Who doesn’t enjoy finding a good bargain? But when it has to do with your health, be careful what you purchase and pay attention to the small details.
We know, it can be confusing, the names are rather similar, but hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are not equivalent. And making the wrong choice could have important implications for your hearing and your overall health.
Hearing amplifiers
A small device that goes in your ear, a hearing amplifier raises the volume of external sound. Technically classified as personal sound amplification products by the government, these devices tend to be very basic and one-dimensional. The volume of the world is basically turned up.
These devices are usually not suggested for people with moderate to significant hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all strategy.
Hearing amplifier are not hearing aids
It starts to become fairly obvious that hearing aids are not the same as hearing amplification devices when you recognize that amplifiers are not recommended for people with even moderate hearing loss. Of course, hearing aids are appropriate for people with hearing loss.
Both types of devices are capable of raising the volume of outside sound. But one of these devices has a much higher level of amplification technology and sophistication.
- Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can calibrate to it. There are quite a few variables that will impact the specific acoustics of a space. Some hearing aids can fine tune to these changes automatically. Other models can be calibrated with a smartphone or a dedicated device. You will avoid fewer places because you will be able to hear better in a wider variety of places as your hearing aids make minute adjustments.
- With hearing aids, only select frequencies of sound are amplified. Because hearing loss often progresses frequency by frequency. Frequencies at the higher and lower end of the scale are usually the first to go. Hearing aids work to fill in the gaps in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. This selective strategy is far more effective for people who suffer from hearing loss.
- Hearing aids are specifically designed to help you process speech. Because communication is so essential in our lives and also because of the uneven way hearing loss progresses, this is an essential function. So this function has been prioritized by hearing aid makers who have put substantial resources into enhancing it. In order to make sure voices come through clearly even in a noisy room, advanced technology and algorithms are packed inside of modern hearing aids.
To put it bluntly, correctly treating hearing loss depends on these capabilities. And these are qualities that are not present in most personal hearing amplifiers.
Finding the best solution at an affordable price
Along with a diminished ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also result in cognitive decline. With amplifiers, you’re likely to do more damage to your hearing as the device doesn’t distinguish frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe levels. And who wants to do that?
Unless your hearing loss is from earwax, hearing aids and some surgeries are the only authorized treatment options for hearing loss right now. Neglecting hearing loss and bypassing treatment doesn’t save you money ultimately. Overall healthcare costs have been found to increase by over 40% with untreated hearing loss. Fortunately, there are affordable options. We can help.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077