On average, adults wait seven years before they seek help for their hearing loss. In most cases, hearing aids can be a solution to improve symptoms. Hearing aids are electronic devices that bring sound into the ear and amplify it to a level that the damaged ear can recognize. Though there may be differences in designs and features, all hearing aids have the same basic parts: a microphone, an amplifier and a speaker. Most hearing aids are worn in the ear or behind the ear.
Extended-wear hearing aids and implants are also available. Extended-wear hearing aids are placed in the ear non-surgically by an audiologist and can be worn for an extended period of time without removal. Implants are surgically implanted in or behind the ear. Implants are beneficial to people of all ages with severe hearing loss and profound deafness.
An evaluation of your hearing may determine the need for and potential benefit of the many different types of hearing aids available. Time is spent discussing which aids are most appropriate based on the particular needs and personal preferences of each individual. The hearing aids available today are better suited to treat hearing loss than ever before. Programmable digital technology has enabled the development of aids that can be effectively customized to meet your individual hearing needs in different sound environments.
Our hearing aid program is administered by board certified medical professionals, all with advanced graduate degrees and extensive clinical training. Our hearing-aid specialists, Patti Crews, Au.D. and Mary O’Brien, Au.D., work in collaboration with our ear, nose and throat specialist physicians to provide the highest level of honest personalized care.
Here are some of the main types of hearing aids:
- Completely-in-canal (CIC) or mini-CIC devices are molded to fit your ear canal. They work best for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults.
- In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are custom molded to fit partly in the ear canal. This style is best for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults.
- In-the-ear (ITE) devices are custom molded to fit most of the outer ear or just the lower part of the outer ear. They are best for mild to severe hearing loss in adults.
- Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids have plastic molds that fit around the outer ear. They are useful for all age groups who experience mild to profound deafness.
Hearing Aid Financing
Our goal is for you to obtain the most benefit at the lowest price. We provide a wide variety of aids that range in price from $1000 to $3000 per ear. A three-year manufacturer’s warranty is included in the cost of the aid(s). Hearing aids come with a 30-day trial. When hearing aids are ordered you will be asked to pay a $100-per-aid nonrefundable deposit; the balance is due when the aids are fit and distributed. If at the end of 30 days you wish to return your hearing aids, you will be reimbursed the cost of the aids minus the deposit. If insurance benefits can be verified, we will bill your insurance for any portion they may cover of the total cost of amplification. For more information, please contact one of our expert audiologists.
Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids
A bone-anchored hearing aid is a surgically implanted hearing aid that works by transmitting soundwaves directly through the skull rather than through air waves that pass through the ear. People with normal hearing can hear sounds coming through both air waves and through bone. Those with outer or middle ear damage, however, are often unable to process sound waves through air. This is where the bone-anchored hearing aid comes in; it allows the user to still hear sounds more naturally, similar to how one hears their own voice.