Hearing Associates of Libertyville, IL

Woman considering buying hearing aids.

The numbers don’t lie: you might require hearing aids eventually. A report from NIDCD states that about a quarter of all individuals between the ages of 60 and 75 have some kind of hearing loss, and that figure goes up to 50% for people 75 and older. The best means to combat age-related loss of hearing is to use a hearing aid, but how can you discover which style is the right one for you? Advancements in technology over the years have fixed some of the problems traditionally associated with hearing aids, including an excessive amount of background noise and susceptibility to water damage. But there’s still a good deal you need to know when deciding on a hearing aid to ensure that it fits your lifestyle.

Directionality is a Crucial Feature

Directionality is one important function you should look for, which has the ability to keep background noise down while focusing in on noise you want to hear including conversations. Many hearing aids have different directionality packages, which either focus in on the sound directly in front of you, the speech that’s coming from different speakers, or a mix of both.

Can You Use it With Your Phone?

It’s become very clear, we’re addicted to our phone as a country. Even if you don’t have a smartphone, chances are you have an old-style cell phone. And on the off-chance that you don’t have any type of cell phone, you most likely still have a land-line. So, the way your hearing aid works with your phone is an essential concern when you’re shopping for hearing aids. What does it sound like? Do voices sound clear? Does it feel easy to wear? Is it Bluetooth Ready? When looking at new hearing aids, you should consider all of these.

Are You Likely to Use it?

As mentioned above, hearing aid technology has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past few years. One of those advances has been the size and shape of hearing aids, which are a great deal smaller nowadays. But there are certainly pros and cons. A smaller hearing aid might not be as powerful as a bigger one, so it mostly depends on your hearing professional’s recommendation and what you want to accomplish with your hearing aid. You can get a hearing aid that fits directly into your ear canal and is all but invisible, but it won’t have many of the functions available in larger hearing aids and will be prone to earwax clogs. On the other side of it, better directionality features and more advanced sound amplification options are available with a behind the ear hearing aid even though it’s a little larger.

What Type of Background Sound Will You be Exposed to?

Wind noise has been an overwhelming difficulty for hearing aid users ever since they were developed. Being outside on a windy day with a traditional hearing aid used to mean that you couldn’t pick up anything except the wind, which is enough to drive anyone nuts. you live in a windy area or if you’re an outdoor person so you’ll need to find a hearing aid that suppresses wind noise so you can carry on conversations at a normal volume and avoid the headaches that are linked to hearing aid wind noises. Educate yourself about the many hearing aid choices available to you. Call us.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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