Who doesn’t love finding a good bargain? But you should be careful and be aware of small details when it comes to your health.
The terms “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” may seem similar but they are actually completely different devices. And making the wrong selection could have significant implications for your hearing and your overall health.
Hearing amplifiers
A hearing amplifier is a little device that, when put in your ear, raises the volume of the sounds around you. These are usually very simple, one-dimensional devices which the government categorizes as personal sound amplification devices. The volume of the world is essentially turned up.
Because of their one-size-fits-all approach, hearing amplifiers are not recommended for people who have moderate to extensive hearing loss.
Hearing amplifier are not hearing aids
It begins to become pretty obvious that hearing aids are not the same as hearing amplification devices when you consider that amplifiers are not recommended for people with even moderate hearing loss. Obviously, hearing aids are recommended for individuals who cope with hearing loss.
Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers have the ability to increase volumes. But one of these devices has a much higher level of amplification technology and sophistication.
- Picking out and amplifying speech is one of the primary features of a hearing aid. Because communication is so essential in our lives and also because of the irregular way hearing loss progresses, this is an essential function. As a result, hearing aid makers have invested significant resources into enhancing the clarity of speech above everything else. There are sophisticated algorithms and processes working within hearing aids to make sure that, even in a crowded and noisy place, voices come through clearly.
- Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can calibrate to it. The acoustics of any given space will change depending on a long list of factors. These adjustments can even be made automatically with some modern hearing aids. Other models can be calibrated using a smartphone or a dedicated device. By making small adjustments to the settings of your hearing aid, you’re capable of hearing better in a wider variety of environments, meaning there will be fewer places you want to avoid.
- With hearing aids, only select frequencies of sound are boosted. Because hearing loss normally advances wavelength by wavelength. Either high-frequency sounds or low-frequency sounds typically vanish first. Instead of making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. For individuals who have hearing loss, this selective approach is more effective.
To put it bluntly, correctly treating hearing loss depends on these features. Usually, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.
Finding the best option at an affordable price
Along with a diminished ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also result in cognitive decline. Because amplifiers don’t distinguish between frequencies, if you turn them up enough to hear what you’re missing, you’ll probably have it up too loud for other wavelengths….and do additional damage. And that isn’t good for anyone.
Currently, the only recommended treatments for hearing loss, if it isn’t caused by earwax, are some surgeries and hearing aids. Neglecting hearing loss and avoiding treatment doesn’t save you money long term. Untreated hearing loss has been shown to increase your overall healthcare costs over 40%. Luckily, there are affordable options. Just ask us.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077