We all enjoy 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’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 major repercussions if you make the wrong decision about this.
What is a hearing amplifier?
A hearing amplifier is a little 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. The volume of the world is essentially turned up.
These devices are generally not suggested for individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all strategy.
Hearing amplifier aren’t hearing aids
It begins to become fairly obvious that hearing aids aren’t the same as hearing amplification devices when you consider that amplifiers are not recommended for people with even moderate hearing loss. Of course, hearing aids are recommended for people who cope with hearing loss.
Both types of devices are capable of raising the volume of outside sound. The main difference between the two devices is how sophisticated that amplification is.
- Hearing aids are designed to pick out and boost certain wavelengths of sound. Because hearing loss often advances frequency by frequency. Wavelengths at the higher and lower end of the scale are generally the first to go. Rather than making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. This selective strategy is far more effective for people with hearing loss.
- Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can calibrate to it. There are a number of variables that will influence the specific acoustics of a space. Some hearing aids can fine tune to these changes automatically. A dedicated device or smartphone can calibrate hearing aids that don’t do it automatically. You will avoid fewer locations because you will be capable of hearing better in a wider variety of places as your hearing aids make minute adjustments.
- Hearing aids are specifically manufactured to help you comprehend speech. Because communication is so central in our lives and also because of the uneven way hearing loss progresses, this is an essential function. Because of this, hearing aid manufacturers have invested monumental resources into enhancing the clarity of speech above all else. There are state-of-the-art algorithms and processes working inside of hearing aids to make sure that, even in a crowded and noisy room, voices come through clearly.
To put it bluntly, correctly managing hearing loss depends on these features. Usually, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.
The best deal for your ears
Along with a diminished ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also result in mental decline. Because amplifiers don’t distinguish between frequencies, if you turn them up enough to hear what you’re missing, you’ll probably have it up too loud for other frequencies….and do additional damage. And who wants to do that?
Right now, the only approved treatments for hearing loss, if it isn’t a result of earwax, are some surgeries and hearing aids. Neglecting hearing loss and bypassing treatment doesn’t save you money ultimately. Overall healthcare costs have been shown to increase by over 40% with neglected hearing loss. Fortunately, there are affordable options. Just ask us.
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References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077