Picture of green piggy bank representing affordable hearing aids and a good deal.

We all enjoy a good bargain. But you need to be careful and be aware of small details in regards to your health.

The terms “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” may seem similar but they are actually completely different devices. And your general hearing and health could suffer major consequences if you make the wrong choice about this.

Hearing amplifiers

A small device that goes inside of your ear, a hearing amplifier increases the volume of external sound. Technically classified as personal sound amplification products by the government, these gadgets tend to be quite simple and one-dimensional. The volume of the world is essentially cranked up.

Because of their one-size-fits-all approach, hearing amplifiers are not recommended for individuals who have moderate to extensive hearing loss.

Hearing amplifier aren’t hearing aids

It begins to become pretty apparent that hearing aids aren’t the same as hearing amplification devices when you consider that amplifiers are not recommended for people with even moderate hearing loss. Obviously, hearing aids are appropriate for individuals who cope with hearing loss.

Both kinds of devices are capable of raising the volume of outside sound. The biggest difference between the two devices is how sophisticated that amplification is.

  • Hearing aids are made to pick out and boost specific wavelengths of sound. Because hearing loss often progresses wavelength by wavelength. Wavelengths at the higher and lower end of the spectrum are generally the first to go. Hearing aids work to fill in the holes in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. This selective approach is far more beneficial for people who suffer from hearing loss.
  • Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can calibrate to it. The acoustics of any given place will change depending on a long list of factors. Some hearing aids can adjust to these changes automatically. A dedicated device or smartphone can calibrate hearing aids that don’t do it automatically. By making minute adjustments to the settings of your hearing aid, you’re able to hear better in a wider variety of environments, meaning there will be fewer places you want to avoid.
  • Selecting and amplifying speech is one of the main functions of a hearing aid. In part, that’s the result of the irregular way hearing loss progresses, but it’s also because communication is such an important function of your hearing. So this function has been prioritized by hearing aid manufacturers who have put considerable resources into enhancing it. In order to make certain voices come through clearly even in a crowded room, advanced technology and algorithms are packed inside of modern hearing aids.

Bottom line, these capabilities are crucial elements of correctly treating hearing loss. In most cases, personal amplifiers don’t have these features.

Finding the best solution at an affordable price

Neglected hearing loss can cause cognitive decline, along with increasingly diminished ability to hear. With amplifiers, you’re likely to do more harm to your hearing as the device doesn’t distinguish frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe levels. And that isn’t good for anybody.

Unless your hearing loss is being caused by earwax, hearing aids and some surgeries are the only authorized treatments for hearing loss at this time. You won’t save any money long term by neglecting to get treatment for your hearing loss. General healthcare costs have been found to increase by more than 40% with untreated hearing loss. The good news is, there are affordable solutions. We can help.

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References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

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