Seven Considerations Before you Purchase Hearing Aids
Hearing aid technology continues to advance at a pace second only to the technology that fuels modern space exploration. In thirty years, hearing aid circuits improved from making 3 judgments per second to 500-600 million judgments per second! Processing speed enables the audiologist to simultaneously raise the volume for speech and lower the volume for noise, all with no echo. Faster processors make circuit noise inaudible, amplify the telephone, and selectively reduce sound from the sides and behind you. With all the different styles and features of modern hearing aids, how do you select the device that will best accommodate your particular degree of hearing loss? Below are seven factors to consider before you invest in hearing instruments.
Choosing the right audiologist for you
Improving your hearing is a journey, not just a pick up a product and go. Click here to read more about working with the right audiologist can support you
Your type and degree of hearing loss
For example, if an individual has a high frequency hearing loss with a normal low frequency response, a hearing aid that permits low frequencies to enter the ear normally while allowing only high frequencies to be amplified would be ideal. This is called selective amplification or an open-canal fitting. However, if the individual with this type of hearing loss chooses a hearing aid that totally plugs the ear canal, the effect is often an artificial sound.
As hearing changes, the hearing aid will need to be re-programmed. It is important to select a model of hearing aid the audiologist can adjust should hearing change. If you select a model that is barely within the fitting range and your hearing drops, you will have to buy a new hearing aid.
Your ability or inability to discern speech in noise
Individuals with normal hearing typically can hear even if the background noise is as loud or slightly louder than the target speech. This is also true if the hearing loss is conductive. For people who have a sensorineural hearing loss, the optimal ratio between the loudness of the speech and the loudness of the background noise changes. It is far more difficult to hear in noise with a sensorineural hearing loss.
A normal ratio is 0-4 dB (speech is as loud or 4 dB louder than the noise). You can hear even at Cracker Barrell!
An abnormal ratio is greater than 4 dB. Unfortunately, the ratio for individuals with sensorineural hearing loss can be greater than 15 dB (meaning, if the speech is 15 dB louder than the noise, you can hear with clarity).
Some people with a sensorineural hearing loss require a ratio of 10 dB , others may need only 6 dB, etc. This should be part of the hearing evalatuion and reviewed prior to selecting hearing aid circuits, since all hearing aid circuits vary in the speech to noise ratio improvement.
The takeaway message is: many hearing aids work okay in quiet rooms but do not effectively improve hearing in noisy rooms. Multi-microphone technology, increased number of channels, very fast processing speed all contribute to improved speech understanding in noise. No matter how skilled the audiologist is in programming the hearing aid, the circuit should be matched to the needs of the user or improved hearing in noise cannot occur.
4. Your lifestyle
Do you have cosmetic concerns about wearing hearing aids? Do you prefer to wear a hearing aid that is barely noticeable or nearly invisible?
Do you attend lectures or public speaking engagements in large environments on a frequent basis? Are you a student or regular church attender?
Are you physically active? Do you work outdoors or like to swim, fish, or kayak?
Do you work in a dusty environment? Are you a craftsmen?
Do you play golf frequently or participate in outdoor activities?
Do you have tinnitus?
5. Any physical limitations
Our goal is for you to be as independent as possible in managing your hearing aids. You will need to choose a device that is easy for to to place on and off of your ears. Do you need a rechargeable device? What style is easiest to clean and maintain?
6. Your connectivity goals
Can hearing aids help you hear on the phone and television? Do you want to be able to use your smart phone as a remote control or a hands-free bluetooth headset? Or would you rather have the hearing aid be as automatic as possible and not connect it to a phone? Do you attend classes, events or meetings where wireless remote microphone technology would be helpful? Do you watch a lot of television programs where a TV streamer would be helpful?
7. Your budget
At Appalachian Audiology we strive to make hearing technology affordable and will do our best to help you no matter which level of technology you can afford. We are also participating in several health insurance hearing aid benefit programs which allow greater access to hearing technology. Read more about the costs of hearing aids.
FAQ: Can I get by with one hearing aid? Do I have to purchase two?
Wearing two hearing aids offers several advantages for those who have hearing loss in both ears:
Improved speech understanding, especially in noise
The brain receives auditory input from both ears. As the brain interprets sound, it uses information from both ears to distinguish between noises such as background noise and speech. If the brain receives data from one side and not from another, it can misinterpret what is heard. Research shows that most listeners who wear two hearing aids have an easier time understanding speech in the presence of background noise.
Improved sound localization
Sound localization refers to the ability to determine where a sound originates. Two hearing aids receive sound from both sides of the head and transmit the information to the brain. If the sound signals are always louder through one ear, the brain has more difficulty identifying the source. However, if the brain is able to compare the relative loudness of what is heard, it can more easily and accurately determine the location of the sound.
Improved sound quality
Two hearing aids allow the audiologist to lower the volume for both aids. This promotes the audibility of soft sounds while limiting the distortion of louder sounds. It also promotes a sense of auditory balance, fullness, and clarity.
Reduction in the annoyance of tinnitus
When tinnitus is caused by hearing loss, hearing aids can be used to manage its symptoms. Two hearing aids are more effective than one hearing aid in relieving the annoyance of tinnitus.