Frequently asked questions
Signs of hearing loss include:
- Having to ask others to repeat themselves often.
- Difficulty following conversations with background noise or in group situations.
- Finding children’s and women's voices difficult to hear.
- Having the TV or radio turned up louder than normal.
Our questionnaire and hearing loss screening test can guide you through an initial assessment and
detect if you have a hearing loss.
Hearing aids don't result in completely normal hearing. Even though they make sounds louder, the louder sounds are still sent to damaged hair cells in the cochlea. Fitting a hearing instrument to a sensorineural hearing loss with damaged hair cells is like fitting eye glasses on someone with damage to the retina. Fitting a conductive hearing loss, where hair cells are intact, is more like fitting glasses. While damaged hair cells cannot be replaced, hearing instruments greatly improve your ability to hear and can dramatically increase your quality of life.
Find out more about the different types of hearing loss.
No, you cannot purchase hearing instruments directly from Unitron. They should be purchased through a hearing healthcare professional.
Consumer notice:
The importance of purchasing Unitron instruments through an authorized hearing healthcare professional.
Unitron creates world-class hearing solutions for people with hearing loss. The Company offers its products through reputable, qualified hearing healthcare professionals and distributors, whose specialized training and expertise are critical to successful use of hearing instruments. For this reason, the purchase of Unitron hearing instruments is best realized through hearing healthcare professionals who directly sell Unitron products through in-person consultations. Unitron recommends that consumers not purchase hearing instruments through Internet retailers, or online catalogs and mail orders, but should seek the advice and services of an authorized Unitron hearing healthcare professional. Consumers should be aware that there are Internet retailers who sell Unitron hearing instruments that are not authorized by Unitron. |
Many hearing healthcare providers offer a trial period so you can try hearing aids out for 30 to 60 days during which the instruments can be returned for a refund. During this time, the hearing healthcare provider can adjust the hearing instruments to provide optimal comfort and sound so you can experience what it is like to wear hearing aids everyday.
Wearing hearing aids for the first time requires that you re-learn how to hear. Today's hearing instruments are sophisticated and flexible. They can be adjusted to almost any hearing loss or hearing environment. Adjusting to hearing aids is different for everyone. Talk to your hearing healthcare professional about any concerns that you have and be patient and persistent.
Learn about adapting to your hearing instruments.
When you begin wearing hearing aids, you can expect to experience some tenderness as you adjust to them sitting behind or in your ears. If this soreness persists after a couple of weeks, talk to your hearing healthcare professional who will determine if your hearing instruments require further adjustments.
Learn more about adapting to your hearing instruments.
No. Many people with tinnitus experience relief from wearing hearing aids.
Battery life depends on the length of time you wear your hearing aids, the size of your hearing aids, the type of circuit you have, and the size of battery you use. Ask your hearing healthcare professional about the estimated life for your particular batteries and refer to your hearing aid guide for additional information.
Referred to as feedback, whistling can be a result of your hearing instruments being inserted incorrectly or your volume being too high. If adjustments to the fitting and volume do not correct the feedback, ask your hearing healthcare professional to check for wax, if your earmold tubings or earhooks require replacing, and the fit of your hearing instruments.
Find out more about reducing the amount of whistling in your ears: adapting to your hearing instruments and troubleshooting tips.
Hearing Healthcare Professionals usually recommend wearing two hearing aids for people who have hearing loss in both ears. This is called a binaural fitting. Two hearing instruments help to improve hearing in noise, localize sound, and improve clarity and sound quality. Studies have shown that people are more satisfied with their hearing aids when they wear one in each ear.
Your hearing healthcare professional will recommend a hearing instrument style based on the following factors:
- your particular degree of hearing loss
- the shape of your ear
- any special features you require
- your manual dexterity
- your cosmetic preferences
- your listening needs
- your lifestyle considerations
- your budget
Find out more about the various styles available.
The life of your hearing instruments depends on the style, how often you wear them, the amount of earwax produced, etc. On average, most hearing aids last four to five years before they require replacing.
Digital hearing aids that offer directional microphones, combined with noise reduction, offer sophisticated ways of processing sound to reduce as much background noise as possible. However, noise cannot be completely eliminated by any hearing instruments.
No. If you wear hearing aids, your ears will not become dependent on the instruments. When you remove the hearing instruments, your hearing loss will be the same as before you inserted them.
