Primetime Living 2.22.26 - Flipbook - Page 13
A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, February 22, 2026
volume they are receiving. This is the
most ethical and exact way to program
a hearing aid for patients to receive
maximum benefit from them. It takes
time to become accustomed to hearing
the world again. Suddenly, they are
hearing background noise, watching TV
at normal volumes, and fully engaging
with family and friends. It takes a few
adjustments to program the hearing
aids for their communication needs. It
is a process, not an event,” Segev says.
“It’s a good idea to have your hearing tested by a doctor of audiology.
Sometimes, a person does not have
hearing loss; it’s an issue of not paying
attention or maybe wax in their ears.
That’s why it’s good to see an audiologist so you know if you do have hearing
loss, what part of the ear is causing it
and how we can treat it. If it is wax,
we are able to remove it in our office.
If it is not wax, we discuss treatments
options.”
Most Ear, Nose, and Throat physicians
(ENTs
or
Doctors
of
Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck
Surgery) don’t work with hearing aids.
They deal with medical and surgical
issues. When someone struggles to
hear, they should call an audiologist, as
most hearing loss is treated with hearing aids. But if medicine or surgery are
required, you want a hearing test before
and after anyway.
“In our practice,” Segev says, “we
work with primary care doctors, pediatricians, dermatologists, and, of course,
ENTs. When we examine a patient, we
notice everything about the physiology
of a patient’s ear, so we’ll see potential
health issues like skin cancer, or other
problems that aren’t always noticed.
For instance, the ear is affected by what
is happening throughout a body. The
configuration of the hearing loss can act
as an early warning system. And if we
come across a disease of the ear during
our examination that requires medical
treatment, we refer the patient for imaging, or to an ENT or their primary care
doctor for management.
“When someone comes to us for their
first appointment, we start with an initial
discussion that includes understanding
what communication problems they are
experiencing, and what their lifestyle
is like. Do they go out a lot? Are they
going to restaurants? Theater? Sports
events? Religious services? And do
they have support if they need it?
“Even though most people who come
to us have hearing loss due to aging, we
also treat children. Hearing loss does
not discriminate by age. It is an invisible disability that impacts everyone.
No matter who the patient is, we want
them to have a positive experience.
With children, especially, we recognize
the impact hearing has to learning and
their social development.
“We are very transparent. Our website shows the treatment plans offered,
so you can pick the level of technology
and level of care. This is also discussed
in our office during appointments. We
work with the major hearing aid manufacturers and their brands, so patients
can receive what is best for them and
their hearing need. All hearing aids
come with warranties against repair
and damage. Hearing aids need a lot
of maintenance to continue to perform
optimally. Hearing aid cleanings, programming and firmware updates to new
technology are routinely done for all
our patients because a patient’s needs
change over time.”
Segev related to me a way that her
company consistently gives back to the
community. They accept nominations
for someone who needs hearing aids
but can’t afford them. They are forwarded to Dr. Segev and her partner, Dr.
Briana Holtan, who then review them.
Once a month, a recipient is chosen.
Most recently, it was a young father
who was nominated by his wife. He
couldn’t hear his children due to hearing loss from his work. His new hearing
aids have changed his life and greatly
improved his world. Waiting rooms also
collect canned food year-round to support local food banks.
Segev summed up the importance
of having a hearing test to determine
what, if any, hearing loss you are experiencing. “Working with a huge variety
of people, I get to watch someone who
had a hearing problem and witness the
transformation when they can, once
again, hear what’s going on around
them, and be involved in conversations.
It is the most rewarding moment when I
get to bring sound back to patients who
missed it.”
13
Hearing Aid Choices: An Overview
By Margit B. Weisgal, Contributing Writer
My go-to place for solid information
on consumer products is Consumer
Reports. Its mission is as follows:
Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) is an independent, nonprofit
member organization that works side by
side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace. [It]
was founded in 1936 at a time when consumers had very few options to gauge
the value, quality, or authenticity of goods
and services. It was an era of unfettered
advertising claims, rapid technological
progress, and patchwork regulations—
so CR was created to equip people with
the credible, trustworthy information they
needed to make informed choices.
As consumers we should be protected from being scammed, but that’s not
always the case. You should ask for
information on any product you purchase and do some research about the
company that is making the product
you want. Reading reviews is another
good idea. Last, check out the vendor.
Is that company trustworthy? At the end
of this overview, you’ll find information
about “truth in advertising,” and what
you should watch out for.
What follows is information from
Consumer Reports and Dr. Melissa
Segev of Audiology Associates, Inc. But
first, here is CR’s statement about its
information on hearing aids.
“The ever-increasing number and variety of prescription and over-the-counter
(OTC) hearing aid options available make
for a confusing marketplace. Amazon’s
‘OTC hearing aids’ results page, the first
stop for many looking for help, shows
aids costing more than $2,000 listed
near others that you can buy for $50.
The descriptions don’t always make it
easy to tell the difference between the
products, either.
“Until recently, the main way to get
a hearing aid was through an audiologist, a licensed hearing aid dispenser,
or another hearing healthcare provider.
Some direct-to-consumer (DTC) hearing aids were available, too. But as of
October 2022, over-the-counter hearing
aids—intended for people with mild to
moderate hearing loss—became widely
available in stores and online. (Our ratings only cover traditional hearing aids
obtained through a provider, because
OTCs weren’t available during our survey.)”
In other words, with technology changing quickly and the consumer landscape
changing as to where you can shop,
purchasers need to do their own due
diligence.
Start Here
There are different types of hearing
aids based on how they fit into or over
your ear and all go into the ear canal.
Start with a visit to Audiology Associates,
Inc.’s website: https://aaiaudiology.com/
services/advanced-hearing-aid-technology
Dr. Segev has a very comprehensive
and informative section on her website
about the different hearing aid styles
available, and it goes on to provide additional information on what you should
know ahead of time. Here is a list of the
subjects covered:
• Schedule a Hearing Assessment
• Personalized Hearing Aid Solutions
• FAQs
• What To Expect at a Hearing Aid
Fitting
• Choose from Among the Various
Styles of Prescription Hearing Aids
– Here you will see a variety of styles
and how they differ.
• Our Experts Answer Your Questions:
This is Dr. Segev’s blog where she
answers questions related to hearing.
By visiting the site, you will start to
understand what’s involved in purchasing hearing aids. There are a lot of details
involved. The benefit of working with a
Doctor of Audiology is that you will get
hearing aids that help your specific type
of hearing loss.
Hearing Aid Choices
Continued on page 14
