Hearing Aids – Why You Need Them
Almost 50 million Americans suffer hearing loss problems, and this has drastically affected many lives. This is quite shocking, and this number continues to grow on a daily basis. Many people don’t even know that hearing aids can solve their problems while many others shy away from the expense of purchasing the device, chalking it up as ‘expensive.’ These groups of people, however, are not aware that inexpensive hearing aids can be purchased at reputable online stores.
A hearing aid is a miniature electronic device that you can wear behind or in your ear. Its job is to magnify or amplify sound to that the individual with hearing loss problems cannot only listen but communicate as well as participate fully in any activity. It doesn’t matter whether you are in a noisy or quiet area: hearing aids can help you hear sounds loud and clear.
A hearing aid is made of three components: a microphone, a speaker, and an amplifier. The device receives sound via the microphone, and the sound waves are converted to electric signals. These signals are then transmitted to an amplifier which increases the power of the electrical signals. The amplifier goes ahead to send the messages to your ear through the speaker.
Hearing aids are used primarily to improve hearing as well as the speech comprehension of individuals who are having hearing loss problems. Hearing loss occurs when the tiny sensory cells in the inner ear – known as hair cells – become damaged. Known as a sensorineural hearing loss, it usually occurs because of aging, disease or injury from noise or some particular medicines.
The greater the damage to the hair cells, the more severe the hearing loss problem is, and to make up the difference, the amplifier embedded in the hearing aid will need to be intensified. Of course, there are limitations to the amount of amplification that must be put in place in a hearing aid.
The hearing aid that will be ideal for depends – to a very great extent – on the severity and kind of your hearing loss issue. It also depends on whether one ear is affected or both ears. If the latter is the case, then you will need two hearing aids so that your brain can receive a more natural signal. Hearing with both ears – using hearing aids – also help you not only to understand speech but will also assist you in locating where the sound is originating from.
Therefore, your audiologist will help you to select the hearing aid that will be suitable for you and your lifestyle. One of the most talked-about issues about hearing aids is the price. This is understandable and should be a key consideration since the cost of hearing aids range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Features and styles also affect cost, but it is crucial that you don’t use price to determine the best hearing aid that will work for you. Just because one or a pair of hearing aids is more expensive than another does not imply that it will be the best for you. There are lots of inexpensive hearing aids on the market today that may even be more suitable for your lifestyle than their expensive counterparts.
It is important to note, however, that a hearing aid will not bring back your healthy hearing. But with practice, your hearing aid will help to increase your responsiveness to sounds as well as your sources. You may need to wear your hearing aids all the time, so go for one that will be convenient for you and also easy to use.
But research has shown that a lot of individuals don’t even know why they need a hearing aid. If you are not sure, then take note of the following signs that will indicate your need for a hearing aid:
When everyone around you seems to be mumbling – The human hearing is in several pitches – low, medium, and high pitch. If your hearing loss is found within the high pitch range, speech becomes unclear and anyone that talks to you appears to be mumbling all the time.
Although you hear people talking, you can’t seem to understand what they are saying – Hearing another person speak to you does not equal understanding what they are saying. A majority of hearing loss problems occur in the high pitch range. What you should know is that consonants and vowels don’t sound the same way and for people with the ‘high pitch’ hearing loss problem, they hear the vowel sounds from people talking to them. But the consonants, which are the softer parts of words, are not easy to pick up by people with hearing loss problems. This is why you probably hear people when they speak to you, but find it difficult to comprehend what they are saying.
People around you mention that you are having trouble with your hearing – Your friends are among the first set of people to recognize that you are having issues with your hearing since they are always struggling to communicate with you. You find it difficult to understand them. Normally, you don’t get to notice the sounds you cannot hear until another person points them out. So paying more attention to what your family or friends say about your hearing loss problem will point out whether you need to visit an audiologist or not.
When you always say ‘What?’ or ‘I beg your pardon?’ – If you find yourself having to make people repeat what they say or saying ‘What?’ all the time, then you may be suffering from hearing loss.
Are you above 65 years of age? – It is a known fact that people who are at least 65 years of age and above develop hearing loss problems. Research has shown that about 33% of people who are 65 years and above suffer hearing loss problems. Of course, age alone does not guarantee that you will have hearing loss issues.
If you have been experiencing these symptoms or signs, then you may have hearing loss problems. You don’t need to wait until your hearing loss problem becomes acute and you lose your hearing altogether.
Century Hearing Aids offer inexpensive hearing aids that work for anyone who has problems with their hearing.