Who doesn’t love finding a good bargain? But you should be careful and be aware of little details when it comes to your health.

We know, it’s confusing, the names are rather similar, but hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are not equivalent. And making the wrong choice could have significant ramifications for your hearing and your general health.

Hearing amplifiers

A hearing amplifier is a small device that, when put in your ear, raises the volume of the sounds around you. These are usually very simple, one-dimensional devices which the government categorizes as personal sound amplification devices. A hearing amplifier is like turning the volume of the world up.

Because of their one-size-fits-all strategy, hearing amplifiers are not appropriate for individuals who have moderate to significant hearing loss.

Hearing amplifier aren’t hearing aids

It starts to become pretty apparent that hearing aids are not the same as hearing amplification devices when you consider that amplifiers are not recommended for people with even moderate hearing loss. Of course, hearing aids are appropriate for people who cope with hearing loss.

Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers have the ability to increase volumes. But one of these devices has a much higher level of amplification technology and sophistication.

• Selecting and amplifying speech is one of the main functions of a hearing aid. To some extent, that’s the result of the irregular way hearing loss develops, but it’s also because communication is such an important function of your hearing. So this function has been prioritized by hearing aid producers who have put significant resources into improving it. There are state-of-the-art algorithms and processes working inside of hearing aids to make sure that, even in a crowded and noisy room, voices come through loud and clear.
• With hearing aids, only specific frequencies of sound are boosted. That’s because people often lose their hearing one frequency at a time. Frequencies at the higher and lower end of the spectrum are commonly the first to go. Rather than making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. For individuals who have hearing loss, this selective approach is more effective.
• Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can calibrate to it. There are a number of factors that will influence the exact acoustics of a space. Some hearing aids can fine tune to these changes automatically. Others can be adjusted using a smartphone or a dedicated device. You will avoid fewer places because you will be able to hear better in a wider variety of settings as your hearing aids make little adjustments.

Simply put, these capabilities are crucial elements of properly managing hearing loss. In most cases, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.

Finding the best option at an affordable price

Neglected hearing loss can contribute to cognitive decline, along with increasingly diminished ability to hear. With amplifiers, you’re very likely to do more damage to your hearing as the device doesn’t differentiate frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe volumes. And that isn’t good for anyone.

Currently, the only recommended treatments for hearing loss, if it isn’t a result of earwax, are some surgeries and hearing aids. Neglecting hearing loss and avoiding treatment doesn’t save you money ultimately. Overall healthcare costs have been shown to increase by more than 40% with untreated hearing loss. The good news is, there are affordable options. We can help.

Call Today to Set Up an Appointment

References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077