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Loss in hearing can be quite debilitating. It can affect your work, relationships and also your emotional health.
With proper hearing aids, you can experience a positive change in your hearing, particularly if you choose the right hearing aids.
Are you looking for good quality hearing aids?
Want to know how to choose the right one?
Here is a complete guide that explains all information you need to know about hearing aids before you buy them.
Hearing aid denotes an electronic device which you wear behind or in your ear.
The device is very small but is capable of turning sounds louder so a person who has hearing loss will be able to
The hearing device is designed to assist people hear in noisy and quiet situations. Unfortunately of the people who would find the hearing aid beneficial, only one in five use it.
There is a difference between hearing aids and hearing amplifiers. Please consult your audiologist or one of our expert before purchasing hearing devices.
Parts of a hearing aid
Hearing aid is basically made of three parts namely:
Sound is received through the hearing aid via the microphone. The microphone converts the sound waves into electric signals. The signals are then passed on to the amplifier. The amplifier boosts the electric signals and passes them to the ear via the receiver or speaker.
The main purpose of using a hearing aid is to improve hearing of the person and understand speech better. It is useful in people with hearing loss due to damage caused to hair cells, which are tiny sensory cells present in the inner ear. The loss of hearing in this way is termed as sensorineural loss of hearing. This damage can be caused by aging, disease, medications or from noise.
Hearing aids typically work by magnifying sound vibrations that enter the ear. The hair cells that are present identify the larger sound vibrations and change the vibrations to neural signals, which are sent to the brain.
If the hair cell damage in a person is severe, the loss of hearing will be more and the person will need more amplification in the hearing aid to compensate for the difference.
But there are limits to the extent of amplification that can be done to hearing aids. If the damage to inner ear is severe, vibrations of larger magnitude will not be converted as neural signals. Using a hearing aid in such a situation is ineffective.
Here are the steps to show how hearing aids function in general. This is the mechanism in most hearing aids even if the outcome requires to be customized according to the person wearing the device.
Your audiology professional will test your hearing and discuss on the hearing aid types that would work for you. The hearing aid is chosen based on the extent of hearing loss and also on the specific lifestyle needs of a person. For hearing loss in both ears, you need two hearing aid devices as one is not adequate.
Hearing aids differ in their function based on their electronic components
There are two main electronics used in hearing aids namely
Analog hearing aids are designed to alter sound waves to electrical signals. The signals are then amplified.
Analog hearing aids are adjustable devices tailored to suit the specific needs of the user. The manufacturer programs the hearing device based on the recommendations provided by the audiologist.
The analog type of hearing aids is programmable with multiple settings or program features. The program can be done by an audiologist with the help of a computer. The user too can alter the program for different types of listening situations such as a noisy restaurant, huge open spaces or a quiet room.
The analog circuitry design is applicable in all hearing aid types. These are usually not as expensive as the digital hearing aids.
Digital form of hearing aids alters sound waves to numerical codes. This is identical to binary code use in a computer after which the codes are amplified.
As the code has information related the loudness or pitch of a sound, it can be programmed specifically for amplifying certain frequency ranges more than the rest.
An audiologist can have better flexibility in customizing a digital hearing aid based on the specific needs of a user and also program it to specific listening environments.
It is also possible to program these aids to concentrate on sounds emerging from a particular direction. Just like analog type, digital circuitry is usable in all hearing aid types.
To choose a hearing aid that is right for you, there are two important considerations namely the type of hearing loss you have and its severity.
If hearing loss is present in both ears, you will need to use hearing aids for both ears. This helps in providing proper signal to your brain. Furthermore, hearing with both ears is necessary for better speech recognition and location of the direction from which a sound originates.
The best way to choose the right hearing aid for you is to consult with your audiologist and find a device that suits your specific lifestyle and needs best.
Price of the hearing aid is a big influence as the cost ranges from a few hundred dollars to as high as several thousands. The cost is affected by factors like style and the features present. But an expensive model need not be the right one for you, so price should not feature prominently when you shop for a hearing aid.
And remember that hearing aid is just a device to assist and does not restore your hearing. However with time your hearing aid can increase your response to sounds and the sources they originate from. To enable this, you have to wear the device regularly. Hence it is very important that the device you choose is easy and convenient to use.
Other factors to consider include
This type of hearing aid, as the name suggests, is worn behind your ear. It has a case made of hard plastic which is connected to an earmold also made of plastic, which is designed to fit in the outer part of your ear.
The plastic case present behind the ear has all the electronic parts. Sound passes from the hearing aid via the ear mold into the inner ear.
BTE hearing aids are for people with hearing loss ranging from mild level to profound loss and are suitable for people of any age group.
Open fit is a new BTE hearing aid. It is small and fits compactly behind your ear. Only a very slim tube is placed inside ear canal opening up the canal permanently.
This type of hearing aid is ideal for people who have ear wax build-up, which can damage hearing aids. Furthermore many people prefer the open fit hearing aids as the sound perception when using this device is not plugged up but clearer.
This hearing aid style is designed to fit compactly in the outer ear. It is ideal for people experiencing minor to severe loss of hearing. The electronic components are present inside a plastic case.
In some cases, the in the ear devices for hearing loss have additional features such as telecoil. The telecoil is nothing but a tiny coil with magnetic properties. It allows the user to intercept sound via the hearing aid’s circuitry instead of the microphone. This feature allows for better telephone conversations.
Telecoil feature also assists in better hearing in public places, which have induction loop arrangements which are specialized sound systems. Such systems are present in schools, churches, auditoriums and airports.
In the ear hearing aids are not suitable for young children as the casings have to be changed frequently with ear growth.
Such devices, as the names imply, fit inside the ear canal. These are designed to fit snugly inside ear canal based on the shape and size of the canal.
Completely in canal aids are fully hidden inside the canal. The two types namely ITC and CIC are used for mild, moderate and moderately severe loss of hearing.
Due to their miniature size, many people find it difficult to remove, adjust or place the aids in the canal. Further canal aids do not have sufficient space for additional devices like telecoil or even for the batteries.
And the in the canal types are not suitable for young children as well as for people with profound loss of hearing as the small size restricts the power of the device and the volume.
Often compared to mini sized computers, hearing aids are infused with advanced technology. Their small size and the technology used in the hearing aids make them quite expensive. The prices start from $1000 to as high as $4000 for a single hearing aid. The cost differences are based on the features present, the size of the aid and personalization done in it.
If you find the cost too expensive, you can look for hearing healthcare services that offer financing which allows you to pay for the cost over a longer span.
Financing via third parties is also an option to consider
The state vocational rehabilitation system offers financial assistance in some states
Some states have advantage plans that cover the initial cost of purchase and consultation fees
Discounted prices on the device, consultation and batteries can be availed through the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)
Eligible veterans can make use of the Veteran Administration offer of free consultation, purchase and also follow ups.
You can consult with your audiologist to find out about the total cost and the services that the cost includes.
In most cases, the after care and professional services are part of the hearing aid costs quoted by private audiologists. The price therefore may differ based on the services offered by the hearing healthcare professionals. Know about the services you will be eligible for once you start using the hearing aid.
For the hearing aid to work for you, it should be able to provide sufficient amplification. In case you have profound or severe loss of hearing, you should pick a device that has the capability of higher amplification or sound levels.
During each hearing assessment, your speech capability in noise should be tested. If you score well on the amplified sound test, using a hearing aid can assist you in noisy surroundings.
To know which features are important for you, you should consult with your hearing healthcare professional. You will be able to find out your listening objectives and needs and the specific features that you will need for better hearing.
If you lead an active lifestyle you will need a hearing aid that has advanced technological features. For people who are often present in complex listening situations, sophisticated technology is the only choice for better hearing.
Quality hearing care professional
If your hearing professional does not follow best practices, you will not receive the appropriate ear measurement tests. This will result in selection of hearing aids that will not suit your specific needs in spite of the devices being of superior quality and expensive.
Always remember that the options open to you are best explained by your hearing healthcare professional.
Also you should consider whether the hearing devices that you are getting come with bluetooth, which enables you to pair your devices to other bluetooth enabled devices and if they are rechargable:
Bluetooth hearing aids help you to connect wirelessly to devices like computer, TV, Smartphone etc. The Bluetooth technology allows streaming of audio of HD quality to your hearing device. Bluetooth hearing aids deliver superior sound quality so you will not have to hear the annoying whistling sound that occurs when sounds are over amplified or not tuned properly.
With Bluetooth hearing aids, you get several benefits like
Rechargeablehearing aids eliminate the hassle of frequently changing batteries. The hearing aids use lithium ion batteries that are rechargeable and are built-in in the hearing aid.
Further the lithium ion battery can provide about 24 hours of continuous hearing with a single charge. It has 40% higher power when compared to the traditional rechargeable batteries.
And the charging takes just 3 hours. If needed, you can also charge the battery for just 30 minutes, which will give you about 6 hours of performance.
And the smart charging options present with hearing aids like Phonak allow you to use the batteries without worrying about the power draining.
If you face difficulty in hearing and feel that you can benefit using a hearing aid device, the first step is to set up a consultation with your physician.
Your physician can refer you to an audiologist or otolaryngologist. An audiologist is a professional taking care of hearing health. He can identify hearing loss and measure the extent of loss and the type by performing the hearing test.
An otolaryngologist denotes a physician specializing in disorders of ear, nose and throat. The specialist will investigate the cause for your hearing loss. Once hearing loss is diagnosed, your audiologist can contact us. At hearplace, we offer all the latest brands of hearing aids that meet your specific hearing needs and budget.
Where to buy hearing aids online
Buying hearing aids online is easy now than ever before. You can order your hearing aids online at our online store.
For a hearing aid that is customized to meet your specific hearing loss symptoms you can get a free consultation with one of our audiologists and discuss your needs and receive a proper diagnosis. With the audiologist recommendation we can provide a suitable hearing aid from the numerous brands available at our site.
