The numbers don’t lie: at some point in your life, you’re most likely going to need a hearing aid. A study from NIDCD states that around a quarter of all people between the ages of 60 and 75 have some kind of hearing loss, and that number goes up to 50% for people 75 and older. But how can you be sure which hearing aid is correct for you when you recognize it’s your best chance of combating loss of hearing? Breakthroughs in technology in recent times have resolved some of the issues usually associated with hearing aids, such as too much background noise and susceptibility to water damage. But to make sure your choice of hearing aid is right for you, there are still things you need to consider.
Look Closely at Directionality
One critical attribute you need to look for in a hearing aid is directionality, which is the ability for your hearing aid to focus on the particular noise near you (such as a conversation) while keeping background noise to a minimum. One, if not both, of two types of directionality systems are working inside most hearing aids, they either focus in on sound directly in front of you, or they focus on sound coming from different speakers and sometimes do both.
Will Your Hearing Aid Connect With Your Phone?
It’s become obvious, we’re addicted to our cellphone as a nation. Even if you don’t have a smartphone, chances are you have a flip phone. And on the off-chance that you don’t own any type of cell phone, you likely still have a land-line. So, how well hearing aid works with your phone is an essential concern when you’re shopping for hearing aids. How does it sound? Are you capable of discerning voices clearly? Does it feel comfortable? Are there any Bluetooth connectivity options available? When looking at new hearing aids, you should consider all of these.
What is The Likelihood You Would Actually Wear it?
As noted above, hearing aid development has progressed tremendously over the past few years. One of those advances has been the size and shape of hearing aids, which are much smaller nowadays. However, there will always be some trade-offs. It is dependant on what your particular needs are. A smaller hearing aid isn’t as obvious and may fit better but a larger one may be more powerful. The little ones won’t have the features of the larger models and they may get clogged with earwax but they fit inside your ears almost invisibly. On the other side of it, better directionality functions and more advanced sound amplification choices come with a behind the ear hearing aid though it’s a little bit larger.
What Type of Background Noise Will You be Exposed to?
Wind interference has been an extreme problem for hearing aid users since they were invented. Being outside during a windy day with a traditional hearing aid once meant that you couldn’t pick up anything except the wind, which is could drive anyone crazy. you live in a windy area or if you’re an outdoor kind of person so you’ll need to get a hearing aid that suppresses wind noise so you can have conversations at an average volume and steer clear of the headaches that are associated with hearing aid wind noises. Searching for more information about how to select the correct hearing aid? Get in touch with us.