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Health & Fitness

Buyer Beware!

Patients face many choices when it comes to which provider to trust to the care of their hearing.  There are audiologists, doctors of audiology, hearing instrument specialists and hearing aid dealers.  Hearing aids are even able to be obtained via internet sales websites.  Not all of these providers, however, are equally qualified or trained to provide the best possible hearing care.

A consumer often turns to the internet first when researching a new purchase, especially a costly one.  An individual with a hearing loss may ask themselves, “I can purchase other things online, why not a hearing aid?”  The answer is because there are inherent risks to doing so.  Acquiring a hearing aid requires professional knowledge, tools and services.  Nothing can replace these face-to-face professional services.  These include an otoscopic exam, audiometric testing in a sound booth, hearing loss counseling and ongoing professional follow-up and care.   In addition, online hearing tests are not diagnostic.  They are simple screening tests that do not yield enough information upon which to base recommendations for hearing aids.  They do not replace the calibrated pure-tone testing and speech audiometry that is performed in a sound booth. 

Audiologists and doctors of audiology have advanced professional degrees (Master’s or Au.D) in the field of audiology.  An audiologist has the knowledge and expertise to perform a thorough case history analysis, provide advanced testing to accurately diagnosis degree and type of hearing loss, and offer the most effective and latest solutions for improving your hearing.    Hearing aids are not one size fits all.   Audiologists have the skill to custom fit and tune your hearing instrument to meet your specific needs.   Hearing aids must be adjusted for not only the physical fit but for the advanced programming capabilities that best quality hearing aids have.  The audiologist is trained to prescriptively fit the hearing aids using sophisticated computer programs.     Improperly fitted hearing instruments pose a threat by over-amplification to the ear causing tinnitus or additional hearing loss.

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Audiologists at the Loyola Center for Health in Burr Ridge offer a variety of audiologic services including comprehensive hearing evaluations, hearing aid evaluations and fittings, and assistive listening device education.   Call 708-327-1054 for more information or to schedule an appointment. 

Kathryn Pardue, M.A., CCC-A

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Kathryn Pardue is a clinical audiologist at Loyola Center for Heath in Burr Ridge. 





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