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Finding the Right Hearing Solution*
Choosing the Right Hearing Instruments
Before choosing a hearing aid there are a number of factors to consider.
Most of these depend on the specific characteristics of your hearing loss,
while others are more personal.
Either way, your hearing care professional will be able to recommend a
solution and help you make the right choice.
Three Physical Factors
- The Degree of Your Hearing Loss
Your hearing care professional will examine you to determine the exact
degree and type of your hearing loss. If, for example, you have a severe
hearing loss, a Behind-the-Ear (BTE) instrument might be the most appropriate
choice, as it can provide more powerful amplification.
- The Anatomy
of Your Ear
The space inside our ears varies from person to person. Most ears
are big enough for In-the-Ear hearing aids, but may not always be
large enough to accommodate the smallest types that fit deep into
the ear canal.
- Do You Need Two Hearing Instruments?
Two ears are always better than one, so if you have a hearing loss
in both ears, you should consider wearing two hearing aids. Not because
they make things twice as loud, but because-by mimicking the natural
hearing process-they give you a better sense of where the sound is
coming from. They also make it easier to understand what people are
saying in noisy surroundings. Compared to one instrument, the overall
sound quality and comfort from two is usually better.
For more information please read “Better Hearing with Both Ears”.
Five Personal Factors
When selecting hearing aids, you should also consider your own personal
needs.
- Communication Needs
Take some time to think about the situations where
you would like to improve your hearing. When and where do you need extra
help? What are your requirements at work and at home and what are your
favorite leisure activities-including the ones you’ve stopped doing
because of communication problems?
If you clearly define these requirements, your
hearing care professional will be able to help you find an appropriate
solution.
- Handling
The smaller the instrument, the smaller the controls and batteries.
So if your eyes are not what they used to be, or your fingers cannot
cope with adjusting small controls, you will find larger instruments
easier to handle.
- Cosmetics
Hearing aids are available in a wide variety of sizes and colors to
suit your own personal taste. You may want something discreet like
an In-the-Canal style, or a Behind-the-Ear model in a color which
closely matches your hair or skin tone.
Many children prefer to wear brightly colored Behind-the-Ear instruments.
Either way, your hearing care professional can help you find the style
that suits you best.
- Price
Better hearing means a better quality of life, so it should be viewed
as an investment in yourself and your health. No matter what your budget
is, you should be able to find hearing aids that meet your personal
requirements.
Hearing aids come in different price ranges, and medical
insurance plans have varying policies for coverage of hearing care
as a health benefit. Some insurance plans cover part of the diagnostic
testing, but currently only few plans cover the full cost of the instruments.
So remember to explore all the options together with your hearing care
professional before making your final decision.
- Sound Quality
Technology is everywhere today, helping to solve
people’s problems.
It certainly has improved the size and performance of hearing aids.
Some
of the most sophisticated instruments today are digital, running on powerful
computer microchips to provide the best possible sound quality.