We all love a good bargain. But you should be careful and be aware of small details in regards to your health.
The names “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” may seem similar but they are actually entirely different devices. And your general hearing and health could suffer serious consequences if you make the wrong choice about this.
Hearing amplifiers
A small device that goes in your ear, a hearing amplifier raises the volume of outside sound. These are usually very simple, one-dimensional devices which the government categorizes as personal sound amplification devices. A hearing amplifier is like turning the volume of the world up.
Because of their one-size-fits-all approach, hearing amplifiers aren’t recommended for individuals who have moderate to extensive hearing loss.
Hearing amplifier aren’t hearing aids
It starts 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. Hearing aids, obviously, are encouraged for those who suffer from hearing loss.
Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers make things louder. The primary difference between the two devices is how sophisticated that amplification is.
- Hearing aids can be calibrated for your environment. The acoustics of any given space will change depending on a list of variables. These adjustments can even happen automatically with some modern hearing aids. Others can be adjusted using a smartphone or a dedicated device. You will avoid fewer places because you will be capable of hearing better in a wider variety of settings as your hearing aids make minute adjustments.
- Picking out and amplifying speech is one of the primary functions of a hearing aid. Because communication is so essential in our lives and also because of the uneven way hearing loss develops, this is an important function. Because of this, hearing aid manufacturers have invested enormous resources into maximizing the clarity of speech above everything else. 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 clearly.
- With hearing aids, only specific wavelengths of sound are amplified. That’s because people often lose their hearing one frequency at a time. Either high-frequency sounds or low-frequency sounds typically disappear first. Hearing aids work to fill in the gaps in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. This selective strategy is far more beneficial for people with hearing loss.
Simply put, these capabilities are vital components of properly managing hearing loss. In most cases, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.
The best deal for your ears
Neglected hearing loss can bring about cognitive decline, along with increasingly diminished hearing abilities. With amplifiers, you’re likely to do more harm to your hearing as the device doesn’t distinguish frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe levels. And that’s not good for anybody.
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 long term by neglecting to get treatment for your hearing loss. General healthcare costs have been found to increase by more than 40% with neglected hearing loss. The good news is, there are affordable options. We can help.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077