General Info

Dr. John Gehm and Dr. Teresa Harris. Serving Dallas for over 30 years. Video Otoscopy This instrumentation allows you and the hearing professional to see your ear on a television screen. The professional can identify potential medical conditions that would require a physician evaluation; or see if excessive earwax is an issue. Audiometric Evaluation Your complete hearing evaluation will be performed by a licensed, certified hearing professional, using state of the art equipment that is meticulously maintained. Hearing instrument consultation This is a multipart discussion, centered on your hearing loss, your lifestyle, and your hearing needs. The following topics are discussed: Levels of technology. Today's hearing instrument technology ranges from very basic to very sophisticated. The highest levels of technology incorporate computer algorithms that process sound in very complex ways. These aids manage background noise extremely well; they control feedback to the point of near-elimination; and they incorporate other features such as data-logging that allow the hearing professional to fine-tune the instruments with a degree of precision never previously possible. Which of these features, in which level of technology, is most appropriate for you is something very dependent on how varied your communication situations are. Size. Hearing instruments come in a variety of sizes, each with advantages and disadvantages. What is right for you will depend on your hearing loss, your ear canal size and shape, and your preferences regarding how discreet you want the instruments to be. Price. Hearing instruments are a significant investment. They are worn at all waking hours, every day, for 4-6 years. An instrument with the right capabilities at the right price is crucial. For those who prefer this option, we offer multiple financing plans. Assistive Listening Devices ALDs work together with hearing instruments to provide additional benefit in adverse listening conditions. These situations occur when there is a distance between the speaker and listener or when the environment has background noise or reverberation. There are also products that work separately from hearing instruments. Some examples of ALDs are: Amplified telephones. These phones can be land-line or cell phone; some work through an existing hearing instrument and some work independently. They also can feature amplified ringers or flashing lights. Alerting devices. These are products that turn an acoustic signal into a visual or vibrotactile (touch) signal. They include smoke detectors that send a signal to a bed shaker; devices that flash a lamp when a phone rings; and doorbells that send a signal to a vibrating pager. Large area listening systems. The premise of these devices is to transmit speech from a speaker to the listener over a distance. The speech is picked up by a microphone; sent into a transmitter and broadcast to a receiver, worn by the listener; and the listener then hears the speech as if they were much closer to the speaker. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this: using FM radio or infrared signals to transmit the signal; plugging the hearing aid directly into the receiver or using the device on its own, etc. We are familiar with these systems and how they work for people with hearing impairment. Should you benefit from one of these systems, we can help determine the best one for you. Hearing Instruments The right hearing instrument for each patient is dependent on many factors. The two main choices for hearing instrument selection are style and level of technology, as discussed above. There are many hearing instrument manufacturers from which to choose, once the decisions about style and level of technology have been