Blog - Page 2 of 4 - Ahrens Hearing Center

How does hearing loss really affect your life?

Not everyone who has a hearing loss experiences this deficit in the same way. What do we mean by that? To explain this, let’s examine the life of two very different people that experience similar hearing loss. Mary is in her 60’s and works at a large insurance company in Manhattan. She is married, has 3 kids, and even 2 grandkids! For years now Mary has been missing much of the conversations she has at work, often times asks her husband...

“The Secret Sauce”

For many years, manufacturers and professionals alike have marketed and touted the abilities of hearing devices in improving hearing. While no one can argue that a hearing device is indeed necessary and they are not all created equal, the underlying reason for someone’s success or failure comes down to the professional fitting them. To add to the misinformation, the onslaught of advertising focusing on low cost reinforces the concept that all one needs to hear better is a product. Our intentions...

Revisiting Hearing Aids and Insurance

Being in business for over 45 years, we have seen many changes in hearing healthcare and a few things that have stayed the same. Ask many who have been in the hearing healthcare industry for more than a few years and they will likely agree: insurance and hearing aids is confusing at best. Hearing aids are not covered by many insurance plans, including Medicare. It has been a fact for many years, and not much has changed. What has changed however...

Tinnitus made easy… sort of

Tinnitus is essentially a ringing or buzzing noise that you hear when there is no actual external source of the sound. Most people experience tinnitus… if you sit in a quiet room and concentrate, most people can hear some sort of noise. For the majority it is not debilitating, we may notice it but it doesn’t bother us. On the other hand, tinnitus can be quite the annoyance and downright life altering in some extreme cases. Approximately 50 million Americans...

When is the right time to replace my hearing aids?

A common question we get daily is, "how long will my hearing aids last?" and "when should I replace them?" The answer everyone loves is, "it depends!" It depends for a number of reasons. Hearing aids are electronic devices that we wear. They are subject to our sweat, ear wax, humidity, oils, hairspray, etc… Everyone will have a different experience with the longevity of their hearing instruments dependent upon these factors and how well they care for the hearing instruments. One...

Studies have shown cost is not the main deterrent to obtaining hearing aids, so what is?

We often hear the argument that the reason only 20 percent of those with hearing loss actually gets hearing aids is because of the cost. Research has shown us that this is not the case. Even in countries with socialized medicine where one can get hearing aids (typically very basic hearing aids) for very low to no cost, the adoption rate is very similar to the US. Why is this the case? There are many factors that might help explain the...

Why you might not do as well with hearing aids as your friend/family member (or vice versa!)

So, why do you do so well (or poorly) with hearing aids while someone you know has quite the opposite experience? As always, that depends. We will cover some of the key reasons why there are so many different outcomes for different individuals using hearing aids. - The most important point is of course, who fit the hearing aids? The professional and office who support you can make all the difference regardless of the type or cost of instruments you purchase....

Holidays and Hearing Loss

Holidays can be a stressful and even isolating time for someone with hearing loss. Not being able to understand family and friends, repeatedly asking “huh” or “what”, or mis-hearing and responding incorrectly are all things that someone who has a hearing loss can experience. It is undoubtedly frustrating for the person themselves, but it can also be just as taxing on others as well. What does all of this add up to? Stressed relationships, arguments, isolation, and a whole host of...

Insurance and Hearing Aids Revisited

Earlier in the year, we wrote about the basics of insurance and hearing aids. Because this is a popular topic, and one that could use more attention from a source other than the insurance company, we want to touch upon it again. One thing has remained fairly constant, insurance companies do not provide true “coverage” for hearing aids. However, what we have seen recently is a number of insurance companies who desire to offer a hearing aid “benefit,” and why wouldn’t...

Working towards the common goal of better hearing

Throughout the past few years there has been a flurry of activity regarding discount hearing aid retailers, online retailers, and the like. Discount and mail order hearing aids are nothing new. The difference (and challenge) now is that the internet is very widely used and insurance companies are getting into the business of selling hearing aids via the internet. Consumers have their insurance company telling them one thing, Google searches revealing multiple online retailers, local advertising points them in another direction,...