“I like having the opportunity to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives. I’m not selling a device. I’m providing better quality of life.”
"An audiologist diagnoses and treats hearing loss in patients of all ages, from very young to quite old," explains Dr. Treptow. That includes fitting patients with advanced hearing aids. "I'm particularly interested in that side of audiology," he says.
"In the past, hearing aids only had two or three adjustments. Now, a single hearing aid can have 30-40 parameters that can be adjusted. Everything is done digitally and programmed through a computer. They can adjust gains for loud and soft sounds. They can recognize the difference between speech and background sounds, and can reduce the volume of the background noise to let speech come through. Some have directional microphones, raising the volume of sounds from the direction you are looking in." Not only has technology improved the function of hearing aids, but many hearing aids are now much smaller and discreet to wear.
Fitting patients with custom-molded ear buds and protective devices is another part of Robert's practice. These devices are made for workers in noisy environments as well as hunters. "One model lets hunters hear the sounds of nature around them, but shuts down the volume automatically when the gun goes off," he says.
He and his wife have two children. Together, they enjoy boating, snowboarding, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities.
Robert received his doctor of audiology at A.T. Still University – Arizona School of Health Sciences in Mesa.
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