We all love a good bargain. But when it comes to your health, be careful what you purchase and pay attention to the little details.
We know, it’s confusing, the names are very similar, but hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are not the same. And your general hearing and health could suffer serious consequences if you make the wrong decision about this.
Hearing amplifiers
A small device that goes inside of your ear, a hearing amplifier raises the volume of external sound. These are usually quite simple, one-dimensional devices which the government classifies as personal sound amplification devices. A hearing amplifier is like cranking the volume of the world up.
Because of their one-size-fits-all strategy, hearing amplifiers are not appropriate for individuals who have moderate to significant hearing loss.
Distinct difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers
Once consumers learn that hearing amplifiers aren’t suggested for individuals with even moderate hearing loss, the differences between the two devices begin to become pretty stark. Hearing aids, obviously, are recommended for those who suffer from hearing loss.
Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers make things louder. But one of these devices has a much higher degree of amplification technology and sophistication.
- Hearing aids can be tuned to your environment. There are a number of variables that will affect the specific acoustics of a space. These adjustments can even be made automatically with some modern hearing aids. A dedicated device or smartphone can calibrate hearing aids that don’t do it automatically. You will avoid fewer places because you will be capable of hearing better in a wider variety of places as your hearing aids make little adjustments.
- Hearing aids are designed to select and boost specific wavelengths of sound. Because hearing loss frequently progresses frequency by frequency. Frequencies at the higher and lower end of the scale are commonly the first to go. Hearing aids work to fill in the holes in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. This selective strategy is a lot more beneficial for individuals with hearing loss.
- Picking out and amplifying speech is one of the main functions of a hearing aid. In part, that’s due to the irregular way hearing loss progresses, but it’s also because communication is such a fundamental function of your hearing. Because of this, hearing aid makers have invested monumental resources into maximizing the clarity of speech above all else. In order to make certain voices can be heard clearly even in a crowded room, advanced technology and algorithms are packed inside of modern hearing aids.
To put it bluntly, correctly treating hearing loss depends on these features. And these are attributes that are not present in most personal hearing amplifiers.
The best deal for your ears
Along with a diminished ability to hear, neglected hearing loss can also lead to mental decline. Because amplifiers don’t distinguish between frequencies, if you raise the volume enough to hear what you’re missing, you’ll probably have it up too loud for other wavelengths….and damage your hearing further. And that isn’t good for anybody.
Unless your hearing loss is from earwax, hearing aids and certain surgeries are the only approved treatment options for hearing loss at this time. Dismissing hearing loss and avoiding treatment doesn’t save you money long term. General healthcare costs have been shown to increase by over 40% with neglected hearing loss. 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