Health and Fitness Help

When you are considering a hearing aid purchase, there are a number of things to examine. Determining your level of hearing loss is the first thing you’ll need to study. You’ll need to get a hearing exam from an audiologist. When you know your level of hearing loss, you’ll be able to determine which kind of hearing aid will be best suited to you. Depending on which style you select, there will be lots of different features. And, as with everything in life, price will be something you’ll need to keep an eye on. Hearing aids can run from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand.

According to information from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 28 million people in the US who have some loss of hearing. Degree of hearing refers to the severeness of loss. Anyone who posesses ordinary hearing hears sounds covering the entire hearing spectrum – an individual with hearing will only hear some sounds or maybe even no sound at all. When testing someone’s hearing, sound is measured in decibels (dB). Unilateral hearing loss is a loss in just one ear – bilateral refers to loss of hearing in both ears. When you need to define your scope of hearing loss, you can use these guidelines:

Mild = Fifteen to Forty dB

Moderate – 40 to 60 dB

Severe = Sixty to Ninety dB

Profound – over 90 dB

Behind-the-Ear Open Fit (BTE) hearing aids tend to be the most versatile, offer the most features, and cover the widest scope of loss of hearing. BTE’s are barely noticeable – most people will never know you wear them. BTE’s can be with with an earmold to provide an even greater range of hearing, but this type is also the most detectable. BTE’s with earmolds are also susceptible to wax and should be cleaned regularly.

In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing aids offer room for many features without the ‘plugged up’ feeling smaller models often have. ITE’s are easy to see though, and call for regular wax cleaning.

A less visible type of hearing aid is the ITC, or In-the-Canal. Wax buildup can be a problem, so ITC’s need routine cleaning, and short battery life can be an concern.

If you need a VERY small hearing aid, you’ll want a Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) – the smallest hearing aid type. Routine cleaning is necessary and the small size can make them difficult to handle.

It’s possible to purchase hearing aids in either analog or digital. Digital aids are usually more expensive, and other features such as bluetooth increase prices.

An exciting new type of product available to those with hearing disablement is the Personal Listening Device. PLD’s are for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, are constructed from hearing aid industry components, and vary in cost from $200 to $500.

Once you decided your hearing needs, the features you are looking for, and how much you are willing to pay, there are many brands to choose from such as Phonak, Oticon, and ReSound, and each has various models. I trust this article will provide you some perceptiveness into beginning your hunt for superior hearing.