We all enjoy a good bargain. But when it has to do with your health, be careful what you buy and pay attention to the little details.
The terms “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” might seem similar but they are actually very different devices. And making the wrong selection could have important implications for your hearing and your general health.
What is a hearing amplifier?
A hearing amplifier is a small device that, when placed in your ear, raises the volume of the sounds around you. These are usually quite 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.
These devices are generally not recommended for people with moderate to severe hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all approach.
Clear difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers
It begins to become pretty apparent 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. Obviously, hearing aids are recommended for individuals who cope with hearing loss.
Both kinds of devices can raise the volume of external sound. The main difference between the two devices is how sophisticated that amplification is.
- Hearing aids are specifically manufactured to help you comprehend speech. In part, that’s due to the uneven way hearing loss progresses, but it’s also because communication is such an essential function of your hearing. As a result, hearing aid makers have invested monumental resources into improving the clarity of speech above all else. In order to make sure voices can be heard clearly even in a noisy room, state-of-the-art technology and algorithms are bundled inside of modern hearing aids.
- Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can tune in to it. The acoustics of any given space will change depending on a long list of variables. These adjustments can even happen automatically with some modern hearing aids. Other models can be tuned using a smartphone or a dedicated device. By making small adjustments to the settings of your hearing aid, you’re able to hear better in a wider variety of environments, meaning there will be fewer places you want to avoid.
- With hearing aids, only select frequencies of sound are boosted. That’s because people normally lose their hearing one frequency at a time. Frequencies at the higher and lower end of the spectrum are commonly the first to go. Instead of making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. This selective approach is a lot more beneficial for people with hearing loss.
To put it bluntly, properly managing hearing loss depends on these capabilities. Usually, personal amplifiers don’t have these features.
The best deal for your ears
Along with a diminished ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also lead to mental decline. With amplifiers, you’re very likely to do more harm to your hearing as the device doesn’t differentiate frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe volumes. And that’s not good for anyone.
Currently, the only approved treatments for hearing loss, if it’s not a result of earwax, are certain surgeries and hearing aids. You won’t save any money long term by neglecting to get treatment for your hearing loss. Neglected hearing loss has been demonstrated to increase your overall healthcare costs over 40%. The good news is, there are budget friendly options. We can help.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077