I am going for a hearing test for the second time in 2 weeks, as to recieve a second opinion. I was told that a hearing aid would not help me in my left ear, but was suggested a Sharkey Zon for my better ear.
If after I order a H.A. and I go back when it comes in for my programing, should I expect for them to give me a aided audiogram?
Every audiologist is different in what they do. You can ask them to do it to show you how much more of an increase in hearing among the frequency scale, as well as explain what you may or may not hear better along the certain frequencies. If you can’t get a normal hearing aid for the second ear, how about a cros or bicross hearing aid? If you don’t understand, check this out:
Aided audiog. do not work… if you wish to verify that your fitting is done properly you need to do REM, most specifically speech mapping which is the best way to check
you are getting the right fit…
What is a REM?
Does all audiologist have the equipment to do a REM test?
Real Ear Measurement
From what I hear in the forums…NO
What about IREM?
In the article link below it says the Sharkey Zon has IREM (Integrated Real Ear Measurement). Here is a short paragraph from the link at the bottom of the post.
Easy Fit for the Easy Life
A fitting doesn’t take long. And that period of adjustment (yes, there is one) is shortened through the use of Starkey’s Integrated Real Ear Measurement (IREM) which enables the fastest fitting west of the Pecos. East, too probably.
When Starkey introduced IREM, audiologists held parades. (Okay, they didn’t) But there was a lot of excitement. Ear pros glowed over reported improved fitting accuracy and, FYI, Zon is the only model in its class to offer IREM fitting. So what is IREM fitting? It is the ability of the hearing aid professional to run a test while the hearing aid is sitting in your ear. It provides an accurate “real ear” picture of what is occurring to the amplified sound once it has entered your ear canal. The benefit of this to the professional is a more accurate fit. The benefit to the hearing aid wearer is more natural sound and definitely more smiles.
Here is what we want in a hearing aid:
Easy fitting and adjustments
Wearing comfort for 18 hours a day
Hearing that is organic and natural
Discretion or flash – it’s our choice
Automated feedback suppression
Control over background noise
Automated, “Thinking machine” adjustments
Durability and reliability even under harsh conditions – did I mention Zon is 100% waterproof?
http://www.healthyhearing.com/hearing_library/article_content.asp?article_id=836
Sounds like this hearing aid helped the audiologist skip a step in buying hardware. After quick reading, I’m assuming the Starkey software in use helps with real-time monitoring of the Zone hearing aid testing while it is in the ear. (Unless the REM history is stored in the aid for later retrieval by software) The best bet is information from the audiologist that has already dispensed and tested this aid and the IREM.
it is NOT rem Is integrated RECD…
BIG DIFFERENCE…
it does improve fitting…
the prob with rem it takes time to set
up, it is not rem — but it is moving in the right step
RECD and REM are effectively equivalent IF there are no faults in the aid.
OK, please bear with me, but I don’t get it.
I can easily see how rem can measure what is happening inside my outer ear, and confirm that the aid is cleanly outputting what the audi set it to do, and performing well in my unique outer ear.
But how can it possibly test/address what I actually can now hear? IOW, how does it replace the desirability of an aid-in audiogram?
speech mapping just do that…
you can see your thresholds and your audi can play a soft signal 55 dbhl
and then with speech mapping you can see how much of that signal is actually audible. the verifit actually gives you a score (AI which correspond to a score of speech intel.) – this is the way to do it
I appreciate the response. I’m not familiar with some of the terms you used, so let me ask this:
As part of what you recommend, do I get to say what I hear? Or is it all done by machine?
you already did, speech mapping you compare your audiogram results (in SPL) VS what the instrument is amplifing in real time… The machine I use, has an score which relates to a speech discr score
Maybe I still don’t get it . . . you say “I already did.” I presume that means I told you what I could hear BEFORE being fitted with the aids? If so . . .
Unless you repeat that same test AFTER fitting - and get my confirming feedback - how can any test “close the loop” with certainty?
That’s the part I don’t get.
And even if it could, it would seem to require a whole lot of confidence on my part. And that’s hard to come by given the vagaries of HAs.
If you have a Starkey, NUEar, Microtech or Audibel 1600 either custom fit or open fit they have REM built right into them which can do the verification in less than two minutes. They are the only instruments that I know of that can do that.
that is no rem… it is RECD.
the purpose of REM is independent verification…
What you are measuring is RECD not REM there is a big difference…
you are wrong…
the old phonak SUPEROS had this capabilities long time ago.
It is call RECD DIRECT… (they use the right terminology)