Our Hearing Services
Sarah Duncan, AuD, CCC
Our services include comprehensive hearing evaluations for ages 5 and up, hearing device selection & fitting, and custom hearing and swim protection.
Our Hearing Services:
Our services include comprehensive hearing evaluations for ages 5 and up, hearing device selection & fitting, and custom hearing and swim protection.
Referrals and Appointments:
To speak with someone regarding our services, please call (505)-277-4453. We require a referral for any hearing evaluation which can be faxed to: (505)-277-0968.
Comprehensive Hearing Test:
Prior to the hearing test, the clinician will obtain a thorough case history, look in your ears (otoscopy), and perform a test of middle ear function. The hearing test is non-invasive, and includes listening for soft beeps and speech sounds. Your hearing test results will be plotted on a graph called an audiogram, from which the clinician will review test results and discuss recommendations.
Hearing Device Selection:
If a hearing device is recommended, the clinician will discuss various styles and technology based on your lifestyle, personal style, degree of hearing loss, and budget.
Hearing Aid Styles:
Devices that sit behind the ear: Behind-the-ear (BTE), receiver-in-the-canal (RIC)/receiver-in-the-ear (RIE), traditional behind-the-ear (BTE).
These hearing aids are appropriate for a wide degree of hearing losses, from mild to profound. They sit comfortably behind the ear, and couple to a tube with an earmold, or thin tube/wire with a rubber dome that is seated in the ear canal.
Open behind-the-ear, receiver-in-the-canal (RIC), or receiver-in-the-ear (RIE) devices.
This hearing aid style sits behind the ear; it has a tube or speaker wire with a rubber dome that is seated in the ear canal. This is a very common style device that keeps the ear canal open, for more natural lower frequency sounds. It does not plug the ear like other styles that sit in the ear, often making your own voice sound better to you.
Traditional behind-the-ear (BTE) devices
This hearing aid style hooks over the top of your ear and has tube that is coupled with an earmold that is custom made to the exact shape of your ear. The tube and earmold direct the sound into your ear canal from the hearing aid, and help secure the BTE hearing aid in place. This is a very durable type of hearing aid, which can be appropriate for people of all ages, and almost any degree of hearing loss.
Custom Devices:
In-the-ear (ITE)
These hearing aids are custom made, and sit directly in your ear. They come in different sizes, filling the majority of the outer ear space (full shell ITE), or only a portion of the outer ear bowl (half-shell ITE). All of the internal components of the hearing aid are housed within the custom made device.
In-the-canal (ITC)
These hearing aids are custom made, and sit directly in your ear. ITC devices sit a little deeper into the ear canal than ITE hearing aids, and may be a less visible than larger styles.
Completely-in-the-canal (CIC)
These hearing aids are custom made to fit deeper inside your ear canal, allowing them to be less visible than the ITE and ITC devices.
CROS/BICROS:
These devices are helpful for one sided (or unilateral) hearing loss, or for a unilateral hearing loss with some degree of hearing loss in the opposite ear. They are particularly useful when a person is speaking on the side of the head that has worse hearing.
CROS
These hearing devices might be used when a person has a significant hearing loss in one ear, with normal or near-normal hearing in the opposite ear. A hearing device is worn on both ears (even though you can hear well out of the “good” ear) and the sound is directed from a microphone on the “bad ear” and delivered to the better hearing, “good” ear.
BICROS
This device is similar to the CROS; however, it is used when a person has significant hearing loss in one ear, and a hearing loss in their “good” ear, too.
Lifestyle:
ADDITIONAL HEARING AID FEATURES
Hearing aid technology has dramatically improved over the years. Although the basic components still remain (microphone, amplifier, receiver, and power source), there are far more features available. Your hearing healthcare provider can help you determine your what features might be beneficial for you based on your lifestyle.
Bluetooth compatibility
This is a wireless feature in which the signal bypasses the hearing device’s microphone, and directly enters the device processor. This is a useful for mobile phones or other Bluetooth devices.
Directional Microphones
The direction the microphones on the hearing aids will vary, based on where the speech signal is coming from. This is a helpful feature when you’re in an environment where there is a lot of background noise.
Rechargeable batteries
Many hearing aids have this option for those who want the convenience, or don’t have the manual dexterity to change out small batteries.
Noise reduction
The hearing device can automatically make adjustments by determining if the signal coming in is speech-like or noise-like.
Telecoil (t-coil)
This is a small copper wire inside a hearing device that makes it easier to hear when talking on a device that is telecoil compatible (e.g. landline telephone). The t-coil in the hearing device communicates with the t-coil by picking up electromanatic signals, while reducing the surrounding background noise.
Tinnitus masking feature
There is no cure for tinnitus; however, there are a variety of approaches to management. Sometimes amplifying the sound you have been missing can help this. Other strategies include a tinnitus masking feature within a hearing device, which may help cover up the internal sound of tinnitus with a low-level white noise, music, or other external sound.
Custom Hearing Protection:
Noise induced hearing loss is preventable! We offer custom hearing protection to suit your needs, whether you are in a noisy occupational environment, or a nosiy recreational environment.
