Hearing Services of Antioch Frequently Asked Questions

(925) 709-4909
4045 Lone Tree Way, Suite D
Antioch, CA 94531
Sunny Mebrahtu (L) and Mary Jane Garnett are committed to providing quality hearing care.
Q: Why should I get a hearing aid? I don’t think I have hearing loss.
A: "It’s possible you don’t, but you might have hearing loss and not realize it. Typically, it’s your family that first detects a problem—they have to repeat things more often, notice the TV is too loud, or feel like you’re not participating. You might decide to get a hearing aid for your family and friends to make your lives a little bit easier."
Q: How much will a hearing aid cost?
A: "It depends on your impairment and how much technology you’re willing to pay for. It also depends on your lifestyle. If all you care about is sitting at home watching TV, or maybe being able to talk to your husband or wife across the breakfast table, that’s not really a challenging listening environment. But going to meetings, being in a courtroom, or dealing with patients or clients all day—plus being in different sized rooms with different acoustic challenges—might demand something more."
Q: How long do average hearing aids last?
A: "Approximately five years. That will vary depending on the use and hearing situation—if the thresholds or the patient’s medical situation have changed."
Q: Is a hearing aid comfortable?
A: "You’ll have a lot of trouble wearing a hearing aid that isn’t comfortable, because, ideally, you’ll have it in your ear at least 12 hours a day. There are many different choices for comfort. One example is extended-wear hearing aids, like the “Lyric,” that you just insert. They stay deep in the ear canal for three months without needing to be changed—24 hours a day, in the shower, everything.There are also hearing aids that just have little speaker wires going into the ear. The ear stays very open, so the comfort is greater. They’re quite small and discreet, ranging from a virtually invisible unit that’s placed deep in the ear canal to the normal one with the wires. People don’t see them unless you tell them they’re there."
Q: Will I hear perfectly all the time with a hearing aid?
A: "There are environments where hearing aids may be more of a hindrance than a help, but not very often. You’re never going to hear better than somebody who has normal hearing, but a hearing aid can certainly make life easier."