We all enjoy a good bargain. But when it comes to your health, be careful what you purchase and pay attention to the little details.
The names “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” may seem similar but they are actually very different devices. And your overall hearing and health could suffer major repercussions if you make the wrong decision about this.
Hearing amplifiers
A hearing amplifier is a little device that, when placed in your ear, raises the volume of the sounds around you. Technically classified as personal sound amplification products by the government, these devices tend to be very simple and one-dimensional. The volume of the world is essentially turned up.
Because of their one-size-fits-all approach, hearing amplifiers aren’t appropriate for individuals who have moderate to extensive hearing loss.
Hearing amplifier are not hearing aids
Once consumers learn that hearing amplifiers are not recommended for people with even modest hearing loss, the differences between the two devices begin to become rather plain. Hearing aids, obviously, are recommended for individuals who suffer from hearing loss.
Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers have the ability to increase volumes. The primary difference between the two devices is how sophisticated that amplification is.
- Hearing aids are designed to select and boost certain wavelengths of sound. Because hearing loss frequently advances wavelength by wavelength. Frequencies at the higher and lower end of the spectrum are usually the first to go. Rather than making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. For individuals who have hearing loss, this selective approach is more effective.
- Selecting and amplifying speech is one of the main features of a hearing aid. Because communication is so essential in our lives and also because of the irregular way hearing loss progresses, this is an essential function. Because of this, hearing aid makers have invested monumental resources into maximizing the clarity of speech above everything else. There are sophisticated algorithms and processes working within hearing aids to make sure that, even in a crowded and noisy space, voices come through loud and clear.
- Hearing aids can be tuned to your environment. There are numerous factors that will impact the exact acoustics of a space. These adjustments can even be made automatically with some modern hearing aids. Others can be adjusted with a smartphone or a dedicated device. By making small adjustments to the settings of your hearing aid, you’re able to hear better in a wider variety of settings, meaning there will be fewer places you want to avoid.
To put it bluntly, correctly treating hearing loss depends on these capabilities. In most cases, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.
The right deal for your ears
Along with a diminished ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also lead to cognitive decline. Because amplifiers don’t differentiate between frequencies, if you raise the volume enough to hear what you’re missing, you’ll probably have it up too loud for other frequencies….and damage your hearing further. And who needs to do that?
Currently, the only approved treatments for hearing loss, if it isn’t caused by earwax, are certain surgeries and hearing aids. Neglecting hearing loss and bypassing treatment doesn’t save you money ultimately. General healthcare costs have been shown to increase by more than 40% with neglected hearing loss. Luckily, there are affordable solutions. Just ask us.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077