Although hearing aids are intended to enhance the wearer’s ability to clearly hear and understand speech and sounds, many people find themselves disappointed with the quality of results. If you’re frustrated with the low-quality performance of your hearing aids or are in need of a hearing loss solution, real ear measurement can dramatically improve your experience.
Real ear measurement, sometimes referred to as probe microphone measurements is a process used by a professional audiologist to evaluate whether a hearing aid user is receiving the specific level of amplification needed to provide the best possible hearing quality and improvement.
Considered the “gold standard” of performance and quality testing for hearing aids, real ear measurement testing ensures that precise amplification is facilitated at the full spectrum of frequencies objectively rather than just going by the algorithm provided by the programming software and the subjective opinion of the patient.
For patients suffering from severe hearing loss, 100 percent improvement may not always be viable. However, real ear measurement maximizes the potential of hearing aids in order to reach the highest improvement possible, even for the most profound hearing loss cases.
The process for real ear measurement typically takes place during the initial fitting for hearing aids for experienced users and within two weeks of the fitting for those that are new users as it will be so precise that those that have never worn hearing devices will need some time for their brain to adjust to sound before they can be programmed exactly where they ought to be.
After the hearing aids are inserted into the ear, a very thin, probe-shaped microphone will be placed in the ear canal to get a baseline of how a patient hears the conversation (pre-recorded), and then the test is run again, this time with the probe mic directly next to the device. Using the microphone, a professional audiologist then evaluates the exact sound levels that are being provided by the hearing aid, using different speech samples to provide various readings.
Using the data gathered, the audiologist is then able to make minute adjustments to the sound levels, matching target amplification levels that are customized according to the patient’s specific hearing loss across frequencies to provide objective data.
The process for real ear measurement is extremely quick and simple, taking anywhere from five to twenty minutes. At Memorial Hearing, real ear measures are included with every patient’s fitting process.
Real-ear measures help provide the best possible results from your hearing aids, ensuring that they provide the exact level of amplification you need. Instead of dealing with the frustration of all sounds being too loud or certain speech frequencies being too quiet or unclear, you’ll be able to enjoy a “just right” amount of amplification.
Considering the impact real ear measurement can have on the quality of a patient’s hearing, you might assume that all audiologists include it in the fitting process. However, according to the Hearing Review, less than 35 percent of hearing aid specialists provided this service to patients.
Memorial Hearing is proud to make our patients the utmost priority and raise industry standards by making real ear measurement an important part of our offered services from day one.
Optimize the performance of your hearing aids with real ear measurement from Memorial Hearing. This short, simple procedure can significantly improve the fit and sound quality of your hearing aids, so you can comfortably enjoy restored hearing.
Whether you’re dealing with mild or profound hearing loss, Memorial Hearing is here to help. Contact our Houston, TX office today to learn more about real ear measurement and how it can make a dramatic difference in your everyday life.
You can also reach out by phone by calling 713-984-7562.
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