Ask the Audiologists - Hampden Hearing Center

I enjoy watching television with closed captioning. Is there anything like that for the telephone?

July 1, 2017Ask the Audiologists

New technology offers options for better results on the telephone. A captioned telephone can be substituted for your landline phone. Even if you don’t have a landline phone, if you have high speed internet access, you may use a special amplified phone called Caption Call. The Caption Call phone prints the words on a display screen, […]

Are two hearing aids better than one?

June 1, 2017Ask the Audiologists

You should discuss your hearing needs with your audiologist, to determine your best treatment plan. Generally, an individual with hearing loss in both ears will get the most benefit from using devices in both ears. Our brains depend on signals from both ears to tell the direction from which sound is coming, to understand in […]

I use hands-free Bluetooth technology in my car to talk on the cell phone. Is that technology available in hearing aids?

May 1, 2017Ask the Audiologists

Bluetooth connectivity to hearing aids has been available for several years, but you needed a body-worn device called a Streamer to relay the sound from a cell phone or other audio device to the hearing aids. Now, hearing instruments have built-in wireless Bluetooth technology, so you may stream sound from your mobile phone or other […]

Does health insurance cover hearing aids?

April 1, 2017Ask the Audiologists

Some health insurance plans reimburse for all or a portion of the cost of medically-necessary hearing aids and services, with certain restrictions. Medicare does not cover any costs related to hearing aids. Some MassHealth plans pay for the devices, batteries and related professional services. You should call the telephone number on the back of your […]

My dog ate my hearing aid. What should I do?

March 1, 2017Ask the Audiologists

Unfortunately, dogs love to eat hearing aids! If, despite your efforts to keep your devices stored securely, your dog got a hold of one, collect all the pieces and notify your audiologist… and your veterinarian! Hearing aid manufacturers are sometimes able to repair devices that appear to be totally destroyed. If the aid is damaged […]