The numbers don’t lie: at some point in your life, you’re more than likely going to require a hearing aid. A quarter of all people between 60 and 75, according to an NIDCD report, have loss of hearing and for individuals over 75 this figure increases to 50%. The best method to fight age-related hearing loss is to wear a hearing aid, but how can you be sure which model is the right one for you? Hearing aids at one time had problems such as vulnerability to water damage and unwanted background noise but modern day hearing aids have solved these types of issues. But to make certain your choice of hearing aid is right for you, there are still things you need to consider.
Directionality is a Crucial Feature
Directionality is one essential feature you should look for, which has the ability to keep background noise down while focusing in on noise you want to hear like conversations. One, or both, of two directionality systems are functioning inside most hearing aids, they either focus in on sound directly in front of you, or they focus on sound produced by different speakers and sometimes do both.
Will Your Hearing Aid Interact With Your Phone?
As a country, we’re addicted to our phones. 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 kind of cell phone, you likely still have a land-line. So, when you’re trying out different hearing aids, you will want to see how they connect to your phone. How does it sound? Are you capable of discerning voices precisely? Does it feel comfortable? Are there any Bluetooth connectivity options available? When shopping for new hearing aids, you need to consider all of these.
What is The Probability You Would Actually Wear it?
As mentioned above, hearing aid development has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past few years. One of those advances has been the size and shape of hearing aids, which have moved towards the smaller and more comfortable path. Still, there are always going to be some trade-offs. It depends 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. You can get a hearing aid that fits right into your ear canal and is all but 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 end of the spectrum, a behind the ear hearing aid is bigger and might be more obvious, but often have more directionality functions and provide more options for sound amplification.
What Type of Background Sound Will You be Exposed to?
Wind interference has been an overwhelming difficulty for hearing aid users ever 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 nuts. you live in a windy place or if you’re an outdoor kind of person so you’ll want to control wind noises with your hearing aid decision so that conversations are free from that aggravating wind howl. Searching for more information about how to choose the right hearing aid? Get in touch with us.