Central Texans with hearing aides are hearing better than ever before -- thanks to brand new technology.
It's called Visible Speech Mapping and it's helping to open up a whole new world of sound.
Maynard Miller has worn hearing aides for about a year.
Today they're being calibrated using new techology.
Miller says, "I discerned a decided difference -- the quality is more natural. We got rid of the synthetic sounds that I was hearing."
The technology is called Visible Speech Mapping and it allows technicians to see what patients hear.
Doctor Melody Martin is the audiologist at Martin Audiology in Waco. She says hearing aids come from the manufacture designed for a standard sized ear. But no ear is the same. That's where Speech Mapping comes in. "The problem with that the prescriptions are not always exactly what they need to be. And with this machine we're better able to customize the instrument -- fine tune to make sure that all the parts of speech are audible to the patient," says Martin.
Without the computer, Martin would have to rely on her patients to tell her what they're hearing. Whether it's too loud or distorted.
But the computer confirms or clarifies what patients say.
It's particularly helpful when fitting children for hearing aides since they often times don't know what they're supposed to hear.
And it can also be used to allow those who have normal hearing to understand what the world sounds like to those who don't.
Martin says, "The patient can better see what they hear and even the spouse or care-giver or loved one can see how that patient heard before their hearing loss and then, with the hearing aide, what parts of speech are restored."
Maynard Miller says Speech Mapping has simply changed his life.
"The Speech Mapping has brought out the fine points in the hearing aides that I was wearing," he says.
For more information on Visible Speech Mapping call Martin Audiology at 772-7253.