Your hearing ability is the direct result of the interaction between two systems: the ears and the brain.

Your ears are encoding devices. Thousands of microscopic sensory nerves sense sounds and turn those sounds into electrical signals. These signals are decoded and given meaning by the brain.

Many who have long-standing hearing losses perceive sound differently than those who have short-term hearing losses. When sounds are reintroduced through the use of hearing aids they may have no meaning or appear to be distorted. Sounds that haven’t been perceived for years appear to sound tinny or scratchy. Perception of one’s own voice will be altered.

The good news is that your ability likely will return once appropriate hearing instruments are fitted and used. The recovery time varies, but maximum relearning usually occurs within three to six months.

I am reminded of one patient who spoke in a husky, low voice similar to Lauren Bacall. When she was fitted with her hearing aids she commented that she did not like the sound of her own voice. Her husband remarked that she had been speaking that way for years. The patient was shocked that he had not mentioned this to her before. After a few weeks of using hearing instruments she learned to monitor loudness and breath flow to achieve a smoother and more pleasant voice quality.

More than ever, fitting an individual with new hearing instruments is a blend of science and art. Modern technologies abound; however, selecting the processor that will maximize your ability to function in all listening environments is critical to your success. Once I have determined the useful range of your hearing I will be able to select the processor that will be able to best meet your needs.

Your degree of experience with hearing instruments must also be taken into account before adjusting your new units. New users often must be eased back into the world of hearing by adjusting the units in small increments until a 100% correction level is reached. Long-time hearing aid users are usually given full correction at the initial fitting since they have already adapted to hearing the sounds of the world.

Whether you are a new or very experienced hearing instrument user, you can feel secure in knowing that I will devote all of the time necessary to meet your particular hearing correction needs.