What are some signs of Hearing
Loss?
The
following questions may help you to detect a hearing
loss.
-
Does
it sound like people are mumbling or speaking
too softly?
-
Do
people complain that the TV or radio is too
loud?
-
Do
you have difficulty hearing in background noise?
-
Do
you have difficulty hearing in restaurants or
crowded bars?
-
Do
you find that you need to ask people to repeat
themselves?
-
Do
you find that you are saying "what" more often?
-
Do
you have trouble hearing on a telephone?
-
Has
a family member or friend remarked that you are
missing parts of conversations?
-
Do
you feel that you need to concentrate when
someone speaks quietly?
-
Do
you have trouble understanding rapid speech or
unexpected conversation?
-
Do
you find that you are not going out because it
is getting just too difficult to understand what
people are saying?
If you answered yes
to two or more of these questions, you may be having
difficulty hearing. Please refer to our
"KAA Audiologist" section to schedule a complete
hearing
evaluation.
Where can I find
additional help and support?
Why are
hearing aids expensive?
According to the American Academy of Audiology,
these are some of the reasons hearing aids cost so
much:
-
They
are sold in relatively low volume (i.e.
approximately 1.7 million hearing aids for
some 30 million hearing impaired are sold per
year, as compared to several million stereos).
-
The
amount of time and money spent by manufacturers
on research and development is considerable. One
manufacturer claims to have spent over twenty
million dollars developing a single model.
-
The
amount of time spent by an audiologist with a
patient is very significant. Data indicate that
an average of five direct contact hours is spent
during the first year a patient receives hearing
aids. This time is critical for new users,
particularly to assist during the
acclimatization process.
Mail
order or budget clubs can afford to sell hearing
aids at lower prices because the electronic
components often are inexpensive and the hearing
aids themselves are often placed on the user with
minimal (or in the case of mail order) no
instructions or fine tuning adjustments.
Furthermore, the patient may be charged for every
return visit, including minor tubing changes and
adjustments. Thus, in the long run the patient is
likely to pay as much or even more. Additionally,
the minimum amount of training required for a
dispensing audiologist is a Masters Degree, while
mail order or discount centers are often staffed by
sales people having minimal technical training.
Audiologists, like consumers, are concerned with
keeping the cost of hearing aids affordable. The
reality is, communication is one of the most
important skills humans have. So, if wearing hearing
aids allows you to resume normal activities and
communicate with loved ones, the cost becomes much
more justifiable.
