Real Ear Measurement

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Our goal is to evaluate and treat hearing loss focusing on individual needs, so that every person, regardless of age, is given the opportunity to communicate and interact with others to the best of their ability.
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Real ear measurement (REM) is an audiometric technique used to assess the performance of hearing aids. The goal of REM is to ensure that the hearing aid is providing the wearer with the best possible sound quality and speech understanding.

REM involves making measurements of the sound pressure level at the ear canal of the hearing aid wearer. These measurements are then compared to the known hearing threshold levels of the individual. Based on these comparison measurements, the hearing aid can be adjusted to provide the best possible sound quality and speech understanding.

Real ear measurement is an important tool in ensuring that hearing aids are properly fitted, providing the wearer with the best possible sound quality and speech understanding. While REM is not a requirement in the field of audiology, audiologists who practice real ear measurement know and value the impact that this procedure can make in a patient’s hearing aid success.

What is a hearing aid prescription?

Hearing aid verification using real ear measurement is very essential because it ensures that sounds are comfortable and audible for a patient with hearing loss. A hearing aid prescription refers to the amount of amplification that is needed for each individual frequency. This takes into account different factors like a person’s age, medical background, gender, and their experience with hearing aids (first-time user or long-term wearer).

Years of research show that matching hearing aid prescriptions through real ear measurement leads to better hearing for most people, especially in noisy environments. This provides a more enjoyable listening experience for the user. There have been many research studies on hearing devices that have established that people enjoy a better listening experience using hearing devices that have been fitted and programmed using real ear verification compared to those that haven’t.

If you don’t have your hearing loss prescription verified by Real Ear Measurement, you don’t know if you’re meeting your prescription or not. Even with the most high-tech hearing aids on the market today, it’s hard to get a First Fit estimate to match a prescriptive target.

What is the basic process of real ear measurement?

There are four steps in the real ear measurement process:

1) The hearing aid is placed on the ear of the person being tested.

2) A probe tube or microphone is inserted into the ear canal, next to the hearing aid.

3) A sound source is used to produce tones of various frequencies.

4) The sound pressure levels at the ear canal are measured with the probe tube.

The measurements taken during real ear measurement can be used to verify the hearing aid fit, to make sure that the hearing aid is providing the wearer with the best possible sound quality and speech understanding.

Why is real ear measurement important?

Real ear measurement plays a big role in hearing aid success. Through real ear measurement, an audiologist can take into account a patient’s unique ear shape to ensure the truest measurement as possible that matches a patient’s hearing loss and hearing requirements. Through this procedure, the maximum benefits of a device can be enjoyed by the patient.

REM can also be used to assess the performance of hearing aids. The measurements taken during real ear measurement can be used to evaluate the sound quality, speech understanding, and amplification provided by the hearing aid across all frequencies.

In general, real ear measurement is an important procedure that can be used to ensure that hearing aids are fitted correctly and give the best possible sound quality and speech comprehension.

What is the difference between real ear measurement and auto hearing aid programming?

Real ear measurement (REM) is an audiometric technique used to assess the performance of hearing aids. The goal of REM is to ensure that the hearing aid is adjusted and programmed to meet the specific hearing requirements of the wearer.

Auto hearing aid programming is a feature found in some hearing aids that allows the hearing aid to be automatically programmed based on the individual user’s hearing needs. Almost all hearing aids sold today have a feature that automatically sets the level of amplification the aid provides. This is called First Fit. First Fit happens when you enter someone’s hearing loss into software made by the hearing aid manufacturer. This software then provides an estimate for how much amplification that person should receive.

Different hearing aid manufacturers have their own set of algorithms to amplify sound. This can be a problem because you can’t always verify a prescription from these manufacturers. Third-party verification equipment can only check certain prescriptions that have been validated.

You see, even people with the same hearing loss will need different amounts of amplification at different frequency ranges, based on the size and shape of their ears. This is because no two ears are alike. That’s why real ear measurement is so important.

Real ear measurement allows you to fine-tune the hearing aid to each individual user. This means that the hearing aid will be providing the wearer with the best possible sound quality and speech understanding.

Auto hearing aid programming, on the other hand, relies on algorithms to set the amount of amplification. This can lead to sub-optimal results because the hearing aid is not being fine-tuned to the specific needs of the user.

In conclusion, real ear measurement is a more reliable and accurate method for fitting and verifying hearing aids. Auto hearing aid programming should only be used as a starting point for fitting hearing aids. The hearing aid should then be fine-tuned using real ear measurements to ensure the best possible sound quality and speech understanding.

Real Ear Measurement and How It Affects Hearing Aid Success

Hopefully, this post has convinced you of the significance of hearing aid verification. If you don’t have your Real Ear Measurement done and trust the manufacturer’s First Fit settings, you’re putting yourself at risk of receiving an incorrect fit for your hearing aids, which could lead to unsatisfactory performance.

At Doctors Hearing Care, we provide real ear measurements at no extra cost. We integrate real ear measurements into our patient’s fitting appointments as part of our endeavor to provide residents of New Albany, IN with the best hearing care services.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment!

Find the freedom of better hearing.

Our goal is to evaluate and treat hearing loss focusing on individual needs, so that every person, regardless of age, is given the opportunity to communicate and interact with others to the best of their ability.

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