IN Fox Chapel Area Spring 2019 | Page 31

INDUSTRY INSIGHT YOUR HEARING SPONSORED CONTENT How To Get The Most Out of Your Hearing Aids S o, you finally got hearing aids—now what? Many Audiologists and hearing aid manufacturers are talking about Brain Hearing. What this means is that hearing is coupled by your ears, and processing what you hear is done by the brain. If your brain is more used to your hearing loss than what you’re hearing through your hearing aids, you will still have difficulty understanding what you are hearing. The best solution to this problem is to wear your hearing aids for all of your waking hours or as much full time as possible. Wearing your hearing aids when you don’t think you need them helps lay the groundwork for hearing better in your more challenging listening situations. Maintaining good speech discrimination (understanding of what you hear) is best accomplished by stimulating your ears with the proper sound. This is best accomplished by being fit properly with hearing aids by an experienced, competent Audiologist. The best Audiologist is one who combines expertise and experience with the ability to listen to the needs of the patient. Now, let’s talk about daily maintenance of your aids to ensure they’re working properly. If you are using regular batteries in your InFoxChapel Grandma w/kids_Eartique 2/28/19 10:07 PM Page 1 hearing aids, you will need to open the battery doors at night to turn Hear more than you ever imagined off the aids. If you have rechargeable hearing aids, then make sure you put your aids in the charger every night. When you put them in the charger properly, you should see green lights flashing. When the lights are solid (in the morning), it signifies a full charge. Every night, when you take the hearing aids out, use a clean, dry paper towel or cloth to gently wipe the outer part of your hearing aids—the domes or earmolds. You may also use a brush or a cleaning tool to make sure there is no wax accumulating in the opening. Keep hearing aids away from extreme heat or cold. Do not wear your hearing aids while applying makeup or using hair products. Do not get your hearing aids wet. When replacing batteries for non-rechargeable hearing aids, make sure you wait two minutes after removing the tab or sticker from the back of the battery before inserting it into your hearing aid. You can put the sticker on today’s date on your calendar so you can get an idea of when you’ll need to replace it again. Most hearing aids will give you a low battery signal to remind you when you need to put in a new battery. If you are someone who develops a lot of moisture or wax in your ears, you might want to consider a dehumidifier for your hearing aids. Most hearing aids today have a great deal of automatic processing going on behind the scenes. Many hearing aids have the ability to be connected to a smartphone so that phone calls and other audio content can be heard directly in the hearing aids. There are also adjustments that the patient can make through an app on a smartphone. If you have any questions about your particular hearing aid, we would be happy to help. Please call to make an appointment with the Audiologists at Eartique—412.422.8006. This Industry Insight was written by Debra L. Greenberger, owner of Eartique. She received her master’s degree in Audiology (Hearing Science) from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and she is certified by the American Speech and Hearing Association. Debra has been diagnosing hearing loss and fitting hearing aids for over 25 years. Introducing ReSound LiNX 3D™ With vibrant and crystal clear sound, these hearing aids work together, continuously exchanging data about your sound environment for optimized performance. Debra L. Greenberger, M.S., CCC-A Serving the Pittsburgh area for over 25 years The last stop you’ll make in successful hearing aid use Call today for a FREE consultation! Squirrel Hill ~ 2703 Murray Avenue ~ 412.422.8006 Beth M. Kenny, AuD, earned her undergraduate degree in Communication Science & Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Arts in Audiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed her clinical doctorate in Audiology from A.T. Still University in 2005. Beth is certified by the American Academy of Audiology and has been practicing since 2003. Leslie A. Dunst, MS/CCC-A, is a Clinical Audiologist who has enjoyed providing diagnostic testing and rehabilitative services for over 25 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and her Master of Science in Audiology from West Virginia University. Leslie is also certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Her diverse background spans three states (Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania) and includes private practice, ENT offices, and clinical and hospital settings. Leslie is dedicated to providing quality service to her patients and committed to helping improve their quality of life by helping them to hear their best. She resides in Peters Township with her husband and 14-year-old son. FOX CHAPEL AREA ❘ SPRING 2019 29