The numbers don’t lie: you may need hearing aids eventually. A quarter of all people between 60 and 75, according to an NIDCD report, have hearing loss and for individuals over 75 this number increases to 50%. But how can you be sure which model is right for you when you realize it’s your best opportunity to combat loss of hearing? Advances in technology through the years have fixed some of the issues generally associated with hearing aids, including an excessive amount of background noise and vulnerability to water damage. But to ensure your choice of hearing aid is right for you, there are still things you need to think about.
Look Closely at Directionality
Directionality is one key function you should look for, which is your hearing aid’s ability to focus on the particular noise near you (such as a conversation) while keeping background sound to a minimum. Many hearing aids have different directionality packages, which either focus in on the sound directly in front of you, the sound that’s coming from different speakers, or a combination of those two.
Can You Use it With Your Phone?
It’s become apparent, we’re addicted to our phone as a nation. You probably have some kind of cell phone, either a smartphone or a flip phone. And for those few who don’t actually own a cell phone, you probably still have a land-line. So, how well hearing aid works with your phone is an important concern when you’re looking at hearing aids. How does it sound? Are you capable of discerning voices precisely? Does it feel comfortable? Are there any Bluetooth connection options available? When looking at new hearing aids, you should take into consideration all of these.
What is The Likelihood You Would Actually Wear it?
In the last few years, as mentioned above, the development of hearing aids has vastly improved. One of those advances has been the size and shape of hearing aids, which have moved towards the smaller and more comfortable path. Nevertheless, there are always going to be some trade-offs. A more compact hearing aid may not be as powerful as a bigger one, so it really depends on your hearing professional’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 can sometimes be prone to earwax clogs. On the other hand, better directionality features and more advanced sound amplification choices come with a behind the ear hearing aid though it’s a little larger.
What Type of Background Noise Will You be Exposed to?
One of the leading problems since the advent of hearing aid technology has been wind noise and the havoc it wreaks on wearers. It would have driven anyone nuts to go out on a breezy day and hear nothing but wind. you live in a windy place or if you’re an outdoor kind of person so you’ll want to suppress wind noises with your hearing aid decision so that conversations are free from that frustrating wind howl. Searching for more information about how to choose the correct hearing aid? Get in touch with us.
