You may have seen the infomercials on TV touting that once you put on one of these bluetooth looking contraptions, you can “hear somebody whispering from across the room”. They claim that you will be hearing the birds again and listening to television at a low volume. All this and more for under $20! Don’t be fooled by these claims.
These ads are not for hearing aids. They are for “amplifiers” and cheap ones at that. The difference between a hearing aid and an amplifier is that an amplifier amplifies all sound, while a hearing aid will amplify only certain ranges of sound.
The most common form of hearing loss is high frequency hearing loss, also known as age related hearing loss. This type of loss effects the high ranges of sound. If you fall into this category then you probably have problems understanding speech in the presence of background noise. Imagine being in a crowded restaurant with loud background sounds. If you suffer from high frequency hearing loss then you are probably having a hard time carrying on a conversation at your table because of the background interference. Now imagine putting on one of those amplifiers sold on TV. Sure, the conversation got louder, but so did the background noise!
Open fit hearing aids were introduced a few years back to help people that suffer from high frequency hearing loss. The vented “open ear” design allows ambient sounds to pass through your ear canal, while simultaneously giving you a boost of high frequency sounds. The idea is to allow you to hear the sounds that you don’t have a problem with naturally, while amplifying the sounds that you are having trouble with, resulting in balanced hearing. Our most popular open fit hearing aid is the Rosebud Digital Open Fit. It is currently on sale for just $299.
Oh an by the way, unlike what those TV ads say, a hearing instrument isn’t supposed to give you super human hearing powers so you can listen to whispering across the room. They are supposed to correct your hearing deficiencies, resulting in as normal hearing as can be obtained. Be smart and stay away from those As Seen On TV amplifiers!
As always, discuss your hearing problems with your physician and save a small fortune by buying your hearing aids online.