by Tim Plunkett
Recently I had the unexpected opportunity to compare wearing two pair of hearing aids (same brand, model, and technology level), with my exact same prescription programing. The only difference – one pair was fitted using Real Ear Measurement (REM), and the other was not. Was there a difference? Yes, and it was huge!
I was diagnosed with bilateral high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss, and associated tinnitus, at a young age. I did a good job of managing this over the years. People were often shocked when I told them I had significant hearing loss, because it was not apparent in our conversations. My brain did a fairly decent job of adapting and compensating. Even doctors who looked at my audiogram could not believe I was not using hearing aids.
As I got older my hearing loss was getting harder to ignore. While I was very careful to protect my ears from loud noise, try as I might, I could not get Father Time to back off. In addition to the practical day-to-day reasons for addressing hearing loss, there was mounting evidence that hearing loss could contribute to cognitive decline.
Getting Hearing Aids
Last year I finally decided to take the plunge and get hearing aids. The decision was the easy part. The first hard question was, who would I see to make it happen? As a former clinical laboratory scientist, with an extensive medical background, and a current data scientist for our marketing agency, accurate information is very important to me as part of any decision making process. And so the research began.
It was pretty clear early on in my research that it was best to see an audiologist, rather than a certified hearing aid dispenser. No offense to the hearing aid dispensers out there, but if I was going to do this, I needed top-level experience and education at my table. I know me, and I always bring a lot of questions and interest to the process, so an audiologist was the best choice for me. Next came the even harder question, which audiologist? Who should I see?
During my research I came across Dr. Cliff Olson’s YouTube channel. It provided a wealth of information that was practical and logical. This was the first time I heard about REM. The concept made perfect sense to me. Through Dr. Cliff’s network, I found my audiologist, Dr. Amit Gosalia and his team at West Valley Hearing Center.
Interestingly, as I was doing further research on hearing aids and the fitting process in preparation for my first visit with Dr. Gosalia, I noticed there seemed to be some controversy over whether REM was truly needed for proper hearing aid fitting. I found this debate fascinating. Why would someone not want the best fit possible, and an optimum hearing aid experience? There did not seem to be any logical reason NOT to perform REM. It seemed like a no-brainer to me.
Fast forward, I got my hearing aids and Dr. Gosalia did a masterful job of programming them. I could hear things that I could not hear before. It was just great – they were so comfortable and natural, I often forgot I was wearing them.
Several months into wearing my hearing aids, one of them developed an intermittent mechanical glitch. Dr. Gosalia sent them back for replacement, and generously offered me a brand-new loaner pair of the exact same hearing aid, to which he uploaded my exact same prescription program. REM was not done for me with the loaner pair, and that made perfect sense – I only needed them for a short time and they seemed to work quite well in the office initially.
It was later that evening, and into the next day, that the benefit of REM presented itself. In my real-world environment my hearing experience was not as comfortable as before. Some sounds were too loud, some too soft, some not as clear. Things just seemed off.
Now don’t get me wrong, I was very grateful to have them. I did not know how bad my hearing really was until I started wearing hearing aids, so having these got me through the day, but it was not the same ultra-comfortable experience I had previously. Dr. Gosalia had fine-tuned my previous pair to perfection. I easily wore them 12-14 hours a day. Not so with the loaner pair. As helpful as they were, I took them off when I was not in a meeting or engaged in direct conversation.
Fortunately, my replacement pair arrived in timely fashion, and Dr. Gosalia did all the appropriate programming, including REM. Ah, my blissful hearing experience had returned.
As we discussed my experience, Dr. Gosalia explained that REM allowed for the precise matching of my hearing prescription to my ears, by correcting for inherent variables. These variables included slight differences in actual manufacturing tolerances with the devices themselves, and the size of my ear canals. It made a huge difference for me.
As I mentioned earlier, I initially found the debate over REM fascinating. After I experienced the difference for myself, I found this debate disappointing. How could anyone argue against such a powerful tool to help their patients?
I am thankful to Dr. Cliff Olson for my introductory hearing aid education, and sending me down the right path, and very grateful for Dr. Amit Gosalia, and the amazing team at West Valley Hearing Center, for making the magic happen. I decided to share my story in the hope that it may help others out there on a similar journey. While the path to good hearing may seem confusing at times, rest assured, there are wonderfully incredible professionals out there to help guide the way.
Tim Plunkett is a copywriter, marketing consultant and data scientist based in Los Angeles. He is the co-owner of an agency specializing in Internet business development, management, and marketing. A former medical professional, his areas of expertise include medicine, health, science and technology.
