Avoiding ‘Blurry’ Hearing Aids

By Dennis A. Colucci, AuD

When fitted properly, hearing instruments can restore communication and reconnect patients with their family, friends, and environment. To maximize the outcome, I take time to choose the appropriate instruments and options, qualify the fitting with scientific measures, and ensure that the patient has adapted to the use of the devices without discomfort. I also obtain reports from the patient substantiating a significant reduction or elimination of communication stress and a sense of an improved quality of life. Finally, I make sure that the prescription and my counseling prepare the patient for auditory learning and memory changes.

Patients with hearing loss experience isolation and social deprivation. This suffering may not improve in patients who have incorrectly fitted “blurry” hearing aids. Patients can go for years trying to communicate, thinking their hearing loss is the issue, only to learn that the provider, hearing aid, and, especially, the prescription failed to meet their needs. Stress and anxiety related to amplification errors harm the patient; daily life is disrupted, learning delayed, and interpersonal situations lost, especially in the senior population.