The numbers don’t lie: you may require hearing aids someday. A quarter of all people from 60 to 75, according to an NIDCD report, have loss of hearing and for individuals over 75 this figure increases to 50%. But how can you be certain which model is right for you when you recognize it’s your best chance of combating hearing loss? Hearing aids used to have problems such as vulnerability to water damage and excessive background noise but modern day hearing aids have solved these types of issues. But to ensure your choice of hearing aid is correct for you, there are still things you need to consider.
Directionality is a Key Feature
Directionality is one important feature you should look for, which is your hearing aid’s ability to focus on the specific noise near you (like a discussion) while keeping background sound to a minimum. One, if not both, of two types of directionality systems are working inside most hearing aids, they either focus on sound directly in front of you, or they focus on sound produced by different speakers and sometimes do both.
Can You Use it With Your Phone?
As a country, we’re addicted to our phones. You probably have some type of cell phone, either a smartphone or an older style cell phone. And on the unlikely event that you don’t own any kind of cell phone, you most likely still have a land-line. So, when you’re trying out different hearing aids, you will want to see how they connect to your phone. How does it sound? Are you capable of discerning voices clearly? Does it feel easy to wear? Is it Bluetooth Ready? When looking at new hearing aids, you need to consider all of these.
What is The Probability You Would Actually Use it?
As noted above, hearing aid technology has advanced tremendously over the past few years. One of those advances has been the size and shape of hearing aids, which have moved towards the smaller and more comfortable path. But there are undoubtedly pros and cons. It depends on what your specific needs are. A smaller hearing aid is not as obvious and may fit better but a larger one might be more powerful. You can get a hearing aid that fits right into your ear canal and is basically invisible, but it won’t have many of the features available in larger hearing aids and will be prone to earwax clogs. On the other side of it, better directionality functions and more sophisticated sound amplification options are available with a behind the ear hearing aid though it’s a little larger.
Exposure to Particular Background Sounds
One of the biggest problems since the advent of hearing aid technology has been wind noise and the havoc it causes to wearers. Being outside on a windy day with a traditional hearing aid used to mean that you couldn’t hear anything but the wind, which is enough to drive anyone crazy. you live in a windy area or if you’re an outdoor person so you’ll want to control wind noises with your hearing aid choice so that conversations won’t have that annoying wind howl. Searching for more information about how to pick the right hearing aid? Call us.