If you’ve long suffered from hearing loss, then hearing aids are a gift of technology. Now you can finally enjoy what everyone else you do – the gift of sound. With this comes so many other happy effects like listening to music, hearing voices, and even conversing. Life truly becomes better.
But, before these, you’ve first got to go through the process of selecting one. Especially if this is your very first time purchasing a hearing aid, even with the help of a specialist, the options can still be overwhelming. Hearing aids come in all forms, sizes, technology levels, and colors. So, you can’t just barge right into a shop that sells one and picks one at random. Think of this as an investment for a more comfortable life, so all the more that you’ve got to get this right.
To maximize its promising benefits, you’ve got to choose the right hearing aid for you. This article gives you tips on how to successfully achieve this.
Bring A Friend or Family Member
Don’t shop alone. If possible, bring your spouse, a family member, or a friend. Especially when you’re still window shopping and you’re listening to the explanations of each seller as to the hearing aids they have, there must be others listening with you. They can lend you their ears – literally at that when you can’t use yours yet.
Find A Good Provider
A hearing aid is an investment for your future, so you can live comfortably, and provide a solution to your hearing problems. You can’t expect to enjoy its maximum benefits when the quality of your hearing aid is inferior.
Most importantly, remember that throughout the course of using your hearing aid, you’ll be dealing regularly with your hearing aid provider. You wouldn’t want to keep visiting one that’s not friendly and is very difficult to deal with. Moreover, imagine the horror when your device is still under warranty and the shop where you bought it from has already closed!
With such an important device, there’s no room for you to downgrade your standards when looking for a good provider.
Plus, quality stores and providers may even give you ways to save, like a promo and discount code! If you don’t have to pay full price for your hearing aid, why miss out on that offer?
Understand How Hearing Aids Work
Before you decide on using a hearing aid, it’s also very important that you first understand how it works. That way, you can be more convinced about the viability of getting one. Also, when you understand its parts and function, it’ll be easier for you to determine if there’s a problem or not.
For instance, there are some problems with a hearing aid that don’t necessarily need the help of a hearing specialist to fix. Especially for the minor issues, you can do these yourself. But you’ve also got to learn how to identify the bigger problems, that’s a call for you to check first an online hearing test and have it fixed or adjusted by the hearing instrument specialist.
All types of hearing aids work in the same way. It comes with a small microphone that works to collect sounds from the environment. This collected sound is then converted by an amplifier through the computer chip. That way, the signals are sent to your brain, for it to process them. That’s how you’re able to hear!
Match the Features with Your Lifestyle
The advancements in technology have also brought new features in hearing aids today. Some of these features might come in handy for you, while others, you might find unnecessary. The key is to balance the features that you need most, depending on your lifestyle.
For instance, if you’re the type who loves to go out regularly, works in a noisy environment, and fancies loud music, then you’re better off using a hearing aid with the ability to reduce background noise, and enhances speech. If you’re usually just at home and the noise is minimal, then you don’t need to have this feature.
Apart from your lifestyle or hobbies, you should also match the features of your hearing aid with your work environment. Some work environments are noisier than others, so this is something you’ll want to factor in as well.
Choose A Style You Like
Hearing aids don’t have to feel unfashionable. With the right style, some of these are even less visible than others! With so many options to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find one that truly meets your style preferences.
Here are some of the most common styles of hearing aid that are out in the market today:
- Mini CIC or Completely-In-Canal (CIC)This type of hearing aid fits perfectly in the ear canal. This is best used for those who suffer from hearing loss which can be mild to moderate. The advantages of this hearing aid include being the least visible type, the smallest, and less wind noise to pick up.
- In-The-Ear (ITE). Two ways to custom-made this type of hearing aid: one fills up the outer ear, and the other fills the lower part of the ear. This type is best used for patients who suffer from moderate to severe hearing loss. This kind of hearing aid may hold other features that aren’t available in the smaller models, and may also be easier to handle.
- Receiver-In-The-Ear (RITE) or Receiver-In-Canal (RIC). These types are closely similar to the behind-the-ear (BTE) type of hearing aid that have a receiver or speaker sitting on the ear canal. However, rather than using tubing, there’s a tiny wire that connects the piece behind the ear to the receiver or the speaker.
Get Tested
Buying a hearing aid isn’t a decision for you to make by yourself. Before you’ll purchase one, you’ll first need to get tested and assessed by a hearing specialist. That way, a diagnosis can be made whether or not you suffer from mild, moderate, or severe hearing loss. This is needed to narrow down the options of hearing aids you can choose from.
Conclusion
With these tips, now you’re ready to head out shopping for a hearing aid from a trusted specialist. This is a big milestone in your life, so it’s not something for you to take lightly. Take the time to go through the process carefully with ease and with thorough research. That way, you know for certain that your chosen hearing aid is the one that you truly need and prefer. Most importantly, you don’t have to go through this process alone. A hearing specialist will be necessary, not just to help assess your hearing needs and match them with the appropriate device, but also to fine-tune your hearing aid for your benefit and comfort.
