Are you interested in hearing instruments?

As the kind and degree of hearing loss varies from person to person, there are different hearing instrument models which are tailored to specific hearing losses and which take into account personal needs.

Hearing instruments improve speech understanding in various situations and support the many functions of the human hearing. As the kind and degree of hearing loss varies from person to person and even sometimes from ear to ear, there are different hearing instrument models which are tailored to specific hearing losses and which take into account personal needs.

Hearing instruments are distinguished by design and technolog

STYLE

Open Fit BTE/RITE models: Open fit micro style behind the ear (BTE) hearing instruments are small and feather-light. The ergonomic design, combined with the extremely thin tubing or RITE speaker, results in a uniquely satisfying cosmetic solution.

They disappear behind your ear and you forget you are wearing them– until your hear the difference they make.

 

 

In-The-Ear model (ITE) models: The unobtrusive hearing devices that are worn in the ear. Aesthetically pleasing, they cover hearing losses from mild to medium. The smallest ITE-models are called CIC (Completely-in-Canal), they can be worn completely in the canal and are therefore hardly visible.

     

 

Behind-The-Ear (BTE models): The versatile and powerful hearing instruments that are worn behind the ear. They can be employed for all degrees of hearing losses and are particularly beneficial for severe hearing losses and for people with dexterity issues.

TECHNOLOGY

The Nuts & Bolts of State of the Art Hearing Aids Thanks to increasingly small micro-processors, digital technology has been introduced into the most modern hearing systems. Digital hearing instruments are most effectively programmed by your Audiologist via a computer. Acoustic signals are transformed into a binary code at high speed and with great precision. Complex calculations provide the ultimate flexibility in providing individualized solutions to hearing loss. Additional hearing system features can be offered: e.g. various hearing programs, automatic program selection, noise cancelers and adaptive directional microphones.

Nowadays, most all hearing aids worn are digital but the features they have can be very different, which in turn effects the overall sound quality! The most basic digital hearing aids will be less expensive and will have limited automatic features to help you in difficult listening situations. Some hearing aids will have one automatic feature that switches between omnidirectional and a simple directional microphone system. More advanced hearing aids will have the ability to “sense” multiple environments you are in and automatically switch their settings a variety of ways to make it easier for you to hear. Premium technology provides the listener the best sound quality available with the most automatic options, the most noise reduction strategies, the most flexibility and adaptability for your hearing loss, and the best overall satisfaction with speech understanding. Advanced hearing aids have the adaptability and flexibility to add programs designed by your Audiologist to specifically address a particular situation you are in such as a coach in a reverberant gym or for a patient with Meniere’s disease whose hearing may fluctuate every week. Premium technology has the ability to learn from the adjustments you make with remote controls or with volume and/or clarity controls and the hearing aids will learn over time what you think sounds clearest and will apply changes you make to your hearing aid programs.

Tulsa Audiology Dr. Brandy Vowell with her scolding look when some of her ornery American Airlines patients try to convince her that the “Mute” program on their hearing aids is really the “Wife” program!

Dr. Vowell’s scolding is a lot less scary than this big Gorilla named Bushman, who was a familiar face for many years in the Chicago zoo. Bushman was orphaned in the wild and came to live in Chicago at the age of 2. When Bushman turned 21, Mayor Daley even brought him a voter registration card!

The Hearing Doctor Difference

The Hearing Doctor provides medically based, comprehensive and state of the art hearing healthcare. Dr. Vowell’s extensive knowledge of the auditory system along with auditory adaptation and rehabilitation enable her to program your hearing instruments for your maximum benefit. Even the best quality hearing aids can sound terrible in the hands of someone without programming and auditory rehabilitation skills. Just read Pat’s testimonial on this topic on our links page. We do not fit low quality hearing instruments as our experience does not find many happy patients wearing low end devices. You should always utilize a nationally/internationally recognized manufacturer for your hearing aids. The main reasons for this are that major manufacturers have the monetary resources to pour into research and development and thereby have more and better products to offer. A local company that makes their own hearing aids cannot compete with the research that goes into new chip designs and auditory research advancement that large manufacturers can. The difference for the patient is that you have fewer options in hearing aid devices when a small company “makes” their own hearing aids. Each patients ears are individual and what may work for your friend or relative may sound terrible to you. Many times, a simple change of manufacturer algorithms and chip sets will solve the problem…even if you have the exact same configuration and severity of hearing loss! Remember, it’s your brain that processes and understands speech, your ears are simply the way sound gets channeled to the brain! The Hearing Doctor office utilizes a wide range of the major hearing aid manufacturers in order to help serve your individual listening needs and lifestyle. Some of the major hearing aid manufacturers include Phonak, Oticon, Widex, GN Resound, Unitron, Starkey, and Siemens.

If you are price hunting, The Hearing Doctor, your Tulsa Audiologist, does not offer the cheapest prices because our quality of service and knowledge is the most important factor in patient care. We provide outstanding & professional patient care and service, excellent extended warranties, and a myriad of options and flexible choices.