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Myth: Hearing aids are like eyeglasses.

Hearing and vision are both major senses that connect us to the world. Hearing aids and eyeglasses are frequently compared as assistive devices; however, the two can hardly be compared. Eyeglasses are a mechanism to immediately assist the eye to focus and do not require vision training to wear them. Hearing aids are responsible for helping the brain perceive pitch, duration, loudness, timbre, sonic texture and spatial location of sounds. Sounds can tell us where things are, if something is moving, how far or near an object may be, and more. Sound waves travel through a medium, such as air or water, and are captured by our ears and perceived by our brain as a sound. Sound also gives us the ability to communicate and understand spoken language. With hearing aids, the brain needs time to adjust to the sound coming through the hearing instrument. Because of each individual’s unique ability to hear various frequencies, hearing aids need to be programmed to a patient’s hearing ability. Fine-tuning may take several trips to the audiologist or hearing healthcare professional. Even the most advanced hearing aids will not restore hearing 100 percent and individuals may need auditory training to help the brain process sounds.³

Truth: Hearing health is overall health.

Hearing occurs in the brain. The pathway to signal transmission and comprehension is quite complex. Hearing loss due to injury, illness, excessive sound, and aging affects our brain health and puts us at increased risk of cognitive decline. It also affects our physical health with an increased  risk of falls and our mental health with an increased risk of depression and social isolation.  Hearing loss is connected to diabetes and heart disease.

Arkansas Loops is a division of Saline Audiology. We are strong advocates of hearing loops and sell our hearing aids with a manuel telecoil in them so our patients are able to access hearing loops. If your church, or business would like information on hearing loops, we offer a no cost site survey and estimate. Also, we are available to answer questions and give demonstrations when needed.
Contact us at 501-778-3868 for questions and information.