| Q1: Why does RION recommend wearing hearing aid? |
| A1: | Communication is one of the most important aspects of our daily lives. By hearing and speaking to one another, we begin to know and understand the world and the people around us. In nature, animals communicate by making and receiving a wide variety of sounds. (Dolphins, and other aquatic species can even communicate using "ultrasonic" sounds.) For humans, hearing and speaking are "equal partners" in the communications equation.
Wearing a hearing aid really becomes a"quality of life" question. A hearing aid can gently and aesthetically (unobtrusively) facilitate better communications when hearing loss has been experienced. A hearing aid helps bridge the gap - returning what was lost - in an easy, intuitive way. What was lost, can be found! |
| Q2: Who could benefit from wearing hearing aids? |
| A2: |
Anyone who is experiencing difficulty hearing while at home, in crowds, or at the office may benefit from hearing instruments. The first thing anyone should do if they are having difficulty hearing, is consult with your Primary Physician, an Ear Nose & Throat Specialist, or a licensed Audiologist. Having your hearing tested takes about 30 minutes, and is the best way to determine if you have had hearing loss. Below are some "signals" that may indicate hearing loss.
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-At Home-
Do you need to turn the volume up on the TV or Radio in order to hear it? Do you sometimes not hear the telephone of doorbell ring? Do you have trouble understanding your wife or child's questions? |
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-In Public-
Is it hard for you to focus on a conversation if there are background sounds? Do you sometimes not react when someone is speaking to you, or calls your name? In a restaurant, must you ask the waiter, or your companion to repeat what they said?
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-At Your Job-
Are conversations in meetings hard to follow? Do you misunderstand words, or frequently ask for things to be repeated? Do you keep walking when addressed from behind? |
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| Q3: Do normal hearing levels change with age? |
| A3: |
| Your age may have an effect on how easily you hear. Hearing is based upon sound. Sounds are based upon frequencies and decibels. Your age may make a difference on how easily or how well you can hear certain sounds. The chart below shows that as we age, we tend to loose a degree of our ability to hear certain frequencies of sound. |
(from upper line: 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's) |
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Perhaps a better way to ask the question would be, "What does life have to do with my ability to hear?" Over the course of our lives we have exposed our hearing to all sorts of noise. We can't avoid it. Just by living normal lives, our ability to hear as well as we did when we were babies or teenagers, has decreased. But with hearing aids, we can regain some of that loss.
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| Q4: What type of hearing aid is best for my level of hearing loss? |
| A4: |
Hearing aids come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most widely known types of hearing aids are; In-The-Ear (ITE), Behind-The-Ear (BTE), and the body-worn type. The size and shape vary, dependent upon the type of aid you require. A Hearing Aid Specialist or licensed Audiologist will describe which type is required based upon your individual hearing loss, and will assist you in selection and adjustment. (You can enlarge the photos below by clicking on the picture.)
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| Q5: Why does RION recommend binaural fitting? |
| A5: |
The answer to this question depends on each individual's hearing loss. But the simplest answer is that the natural way to hear is with both ears. Whatever brings your ability to hear back closest to normal hearing is the proper answer. One ear may need more assistance than the other, but binaural hearing (two ears) is the natural way to hear.
Think of it this way, when you close one eye, you can still see out of the one remaining - but you loose depth perception - and it's very tiring. With only one ear hearing properly your have difficulty knowing where sounds are coming from. It's called "localization." Localization is essential in understanding speech, determining where warning sounds are coming from, for hearing in a crowd of people......or for appreciating a concert or hearing your baby laugh!
The "RANGE OF HEARING diagram below will give you some idea of why binaural hearing is so important to us.
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Range of hearing |
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Monaural hearing Binaural hearing
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| Q6: What are the different kinds of hearing loss? |
| A6: |
| Hearing disorders are classified into conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss. The degree of hearing loss can be divided into four groups, namely mild, moderate, severe, and profound. The chart and the descriptions below will give you a better understanding of your particular type of hearing loss. |
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| Q7: What meaning is the symbol? |
| A7: |
Classification
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