The numbers don’t lie: you may require hearing aids someday. A study from NIDCD states that around a quarter of all people from 60 to 75 have some form of hearing loss, and that figure jumps up to 50% for those 75 and older. But how can you be sure which hearing aid is correct for you when you realize it’s your best opportunity to combat hearing loss? Hearing aids at one time had problems including susceptibility to water damage and unwanted background noise but modern day hearing aids have solved these sorts of issues. But there’s still a lot you need to know when choosing a hearing aid to be certain it works with your lifestyle.
Look Closely at Directionality
Directionality is one essential function you should look for, which has the ability to keep background noise to a minimum while focusing in on noise you want to hear including conversations. Many hearing aids have different directionality systems, which either focus in on the sound right in front of you, the sound that’s coming from different speakers, or a combination of those two.
Can You Use it With Your Phone?
It’s become very clear, we’re addicted to our cellphone as a country. You more than likely have some kind of cell phone, either a smartphone or an older style cell phone. And for the few who don’t actually own a cell phone, you most likely still have a land-line. So, when you’re testing different hearing aids, you will want to see how they connect to your phone. What does it sound like? Do voices sound sharp? Does it feel comfortable? Is it Bluetooth Ready? When looking at new hearing aids, you should consider all of these.
Are You Likely to Wear it?
As noted above, hearing aid development has advanced by leaps and bounds over the last few years. One of those advances has been the size and shape of hearing aids, which have trended in the smaller and more comfortable direction. But there are certainly pros and cons. A more compact hearing aid might not be as powerful as a bigger one, so it really depends on your hearing professional’s recommendation and what you need to achieve with your hearing aid. You can get a hearing aid that fits directly into your ear canal and is all but invisible, but it won’t have many of the functions available in larger hearing aids and will be prone to earwax clogs. On the other side of it, a behind the ear hearing aid is bigger and may be more noticeable, but often come with more directionality functions and provide more choices for sound amplification.
What Kind of Background Sound Will You be Exposed to?
One of the most significant issues since the advent of hearing aid technology has been wind noise and the chaos it causes to users. It could have driven anybody insane to go outside on a windy day and hear nothing except the wind. If you’re an outdoors kind of person or you live in a windy area, you’ll want to suppress wind noises with your hearing aid choice so that conversations are free from that irritating wind howl. Educate yourself about the many different hearing aid options available to you. Give us a call.