Choosing a hearing aid is one of the important health decisions you will make. We live in an era of miniaturized computers. Hearing devices are no different: they have become much smaller but include more high-tech features than ever before. Some hearing devices have wireless connections and self-adjusting sound capabilities.
When you are prescribed a hearing aid, the choice of a device, the fitting and programming process will begin. We offer many products and services, but they are all aimed at giving you the best experience possible for better hearing.
Hearing aid fitting
Fitting a hearing aid involves far more than it implies. Your hearing aid will not only be adjusted to fit your ear physically, but will also be tested several times and reprogrammed to ensure the best performance possible. In some cases, people use their hearing aid for a period of time and come in for adjustments.
Fitting also includes learning to use the computer functions and learning to care for your device. Many people require the use of devices in both ears, and they learn to use the devices in tandem. Fittings also include questionnaires about your lifestyle, the types of sound environments you are usually exposed to and where you have the most difficulty.
Not everyone can use every hearing aid type. For example, the smallest devices are difficult for some people to handle, as are their batteries; rechargeable hearing aids solve this problem but are not available in the smallest sizes. Larger devices are more powerful and easier to handle. These decisions are made at the selection and fitting session in our office.
Kirsch Audiology is dedicated to the best fitting practices available and will help you find the best solution to hearing problems.
Live speech mapping
The complaint most often heard from people who have gradually lost their ability to hear is the inability to hear and understand normal speech. They find themselves asking others to repeat themselves. Some have given up trying to hear others speak.
Live speech mapping is an enhanced hearing aid fitting training. You will bring a friend or relative whose voice is very familiar to the office, and an audiologist will test your ability to hear their voice in a computer-controlled setting. Your abilities and deficiencies are mapped, and your hearing aids are adjusted accordingly.