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Researching Hearing Aids: Making an apples to apples comparison
November 15, 2021

Researching Hearing Aids: Making an apples to apples comparison

An apple and an orange are sitting on a wooden table.

If the title of this article caught your eye, you are probably thinking about investing in your hearing health by purchasing hearing aids. These days, most consumers do research ahead of making purchases for a host of goods and services, and online searching has made this process easier than ever. Consumers are to be applauded for educating themselves on items they wish to make an investment in, and hearing aid technology is no exception. However, being a savvy researcher and consumer is key.

Perhaps you have seen ads in magazines and newspapers and on TV for mail order hearing aids. Does the radio station you listen to broadcast a 15 second hearing aid spot multiple times daily? Are ads for hearing devices popping up on your smart phone, tablet or computer? Are you being inundated with direct mail hearing aid flyers in your mailbox?

Regardless of the medium, the message is often the same. Consumers should beware of companies with ads that contain wording like Buy-One-Get-One Free, Free Hearing Tests, Large Discounts, Trade-In Available, Seeking Participants for a New Study, Prices you Can’t Pass Up, etc. These advertisements range from being less than 100% truthful to downright dishonest. In fact, many state licensing boards have intervened by enacting strict advertising guidelines for hearing aid retailers in an effort to protect consumers from these misleading and unscrupulous marketing tactics.

While many factors need to be considered when addressing your hearing health, here are two important questions to answer if you are considering purchasing hearing aids based on a TV, print or radio ad, a direct mail flyer or off the Internet

Is a hearing aid the same as a personal sound amplifier product?

No. Hearing aids are Class 2 medical devices approved by the FDA and dispensed and fitted by a licensed hearing professional. Every individual hearing aid is assigned a unique serial number.

While hearing aids and personal sound amplifier products (PSAPs) may seem similar at first glance, they are very different.

A vast majority of the devices offered for sale straight to consumers through online purchase on sites like Amazon or through TV, magazine and radio ads are nothing more that sound amplification products. An amplifier increases all the sounds in a given environment. Imagine it this way: You are in a crowded restaurant. A PSAP will pick up the sound of the clinking silverware two tables away, the crying baby across the room, and the server putting in an order in the kitchen at the same loudness level as you are hearing the voice of your companion sitting across the table from you. There is no nuance of sound. You are bombarded by all of it. In fact, PSAPS were not even designed for people with hearing loss.

Rather, PSAPs were developed to help a user with normal hearing pick up on low-volume sounds or sounds that are at a distance. Think, for example, about the birding enthusiast who wants to boost a specific long-range sound like the song of a bird sitting at a feeder across the yard. Additionally, PSAPs don’t require an audiogram of your unique hearing loss because they are not programmable devices. When consumers try to use PSAPs as a substitute for hearing aids, the hearing loss problem is not being addressed or solved and can lead to further deterioration of a person’s hearing.

By contrast, a hearing aid a is fine-tuned medical device programmed and fitted by a licensed hearing professional, preferably a doctor of audiology , and is customized to the individual wearer’s unique hearing loss based on that person’s audiogram results as well as his or her ear size and shape, reported typical listening environments, lifestyle, etc. In that same busy restaurant mentioned earlier, the hearing aid wearers aids are precisely programmed to automatically detect background noises created by the clinking silverware, crying baby and waiter’s voice so that those sounds are toned down while the voice of the person you are conversing with is amplified and clarified.

 

I have found an online site to buy hearing aids that will program them based on a hearing test I take online or by sending them my audiogram performed by a hearing professional. This is the same as what I would get from an audiologist at a clinic where I can walk in, right?


You’ve done your homework. You know that a hearing aid must be programmed based on your personal hearing test. Now you’ve found numerous online companies that ask you to send them your hearing test. They will program your aids based on your hearing loss and mail them to your home. Problem solved, right? No. Here’s why.


Scheduling a face-to-face appointment with and investing in hearing aid technology through an established audiology practice close to home ensures that you are well-informed regarding your hearing health care, that your treatment plan is tailored to you, that you are offered the latest technology from all the major manufacturers, and that you have an audiologist supporting you every step of the way. Your licensed audiologist will work closely with you to educate and counsel you about your hearing loss, guide your selection of an appropriate hearing aid, set realistic goals for your journey to better hearing, answer questions, and provide the support and counseling you need to be a successful hearing aid user. Ongoing programming adjustments, cleanings and general maintenance will be completed in the office in real time, which is the best way to account for your individual needs and allows you to get right back to hearing the world around you. Comparing in-office visits with a university trained and educated audiologist to an online buying experience is comparing apples to oranges.


While purchasing hearing aids online may be tempting, many potential pitfalls and hidden costs can exist. Keep in mind that online or mail order purchases do not allow you to use health insurance benefits available for hearing aid technology. Crunching the numbers, consumers often find that a reputable,­­­ local audiology practice—that is committed to seeking out and filing your insurance benefits—can often provide a patient with advanced hearing aid technology AND ongoing service and support at a better value than the flashy, bait-and-switch options available online and through mail order. Trying to work with a hearing aid company long distance can lead to unnecessary frustrations e.g., dealing with multiple phone representatives, communicating hearing aid fit issues that actually need visual evaluation, and navigating repair issues by mail.


Additionally, always be sure to research reviews (other than those found on the retailer’s website) and consumer reports before purchasing any item online. Understand that even if you simply register for information from an online hearing aid company, you may inadvertently bind yourself to them. While the online company will refer you to a local hearing aid practice, that practice must now contractually adhere to the online referral source for pricing and services.


Better hearing is a process and support from family, friends and your audiologist is needed to truly be successful as a hearing aid wearer. Making your investment in hearing health with a careful comparison of costs and benefits is key to ensuring you make an apples to apples decision!

Cochlear implantation: A game changer for Chattanooga native, Chipper Gocke

March 6, 2025
Chipper Gocke, 28, has had many poignant moments in the last six weeks since his cochlear implant surgery. “A workmate commented recently that my speaking voice is the appropriate volume now. Not being able to hear myself, I probably often talked too loud before. It seems like a small thing, but it is a way to be more normalized in my professional and other settings.” His mother, Amy Gocke, also has noticed the changes. “Chipper has never called me on the phone before. With his profound lifelong hearing loss and even using powerful hearing aids, he simply couldn’t communicate by phone. Now I look forward to his calls every day after he gets off work.” These daily experiences that people often take for granted—communicating with a workmate or calling a family member to say hello—are now possible for Chipper because of his cochlear implant. Hearing loss has been a part of Chipper’s life since he was a small child. Chipper’s father, Ted Gocke, relates, “From the time he was 18 months old, Chipper had ear infections that had us in and out of the hospital. That led to tubes in his ears and the diagnosis that he had a significant hearing loss.” As a youngster, Chipper received early intervention services before he even reached school age. He also got established with local audiologist, Darnell Scafe, and they reconnected recently when Chipper sought out Darnell for hearing health care services as an adult. Darnell, who joined the Johnson Audiology team in 2018, says, “I remember Chipper as a sweet little boy who didn’t let his hearing loss slow him down. It’s wonderful to get to know the fine, capable young man he has grown into.” Last year, Darnell encouraged Chipper to consider a cochlear implant, and she referred him to Johnson Audiology’s Cochlear Implant Program Director, Dr. Hannah Dearth. Dr. Dearth then was able to complete cochlear implant candidacy testing. In November of last year, Chipper’s surgery was performed at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic (MMC) in Middle Tennessee by an otolaryngologist (ENT). A native of Chattanooga, Chipper traveled for the initial surgery since there is not currently an ENT in Chattanooga who performs CI surgeries. However, Chipper then had his cochlear implant activated at Johnson Audiology (JA) by Dr. Dearth in early January. Also, there to celebrate activation day was Darnell. “It felt like a full circle moment when Dr. Dearth activated Chipper’s cochlear implant, and he began to have those first sound perceptions.” Dr. Dearth explains, “People often wonder how a hearing aid and a cochlear implant are different. Cochlear implants are designed for patients whose hearing aids are no longer assisting them in understanding in both quiet and noisy environments. A hearing aid is designed to provide amplification for speech sounds that are unintelligible without said amplification. Cochlear implants are a surgical option for those who are no longer able to achieve meaningful understanding with a traditional hearing aid. Hearing aids rely on the ear’s natural pathway for hearing to accomplish this and so may not work well for someone with severe damage to the inner ear. A cochlear implant, on the other hand, bypasses the damaged parts of the ear by stimulating the auditory nerve directly with a mild electrical current that sends the sound signal to the brain.” Chipper is committed to his own success with his cochlear implant and in addition to listening to the speech of those around him, he is also tuning in to podcasts and audiobooks that give him even more speech exposure. Dr. Dearth says that is a huge factor in any patient’s ability to thrive with the device. “The patients who are committed to the aural rehabilitation as prescribed experience faster progress and higher success rates long term.” Chipper will continue regular follow-up appointments for the rest of his life to maintain successful progress with his CI. He gets emotional talking about the social isolation that can be a common side effect of profound hearing loss and, also, mentions the spatial awareness that better hearing offers. “Being able to pinpoint sound and localize stimuli from both sides of the head has positive effects for living a safe life,” Dr. Dearth says. Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist, founder, and owner of JA, says, “Johnson Audiology has provided support for cochlear implant patients since 2017 with care offered through the practice’s location on Lee Highway in the East Brainerd area. After implantation, every other part of a CI patient’s hearing journey can be accomplished at Johnson Audiology—from initial activation to routine mapping.”  Chipper and his parents encourage people to explore the possibility of cochlear implants since it can make such a difference in a person’s daily life and function. Johnson Audiology is accepting new patients who currently wear hearing aids but would like to pursue cochlear implant candidacy as well as those who already have a cochlear implant. Call Johnson Audiology at 423.556.7185 or visit www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Untreated hearing loss is changing your brain

By Jan Hollingsworth • May 16, 2024
Research reveals that hearing loss actually rewires your neural pathways Your Amazing Brain Your brain is an amazing organ! This wrinkly, reddish-pink mass weighs about the same as your two-slice toaster, tipping the scales at about three pounds. Acting as a master control center, your brain enables every thought, breath, eye blink, heartbeat, movement—everything—that happens in your body. Rivaling the world’s most powerful supercomputer, your brain can download, process, and react in milliseconds to the tidal wave of information coming from your eyes, skin, nose, tongue, and ears. Neuroplasticity and Your Sense of Hearing Researchers have discovered that the human nervous system—made up of the brain, spinal cord, and a complex network of nerves—has incredible capacity to modify itself, both in function and physical structure. This is called neural plasticity . Dr. Megan Johnson, audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology explains, “Neural plasticity is going gangbusters in a child’s brain as the child develops and matures into adulthood. Based on years of brain research, we also know that the adult brain is far from being fixed. It, too, changes and adapts when you learn new information or skills or as a response to stress, hormonal fluctuations, drug interactions, injury, and much more.” Dr. Johnson also relates that “your brain displays neuroplasticity when you experience hearing loss.” By measuring brain waves using an electroencephalograph, or EEG, scientists have studied how the brain of a person with hearing loss functions compared to a person with normal hearing. The results are both fascinating and sobering as studies reveal that, in those with hearing loss, the portion of the brain devoted to hearing becomes reorganized. This can be true even with early-stage, mild hearing loss, and the process happens quickly, often in months rather than years. The Hearing Center of Your Brain and Beyond What is actually happening when this takes place? Your brain has a right and a left hemisphere and six major lobes. Think of your frontal lobe as your brain’s boss, where executive functions like decision making, emotion and impulse control, and planning occur. Your temporal lobe, which contains the auditory cortex, is doing the heavy lifting when it comes to interpreting sounds and assigning those sounds meaning. The temporal lobe processes speech and language, and it is where initial learning of new information takes place, which is the first step for logging that information into memory. Dr. Johnson goes on to relate, “When the delicate infrastructure of your ear has become damaged through noise exposure, infection, etc. leading to hearing loss, your auditory cortex cries out to your frontal lobe, saying ‘Help! Help! I’m not receiving any sound to process, so I feel lost.’ The frontal lobe ‘boss’ jumps to attention, and your occipital lobe, responsible for processing vision and touch, takes over the areas in which hearing is normally processed. In other words, your other senses seek to compensate for the deficit due to the loss of your sense of hearing.” Amazing, right? So, where’s the rub? Picture a car assembly line; each worker has an assigned task. One day, the worker who installs the windshields is absent, and the worker who attaches the rearview mirrors is assigned double duty, and a duty that was not part of job training. It is easy to see how the worker left juggling both jobs is compromised, and a car might slip through minus a rear view mirror. Similarly, the areas of your brain that are being taxed to make up for a lack of hearing are overloaded and less able to do their assigned responsibilities. “This explains why so many of my patients with hearing loss relate feeling exhausted and frustrated after a big family gathering—where multiple talkers and sounds must be interpreted—rather than happy and invigorated by the experience. We call this listening fatigue ,” states Dr. Johnson. Additionally, when left untreated long enough, researchers point to the brain’s reorganization due to hearing loss as a significant correlation with dementia. Hearing Technology and Your Brain “But here's the great news!” Dr. Johnson says. When a person is fit with hearing aids or a cochlear implant and sound is restored, the brain has the ability to adjust back—partially or completely—to proper function. How swiftly that happens often depends on how long the hearing loss went untreated and is why she encourages patients to treat hearing loss sooner rather than later. “Here is what I tell patients who are downplaying the importance of hearing: If you won’t treat your hearing loss for the sake of your ears, do it for your brain!”
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