Trusted Lifetime Hearing Care
Butte, Colusa, & Glenn County

I like to say, it takes three things for someone to have a satisfactory experience with hearing technology: the specialist that is working for you, the appropriate technology for your hearing loss, and the prescription (settings) programmed to that technology. Any one of these variables being out of sync can lead to frustration and disappointment.

Have you ever wondered at your annual hearing test why no one tests your abilities while wearing the device? How do you know if the prescription and subsequent adjustments are truly the best hearing your technology can offer? In other words, “is it just me…or are these adjustments just not hitting the mark?” The answer, in part, is a test offered by Up State Hearing Instruments known as Real Ear Measurement.

Real Ear Measurement (REM) is: the measure of SPL (Sound) across all frequencies within an open ear canal; with the addition of an acoustic tip (dome, earmold, etc); and with the current settings of your aid compared to a standard target based on your hearing loss.

REM records what is actually happening in your ear. For example, your daughter is getting married and she has picked the perfect song to serenade her groom to during the reception. Without doing a sound check of the acoustics in the high-ceiling ballroom, they may not realize that the song is inaudible to half of the guests standing in the back.

Performing REM is our sound check. It is a means of verifying that what we have prescribed via the programming software is synchronous to your actual experience. REM can help identify gaps in the prescription that need to be addressed, maximizing the efficiency of your device so you get the most out of the technology.

Some sources state that programming hearing aids using this verification process, is or should be “The Gold Standard,” for hearing aid fitting. However, meeting the target of your prescription is sometimes easier said than done. Perhaps you are incredibly sensitive to amplification, and need to adapt and increase slowly, over time? Sometimes what the algorithm thinks you need, is not something you are necessarily ready for. Therefore, REM is a remarkable tool in the belt of the providers you trust. A tool, most efficiently used in conjunction with their own intimate knowledge of your hearing loss, lifestyle, and personal needs.

The practice of REM is quick and painless. A small mic probe is inserted in the canal parallel to your hearing aid speaker in your ear canal (for behind the ear hearing devices). Recordings of various speech sounds (usually soft, medium, and loud speech) is played through a large speaker directly in front of you. The mic probe receives the speech signal just like the mics on your hearing aids. Then, your specialist can see just how much low, medium, or loud speech is getting through and whether the amount is sufficiently “to target” for your hearing loss.

As a loyal patient of Up State Hearing, we encourage you to book an appointment for yourself, family members, or friends who may be struggling with their current pair of aids and let us know you want the Real Ear experience.