Hearing Aids

Real-Ear Measurements

Perhaps the single most important procedure that could ever be performed on you and your hearing aids is Real Ear Measurement. Real Ear Measures, or Real Ear Verification, is the only way to ensure that your hearing aids are programmed correctly to your hearing loss prescription. Without using Real Ear Measurement, fitting a hearing aid is complete guesswork. Dr. Norgaard is one of less than 30% of hearing care providers that uses Real Ear Measures when programming hearing aids.

Even if you have hearing aids from another clinic, Dr. Norgaard can perform Real Ear Measures on your current devices to see how they can be programmed better. This is just one more way that Dr. Norgaard can maximize your performance with hearing aids.

Smartphone Apps

If you are tech savvy, ask about the apps available to connect your smartphone to your hearing device. From amplifying sound to streaming movies or music directly to your hearing aid, these apps offer a wide selection of convenient services for the hearing challenged.

• Smartphone technology now makes it possible to easily adjust your hearing aid settings right from your phone, fine-tuning volume and even changing the directionality of its microphones when in background noise. This technology also enables your provider to adjust your hearing aids remotely.
• Hearing aids are now available with Bluetooth technology, which allows you to connect wirelessly to your smart devices, including televisions, tablets, cell phones and more. You can once again enjoy watching movies or listening to music with friends and family.

Hearing Protection Devices (HPD)

Your hearing isn’t a renewable resource. At Sioux Falls Audiology, we’re committed to preventing noise-induced hearing loss. We carry customizable hearing protection devices built for comfort and ease of use.

• Musicians Earplugs  In industrial settings, the goal is to block loud noises, but when you’re playing music, you need to be able to hear everything around you. These earplugs are designed for musicians and are available in several models, each tuned for different instruments.

• Custom Hunting Earplugs  Don’t let the “one that got away” be your hearing. Dr. Norgaard can fit you with custom earplugs that allow you to hear perfectly, without having to remove or adjust your HPD.

Wireless Streaming Devices

• You do not have to have hearing loss to enjoy the benefits of wireless streaming.  If music is an integral part of your workout, you can stream music and track your progress at the same time. A built-in heart rate sensor in these earphones delivers information to your smartphone so you can track your progress in real time.

• Hearables by Bragi  While these intelligent earphones are available on the retail market, Dr. Norgaard can customize these by taking a mold of your ears and fitting the devices to them, for unrivaled comfort.

Hearing Aids

At Sioux Falls Audiology, we believe that the hearing aid that best fits your lifestyle is the one you’re most likely to use and will help you find the hearing aid that suits your unique situation at a cost that fits your budget. Below are some of the manufacturers we work with:

Assistive Listening Devices (ALD’s)

If you have hearing loss, it is likely hearing aids will be a tremendous help to you in your daily life. But what about those special situations when your hearing aids aren’t quite enough? Special devices called assistive listening devices (ALDs) are useful for listening to conversations on the phone, watching favorite shows on television, watching performances or speakers in public places and classrooms and even waking to an alarm clock in the morning or hearing the doorbell. There is a surprisingly large array of ALDs on the market today, with many geared toward very specific needs. Some of these devices are made to work specifically with certain hearing aids while others are stand-alone and can be helpful even if you don’t yet wear hearing aids. Stop in and visit with us to learn more about ALDs and how they can improve your communication.

How Can It Be Free? CaptionCall is part of a federal program for people with hearing loss. The federal government compensates CaptionCall for providing the captioning service, so there are no costs passed on to those who need the program. Certification of hearing loss by a qualified hearing or health care professional is required to participate in this program. An Internet connection is required to use this service.