When it’s time to make a big purchase, we tend to shop around for the lowest price or the best deal. When looking for a new car you compare prices of multiple dealers, when you’re shopping for a new mattress you might wait for a sale, and when you need new glasses, you can take your prescription and go to the corner glasses franchise for a new look. But when it comes to buying hearing aids, there’s much more to think about than the purchase of the actual appliance. You’re making an investment in your health, and getting the right hearing aid and the appropriate care means much more than just a simple hearing test and a new appliance.
At PENTA, we understand how important hearing is to a person’s overall health and how big of a difference good hearing aids can make in your life. We recommend seeing an audiologist to guide you in your purchase of hearing aids, for a variety of reasons.
An audiologist has specific education and training. In order to become a doctor of audiology, a person must complete six to eight years of college which includes academic and clinical training in the field of audiology. This extensive training produces professionals who are skilled at providing diagnostic, rehabilitative and other services associated with hearing. Rather than going to a person who is a certified hearing professional, who is limited to administering a hearing test, an audiologist can assess your overall hearing health.
Audiologists are able to provide a full range of services. As follows from the specialized training, the benefits of seeing an audiologist for your hearing aids mean you are making an appointment with someone who can provide a full range of services. Hearing loss can be caused by a number of different factors, including age, autoimmune inner ear disease, tinnitus or head injury. When you are evaluated by an audiologist, they are able to do much more than just conduct a hearing test. They have the capability to provide a thorough diagnostic hearing evaluation with a number of different test, including air conduction testing, bone conduction testing and speech testing. Once you’ve undergone an evaluation, an audiologist can help treat the causes of and help prevent further hearing loss, in addition to providing you with hearing aids.
The ability to offer a full range of the latest technology in hearing aids. Piedmont Ear Nose & Throat Associates is able to offer hearing aids from any manufacturer our patients prefer, including Phonak, Signia, ReSound, etc. Check out our Hearing Aid Guide to see a description of the different types of appliances available. Our staff maintains continuing education and training in the latest technology in order to help fit our patients with the right device for their particular needs.
If you’ve noticed signs of hearing loss in yourself or a loved one, maybe it’s time to make an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing evaluation. Call the offices of Piedmont Ear Nose & Throat Associates at a location convenient to you and make an appointment with one of our audiologists; we can help you enjoy life to the fullest with better hearing.