Ogden Clinic -
Audiology

Hearing Aids

The use of a hearing aid(s) can help many patients with their hearing problems. Several types of instrumentation are available to meet the needs, preferences, and budget of all patients. All hearing aid sizes from behind-the-ear models to the smallest units that fit in the ear canal are dispensed. Various types of circuitry from conventional to fully digital instrumentation are offered.

Hearing aid options are discussed with each patient that can benefit from amplification. The most advanced computerized procedures are used to individualize the fitting of the hearing aid(s). Follow-up care and hearing aid accessories are also available.

Choosing a hearing aid:

There are three general categories we use to help our patients decide which hearing aid is best for them:

1. Size. Choose a completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid if size and appearance are important to you. CIC hearing aids fit deeply in the canal and are virtually unnoticeable unless looking directly into the ear. If you don't care about the size or need a larger aid for dexterity reasons you can choose an in-the-canal (ITC), an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid, or a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid. If your hearing loss is severe or progressive an ITE or a BTE will be the best hearing aid for you.
2. Technology. Choose digital technology if your lifestyle includes a variety of noise environments. Digital hearing aids are now available in a wider price range according to the processing option, so you may be able to purchase a less expensive digital product and still have the benefits that are necessary to your particular needs. Analog hearing aids will meet the requirements for basic amplification if you lead a very quiet life but these hearing aids can also include processing for those with loudness sensitivity. We help people decide the technology question by understanding the specific situations you have the most difficulty with, i.e. television, group conversations, restaurants, certain voices, etc.
3. Price. Digital hearing aids will be the most expensive but do range in price according to the complexity of the processing, so basic digital technology is now affordable. Analog hearing aids are the least expensive aids and are a viable option for many people.

The Ogden Clinic also provides hearing aid repairs, batteries, loss and damage coverage, and warranties, whether or not you bought the hearing aid through the Clinic.

Is it really necessary to wear two hearing aids, or can I get by with one?

There are four main reasons why binaural (two eared) listening is superior to monaural (one eared) listening. They are:

1. Better Hearing in Noise: An individual's hearing in noise can be improved if the signal reaching each ear arrives at a slightly different moment in time. This is technically referred to as phase. When the brain receives slightly different, yet still audible signals at the two ears, it has the ability to cross-correlate and process the primary signal (usually speech) better than if the signal is received monaurally.
2. Improved Signal versus Noise Level from Optimizing Position: Sound loses intensity (loudness) when it travels across the head. This occurs mostly for the high frequencies which are the most important for understanding of consonants, such as /s/, /t/, /f/, and /sh/. If you have a hearing aid on only one ear, say the left one; and the person you wish to hear is speaking to you from the right side, the consonants may be decreased by nearly 20 decibels by the time it gets to your aided ear. Unfortunately, noise in the room may occur from any or all directions, so while the noise level is not decreased, the speech level is. Wearing two hearing aids ensures that the speech sounds will not be diminished any more than necessary because of your position in the room.
3. Improved Localization Ability: We determine where a sound is coming from on the basis of 1) the relative time in which the sound arrives at each ear, 2) the relative difference in loudness at the two ears, and 3) the relative difference in the pitch of the sound at the two ears. When there is a large difference in hearing between two ears (as might occur when a person with similar hearing in both ears only wears one hearing aid) the brain cannot make use of these subtle relative differences and their ability to locate sounds may suffer.
4. Possible Deterioration of the Unaided Ear: We hear in our brain, not in our ears. The ultimate goal of hearing aids is not just to send sound into the ear. It is also essential to retrain the central auditory system in the brain. While it is uncertain whether hearing sensitivity (ability to hear soft sounds) will decrease if your ear is not stimulated adequately, research now suggests that there can be changes in the way in which your brain processes sound when it is "starved." Thus, providing stimulation may be important in preserving your auditory potential.

Used with permision by the American Academy of Audiology.