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04 Hearing Aids and Devices

Hearing aids come in various sizes and degrees of sophistication. Most people with 'Bnerve' loss can now be fit successfully with hearing aids. There are have been great advances in technology in recent years with better sound quality, smaller sizes and smarter hearing aids now available. Boone Regional Ear Nose and Throat's audiologists can help you find the right instrument for your budget and hearing needs.

Sizes:

• Completely In the Ear (CIC): Entire aid is nestled deeply in the ear canal. A fine piece of fishing line is used to remove the aid.
  • Advantage: Size/cosmetic appeal
  • Disadvantages: May be difficult to insert/remove if there are dexterity problems Batteries are small and do not last as long as larger ones May not be appropriate for the more severe degrees of hearing loss
• Canal: Most of the aid is deeply in the canal with only a small portion extending in bowl of the ear
  • Advantage: Size/cosmetic appeal
  • Disadvantage: May be difficult to insert/remove if there are dexterity problems Batteries are small and do not last as long as the larger ones
• Shell: Fits in the ear canal and fills up the bowl of the ear(this style is easiest to handle for insertion and removal)
  • Advantage: Easier to handle/larger batteries for longer life
  • Disadvantage: Size; fills up the whole bowl of the ear
• Behind-The-Ear: The hearing aid itself lies behind the ear with a piece of tube connecting it to the earmold (custom made clear plastic piece that fills up the ear canal to deliver the sound)
  • Advantages: Able to fit most degrees of hearing loss
  • Disadvantages: Need to handle two pieces equipment (hearing aid/earmold)

Assistive Listening Devices
(Other than hearing aids, there are many other devices that are beneficial to the hearing impaired. Speak to our Audiology staff if you have questions about the appropriate device for your hearing problem.)

• Telephone amplifiers
• Alerting Alarm Clocks
• Fire alarms
• Door Bell alarms
• Closed Captioning (available on all new TV sets)
• FM systems
• TTYs (teletype writer)
• Pocketalkers (walkman like hearing aid)
• TV infra-red system (allows hearing impaired listener to increase volume without blasting everyone else)

 

Enter the Patient Portal to complete patient registration forms, medical history and access documents.

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Abingdon ENT is proud to welcome Mary Hinchey, AuD to our practice. She is now seeing patients at our Abingdon location.

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