The numbers don’t lie: you might need hearing aids eventually. A quarter of all people from 60 to 75, according to an NIDCD report, have loss of hearing and for individuals over 75 this number increases to 50%. But how can you be certain which hearing aid is right for you when you realize it’s your best opportunity to combat hearing loss? Developments in technology over the years have fixed some of the problems traditionally connected to hearing aids, including an excessive amount of background noise and vulnerability to water damage. But to make certain your choice of hearing aid is correct for you, there are still things you need to consider.
Look Closely at Directionality
Directionality is one crucial function you should look for, which has the capability of keeping background noise down while focusing in on noise you want to hear such as conversations. One, if not both, of two types of directionality systems are operating inside most hearing aids, they either focus in on sound directly in front of you, or they focus on sound coming from different speakers and sometimes do both.
Can You Use it With Your Phone?
It’s become apparent, we’re addicted to our cellphone as a country. Even if you don’t have a smartphone, chances are you have an old-style cell phone. And on the off-chance that you don’t own any kind of cell phone, you likely still have a land-line. So, how well hearing aid works with your phone is an essential concern when you’re shopping for hearing aids. How does it sound? Are you able to discern voices plainly? Is it Comfortable? Are there any Bluetooth connectivity features available? These are all the things you should consider when looking at new hearing aids.
Are You Likely to Wear it?
As mentioned above, hearing aid technology has progressed by leaps and bounds 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. However, there will always be some trade-offs. A more compact hearing aid might not be as powerful as a bigger one, so it mostly depends on your hearing specialist’s suggestion and what you want to accomplish with your hearing aid. You can get a hearing aid that fits directly 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 end of the spectrum, a behind the ear hearing aid is larger and might be more noticeable, but often come with more directionality features and provide more choices for sound amplification.
What Type of Background Noise Will You be Exposed to?
Wind interference has been an extreme issue for hearing aid users since they were invented. It would have driven anybody nuts to go out on a windy day and hear nothing but the wind. If you’re an outdoors kind of person or you live in a windy place, you’ll need to find a hearing aid that suppresses wind noise so you can carry on conversations at an average volume and steer clear of the headaches that are linked to hearing aid wind noises. Educate yourself about the many hearing aid options available to you. Get in touch with us.