The latest in hearing aid technology

Southwestern Hearing Centers recently opened their 31st clinic in Cape Girardeau Jan. 2. The three-generation, family-owned business was founded in 1947 in St. Louis. The Marino family prides themselves on providing the community with the highest level of service and care in hearing health.

“I love fitting patients. Seeing their faces when you put hearing aids in their ears and they can hear for the first time in forever, and understanding their family members, it’s like going from black and white to color,” Chief Operating Officer Cindy Marino-Barnett says. “It’s just an amazing, amazing feeling, because you can change somebody’s life. And it’s not just the patient — you’re changing their family’s life, because they want to communicate.”

Marino-Barnett says hearing aids help with more than hearing: They also can help with balance, as well as comprehension and cognitive functions. She says people are sometimes misdiagnosed with dementia, when really, the issue is their hearing: Although they can hear, they can’t understand what people are saying.

At Southwestern Hearing Centers, baseline hearing tests are free and take five to 10 minutes. Marino-Barnett says the average patient is between 40 and 60 years of age; it’s important to get a baseline hearing test around age 50.

Here, Marino-Barnett shares tips for getting the right fit in hearing aids, for patients who find through these tests they need some hearing help:

__1. Understand your type of hearing loss.__

The two parts of a hearing aid are the computer chip and the body style. There are many types of hearing loss, and the computer chip and body style must work together to address your specific type.

“In order to be successful, you have to have the right body style and the right computer chip and the right person that knows how to program it,” Marino-Barnett says. “If you’re fit properly with the correct body style … you don’t see them,” Marino-Barnett continues. “A hearing loss is so much more visible than a hearing aid.”

__2. Consider your lifestyle.__

The activities you participate in determine what your hearing needs are. Today’s hearing aids are light, and last for up to 50 hours on one charge. They are also waterproof. Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids connect to your cell phone, making hearing on the phone easier, since you can hear through both ears while talking on the phone.

Hearing aids can also adjust for background noise by turning the back microphone off, while the front microphone remains on; this way, you can hear the conversation you’re having, while reducing the noise that is around you.

__3. Work with a specialist who works with you.__

If you’ve experienced hearing loss for years, you need to incrementally move toward better hearing. When you first start wearing hearing aids, your ears can be sensitive. Specialists at Southwestern Hearing Centers listen to what you are comfortable with and work together with you to achieve your best hearing.

“Our hearing specialists and staff get to know each patient and are trained to listen and work with each patient and their family,” Marino-Barnett says. “No two ears, hearing loss or lifestyles are alike. We at Southwestern pride ourselves in working with each patient individually and providing the care each patient needs. That’s the true meaning of a family-owned business.”

2917 Independence St.

Cape Girardeau

(573) 466-4414

www.southwesternhearing.com