Who doesn’t enjoy getting a good bargain? But when it has to do with your health, be careful what you buy and pay attention to the little details.
We know, it can be confusing, the names are rather similar, but hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are not identical. And your overall hearing and health could suffer serious consequences if you make the wrong decision about this.
Hearing amplifiers
A hearing amplifier is a little device that, when placed in your ear, raises the volume of the sounds around you. Technically classified as personal sound amplification products by the government, these gadgets tend to be quite basic and one-dimensional. A hearing amplifier is like turning the volume up on the world.
These devices are generally not suggested for people with moderate to significant hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all approach.
Hearing amplifier are not hearing aids
It begins to become pretty apparent that hearing aids aren’t the same as hearing amplification devices when you consider that amplifiers are not recommended for people with even moderate hearing loss. Of course, hearing aids are appropriate for people who cope with hearing loss.
Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers make things louder. The biggest difference between the two devices is how sophisticated that amplification is.
- Hearing aids are specifically designed to help you hear speech. Because communication is so central in our lives and also because of the irregular way hearing loss develops, this is an important function. As a result, hearing aid makers have invested monumental resources into improving the clarity of speech above all else. In order to make certain voices come through clearly even in a noisy room, advanced technology and algorithms are packed inside of modern hearing aids.
- Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can tune in to it. The acoustics of any given place will change depending on a lengthy 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. You will avoid fewer locations because you will be capable of hearing better in a wider variety of places as your hearing aids make little adjustments.
- Hearing aids are made to select and boost certain wavelengths of sound. Because hearing loss usually advances frequency by frequency. Either high-frequency sounds or low-frequency sounds generally vanish first. Hearing aids work to fill in the holes in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. For individuals who have hearing loss, this selective approach is more effective.
Bottom line, these features are vital components of effectively treating hearing loss. In most cases, personal amplifiers don’t have these features.
Finding the best option at an affordable price
Along with a diminished ability to hear, neglected hearing loss can also lead to cognitive decline. Because amplifiers don’t differentiate between frequencies, if you raise the volume enough to hear what you’re missing, you’ll probably have it up too loud for other wavelengths….and damage your hearing further. And who needs to do that?
Unless your hearing loss is being caused by earwax, hearing aids and certain surgeries are the only approved treatments for hearing loss right now. You won’t save any money in the long run by neglecting to get treatment for your hearing loss. General healthcare costs have been found to increase by over 40% with neglected hearing loss. Luckily, there are affordable solutions. We can help.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077