FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON LONG ISLAND, NY
Most of the time hearing problems begin gradually without discomfort or pain. What’s more, family members often learn to adapt to someone’s hearing loss without even realizing they are doing it. Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine whether you have hearing loss.
1. Do I / they often ask people to repeat themselves?
2. Do I / they have trouble following conversations with more than two people?
3. Do I / they have difficulty hearing what is said unless facing the speaker?
4. Do I / they struggle to hear in crowded places like restaurants, malls and meeting rooms?
5. Do I / they have a hard time hearing women or children?
6. Do I / they prefer the TV or radio volume louder than others?
7. Do I / they experience ringing or buzzing in my ears?
8. Does it sound like other people are mumbling or slurring their words?
If you answered yes to several of these questions, chances are you suffer from hearing loss.
You should make an appointment with a hearing professional like an audiologist, hearing aid specialist or ENT for an evaluation, consultation and hearing test. Many hearing care professionals offer this evaluation at no charge.
There are several causes. The main ones include excessive noise, genetics, birth defects, infections of the head or ear, aging, and reaction to drugs or cancer treatment. Each type of hearing loss has different causes.
Hearing loss can occur at any time, at any age. In fact, most people with hearing loss (65%) are younger than age 65! There are 6 million people in the U.S. ages 18-44 with hearing loss, and around 1.5 million are school age.
There are three types of hearing loss including: sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss. Most people lose at least some degree of their hearing as they age, and by the time they reach age 65 and older, one in three people has some type of hearing impairment.
Only 5 percent of hearing loss in adults can be improved medically or surgically. The vast majority of Americans with hearing loss (95 percent) are treated with hearing aids.
You should make an appointment with a hearing professional like an audiologist, hearing aid specialist or ENT for an evaluation, consultation, and hearing test. Many hearing care professionals offer this evaluation at no charge.
At their most basic, hearing aids are microphones that convert sound into electrical signals. An amplifier increases the strength of the signal, then a receiver converts it back to sound and channels it into the ear canal through a small tube or earmold. A battery is necessary to power the hearing aid and to enable amplification.
The use of face masks and social distancing is proven to reduce speech audibility, as well as eliminate important lip-reading cues. Hearing aids — and features like our Edge Mode and Mask Mode — help offset speech audibility loss in numerous ways to help make it easier to hear people who are wearing masks.
Yes, hearing aids are available for those with single-sided hearing loss. The Starkey CROS System delivers solutions for:
– Those who are unable to hear in one ear and have normal hearing in the other ear (CROS)
– Those with little to no hearing in one of their ears, and a hearing loss in their better ear (BiCROS)
We do not recommend purchasing hearing aids online or from a big box retailer. Hearing aids are not a one-size-fit-all type of product. Each hearing loss is unique, and to achieve the best possible results, it is recommended to consult with a hearing professional at a clinic in which specializes in hearing health care.
Buying hearing aids fit and serviced by professionals will cost more than ones bought off the internet or from a retail store, but they’re also going to fit better, work harder, last longer and deliver more significant benefits.
The price of a hearing aid will vary depending on the specific model and features you need, and how effective it is in various noise environments.
Factors that affect the price of hearing aids include:
Features — Features that cancel noise, modulate volume, enable direct connectivity to smartphones and TV, or track and measure physical and mental activity, greatly improve performance and enhance everyday life, but also increase costs.
Professional Services — Like many other medical devices, the proper selection and fitting of a hearing aid require the skill of educated and trained healthcare professionals. Professional services associated with the selection, fitting, adjustments and overall maintenance of hearing aids are often included as part of the cost of the hearing aid.
Whatever the final cost, most hearing professionals do offer financing plans. You should also check to see if you qualify for free hearing aids or discounted hearing aids from your employer, union, the Veterans Administration, insurance provider, HMO or local charity (such as Lions Club).
Medicare does not typically cover routine hearing evaluation or hearing aids. Although in some cases, exams ordered by a physician and conducted by a licensed audiologist may be covered by Medicare Part B. Medicare
Advantage Plans may have hearing aid coverage.
Check with your doctor or hearing professional about whether Medicare covers a diagnostic exam. Search your state for Medicare coverage of hearing aids and hearing exams.
Yes. Most people need an adjustment period of up to four months before becoming acclimated to — and receiving the full benefit of — wearing their hearing aids. However, you should expect to notice obvious benefits during this trial period. Remember, your hearing professional is there to help. Do not be afraid to call or visit to discuss your concerns.
1. Be realistic.
Remember that your hearing loss has been gradual; over the years you have lost the ability to hear certain sounds in the speech spectrum and normal sounds of the environment, such as traffic and wind noise, the hum of machinery and other background noises.
2. Practice.
When you begin to wear hearing aids, these sounds will be restored but your brain will need practice and reeducation in order to selectively focus on and filter sounds. Some sounds may even startle you at first. Know that your brain will acclimate to these sounds again over time.
3. Be patient.
It takes time to adapt to hearing aids. Wear them as much as possible at first to become more skilled at recognizing sound direction and to learn which hearing aid settings work best for you in different situations.
4. Rest.
The adjustment period may be tiresome. It’s a lot like retraining a muscle that hasn’t been used in a while. But the benefits will be worth it after you’ve made the adjustment.
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When you come in for your consultation, our office staff will gladly contact your insurance company for an answer.
Contact us and we will verify your insurance and we will submit all insurance claims for patients and seek reimbursement when applicable.
McGuire’s Hearing Centers offers affordable financing plans, with interest as low as 0%. (Credit approval is required.) McGuire’s also sells a wide range of hearing devices, with varying price points. Our licensed hearing dispensers throughout Long Island, the Bronx, Shirley, and Westchester, NY will help you determine what device is both appropriate and affordable for you.
Ask Our Hearing Professionals
These devices are not considered hearing devices. They are amplifiers. A hearing device is a medical device custom fit and custom manufactured to meet the hearing needs for a specific individual, adding to its production cost and its value.
New York State has a 45-day trial period, allowing you to test your device. If there are any concerns about your device, the staff at McGuire’s will work closely with you to improve its fit, performance, or use. Our team’s goal is to ensure that patients enjoy a positive hearing experience.
We know from extensive research that when the brain is deprived of a sensory experience – like hearing — its ability to hear and interpret speech will deteriorate. As time goes on, the brain can lose its ability to understand and process speech, resulting in greater sensory deprivation.
The brain is wired to be “binaural”, meaning that it requires speech input from two sources – your ears. While there are people who can benefit from just one hearing device, more than 95% of hearing-impaired people require two hearing instruments.
Hearing loss may come on gradually with subtle changes, or it may come on more quickly with changes apparent to you and your family. Check in with yourself – you may have hearing loss if you…
– ask for frequent repetition
– have trouble following conversation with more than two speakers
– think other people are mumbling
– have difficulty hearing in restaurants or other noisy places
– strain to hear children and women
– are told the TV is loud
– “mis-hear” and answer inappropriately
– work hard to hear, and need to watch lips intently to catch the words
– find listening hard work or stressful
– feel embarrassed to meet new people because you may miss what is said
– withdraw from situations you used to enjoy
– have ringing in the ears
– have a family history of hearing loss
– take medications that may damage the ears
– have diabetes, cardiac or circulation problems
– have worked around excessive sound levels or been exposed to explosive noise
Every person and hearing loss is unique and may benefit to varying degrees. But, advances in technology have made today’s hearing aids better and more versatile than ever. After adjusting to your hearing aids we expect that
– you’ll hear and understand conversation better in many situations
– you will be able to participate in group conversations
– speech sounds you have been missing will come in more clearly
– you will hear the environmental sounds that keep you safe (watch alarm, car indicator)
– it will take less effort to hear, and so life will be more enjoyable for you, your family, friends, and co-workers.
Hearing aids vary in cost – we offer hearing devices for a range of budgets. The manufacturers we work with are all leaders in the industry. We work with the same excellent manufacturers for entry, mid and high level technologies. Our audiologists do our best to select appropriate devices based on your hearing sensitivity, communication needs, personal preference, and budget. We help you understand the benefits and limitations of various options. Mail order and discount centers may charge lower prices, but may not offer the same level of follow-up care, adjustments, support and service that we do.
The average hearing aid lasts about four to five years, although some patients keep their aids longer. Proper care and maintenance can extend the life of the hearing aid.
Although hearing aids cannot completely eliminate unwanted sounds, they can lessen the effects of non-speech noise by continuously monitoring the types of sounds in the environment and enhancing the sounds of speech so that they remain audible even though other sounds may be present. Learning to listen with hearing aids takes a bit of time and patience. You will learn to filter out unwanted sounds and focus on the sounds of interest. This happens naturally both with and without hearing loss. Your listening skills will improve as you acclimatize to hearing aids. We expect improved and easier hearing in many listening environments.
Research has found that most people with hearing loss are most successful with amplification when two hearing aids are worn. We are designed as a stereo system. We understand intuitively that we see best when both eyes work together – the same is true for hearing. Our brain processes sound from both sides, with the inputs from each ear merging to provide the optimal listening experience. Binaural hearing aids help in a number of ways:
– better localization – where are the sounds coming from
– easier hearing in background noise
– more natural sound quality
– better hearing for soft sounds such as children’s voices
– easier less “effortful” listening
– balanced listening – no need to turn to the favored ear
– better success, supported by clinical studies
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