We now have a means of fine-tuning your hearing aids specifically to the pitch and volume of your companion’s voice! The procedure is called Live Speech Mapping, and many of our patients who have reported that they still experience difficulty hearing that one voice that matters most to them (typically their spouse or a close relative) find that it greatly improves their ability to understand critical speech.
How does Live Speech Mapping Work?
A tiny probe microphone is placed in your ear canal along with the hearing device. Then, your spouse or other “familiar voice” reads a paragraph to you. Using this microphone, we are able to measure precisely what sounds your hearing aids are producing at your eardrum and how your current settings are processing the speech of your companion. We can then see on the computer screen exactly where that speech is falling within your audible range, and we will adjust your devices accordingly.
Why is this Important?
Once we know what parts of speech are not being transmitted properly, we can reprogram your hearing system to better balance the speech sounds that you need to hear! It’s a level of customization that few hearing care clinics can match: actually programming your devices to the specific voice you want — and need — to hear every day. If you haven’t experienced Live Speech Mapping and would like to hear the voice of your companion better, we highly recommend scheduling a visit to see how this amazing diagnostic procedure can help you hear even better.