Audiology

Hearing loss is a common problem due to the combined effects of noise, aging, disease and heredity.  In fact, approximately 36 million Americans have a hearing impairment of some degree (www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/hearing).  If you are experiencing difficulty functioning in your daily communication environment you're not alone.  The audiologist at Valley Vision & Hearing is dedicated to providing you with quality care & hearing instrument technology that will meet your communication demands.

What is an Audiologist?

An audiologist is a professional who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hearing identification, prevention and non-medical treatment of hearing disorders.  Audiologists conduct a wide variety of tests to determine the exact nature of the individual’s hearing problem and present a variety of treatment options to their patients.  These may include audiologic rehabilitation, hearing aids, assistive technology, FM systems and cochlear implants.

Our Services

Our audiologist will ensure that you receive a proper diagnosis of your condition and counseling about the ways that hearing amplification can improve your quality of life.  Our audiology services include:
~Hearing evaluations-adult & pediatric

~Retrocochlear assessment

~OAE (Otoacoustic Emission Testing)

~Digital hearing aid fittings

~Hearing aid repairs (all makes)

~Hearing protection

~Custom ear plugs-musician earplugs, swim/sleep earplugs, handsfree/cell phone/ ipod custom ear molds

~Cochlear Implant & BAHA candidacy evaluation & follow-up mapping (programming).

Getting a Hearing Aid

Good health practice requires that a person with a hearing loss have a medical evaluation by a licensed physician or sign a waiver of medical evaluation before purchasing a hearing aid.  A hearing evaluation will help to determine if you have a hearing loss, and the degree and type of your particular hearing loss.  Only then can an appropriate treatment be recommended.  The audiologist will examine your ears for possible physical causes of hearing loss like excessive wax build-up, infection or a medical condition.  An audiogram will measure your ability to detect sounds at various frequencies or pitches, and measure your ability to understand speech at different loudness levels. 

Hearing aids are custom fit by making an impression of your ear.  We send that impression to the hearing aid manufacturer to make your hearing instrument.  Impressions of your ears are carefully replicated to obtain the best fit possible.

Valley Vision & Hearing Associates has selected three major hearing aid manufacturer's with which to work with.  They are Starkey, Phonak and Widex.  We have chosen these three based on each having demonstrated that they have:

~Quality products that are state of the art and based on solid research & development

~A complete range of products

~Excellent customer and patient support

~Has contributed to good outcomes for patients in the past

Please call 509-925-1000 to schedule an appointment today!