HEARING AIDS

At Integrated ENT, our audiologists will work with you to assess your needs and determine whether or not hearing aids will be right for you.  If you do need hearing aids, you will be fitted with the best that technology has to offer.

Hearing aids have three basic parts:  a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker.  Hearing aids pick up sound using a microphone, which converts the sound waves to electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier.  The amplifier increases the power of the signals and then sends them to the ear through a speaker.

Digital hearing aids use digital sound technology to improve hearing aid performance.  They convert sound waves into digital binary code (0’s and 1’s), which helps to produce an exact duplication of each sound.  They also use computer chips to analyze speech and other sounds, allowing for more complex processing of sounds during amplification.

With the advancement of digital technology, manufacturers have enhanced the functionality of hearing devices, offering patients several benefits, such as

• They can be programmed with noise reduction algorithms to help reduce background noise; 
• They are highly programmable for various listening environments; and 
• They can be adjusted to meet specific user needs.

There are three basic types of hearing aids: behind the ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), and in-the-canal (ITC) with the following variations in style:

• Behind-the-Ear (BTE)
  
  
• In-the-Ear (ITE)
  
  
• In-the-Canal (ITC)
  
  
• Completely-in-Canal (CIC)
  
  
• Invisible-in-The-Canal (IIC)
  
  

At Integrated ENT, we work with all the major manufacturers, including:

• Phonak
• Oticon
• Signia 
• Sonic
• Starkey
• Resound
• Widex

Hearing aids do not work for everyone. Whether or not a hearing aid will work for you usually depends on the type of hearing loss or the degree of hearing loss you may have. For most people who have a sensorineural hearing loss, they can greatly benefit from using hearing aids.  A sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells.  This damage often occurs as a result of disease, aging, or injury from noise or certain medicines. 

If you think you need a hearing aid, contact Integrated ENT at (303) 706-1616 to make an appointment with one of our audiologists. You may also request an appointment online.