Hearing Aids

Exceptional Technology.  Extraordinary Care

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Is It Time for Hearing Aids?

That’s a good question.  In general, as with any health problem, the sooner you do something about the problem the better. Hearing aids provided amplified sound to the parts of your brain that interpret the sound into meaning. Hearing loss happens slowly and the person with the loss is often not aware they are having trouble hearing. 

The problem with a hearing loss is that every day your brain is not getting the correct information.  Instead, it’s getting less information and your brain has to piece that information together to try to make sense of what’s being said.  It can be an exhausting process. 

The longer you wait to get help, the longer it will take your brain once you do decide to address the problem to re-learn how to process sounds.  It will also take time for your brain to re-learn how to separate the speech from the noise.  More importantly, while you’re waiting to fix your problem you’re missing out on life.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Get Hearing Aids

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25% of hearing-impaired individuals said their hearing loss has affected their success in the workplace.

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40% of the individuals who reported having a hearing loss said that it affects their home life. Hearing loss not only affects the individual with the impairment, but it also affects friends and family members as well.

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More than half of hearing impaired individuals say they often have difficulty hearing on the telephone

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Hearing-impaired individuals tend to gradually isolate themselves from social situations, stating that there is no reason to go since they can’t follow the conversation anyway. Social isolation is a leading cause of depression, particularly in older individuals.

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Hearing is an integral part of communication. Communication is important in any relationship, whether it is your significant other, friends, or other family members. When there is a consistent breakdown in communication between you and your loved ones, the relationship can start to suffer.

FAQ & Information

Bluetooth Technology

Bluetooth technology is a wireless communications system intended to replace the cables connecting many different types of devices, from mobile phones and headsets to heart monitors and medical equipment.

As a global standard, Bluetooth technology is in billions of products worldwide, including virtually every mobile phone, laptop, tablet, new car, and more than 40 million medical devices.

In 2005 the first hearing aids capable of utilizing Bluetooth technology in hearing aids were introduced.  Not long after manufacturers added Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids that we’re able to connect to televisions, MP 3 players, cell phones, and computers. 

Bluetooth technology is the most recent advance in hearing aids. It is a way to send digital information wirelessly over short distances. Bluetooth technology works to allow two hearing aids to wirelessly communicate with each other and also allows users to connect to devices in their home and car, like a DVD player, computer, GPS, and cell phone. There are pros and cons to having this type of technology in a hearing aid.

Advantages of Bluetooth Technology

Signal Stability – Bluetooth device uses multiple channels to convey the sound and is, therefore, less likely to lose that signal due to interference with one of the channels.

Higher Sound Quality – Feedback and whistling and other problems associated with some hearing aids is diminished with the use of Bluetooth and the sound quality, in general, is improved as well.

Binaural Hearing – Bluetooth technology allows hearing aids to speak with each other.  This allows the hearing aids to maintain the quality of speech and discern and localize sounds relevant to the listener’s position. A conventional phone can only be held to one ear at a time.  Bluetooth technology allows the user to hear their cell phone in both ears.

Hands-Free – With a switch of a button you can talk hands-free without the need to hold the phone to your ear.

Simultaneous Connection– Bluetooth technology can accommodate multiple devices so that a person can be directly connected to their computer or cell or MP3 or DVD depending on which device they wish to hear.

Wireless – Bluetooth eliminates the need for wires and lines of other connectivity devices and has applications for people with unilateral hearing loss who wear BiCROS hearing aids.

Rechargeable Hearing Aids

Many of the devices we use every day can be powered by one or two types of batteries, rechargeable batteries or disposable batteries. Hearing aids are no different. Rechargeable hearing aids are becoming more popular every year.  And as their popularity has increased the number of models has increased.  But why have hearing aids with rechargeable batteries become an increasingly popular choice for many people?

The Advantages of Hearing Aids with Rechargeable Batteries

  • A full day’s power every day.
  • Ease of use for individuals with decreased dexterity, visual disorders or disorders, decreased fingertip sensitivity. Just place the hearing aid on or in a special docking system (similar to a hearing aid case) and the battery in the hearing aids will charge overnight.  It’s a very similar process to charging a smartphone.
  • Better for the environment, rechargeable hearing aid batteries require replacement annually. Non-rechargeable hearing aids will require replacement of the battery every week to two weeks
  • Less worry about harm to pets and small children. Hearing aid batteries are small and easy for little hands and curious pets to pick up and swallow.  Rechargeable batteries can be left in the hearing aid to recharge, which means you are less likely to accidentally leave a battery in an easily accessible location. 

There are numerous advantages to rechargeable hearing aids, too many to list in one short article.  Please reach out to us today. We work with the top hearing aid manufacturers and will work with you to find the solution that is the best fit for your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget.

Do I Need to Wear Two Hearing Aids?

We’re often asked about why it’s important to wear two hearing aids. However, a better way to think of this is that the human body doesn’t come with spare parts.  You need what you came with.  Having two of something does not make one an extra.  Try walking with one leg, or seeing with one eye.  Is it possible?  Of course, it’s possible.  Is it easy?  No.  The reasons listed below outline the advantages of binaural hearing (hearing with two ears). 

Improved Understanding

Binaural hearing helps you sort out and understand individual voices.  Our “built-in signal processor” blends signals from both ears into a single “picture”.  Without such equality, our brain can only present us with incomplete information.

Less Stressful Listening

Listening with only one ear is physically tiring and stressful.  The more realistic sound of stereo hearing lets you respond more confidently.  And you don’t need to worry about always turning your “good ear” toward sounds.

Safety

Our brain locates a sound source by measuring the tiny differences in duration and intensity between your ears and interpreted by your brain. This allows you to instantly recognize a sound’s exact location.  When a person hears with only one ear, the difficulty in locating sound can be dangerous, especially in traffic.

Both Ears Stay Active

When a hearing-impaired person who has an equal hearing loss in each ear wears a hearing aid in only one ear, the unused ear tends to lose its ability to hear and to understand.

Cushions Loud Sounds

Binaural hearing generally requires less volume, giving a more natural sound to voices and music.  Sudden loud sounds lose much of their jarring effect when divided between two ears. 

Better Sound Identification

Many noises, which sound almost exactly alike when heard with one ear can be identified more easily when heard with two ears.

Hearing From Both Side 

As nature intended, hearing with two ears allows you to enjoy more natural sound.  Hearing with one ear is like trying to see with one eye—it’s possible, but not very effective.

Wider Hearing Range

A voice barely heard at ten feet away with one ear can be heard up to 40 feet away with two ears.

7 Reasons to Wear Hearing Aids

Improve Your Balance

A recent study suggests that hearing aids may be a novel treatment modality for imbalance in older adults with hearing loss and suggest that wearing hearing aids may offer a significant public-health benefit for avoiding falls in this population.

 

Live Longer

One National Institutes of Health-supported study of older people even found that hearing loss is tied to greater risk of dying for older men from any cause and particularly from cardiovascular causes. The same study found that men and women who used hearing aids, although they were older and had more severe hearing loss, had significantly lower mortality risk compared with hearing impaired men and women who did not use hearing aids.

Improve Your Family Relationships

Improve Your Mental Health

Increase Your Sense of Independence

Improve Your Social Life

Improve Your Intimate Relationship

A National Council on Aging survey on hearing loss and older adults found that when people began to use hearing aids, many saw improvements in their lives including their family relationships (66%) mental health (36%), sense of independence (34%), social life (34%), and even sex life (8%). 

Hearing aids will help you to hear better period.  But we thought you might need a little more motivation to finally do something about your hearing problem.  If you’re the friend or family member of someone who should be doing something about their hearing problem, show them this article.  They might be surprised “hearing better” is just one of the many benefits they can anticipate by choosing to do something about their hearing problem.

Brands We Carry

Phonak Hearing Aids

Whatever your degree of hearing loss Phonak has the right hearing aid for you regardless of your type of hearing loss, your lifestyle, your personal preferences, your age or your budget. Phonak is passionate about creating hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. Phonak has been committed to developing, producing, and distributing life-changing hearing solutions for more than 70 years. 

Signia Hearing Aids

Signia hearing aids deliver the sound that nature intended by combining uncompromised audibility with a natural sounding own voice hear everything in harmony. Signia creates hearing aids designed to deliver the sound that nature intended by combining uncompromised audibility with a natural sounding own voice. Our elegant state-of-the-art solutions replicate the natural experience of hearing everything in harmony.

Getting the Most from Your Hearing Aids

With the right hearing aids, your life could be transformed. With the wrong ones, your hearing could get worse.

Your audiologist or hearing aid specialist can help you choose hearing aids that are right for your hearing needs, the environments where you spend time, your lifestyle and your budget. Your hearing expert can fit, adjust and program your hearing aids so you get the best hearing possible.

Your options include the traditional behind the ear, receiver in the ear and receiver in your ear canal types. There are even extended wear hearing aids that you leave in for months at a time, and hearing aids that wirelessly connect to your TV through your smartphone.

Discover the discreet and powerful digital or wireless hearing aid that will work for you.

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Cleaning & Service

We recommend regular maintenance and cleaning of your devices to keep them working like new. We offer maintenance packages at the time of purchase.

Batteries

We carry every battery size for every hearing aid make and model available on the market.

Repairs

Hearing aids should be comfortable and fine tuned to work for your hearing needs and in the places you spend your day. If you are experiencing feedback or interference, a less-tight fit, or if there are visible signs of damage or malfunction, your hearing aids need professional attention.

Follow Up & Care

Our exceptional, friendly staff is one of our greatest assets, and we are proud of their long time association with our office. Patients tell us often how well we work together as a team.

We pride ourselves on staying on the cutting edge of hearing healthcare and great patient communication. Each of our staff members is motivated to achieve the best results for our patients in a calming and comfortable setting.

Grayling Location

306 State Street
Grayling, MI 49738

Gaylord Location

321 E Main Street
Gaylord, MI 49735