Are you getting the most optimal performance from your Hearing Aids?

Do you use hearing aids but still have difficulty hearing your friends and family? How do you know if your hearing aids are adjusted properly? The answer is through a test called Real Ear Measurement (REM). It measures how you hear soft, normal, and loud speech with your hearing aids.

Here’s how it works. The results of your hearing test are entered into the machine, a probe microphone is placed in each ear canal and then different volumes of speech stimuli are played through speakers. Your hearing care professional then adjusts the hearing aids’ frequency response to match targeted values. REM is considered the gold standard in hearing aid fittings. It is important to have an independent and objective measurement of how well the hearing aids are matching your hearing loss.

At Sophisticated Hearing, we take pride in our patient care and attention to detail. We believe that if we do not practice audiology by appropriate standards we are not doing right by our patients or our profession.

Part of practicing audiology by appropriate standards is using evidence-based practice. This means that we practice audiology based on information and evidence from our audiology research community. The audiology research community continuously publishes peer-reviewed studies to help the audiology community better understand and treat hearing loss. Real-ear measurements have been proven by the audiology research community as the gold standard for hearing aid fitting verification.

At a minimum, Real Ear Measurement should be performed when you first obtain your hearing aids. If nothing else, it should be proven when you pick up new hearing aids that they are amplifying speech according to your hearing needs. If you are not hearing as well as you like with your hearing aids, then Real Ear Measurement should be performed again. REM ensures that your hearing aids are working properly and matching targets.

Even when things match up perfectly, you may want some additional adjustments. Hearing aids need to sound good to you and Real Ear Measurements provide a target assuring your hearing aids match your hearing loss. If you prefer them to be louder or softer that is ok.

If you wear hearing aids and still have difficulty hearing, consider calling Sophisticated Hearing for Real Ear Measurement. Dr. Olson conducts this test at new hearing aid fittings and when someone reports difficulty hearing with their hearing aids.