We all love a good bargain. But when it comes to your health, be careful what you purchase and keep your eye on the small details.
We know, it’s confusing, the names are very similar, but hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are not equivalent. And making the wrong selection could have important implications for your hearing and your general health.
What is a hearing amplifier?
A little device that goes inside of your ear, a hearing amplifier raises the volume of external sound. These are generally quite simple, one-dimensional devices which the government classifies as personal sound amplification devices. The volume of the world is basically turned up.
Because of their one-size-fits-all approach, hearing amplifiers aren’t appropriate for people who have moderate to significant hearing loss.
Distinct difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers
It begins to become fairly apparent 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 individuals who cope with hearing loss.
Both kinds of devices are capable of raising the volume of external sound. But one of these devices has a much higher level of amplification technology and sophistication.
- Hearing aids are specifically manufactured to help you process speech. Because communication is so central in our lives and also because of the uneven way hearing loss develops, this is an essential function. So this function has been prioritized by hearing aid producers who have put significant resources into enhancing it. There are state-of-the-art algorithms and processes working inside of hearing aids to make sure that, even in a crowded and noisy place, voices come through loud and clear.
- Hearing aids can be tuned to your environment. There are numerous factors that will impact the specific acoustics of a space. These adjustments can even be made automatically with some modern hearing aids. A dedicated device or smartphone can tune hearing aids that don’t do it automatically. By making minute adjustments to the settings of your hearing aid, you’re able to hear better in a wider variety of settings, meaning there will be fewer locations you want to avoid.
- Hearing aids are made to identify and magnify certain frequencies of sound. Because hearing loss usually advances frequency by frequency. Wavelengths at the higher and lower end of the spectrum are usually the first to go. Hearing aids work to fill in the gaps in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. For people who have hearing loss, this selective approach is more effective.
Simply put, these features are crucial components of effectively managing hearing loss. And these are features that are not present in the majority of personal hearing amplifiers.
Finding the best solution at an affordable price
Untreated hearing loss can cause cognitive decline, not to mention increasingly diminished ability to hear. Because amplifiers don’t distinguish between frequencies, if you raise the volume enough to hear what you’re missing, you’ll likely have it up too loud for other frequencies….and damage your hearing further. And who wants to do that?
Unless your hearing loss is being caused by earwax, hearing aids and some surgeries are the only authorized treatment options for hearing loss at this time. You won’t save any money long term by neglecting to get treatment for your hearing loss. Neglected hearing loss has been shown to increase your overall healthcare costs more than 40 percent. The good news is, there are budget friendly solutions. We can help.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077
