We all enjoy a good bargain. But you need to be careful and be aware of small details when it comes to your health.
We know, it’s confusing, the names are very similar, but hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are not identical. And making the wrong selection could have significant implications for your hearing and your general health.
Hearing amplifiers
A hearing amplifier is a small 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 devices tend to be quite simple and one-dimensional. A hearing amplifier is like cranking the volume of the world up.
These devices are generally not suggested for people with moderate to severe hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all approach.
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. Of course, hearing aids are appropriate for individuals who cope with hearing loss.
Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers make things louder. The biggest difference between the two devices is how cutting edge that amplification is.
- With hearing aids, only specific frequencies of sound are amplified. Because hearing loss usually advances wavelength by wavelength. Either high-frequency sounds or low-frequency sounds commonly fade first. Rather than making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. This selective approach is a lot more effective for individuals who suffer from hearing loss.
- Picking out and amplifying speech is one of the primary functions of a hearing aid. In part, that’s as a consequence of the uneven way hearing loss develops, but it’s also because communication is such a fundamental function of your hearing. Because of this, hearing aid makers have invested enormous resources into enhancing the clarity of speech above all 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 loud and clear.
- 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 variables. Some hearing aids can fine tune to these changes automatically. A dedicated device or smartphone can tune hearing aids that don’t do it automatically. By making small 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 places you want to avoid.
To put it bluntly, properly treating hearing loss depends on these capabilities. Usually, personal amplifiers don’t have these features.
Finding the best option at an affordable price
Along with a diminished ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also result in cognitive decline. With amplifiers, you’re likely to do more damage 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 anyone.
Unless your hearing loss is being caused by earwax, hearing aids and certain surgeries are the only approved treatment options for hearing loss right now. Dismissing hearing loss and bypassing treatment doesn’t save you money long term. Untreated hearing loss has been demonstrated to increase your general healthcare costs over 40%. Fortunately, there are affordable solutions. We can help.
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References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077