Hearing Test - The Questions Surrounding Impairment

If you're thinking about getting a hearing test or you've already had one and been diagnosed with impairment, you probably have a lot of questions on your mind. While there is no substitute for asking specific questions of your doctor, the unfortunate truth is that many people fail to get treatment for their impairment. It is unfortunate because there are many devices and options on the market today that can make living with listening damage easier than ever. Easy? Maybe not. But, certainly easier. In the meantime, below are the answers to some common questions surrounding impairment. "I can hear fine. I just can't understand what anyone is saying." While that's not quite a question, but it is something that many people say when considering a hearing test. There is a common misconception in the public about what auditory impairment means. It isn't always just a function of lower volume. If that was all there was to it, a hearing aid would be a cure for loss. And, while they can be immensely helpful, they are not a cure. Inner ear damage means not only a loss of volume, but also it can distort sounds. This is one of the reasons getting treatment early is so important. The longer you go without addressing your problems, the more difficult it may become to understand speech. "One listening aid or two?" Very few people have auditory loss in only one ear. This is why diagnosing yourself is usually a bad idea. There's nothing wrong with getting a hearing test done at your local device sales center, but you may be suspicious when they tell you that you have loss in both ears when you've only noticed it in one. You may think they are just trying to sell you a second device. Get it done by a doctor and you'll know the results are unbiased. Most people will actually be much better off getting two devices. "My listening aid lets too much background noise through. Is there any fix?" There are no devices currently on the market that can completely take background noise out of the equation. This is especially true for crowded restaurants and other public occasions where the primary background noise is speech. There are, however, higher-end devices that can eliminate as much as possible out of the background. Others concentrate on higher amplification of the sounds coming from directly in front of you, which can also work to the same purpose. There's no question, however, that background noise is one of the primary banes of those with auditory impairment.