At Audible Choice Hearing Aid Center in Lancaster, our patient practice philosophy is simple; Treat everyone as family. You will have the most up-to-date and comprehensive audiometric evaluation thereby identifying your specific type(s) of hearing loss. You will thoroughly understand your results in simple to understand language, and have any questions or concerns that are important to you answered.

For most of your life, it’s as natural as breathing. You listen without thinking. Converse with ease. Wake from sleep to the subtlest of audio cues. Yet little by little, things have changed. You realize how often you have to ask people to repeat themselves. How exhausting it’s become to attend a meeting. And how the TV is too loud for everyone but you. You still wake up and smell the coffee, but you haven’t been hearing its gentle drip – or half of what the morning FM deejay has been saying. What’s going on?

Maybe you already know you or a family member is dealing with hearing loss. Then again, it may be happening so gradually you’re not sure. Unlike many conditions, hearing loss is often hard to detect in its early stages. If you think someone you know might have a hearing loss, take a look at this list of common signs. Do any of the following sound familiar?

• They appear to hear people talk but have difficulty understanding some of the words
  
  
• They’re constantly asking people to repeat themselves
  
  
• They have a hard time understanding women and children’s voices
  
  
• They have a hard time understanding in a crowd
  
  
• It’s hard for them to understand on the phone
  
  
• They favor one ear over the other
  
  
• They complain of a ringing sensation in one or both ears
  
  
• They often appear uncomfortable in social occasions they used to enjoy
  
  
• They seem withdrawn, depressed or irritable
  
  
• Other friends or family members have noticed their difficulty hearing.

Unlike most medical tests, the tests that measure hearing ability are relatively quick and painless. A hearing instrument specialist will probably perform 3 or 4 simple exams, which may include:  otoscopy, or looking into the ears with a lighted scope. A video otoscope will show a picture of your eardrum on a TV screen; an audiogram, a sound check that produces a mapping or graphical representation of hearing ability.  Results will be sent to your family doctor only with your permission.  These tests are performed at the hearing professional’s office or in your home and usually take about an hour to complete. With the information from these tests, your hearing professional will be able to make an accurate assessment of your hearing capabilities and advise you of all your treatment options. If a medical problem is found, your hearing professional will refer you to a physician for next steps.

1. What kind of hearing loss do I have? (Conductive or Sensorineural?)
   
   
2. Is it medically treatable?
   
   
3. Is there anyone else I should see about this?
   
   
4. What are the results of my hearing tests? What’s my hearing threshold?
   
   
5. Are there specific frequencies or types of sound I have more trouble hearing than others?
   
   
6. Is there anything I can do on my own to hear better?
   
   
7. What are my treatment options?
   
   
8. Can I prevent further hearing loss?