Hearing problem is common health issue from which huge population is suffering from all around the world. The common causes of hearing problems include buildup of earwax with time, ear infection, loss of hearing because of exposure to loud noise and loss of hearing due to old age. In few cases excessive use of antibiotics may also cause hearing loss problems.
Even though it is not a disease, usually people suffering from other illness tend to get this problem and the severity varies from person to person. Hearing aids are today 100% natural, safe and practical solution to treat this hearing loss problem. It can be incorporated easily in to the normal life.
Binaural hearing aid, behind-the-ear hearing device, canal hearing device, in-the-ear hearing aid and the list continues! With dozens and dozens of brands to select from, how can a senior buy the best for him/ herself!
Well, the first suggestion is do not go alone. Very frequently, seniors are wooed by a pushy sales agent who boxes up a costly hearing aid they’ve in store for a very long time. Team up with a professional audiologist who can hold a full-fledged hearing analysis, determining the kind and degree of hearing loss you have and then suggest a good hearing aid for you.
Knowing about the Technology
The technology of hearing aids is improving constantly and new products are being launched from time to time. In order to acknowledge what you loved ones require, you know about the basic functioning of a hearing device:
Basically, it has three parts- speaker, amplifier and microphone. It receives sounds via the microphone which converts the sound waves into electronic signals and transfers them to amplifier. Simultaneously, the amplifier enhances the signal power and sends it to the ear via the speaker. You can program a hearing device on a computer to personalize the amplification according to your hearing loss
Take a look at some of the recent advancements in hearing technology which you may talk to your audiologists before getting one:
Open fit devices– A normal complain amongst people with hearing issues is that they hear distractions when they put the aid like echo while they talk or their chewing noise. The open fit devices fit behind the ear with just a wire and a small loudspeaker going inside the ear.
Technical feedback reduction– The hearing devices today come with nice feedback reduction to lower another hearing aid issue i.e. whistling noise.
Adapts automatically– This technique changes the working of hearing aids when the user moves from one location to another. It discovers sounds surpassing a specific level of loudness, and then adjusts automatically to lower down the amplification. For instance, in a silent area, the volume level rises. In a noisy place, the directional mics will start.
Bluetooth compatibility– The user no longer needs to hold their smartphones to their ears. When a call comes, you can use your hearing aids to answer it.