Hearing Aids and Implants
 There are over 30 million Americans with some degree of hearing loss and over half are younger than 65. So if you suspect a hearing loss, you’re not alone and shouldn’t feel embarrassed. Hearing aid technology has improved greatly over the last decade. These are not the devices your grandparents used to wear.
Ear Specialists is the only office in the region with a team of highly trained professionals – a fellowship trained ear physician, Britt Thedinger, M.D. and specially trained audiologists providing answers, options and solutions to your specific hearing problems. We make choosing the right hearing aid and technology easy.
Studies have linked untreated hearing loss to:
- irritability, negativism and anger
- fatigue, tension, stress and depression
- avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
- social rejection and loneliness
- reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
- impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
- reduced job performance and earning power
- diminished psychological and overall health
You might have a hearing loss if you:
- require frequent repetition.
- have difficulty following conversations involving more than 2 people.
- think that other people sound muffled or like they’re mumbling.
- have difficulty hearing in noisy situations, like conferences, restaurants, malls or crowded meeting rooms.
- have trouble hearing children and women.
- have your TV or radio turned up to a high volume.
- answer or respond inappropriately in conversations.
- have ringing in your ears.
- read lips or more intently watch people’s faces when they speak with you
If any or all of these describe your situation, then you may benefit from hearing aids and should call our office to schedule a hearing evaluation from one of our audiologists - 402-933-EARS(3277) or 800-228-EARS(3277)
Hearing loss most often comes from aging and genetics but may also result from infections, tumors, strokes, head trauma, medications, other medical problems such as diabetes, or even too much ear wax. The most common form of preventable hearing loss is from repeated exposure to very loud noise such as music, shooting, power tools or other machinery.
No two people have exactly the same type of hearing loss. Small, comfortable and powerful, our hearing aids are sophisticated pieces of digital technology that can be tuned to suit your unique hearing needs. Hearing aid technology is always improving and changing. We offer the latest improvements and technology from various outstanding hearing aid manufacturers.
Bluetooth capabilities have now come to hearing aid technology, which allows hearing aid users to access their cell phones as well as an iPod or MP3 player through their hearing aids. A specific remote control connects the hearing aid to the devices.
IMPLANTS
Cochlear implants
Since 1992, the cochlear implant team at Ear Specialists along with Dr. Thedinger have been helping children and adults with severe to profound hearing loss. Over 300 adults and children have received a cochlear implant at our center. Our center provides the latest implant technologies and makes the evaluation process concise and easy. We tailor each patient’s needs to any of the three implants available. Our center offers implants from either Cochlear, Advanced Bionics or Med-El Corporations.
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing in both ears. FDA-approved since 1985 for adults and 1990 for children, the implant is an excellent choice when conventional hearing aids are not enough.
Children and adults who are deaf or severely hard-of-hearing can be fitted for cochlear implants. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as of April 2009, approximately 188,000 people worldwide have received implants. In the United States, roughly 41,500 adults and 25,500 children have received them.
Adults who have lost all or most of their hearing later in life often can benefit from cochlear implants. They learn to associate the signal provided by an implant with sounds they remember. This often provides recipients with the ability to understand speech solely by listening through the implant, without requiring any visual cues such as those provided by lipreading or sign language.
Cochlear implants, coupled with intensive post-implantation therapy, can help young children to acquire speech, language and social skills. Most children who receive implants are between one and two years old. Early implantation provides exposure to sounds that can be helpful during the critical period when children learn speech and language skills. In 2000, the FDA lowered the age of eligibility to 12 months.
BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Appliance) Implant
The Baha system utilizes Direct Bone Conduction, which allows the bone to transfer sound to a functioning cochlea – thereby bypassing the outer and middle ear. This unique hearing treatment is the first system of its kind cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hearing loss. The Baha implant is used for single-sided deafness or for those with conductive hearing losses who cannot use a hearing aid.
For more information regarding hearing aids or implants please contact our office for an appointment at 402-933-EARS(3277) or 800-228-EARS(3277)
External Resources
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