Two Are Better Than One - Audiology Unlimited · Better understanding of speech in the groups,...
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A newsletter for our patients, their families and friends Summer 2016 Saying “good-bye” to Jill. July 29th will be our last day with Jill Schmidt, our doctor- al intern. She will be compleng her doctoral program and will soon be referred to as “Dr. Jill”. Jill has been with Audiology Unlimited and College Park Hearing since January 2015. We wish her well in her future as a Doctor of Audiology. PSAPs Are Cheaper So Why Should I Buy Hearing Aids? Hearing aids are perceived as costly, and some people may seek out less expensive alternaves called Personal Sound Amplificaon Products (PSAPs). These alternaves can cost anywhere from $20.00 to hundreds of dollars, but are they really a “good” choice? Audiologist Dennis Van Vliet examines the benefits and shortcom- ings of PSAPs below and discusses why hearing aids, though more expensive, may actually have greater value. These devices are known as Personal Sound Amplificaon Products (PSAPs) or Assisve Listening Devices, and while they may be less costly than most hearing aids, they can't necessarily compete in regards to long-term health benefits, convenience or features. PSAPs are less costly because they are unregulated, and not cus- tomized to an individual’s needs. While PSAPs may meet the needs of some individuals who need amplificaon for soſt sounds, audiol- ogists and medical professionals typically don’t sell them, although they may recommend some products for specific needs. “We want to make sure someone has looked in the paent’s ear,” Past President of the American Academy of Audiology Erin Miller said. And Miller is right, for there are a multude of inner ear issues that only a medical professional can properly idenfy and treat. Some of these condions may even cause temporary or permanent hearing damage, so if a consumer bypasses the professional and purchases the PSAP, he or she may be risking further hearing dam- age down the line. Inserng any object or device into the ear with- out proper guidance or instrucon can also result in immediate harm and possible damage. PSAP manufacturers argue that Miller’s point above is all the more reason the devices should be put in medical offices such as where hearing aids are sold. But unlike hearing aids, which are designed to help consumers conveniently and comfortably hear a wide range of sounds in a multude of environments through one device, many PSAPs that are available on the electronics market are designed for a single or small range of uses. Consumers are advised to beware when purchasing PSAPs and accessories, and to cauously observe the warnings provided by responsible manufacturers of these prod- ucts. PSAPs are recreaonal products intended to provide advantages to those who can already hear comfortably, and mulple PSAPs are needed to do even a fracon of the job of a single, ny hearing aid. Hearing aids may seem expensive when compared to PSAPs, but they can provide greater advantages, convenience, health and wellness features and require lile-to-no adjustments. Two Are Better Than One By Jill Schmidt, B.S. "I want to hear better but I don't want to pay for two hearing aids." This is something I hear a lot and so I have my argument prepared. Imagine walking around with one eye covered. Sure, you'd probably get along but you would feel off-balanced, your range of vision would be limited, and your brain would need to work harder. The ears were built as a pair. While there are exceptions (e.g. unilateral hearing loss), two ears are more effective working together than one ear working alone. Here are a few reasons why: Stereo versus mono and a wider range of hearing Stronger ability to weed out background noise Less strain on your system Increased ability to determine from where sounds are coming (sound localization) Better understanding of speech in the presence of noise (restaurants, meetings, small groups, etc.) More natural, less distorted sound quality Prevents the possibility of the residual hearing in your unaided ear from degenerating Better tolerance to loud sounds and/or tinnitus I often advise patients that two hearing aids are better than one. I'd rather a patient dropped down a technology level so s/he could afford two rather than buy one at a higher cost. Siemens Hearing is now Signia! Different name, same great quality!
Transcript of Two Are Better Than One - Audiology Unlimited · Better understanding of speech in the groups,...
A newsletter for our patients, their families and friends Summer 2016
Saying “good-bye” to Jill. July 29th will be our last day with Jill Schmidt, our doctor-al intern. She will be completing her doctoral program and will soon be referred to as “Dr. Jill”. Jill has been with Audiology Unlimited and College Park Hearing since January 2015. We wish her well in her future as a Doctor of Audiology.
PSAPs Are Cheaper So Why Should I Buy Hearing Aids?
Hearing aids are perceived as costly, and some people may seek out less expensive alternatives called Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs). These alternatives can cost anywhere from $20.00 to hundreds of dollars, but are they really a “good” choice? Audiologist Dennis Van Vliet examines the benefits and shortcom-ings of PSAPs below and discusses why hearing aids, though more expensive, may actually have greater value.
These devices are known as Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs) or Assistive Listening Devices, and while they may be less costly than most hearing aids, they can't necessarily compete in regards to long-term health benefits, convenience or features. PSAPs are less costly because they are unregulated, and not cus-tomized to an individual’s needs. While PSAPs may meet the needs of some individuals who need amplification for soft sounds, audiol-ogists and medical professionals typically don’t sell them, although they may recommend some products for specific needs. “We want to make sure someone has looked in the patient’s ear,” Past President of the American Academy of Audiology Erin Miller said. And Miller is right, for there are a multitude of inner ear issues that only a medical professional can properly identify and treat. Some of these conditions may even cause temporary or permanent hearing damage, so if a consumer bypasses the professional and purchases the PSAP, he or she may be risking further hearing dam-age down the line. Inserting any object or device into the ear with-out proper guidance or instruction can also result in immediate harm and possible damage. PSAP manufacturers argue that Miller’s point above is all the more reason the devices should be put in medical offices such as where hearing aids are sold. But unlike hearing aids, which are designed to help consumers conveniently and comfortably hear a wide range of sounds in a multitude of environments through one device, many PSAPs that are available on the electronics market are designed for a single or small range of uses. Consumers are advised to beware when purchasing PSAPs and accessories, and to cautiously observe the warnings provided by responsible manufacturers of these prod-ucts. PSAPs are recreational products intended to provide advantages to those who can already hear comfortably, and multiple PSAPs are needed to do even a fraction of the job of a single, tiny hearing aid. Hearing aids may seem expensive when compared to PSAPs, but they can provide greater advantages, convenience, health and wellness features and require little-to-no adjustments.
Two Are Better Than One By Jill Schmidt, B.S.
"I want to hear better but I don't want to pay for
two hearing aids."
This is something I hear a lot and so I have my
argument prepared. Imagine walking around with
one eye covered. Sure, you'd probably get along
but you would feel off-balanced, your range of
vision would be limited, and your brain would
need to work harder.
The ears were built as a pair. While there are
exceptions (e.g. unilateral hearing loss), two
ears are more effective working together than
one ear working alone. Here are a few reasons
why:
Stereo versus mono and a wider range of
hearing
Stronger ability to weed out background
noise
Less strain on your system
Increased ability to determine from where
sounds are coming (sound localization)
Better understanding of speech in the
presence of noise (restaurants, meetings, small
groups, etc.)
More natural, less distorted sound quality
Prevents the possibility of the residual
hearing in your unaided ear from degenerating
Better tolerance to loud sounds and/or
tinnitus
I often advise patients that two hearing aids are
better than one. I'd rather a patient dropped
down a technology level so s/he could afford two
rather than buy one at a higher cost.
Siemens Hearing is now Signia!
Different name, same great quality!
5749 Crain Highway Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Here is our newsletter. Hope you find
it informative. Sincerely,
Audiology Unlimited 5749 Crain Highway 1400 Forest Glen Rd, #315 Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-780-6770 301-754-0085
College Park Hearing Services 7305 Baltimore Ave, #202 College Park, MD 20740
301-277-2100
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HAVE YOU HEARD?
Almost 50 Million Americans have hearing loss. That number is expected to double by 2030.
I took the Million Ear Challenge:
an invitation to spread the word about hearing loss and hearing
loss solutions to 1 million people during May, designated as
Better Hearing Month!
