Frequently Asked Questions

Sensorineural: The most common type, it occurs when nerves in the cochlea are damaged and do not properly transmit auditory signals to the brain. This type is typically caused because of age or noise exposure and is very correctable with hearing instruments.

Conductive: Is typically the result of obstructions in the ear such as wax or physiological problems to the mechanics of the eardrum or small bones of the middle ear. In some cases these issues can be treated medically or surgically.

Mixed: A combination of sensorineural and conductive.

Tinnitus: Ringing or buzzing in the ear(s) is often associated with hearing loss. Many individuals suffer from these sounds and it can range from barely noticeable to extremely annoying. 80% of patients who have ringing and wear hearing instruments indicate a significant reduction in the sensation while wearing the devices. 15% of patients indicate that the hearing instruments made noticeable  reductions to the ringing sensation, while 5% say there was no measurable benefit. So the vast majority of hearing instrument wearers enjoyed the reduced ringing sensation by wearing their hearing aids daily.

Hearing aids can range in cost based on technology level and style. You can find more about our hearing aid prices here.

Hearing loss can occur at any age. Most people with hearing loss are younger than age 65. It is recommended that if you are over the age of 55 and have the signs of hearing loss, you should be tested annually to monitor the progressive nature of hearing loss.

• Auditory Deprivation occurs when the brain does not receive transmissions because of damage to the cochlea. This ultimately causes the brain to forget how to understand those electrical impulses sent from the cochlea that we interpret as sound.
• Untreated hearing loss may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia (Archives of Neurology Feb. 2012)
• Mild hearing loss linked to brain atrophy in older adults (Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Aug. 2011)
• Hearing Loss is twice as common in adults with diabetes (Annals of Internal Medicine July 2008)
• Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
• General communication
• Sense of control over your life
• Social participation
• Perception of mental functioning
• Emotional stability
• Communication in relationships
• Depression
• Personal safety issues

The simple answer is hearing instruments have small microcomputers that convert sound into electrical signals. The computer processes the sounds based on a person’s hearing loss and delivers a sound near the persons eardrum based on the prescription needed to help the person hearing more normally.

No, hearing instruments will not restore your hearing to perfect levels. However, they can help increase them to near normal levels with the right treatment and technology. Hearing instruments are designed to let you hear soft sounds that you couldn’t hear before, and prevent loud sounds from becoming uncomfortably loud.

These inexpensive models are simply hearing amplifiers that will make everything louder (including all the ambient noises around you). They will not, separate human voices from background noises. Instead inexpensive hearing instruments turn up sounds that make it difficult to hear without turning up sounds you need to hear.

While no hearing instrument can filter out all background noise, which would actually be unnatural, many new hearing instruments are clinically proven to enhance speech in the presence of background noise.

Hearing instruments have experienced a major technological revolution in the last two years. In fact, the most changes in the history hearing instruments have occurred recently. Today’s digital hearing instruments are designed to emphasize speech cues, eliminate feedback or whistling, make understanding in noisy environments easier and more comfortable and even help you hear better on the phone, church or even while watching television.

Most people require some time before becoming acclimated to wearing their hearing instruments. However, you should expect to notice significant benefits right away.

I would be curious to know which aids you have tried that were digital that didn’t work. I have taken many people out of the analog hearing aid to digital. It is tough to do but if you know what you are doing it is very possible. My favorite analog hearing aids was the Oticon 380 P, but unfortunately they don’t make it anymore. If you are set on only having an analog aid I can get a refurbished Oticon 380P. Otherwise most if not all manufacturers no longer make analog hearing aids.

I do not dispense the EarLens so I don’t have an estimate exactly, but from what I found on the internet is it can range anywhere from 12,000 to 20,000 for the pair depending on where you purchase it, that will include what the surgeon has to do also.