating hearing loss and sound sensitivity
disorders primarily with the use of hearing aids.
It is my job to know exactly what to do when it comes to treating your hearing
loss and to follow comprehensive best practices to ensure that you
receive the full benefit from your devices.
It is your job to learn as much as you can during each appointment so that you
actually understand what we're trying to accomplish with your hearing treatment.
However,
the amount of information that you need to know can be a bit overwhelming.
So to get you started,
I'll be starting the Everything You Need to Know series to make it easier on
you. Over the course of this series,
I plan to cover what you should know after your hearing evaluation and
consultation, your hearing aid fitting,
and all of your follow-up appointments with your hearing healthcare
professional.
That way you'll know if you are receiving the maximum amount of benefit
possible from your hearing treatment. To kick the series off,
we will begin with what you should know by the end of your hearing evaluation
and hearing aid consultation. But before we get started,
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if you've been experiencing hearing difficulties,
a comprehensive hearing evaluation is warranted to determine the type
and severity of your hearing loss. Some causes of hearing difficulties,
such as wax buildup or middle ear infections, can be treated,
returning your hearing back to baseline levels,
but other hearing losses such as those caused by aging, genetics,
or repeated loud noise exposure can only be treated through the use of
properly programmed hearing aids. During a hearing evaluation,
your hearing healthcare provider will begin by gathering details about your
hearing difficulties as well as your health history.
They will then complete several tests to determine if your hearing loss can be
treated medically or if it is best treated through the use of hearing aids.
The discussion of your hearing test results should not be brief.
By the time your provider is done explaining the results to you,
you should know if your hearing loss is even between ears,
the severity of your hearing loss,
the speech sounds that are impacted by your hearing loss,
and your ability to understand words in both quiet and in background noise. Once
you have this information,
your provider should tell you if you're a good candidate for hearing aids or if
another treatment option is more suitable for you. Luckily,
nearly 9 out of 10 hearing losses can be treated through the use of hearing
aids.
Your provider should then gather information about your communication needs and
lifestyle so that they may make the best treatment recommendation for you.
More often than not,
the first step in hearing aid selection is determining what style of hearing
aid is best for you.
There are many styles and types of hearing aids from invisible in the ear
hearing aids to behind the ear hearing aids,
and even bone anchored hearing aids.
The style of hearing aid that's most appropriate for you is dependent on many
variables, but it begins with the type and severity of your hearing loss.
For example, the smaller the hearing aid,
the lower the amount of amplification that that device can provide. Your
provider should use their knowledge of your hearing loss as well as the power
capabilities of different hearing aids so that they can tell you which hearing
aid styles you are a candidate for. But this isn't just a one-way street.
The style selection also depends on your input.
You may prefer one style over another due to vanity
concerns, dexterity issues, or other lifestyle factors.
For this reason,
the style discussion should most certainly feel like a collaboration
between yourself and your provider.
The style determination is also closely tied to the features available
within each device.
This is because certain features are only available in certain styles of
hearing aids. For example,
rechargeable hearing aids are now available in behind the ear and in the ear
styles, but may not be available for even smaller hearing aids.
This is also true for Bluetooth connectivity,
for streaming media and phone calls,
as well as connectivity to other sources such as hearing loops and assistive
listening devices. That being said,
the collaboration continues with the discussion about the varying levels of
hearing aid technology available.
Each company has multiple tiers of technology averaging between three and
five levels.
While top tier devices have access to the full spectrum of capabilities,
anytime you drop down in technology level,
it limits the features and customizations available to your provider while they
are programming the devices.
Dropping down in technology level does not guarantee that you will lose
performance. However,
there is the potential of leaving some benefit on the table. Ultimately,
it is the job of your provider to maximize the performance of whatever devices
you choose to proceed with, given the limitations of the devices themselves.
Once you've had these discussions and made these decisions,
by the end of your consultation,
you should know the following that your provider knows,
your ear related medical history, your communication difficulties,
and what type of treatment they are recommending. This can include hearing aids,
further testing for cochlear implants,
a discussion of bone anchored hearing aids, or a medical referral to an ear,
nose, and throat specialist.
You should also know the severity of your hearing loss,
how your hearing loss is causing your specific hearing difficulties,
and why hearing aids would be the best and only treatment option for you.
If hearing aids are the recommendation,
you should know what style and why,
what technology level and why,
what main features your hearing aids will have,
if any accessories may be needed,
realistic expectations for your performance and knowledge if the provider
follows comprehensive best practices, such as real ear measurement,
test box measures, and validation outcome measures.
You should also know what your fitting and return period will be,
as well as the cost of treatment and what services come with it.
Before you leave,
you'll be scheduled for your hearing aid fitting appointment where the hearing
aids are programmed to your hearing loss. You should also have a minimum of two
follow-up scheduled during your trial period with your hearing aids.
For example,
any patient completing a best practice fitting sequence at Applied Hearing
Solutions is scheduled for a fitting, a one week follow-up,
a three week follow-up, and a six week follow-up before they leave the office.
This will vary by clinic,
but make sure that you never leave the office without your next appointment
booked so that your quality of care isn't jeopardized by an inability to get
in for an appointment. If this all seems overwhelming,
don't let it be.
A good hearing healthcare professional who follows best practices will be
able to guide you through this process and explain all of this information to
you.
And if you wanna find a hearing care professional who follows best practices and
takes the time necessary to explain all of this to you,
check out HearingUp.com. HearingUp providers are committed to following
comprehensive best practices to ensure you receive the maximum amount of benefit
from your hearing treatment,
and we'll educate you along the way so you understand your entire treatment
journey. Now, you'll just have to patiently await your fitting appointment.
Stay tuned for the next installment of this series where I will review
everything that you need to know by the end of your hearing aid fitting
appointment. That's it for this video. If you liked it,
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