The Lippy Group Hearing Aid Center
The Lippy Group Hearing Aid Center is a department of the Lippy Group for Ear, Nose and Throat, a premier medical practice serving the hearing needs of patients for over 50 years.
The center helps people to compensate for hearing losses that cannot be improved through medication or surgery. The center is staffed by licensed audiologists who provide hearing rehabilitation. We understand and are sensitive to the physical, psychological, and emotional concerns associated with hearing problems. From children to senior citizens, our audiologists will evaluate your needs and develop a personalized treatment plan using the latest technology. The center is headed by Linda J. Burger, M.A. and has been recognized by the Tribune Chronicle as having the best hearing aid services.
Our goal is to utilize our experience, in combination with modern technology, to improve your hearing to its fullest ability.
Personal Factors to Consider when selecting a hearing aid:
1. Communication needs.
Before your hearing aid consultation, take some time to think about the situations you would most like to have improved with hearing aid use. Try to be as specific as possible. Do you want to hear your family more clearly? Is it difficult to hear the television or movies? Is telephone conversation difficult? Do you have a hard time hearing in background noise – like in a restaurant? Are there hobbies or group activities you have avoided because of your hearing loss?
Having a good understanding of the listening situations you are involved in gives the audiologist the opportunity to make the best hearing aid recommendation for your listening needs.
2. Handling.
The smaller the hearing aid, the smaller the controls and batteries. If your vision is poor or your fingers are not able to handle small controls, then you may want to consider larger hearing aids. If you do not like to fuss with controls, you may want to consider a hearing aid with more automatic features.
3. Appearance.
Hearing aids come in a wide variety of sizes and colors to best suit your personal taste and hearing loss. Not all sizes of hearing aids are appropriate for every person. You may prefer an in-the-ear hearing aid style or one that goes behind-the-ear. The degree of hearing loss and shape of your ear will determine what sizes are appropriate for you. Generally, the greater the hearing loss, the larger the aid should be.
4. Technology.
Although most hearing aids today are digital, not all provide the same benefits. From manual controls to fully automatic hearing aids that adapt in noisy listening settings, there are many options from which to choose to meet your hearing needs and expectations.
5. Do you need two hearing aids?
Two ears are always better than one, so if you have hearing loss in both ears, you should consider wearing two hearing aids. Not because they make things twice as loud, but because – by mimicking the natural hearing process – they enable you to locate the direction from which the sound is coming. They also make it easier t o understand what people are saying in noisy surroundings. Compared to one instrument, the overall sound quality and comfort from two is usually better.
6. Price.
Better hearing means a better quality of life, so you should view your hearing aid as an investment in yourself and your health. Depending on the size and technology of the hearing aid, the cost will vary widely. If you have health insurance that includes coverage for hearing aids, the audiologist will discuss the specifics of your plan. Financing is available.