Frequently Asked Questions

Can hearing aids cause a "lazy ear"?

Will my hearing aids restore my hearing to normal, like my eyeglasses do for vision loss?

Will my hearing aids act like ear plugs to protect me from excessive noise?

Is it difficult to adjust to wearing hearing aids?

Will my ears feel sore after I wear my hearing aid all day?

Will hearing aids make my tinnitus worse?

How long will my batteries last?

Why does my hearing aid whistle in my ear?

If I have a hearing loss in both ears, do I really need two hearing aids?

How do I decide which style of hearing aid to purchase?

How long do hearing aids last?

Are digital hearing aids really better?

Can digital hearing aids eliminate background noise?

Can I purchase a hearing aid directly from Unitron Hearing?

Q. Can hearing aids cause a "lazy ear"?
A. No. If you wear hearing aids, your ears will not become "dependent" on the instruments. When you remove the hearing aids, your hearing loss will be the same as before you inserted them.

Q. Will my hearing aids restore my hearing to normal, like my eyeglasses do for vision loss?
A. While both hearing aids and eyeglasses are designed to improve one of your senses (sight or hearing), there is a difference between.

At the back of the eye is the retina, which changes light into electricity; electricity is the "language" the brain understands. Light coming into the eye has to be focused on the retina for our vision to be clear. If it isn't, then a lens placed in front of the eye helps to focus the light properly on the retina. Once that lens has been prescribed by your optometrist, it is a simple matter of the customer choosing the style and colour of glasses or contact lenses.

The cochlea is a snail-shaped organ that is filled with fluid and 15,000 hair cells. The hair cells change sounds into electricity so the brain can understand them. The usual type of hearing loss is sensorineural, which means these hair cells are partially damaged. Hearing aids are designed to make sounds louder. Hearing aids don't result in completely normal hearing, because even though they make sounds louder, the louder sounds are still sent to damaged hair cells. Fitting a hearing aid to a sensorineural hearing loss with damaged hair cells would be like fitting eye glasses to someone with damage to the retina. Fitting a conductive hearing loss, where hair cells are intact is more like fitting glasses.

Technology has come a long way in the last 50 years. While damaged hair cells cannot be replaced, hearing aids today greatly improve your ability to hear and can dramatically increase your quality of life.

Q. Will my hearing aids act like ear plugs to protect me from excessive noise?
A. No. Hearing aids are not designed to block out sound. If you are exposed to loud noise, remove your hearing aids and wear the appropriate protection to prevent damage to your remaining hearing.

Q. Is it difficult to adjust to wearing hearing aids?
A. Wearing hearing aids for the first time (or trying new hearing aids) requires that you re-learn how to hear, and like learning anything else, it can be challenging. Today's hearing aids are so sophisticated and flexible that they can be adjusted to almost any hearing loss or hearing environment. Adjusting to hearing aids is different for everyone. Don't let a friend or family member's negative experience discourage you from improving your own hearing.

It is important to speak to your hearing healthcare professional about any concerns that you may have. And remember to be patient and persistent. You'll be glad you did!

Q. Will my ear feels sore after I wear my hearing aid all day?
A. When you first begin wearing hearing aids, you can expected to experience some tenderness as you adjust to a foreign object sitting behind or in your ear. However, if this soreness persists after a couple of weeks, talk to your hearing healthcare profession. Your hearing aid may need to be re-made to fit you better or you could be inserting it incorrectly.

Q. Will hearing aids make my tinnitus worse?
A. No. In fact, just the opposite is true! It is not uncommon for people who experience tinnitus to experience relief from wearing hearing aids.

Q. How long will my batteries last?
A. How long your batteries will last depends on a number of factors: the length of time you wear your hearing aids, the size of your hearing aid, the type of circuit you have, the size of battery you use etc. Ask your hearing healthcare professional about the estimated life for your batteries.

Q. Why does my hearing aid whistle in my ear?
A. This whistling is called feedback. Check to see if your hearing aid is inserted incorrectly or if the volume is turned too high. If these solutions don't work, ask your hearing healthcare professional to look for wax blocking the pathway of sound to the ear canal or if the earmold tubing or earhook need replacing or if the earmold shell is too small.

Q. If I have a hearing loss in both ears, do I really need two hearing aids?
A. Hearing healthcare professionals usually recommend two hearing aids for people who have hearing loss in both ears. This is called a binaural fitting. Two hearing aids help to improve hearing in noise, localize sound and improve clarity and sound quality. And, numerous scientific studies have shown that people are happier overall with their hearing aids when they wear one in each ear.

Q. How do I decide which style of hearing aid to purchase?
A. There are so many different hearing aids available today, that choosing which one to purchase can be overwhelming. There are several factors that will affect your decision: the degree of your hearing loss, the shape of your ear, what special features you may require in the hearing aid, manual dexterity, cosmetic preference, listening needs, lifestyle considerations, and of course, cost. Your hearing healthcare professional can help you make the decision that is best for you.

Q How long do hearing aids last?
A. How long your hearing aids will last depends on the style of the aid, how much you wear it, amount of earwax produced etc. However, on average, it is expected that most hearing aids will last four to five years before they need replacing.

Q. Are digital hearing aids really better?
A. The sound quality provided by digital hearing aids is cleaner and crisper than most analog hearing aids (think of the sound quality of a CD versus an audio cassette). Digital hearing aids also offer more flexibility, which means that the hearing aid can be more accurately programmed for your individual hearing loss. Also, the high-tech nature of digital allows for very advanced processing so hearing aids today can do much more than those of the past (e.g., feedback management, noise reduction, low battery warnings etc.)

Q. Can digital hearing aids eliminate background noise?
A. Digital hearing aids that offer directional microphones, combined with noise reduction, offer very sophisticated ways of processing sound in order to reduce as much background noise as possible. However, the noise can not be completely eliminated by any hearing aid.

Q. Can I purchase a hearing aid directly from Unitron Hearing?
A. No. When purchasing a hearing aid, it is important that you have your hearing examined by a hearing healthcare professional to ensure there are no medical conditions causing your hearing loss. A hearing healthcare professional will also take a impression of your ear so a hearing aid can be customized just for you.