Hearing Amplifiers
Hearing Amplifiers: Another Way To Say “Hearing Aid”
If you are hard of hearing, you may have considered the use of hearing amplifiers. This article will discuss the various types of hearing aids and amplifiers designed to help people hear better.
What is a hearing amplifier?
A hearing aid – or hearing amplifier – is a small device, electronic, that is worn by the patient, either behind or in their ear. Its basic function is to amplify certain sounds, allowing the wearer to overcome their hearing loss and participate in life more, by better hearing and communicating in loud or quiet environments.
Hearing amplifiers consist of three basic components:
- The microphone, which picks up sound and turns the sound into electrical signals
- The amplifier, which increases the signal strength and sends the signals to…
- The speaker, which lets the wearer hear them inside their ear
To find out if you would benefit from a hearing amplifier, see your qualified healthcare practitioner, such as a physician; you may be referred to an ear-nose-and-throat specialist, or an audiologist, who will further investigate your hearing loss, or, respectively, measures hearing loss through testing.
Hearing Amplifier Styles
Hearing aids come in three general styles:
- Behind the ear types are made of hard plastic cases which sit behind the ear, connected to a plastic mold sitting in the outer ear. The electronics are found in the part which resides behind the ear. This style is used by all age groups, for varying degrees of hearing loss.
- In the ear types go completely in the ear, and are employed for mild to severe hearing loss. They, too, are made of hard plastic. They may contain telecoils, which allow the wearer to better hear over the phone, or in venues using special amplification systems such as airports and churches.
- Canal hearing aids can fit either in the canal or completely in the ear canal (at which point they are virtually invisible), and are utilized for mild to moderately-severe loss of hearing. While inconspicuous, this form of hearing amplifier is difficult to remove and lacks the power of the other types of hearing aid.
What sort of hearing amplifier is best for me?
This will be determined by the severity and nature of your hearing loss. For example, if you have hearing loss in both ears, you may be advised to use two hearing aids. Consultation with an audiologist should help you choose the hearing amplifier best suited to you. The cost of hearing aids ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars; price needs to be considered, and is affected by style, features and performance. Also, consider the price of replacement parts and warranties.
Hearing amplifiers will not “fix” your hearing loss; however, they can allow patients to function more normally in society, by hearing sounds in their environment, interpreting speech, and speaking clearly. They may also provide safety; in most areas, but especially cities, we use sound as a navigational tool.
Consider the following questions:
- What are the best features for me?
- What is the final cost of the hearing amplifier?
- Are the increased prices of newer technologies worth the money?
- Can I try the hearing aid before committing to buy?
- What is the length of the warranty?
- Can the vendor or audiologist make adjustments or repairs?
- Are instructions provided?