Hearing Aids for Residents of Watkinsville, Georgia
Are your friends and family kindly and frequently suggesting that maybe it’s time to get your hearing tested?
Hearing loss is not typically something that happens overnight. Rarely does anyone wake up thinking, “I need a hearing aid today.” Often times the person with the hearing problem is the last one to become aware that a problem exists.
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Our senses work together to help us understand the world around us, help us communicate with one another, and to alert us to dangers. That’s why when one of our senses is lacking, it can have a profound effect on our social, emotional, physical, and psychological well being. Our hearing plays a vital role along with all our other senses. When someone can’t hear well, it can hinder their ability to communicate, stunt their potential to learn at the same pace they used to, and ultimately put them in danger if they fail to hear a car coming towards them, a horn honk, an alarm sound, or cries to get out of the way. This is why Athens Oconee Audiology has made it their mission to help those with hearing loss – to regain their hearing and their confidence. If you’re suffering from hearing loss, you aren’t alone. Millions of Americans suffer from some degree of hearing loss, which can make everyday life more stressful and difficult to navigate. It can even become a roadblock in both professional and personal relationships.
Watkinsville, GA Hearing Aids
It can be a daunting task to try and decide what hearing device will best fit your lifestyle and needs. With so many options on the market, the best way to determine what device to purchase is to have an experienced audiologist evaluate your hearing and then offer you suggestions based on your budget. Our experienced audiologists will evaluate you and discuss all your options. The proper hearing aid recommendation and fitting is highly dependent on the education and experience of the professional selecting the instrument. We will test your hearing and then select and dispense the hearing instrument best suited to your personal, professional, cosmetic, and financial needs.
No matter what your budget is, an audiologist at Athens Oconee Audiology can assist you in determining the best instruments to purchase to help you better communicate and improve your quality of life.
Hearing Instrument Options
Hearing Aids
Daily Wear Hearing Aids are inserted each morning and removed at bedtime.
Lyric Extended Wear Hearing Aids are worn 24/7. Patients sleep, shower and bathe in Lyric devices. Athens Oconee Audiology is one of few audiology practices that offer the Lyric extended wear devices.
What if Hearing Aids no longer help?
When hearing aids no longer help you to hear better, it may be time to undergo a cochlear implant evaluation. Audiologists at Athens Oconee Audiology will determine if you are an implant candidate and we always refer candidates to an implant surgeon to perform the surgery. Initial activation and follow up mapping are conducted at our offices and we work one-on-one with the surgeon for the best possible outcome.
Cochlear Implants
Athens Oconee Audiology works with all three cochlear implant companies. Each recommendation is carefully made based on the needs of the patient. Click on the links below to read about each cochlear company:
Advanced Bionics
MedEl
Cochlear
Hearing aids are designed to help people with hearing loss hear in both noisy and quiet atmospheres. Basically, a hearing aid amplifies certain sounds through a microphone and then converts those sound waves to electrical signals sent to an amplifier. The amplifier increases the power of the electrical signals and then sends them to the person’s ear through a speaker.
Hearing aids are ideal for someone with sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is when there has been damage to the sensory cells within the inner ear. Damage to this part of the ear may occur as a result of injury, disease, loud noises, aging, or certain medications. The greater the damage to a person’s hair cells within their ear, the greater the hearing aid amplification needed to make up the difference.
Hearing aids also help patients with conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss upon receipt of medical clearance. Our skilled audiologists at Athens Oconee Audiology can determine what type of hearing loss you have, to what degree the damage is, and they can walk you through how to properly manage your condition. Hearing aids are indicated in 95% of adult hearing loss and only 5% of adult hearing loss requires medical management. A hearing aid is ideal for someone with average hearing loss due to mild to moderate damage within their ear or ears.
What is the most important consideration when addressing hearing loss?
When you’ve experienced hearing loss, one of the most important things to the success of your treatment is a skilled and experienced audiologist. An in-depth evaluation will help our audiologist to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong and then help you to select the devices that best meet your clinical needs, communication needs, and your budget.
Audiologists at Athens Oconee Audiology are proficient and well versed in the different brands of hearing aids and what works best for each patient based on their individual needs. Our three licensed clinical audiologists with combined experience of over 60 years will evaluate you and select appropriate devices and communication strategies to help you better communicate.
Athens Oconee Audiology has accounts with all the major manufacturers. Click on the links below to read more about them:
Hearing Aids:
Phonak
Oticon
Starkey
Widex
Unitron
ReSound
Cochlear Implants:
Cochlear Americas
MedEl
Advanced Bionics
Audiologist Servicing Residents of Watkinsville, GA
What does an audiologist do?
You may be wondering what the definition of an audiologist is. Basically, an audiologist is a healthcare professional who is trained to evaluate hearing loss and related disorders such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and balance issues (vestibular). Audiologists routinely conduct a range of hearing tests, balance tests and hearing aid tests to diagnose and evaluate patients who suffer from hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo.
When to contact an audiologist
If you’re 55-years-old or older, it’s important to undergo an annual hearing exam. Otherwise, no matter what your age, if you’ve experienced any type of hearing loss, it’s crucial you allow an audiologist to evaluate you. If you experience any of the following symptoms, an audiologist can help diagnose and evaluate your condition.
Sudden hearing loss
Impacted wax
Tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, or clicking in the ear)
Balance issues such as vertigo or dizziness
Age-related hearing loss
Do I need an audiologist?
You may not think your hearing loss requires an audiologist, but waiting too long can potentially cause irreversible damage. Visiting an audiologist for the first time may be a bit overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that an audiologist is specifically trained to evaluate and manage hearing issues in people of all ages. They can offer you expert advice on the best hearing instrument based on your diagnosis, and can help you manage tinnitus or balance issues. Our audiologists are experts at fitting patients with hearing devices that are programmed to match their specific needs.
About Us
The audiologists at Athens Oconee Audiology have 66 years of combined experience helping people in the Watkinsville, Georgia region with all their hearing loss needs. They have made it their mission to help people communicate better and do so by performing diagnostic testing, fitting hearing aids, and conducting cochlear implant evaluations, and mapping. We realize the importance of hearing well and will work with you one-on-one to determine the best solution to increase your ability to hear and communicate clearly. We always take into consideration the cost and will help you discover the best remedy that fits within your budget and lifestyle. Our office is located at 1360 Caduceus Way, Building 200, Suite 101 Watkinsville, GA 30677. If you suffer from hearing loss, contact us today at (706) 310-7115 or fill out our contact form here.
Athens Oconee Audiology proudly serves patients in the Watkinsville, GA region. Watkinsville is the largest city in Oconee County and offers residents and visitors plenty of family-fun activities. Harris Shoals Park has picnic areas, a baseball field, walking trails, horse-shoe games, and shoals that are both kid and dog friendly. If shopping is more your style, Attic Treasures Antiques specializes in jewelry, Civil War Relics, glass, China, and tobacco pipes. Watkinsville has a variety of dining options. The Traveling Hobo Cafe offers a unique menu filled with southern fare, fried foods, salads, burgers and more.
