It’s estimated that over 48 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of hearing loss, most of whom are older adults. According to the report, almost a third of people between the ages of 65-74 complain about hearing loss. This number rises by half by the age of 74. Untreated hearing loss is a major national health concern linked with other serious health problems. If you or a loved one is suffering from hearing loss, it’s essential to purchase the best hearing aids that fit your needs. But with so many types and models of hearing aids in the market, how do you choose the best one for you?
Below is a comprehensive guide to help you buy the best hearing aids:
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It’s Programmability
All hearing amplification gadgets aren’t created the same. In fact, there is a significant difference between the cheapest hearing aid and the most expensive. While it may not be practical to purchase the most expensive one, it’s advisable to check the programmability of the hearing aid before buying it.
The type of hearing aids you purchase should be programmed to amplify and enhance sound based on your distinctive hearing loss. Otherwise, you could buy one that amplifies all sounds uniformly. This makes it more challenging to hear speech or separate it from other surrounding noise.
When looking at different hearing aids, ensure you ask the hearing specialist about the programming capabilities. These should include pre-set settings that you can use in different environments and circumstances. For example, you can’t use the same hearing aid setting in a noisy restaurant and at home.
Wireless Connectivity
If you have a smartphone, you should consider purchasing hearing aids that can connect wirelessly to your phone. Wireless connectivity allows you to stream music and pick calls directly to the hearing aid.
This helps you get optimum sound quality without background noise interference. Additionally, you can use your mobile phone as the hearing aids remote control. This way, you can unnoticeably regulate and change the hearing aids’ settings and volume.
The Telecoils
Telecoils are small copper coils or sensors integrated into most modern hearing aids. A telecoil is an essential component of any hearing aid equipment. When activated, they connect to the hearing loop system and allow you to talk on the phone without feedback.
The telecoil picks up magnetic signals from hearing-aid-compatible devices such as public address systems and telephones, then converts this signal into sound. A hearing loop or an induction loop is a wire that circles the telecoil-compatible device and emits the signal that’s picked up by the telecoil in the hearing aid.
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For example, if you are in a cinema or church with an installed hearing loop system, the sound will be directly transmitted to your hearing aid. This improves the clarity and quality of the transmitted sound. Some home theatre systems also have hearing loops for a similar effect.
This technology helps people with moderate to severe hearing loss understand a speaker’s voice. The telecoil makes the sound launder while eliminating most background noise and aftershocks.
Ensure to ask your hearing specialist for more details on the telecoil in your hearing aids. You should also ask for a manual T-switch to help you seamlessly connect to loop systems wherever you are.
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Background Noise Minimization Features
Feedback suppression and background noise reduction help suppress high-pitched whistling sounds. Hearing aids come with microprocessors that help differentiate between low-frequency sounds such as background noise and high-frequency sounds like speech. This microprocessor helps amplify the speech and suppresses all other background noise.
This feature helps minimize feedback and background noise. It’s also helpful when you’re close to the telephone and allows for comfort, venting, and good sound quality for people with good hearing in the lowest pitches.
Today, most modern hearing aids come with this feature. However, its effectiveness varies from one device to another, and you need to validate this with the product you want to purchase.
Directional Microphones
Different people have varying reasons for investing money into hearing aids. However, the primary goal is to hear and comprehend speech from other people. If this is the case for you, ensure you ask about a directional microphone in the device you’re considering.
A hearing aid with a directional microphone has two or more microphones placed at a specified distance from each other on the hearing aid. These microphones receive a sound at different intervals. The contrast in sound arrival time on each microphone affects how the hearing aid reacts and transmits the sound.
Directional microphones help target sounds coming from your front. If the person talking to you is standing in front of you, the hearing aid will easily transmit the speech for you to hear.
Style
Hearing aids come in different styles and sizes. They range from those installed behind the ear to those that completely cover your ear canal. The best hearing aid style for you will depend on your preference.
However, you need to balance functionality, cost, appearance, and ease of use when choosing the right hearing aid styles. You should also seek the advice of a hearing professional when selecting the right hearing aid style. That’s because there are other factors you should consider, including the extent of your hearing loss.
Are You Ready to Buy the Best Hearing Aids?
When choosing the best hearing aids for you, there are many factors to consider. There were only a few styles and models of hearing aid to choose from in the past, making the purchasing process much easier. But thanks to technology, hearing aids now have various features to help with different hearing problems.
Unfortunately, these additional features make it quite challenging to choose the right hearing aid. Therefore, it’s advisable to work closely with a dependable and reputable hearing care expert.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article. You can also read this article about cheap medical alert systems for seniors.
