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Picture of green piggy bank representing affordable hearing aids and a good deal.

Who doesn’t love finding a good bargain? But when it has to do with your health, be careful what you buy and keep your eye on the small details.

We know, it can be confusing, the names are very similar, but hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are not the same. And making the wrong choice could have significant implications for your hearing and your general health.

What is a hearing amplifier?

A hearing amplifier is a small device that, when put in your ear, increases the volume of the sounds around you. These tend to be very simple, one-dimensional devices which the government categorizes as personal sound amplification devices. A hearing amplifier is like cranking the volume up on the world.

Because of their one-size-fits-all strategy, hearing amplifiers are not appropriate for individuals who have moderate to significant hearing loss.

Clear difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers

Once people learn that hearing amplifiers aren’t suggested for people with even moderate hearing loss, the differences between the two devices begin to become rather plain. Of course, hearing aids are recommended for individuals who cope with hearing loss.

Both types of devices are capable of raising the volume of external sound. The main difference between the two devices is how cutting edge that amplification is.

  • Selecting and amplifying speech is one of the primary functions of a hearing aid. To some extent, that’s as a consequence of the uneven way hearing loss progresses, but it’s also because communication is such a fundamental function of your hearing. So this function has been prioritized by hearing aid makers who have put significant resources into enhancing it. In order to make certain voices can be heard clearly even in a noisy room, sophisticated technology and algorithms are packed inside of modern hearing aids.
  • Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can tune in to it. The acoustics of any given space will change depending on a lengthy list of variables. These adjustments can even happen automatically with some modern hearing aids. Others can be calibrated with a smartphone or a dedicated device. By making small adjustments to the settings of your hearing aid, you’re capable of hearing better in a wider variety of settings, meaning there will be fewer places you want to avoid.
  • Hearing aids are designed to pick out and boost specific frequencies of sound. Because hearing loss normally advances frequency by frequency. Wavelengths at the higher and lower end of the spectrum are commonly the first to go. Hearing aids work to fill in the gaps in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. For people who have hearing loss, this selective approach is more effective.

To put it bluntly, properly treating hearing loss depends on these capabilities. And these are features that are not present in most personal hearing amplifiers.

Finding the best solution at an affordable price

Neglected hearing loss can contribute to cognitive decline, along with increasingly diminished ability to hear. With amplifiers, you’re very likely to do more damage to your hearing as the device doesn’t distinguish frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe levels. And who needs to do that?

Currently, the only approved treatments for hearing loss, if it’s not caused by earwax, are certain surgeries and hearing aids. Neglecting hearing loss and bypassing treatment doesn’t save you money in the long run. Overall healthcare costs have been shown to increase by more than 40% with neglected hearing loss. Luckily, there are affordable options. Just ask us.

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References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.