Do you have trouble having conversations on the phone, turn up the volume on the TV much more than your family likes and have trouble communicating with the staff at Laurel? If so, it may be time for a hearing aid.
Hearing aids come in a vast variety of styles with many possible features from a number of different manufacturers. Because of this, it can make the selection process overwhelming. Fortunately, you have access to the expertise of an audiologist.
Below we review the steps for choosing the right hearing aid for your lifestyle with the help of an audiologist.
Visit an Audiologist
Audiologists are trained and licensed to conduct hearing tests, recommend hearing aids and program them to the exact specification of your hearing loss.
The first step to getting a hearing aid is to schedule a hearing test. The most common hearing tests that are conducted for adults are pure tone tests, where you sit in a sound booth while an audiologist plays tones for you to indicate what you can hear, and speech tests, which are similar except words instead of tones are played.
The results of your hearing test are then plotted on an audiogram, a visual representation of your hearing loss. Your audiologist will review these results with you.
Choosing a Style
There are many styles of hearing aids available, including:
- Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aids
- Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids
- In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids
- In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids
- Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
- Mini BTEs
- Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) hearing aids
- Open fit hearing aids
Different styles are suitable for different types and degrees of hearing loss. While a person with mild hearing loss can wear a small device like an IIC or CIC, people with more severe hearing loss may require the power of a BTE.
Picking Your Features
Today’s hearing aids come with amazing features like:
- Rechargeability
- Telecoils
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Smartphone compatibility
- Automatic programming
- Digital noise reduction
- Artificial intelligence
Your audiologist will discuss your lifestyle with you in order to determine what features you’ll benefit most from. For example, if you’re always on the go, you’d likely want a pair of rechargeable hearing aids; if you spend a lot of time outdoors, then a hearing aid with wind reduction would be ideal.
For more information about the hearing aid selection process or to schedule an appointment with an expert audiologist, call The Hearing & Balance Center today.