Audiology

The Audiology department of University Ear Nose and Throat is committed to providing clinical excellence and unsurpassed patient care. The Audiology department provides a comprehensive array of services related to prevention, evaluation, and rehabilitation of hearing impairment.

What is an Audiologist?
Audiology services provided
Do I have a hearing loss?
Tips for better communication

Hearing Aids

• Our Philosophy and General Information
• Benefits of Wearing Hearing Aids
• Styles of Hearing Aids
• Hearing Aid Pricing
• University Ear, Nose and Throat: Premium Hearing Aid Services
• Custom Hearing Protection and Swim Molds

An audiologist is a hearing care professional who holds either a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited university. Audiologists have specialized training in the prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, and non-medical treatment of hearing disorders. Audiologists are required to complete a full-time internship and pass a demanding national competency examination. By virtue of their graduate education, professional certification and licensure, audiologists are the most qualified professionals to perform hearing evaluations and provide hearing rehabilitation services. Audiologists are trained in the custom fitting and dispensing of hearing aids.

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Adult and Pediatric Hearing Diagnostics

We provide an evaluation of the auditory system from the outer ear, through the middle ear and inner ear to thoroughly evaluate the hearing mechanism. We evaluate children and adult patients.

Cochlear Implant Evaluations and Rehabilitation

Cochlear implant evaluations are provided to those patients, both adults and children, with severe to profound hearing loss in both ears. This type of evaluation is pursued when it is felt that the patient is unable to benefit from the use of properly fit hearing aids or other amplification devices.

Cochlear implant rehabilitation is provided as on-going support to those patients that have received a cochlear implant. For more information on the cochlear implant program at University Ear, Nose and Throat, please click here.

Hearing Aids

Complete hearing aid consultations are performed for an appropriate and custom fit of hearing aids factoring in your hearing loss and needs according to lifestyle. We work with all types of hearing aids from conventional hearing aids through the newest digital hearing aids. We can also reprogram or repair any hearing aid for you whether or not you purchased your aid from us. We fit and manage hearing aids from multiple manufacturers. For more information about University Ear, Nose and Throat's hearing aid services, click here.

Custom Hearing Protection and Swim Molds

At University Ear, Nose and Throat, we can custom fit you with comfortable, effective earplugs that are right for your situation.

• Custom swim molds
• Custom noise protection
• Musician's plugs

Noise can damage your hearing.  Depending upon the level of the noise, permanent damage to your hearing can occur even with brief exposure. Anyone who is exposed to loud noise should wear hearing protection.  Examples include musicians, hunters or recreational shooters, and construction workers.  Patient's prone to swimmers' ear, those with eardrum perforations (a hole in the eardrum) and those with ear tubes may also benefit from custom swim plugs.  

Hearing Information and Counseling

We work with patients, their families and caretakers to help provide education, knowledge and options when dealing with a hearing loss.

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Do You Have a Hearing Loss?

While hearing loss can occur at any time in life, it does occur to most people as they age. Hearing loss can be due to exposure to loud noise, medications, infections, head or ear trauma, congenital or hereditary factors, aging, disease processes and many other causes. The vast majority of hearing problems do not require medical or surgical intervention, although good health practice dictates that those with a hearing loss be evaluated by an Otolaryngologist. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you frequently ask people to repeat themselves?
• Do feel that other people mumble?
• Does your family complain about the level of the television?
• Do you have difficulty understanding women and children's voices?
• Are you having problems understanding conversations over the phone?
• Do your family or friends comment that you may have a hearing loss?
• Do you have ringing or buzzing sounds in your ears?
• Do you find yourself leaning forward or favoring one ear?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, or you feel they apply to a family member or friend, please call our office and make an appointment for a hearing consultation.

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• Talk face-to-face with people.
• Speak at a natural pace. Do not speak too fast or too slow. If a person with a hearing loss does not understand what you have said, rephrase and repeat.
• At a restaurant or in a large group, the person with hearing impairment should try to position themselves with their back against a wall. Avoid having your back to a large group of people.
• Try to obtain the hearing impaired person's attention before you begin talking to them.
• Try to reduce background noises while talking.
• Do not cover your mouth when speaking. Avoid talking with gum or food in the mouth or while smoking. This will interfere with lip reading.
• Reduce the distance between the speaker and the listener (do not try to communicate between two different rooms in the house).

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Hearing Aids

Our Philosophy and General Information

The Audiology department of University Ear, Nose and Throat is dedicated to providing patients with the best possible hearing aid for their individual communication needs, with the industry's most advanced technology. Our goal is to treat individuals that have a hearing deficit with a hearing aid technology that will help them live a more enriching life.

We have extensive experience fitting and dispensing hearing aids of all types and maintain a variety of brands. For patients already wearing hearing aids, we provide timely maintenance and repair services. An advantage of offering these services at University Ear, Nose and Throat is that immediate physician input can be offered for problems such as ear wax, ear infections, progressive hearing loss, tinnitus or balance problems. This partnership between physician and audiologist provides patients with the best in hearing healthcare services.

University Ear, Nose and Throat offers a very liberal trial policy on hearing aids. All hearing aids have a forty-five day trial period . This gives the patient an opportunity to use the hearing aid in their day-to-day communication situations to assess its performance and benefits. We feel that this is the best way for our patients to discover how they will adjust to a hearing aid.

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If your hearing loss has progressed to the degree that you need hearing aids, a critical factor in their success is understanding and acceptance of realistic expectations of their capabilities.  Hearing instruments can never replace normal hearing regardless of brand or technology.

What hearing aids will provide:

With properly fitted hearing aids, you should be able to hear many typical sounds that you may not otherwise be able to hear clearly.  You may also begin to hear sounds you have forgotten were a part of your world, such as noise from the car's tires, the hum of the refrigerator motor or the buzz of fluorescent lights.

Hearing aids should allow you to understand speech more clearly, with less effort, in a variety of listening situations.

Hearing aids will allow you to turn down the volume of the television or radio.

Hearing aids should keep your hearing loss from being as conspicuous to others.

What hearing aids cannot provide:

Hearing aids will not restore normal hearing.   The human ear is very complex and science has not yet been able to match the hearing mechanism.

Despite advertised claims, hearing aids will not filter out background noise.   Some hearing aids have circuitry or microphones that will serve to improve hearing in noisy situations, but can never eliminate it completely.

Regardless of the style or technology, you will need time and practice with your new hearing aids to learn how to achieve maximum performance from them.

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There are many types of hearing aids on the market. Audiologists are trained to help each patient in selecting the most appropriate device. Each person has unique communication demands. Hearing aids need to do more than fit the specific type and severity of hearing loss; the user's entire life-style should be considered when selecting hearing aids.

	Behind The Ear (BTE) These hearing aids provide the most power and are typically worn by patients looking for superior durability and those with severe or profound hearing loss. These must be worn with an ear mold to connect the hearing aid to the ear. All children who wear hearing aids are fit with behind the ear hearing aids.
	In The Ear (ITE) These hearing aids fit mild to moderately-severe hearing loss. An ITE hearing aid fills the inside of the ear and extends into the ear canal.
	In The Canal (ITC) These hearing aids are limited to mild to moderate hearing losses. This hearing aid is smaller and sits in the opening of the ear canal and extends into the ear canal.
	Completely In the Canal (CIC) These hearing aids are limited to a mild to moderate hearing loss. These hearing aids sit in the opening of the ear canal and extend deep into the ear canal.

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The cost of a hearing aid can vary significantly depending on the size, style and type of technology contained in the device. Generally, digital hearing aids are more expensive than traditional, non-computerized models. Our prices are highly competitive and include follow up visits for adjustment, cleaning and other related services.

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University Ear, Nose and Throat: Premium Hearing Aid Services

Initial Consultation: Hearing is evaluated and explained; your goals and expectations are discussed. Hearing aid styles and technology are outlined. Impressions of the ears are taken.

Delivery and Fitting Session: The hearing aids are programmed initially; the fit and the sound are checked. General use, care and maintenance are discussed. Learning to adapt to new sounds and expectations are outlined. Performance will be assessed in real time while the hearing instruments are worn.

Check-up Sessions: Evaluation of your first hearing aid experiences. The sound of the hearing instruments may be fined tuned.

Ongoing Improvement: Services are provided as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hearing Aids

• Am I a candidate for hearing aids?
• Can hearing aids help with the ringing in my ear?
• What is the difference between wearing one hearing aid versus two?
• Do digital aids make a difference?
• What size hearing aid can I wear?
• How often do I have to replace my hearing aids?
• Do hearing aids use batteries?

For the answers to these and other hearing aid related questions, please contact us to set up a hearing aid consultation.

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Custom hearing protection and swim molds

At University Ear, Nose and Throat, we can custom fit you with comfortable, effective earplugs that are right for your situation.

Noise can damage your hearing.  Depending upon the level of the noise, permanent damage to your hearing can occur even with brief exposure. Anyone who is exposed to loud noise should wear hearing protection. 

	Custom swim molds For those prone to swimmers ear, eardrum perforations and ear tubes. These can be ordered in a variety of fun colors and designs or can be made to "blend in".
	Custom noise protection Made to protect the hearing of those people exposed to loud sound. Examples include: concert goers, race car fans, target shooters or hunters, those working with power tools and landscaping equipment.
	Musician's Earplugs Musicians Earplugs are designed to duplicate the natural response of an open ear. Sound heard with these earplugs has the same quality as the original, only softer. With Musician's Earplugs, speech and music are clear. The blending of sound is still heard clearly, you feel the bass, and distinguish each tone.

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