We all enjoy a good bargain. But when it involves your health, be careful what you purchase and pay attention to the small details.
The names “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” might seem similar but they are actually completely different devices. And your overall hearing and health could suffer serious consequences if you make the wrong choice about this.
Hearing amplifiers
A hearing amplifier is a small device that, when put in your ear, increases the volume of the sounds around you. Technically categorized as personal sound amplification products by the government, these gadgets tend to be fairly simple and one-dimensional. A hearing amplifier is like turning the volume of the world up.
These devices are usually not suggested for people with moderate to significant hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all approach.
Clear difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers
Once people learn that hearing amplifiers are not recommended for individuals with even moderate hearing loss, the differences between the two devices start to become pretty plain. Hearing aids, obviously, are encouraged for individuals who suffer from hearing loss.
Both types of devices can raise the volume of external sound. The biggest difference between the two devices is how cutting edge that amplification is.
- Hearing aids are made to identify and magnify certain wavelengths of sound. That’s because people tend to lose their hearing one wavelength at a time. Either high-frequency sounds or low-frequency sounds commonly fade first. Hearing aids work to fill in the gaps in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. This selective strategy is far more beneficial for individuals who suffer from hearing loss.
- Hearing aids are specifically designed to help you comprehend speech. Because communication is so central in our lives and also because of the irregular way hearing loss progresses, this is an essential function. So this function has been prioritized by hearing aid manufacturers who have put substantial resources into enhancing it. In order to make sure voices come through clearly even in a noisy room, state-of-the-art technology and algorithms are packed inside of modern hearing aids.
- Hearing aids can be calibrated for your environment. The acoustics of any given place will change depending on a list of factors. These adjustments can even be made automatically with some modern hearing aids. Other models can be adjusted with a smartphone or a dedicated device. You will avoid fewer locations because you will be capable of hearing better in a wider variety of settings as your hearing aids make minute adjustments.
To put it bluntly, correctly managing hearing loss depends on these features. Usually, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.
Finding the best solution at an affordable price
Along with a decreased ability to hear, neglected hearing loss can also lead to mental decline. Because amplifiers don’t differentiate between frequencies, if you turn them up enough to hear what you’re missing, you’ll likely have it up too loud for other frequencies….and do additional damage. And that’s not good for anybody.
Unless your hearing loss is from earwax, hearing aids and some surgeries are the only approved treatments for hearing loss right now. Ignoring hearing loss and bypassing treatment doesn’t save you money in the long run. Overall healthcare costs have been shown to increase by over 40% with untreated hearing loss. The good news is, there are affordable options. We can help.
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References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077