We all love a good bargain. But you should be careful and be aware of little details in regards to your health.

The terms “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” may seem similar but they are actually completely different devices. And making the wrong choice could have significant implications for your hearing and your overall health.

Hearing amplifiers

A hearing amplifier is a little device that, when placed in your ear, raises the volume of the sounds around you. These are usually really simple, one-dimensional devices which the government categorizes as personal sound amplification devices. The volume of the world is essentially turned up.

These devices are typically not recommended for people with moderate to significant hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all approach.

Clear difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers

Once consumers learn that hearing amplifiers aren’t suggested for individuals with even moderate hearing loss, the differences between the two devices begin to become pretty plain. Hearing aids, obviously, are encouraged for people with hearing loss.

Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers make things louder. The primary difference between the two devices is how cutting edge that amplification is.

• Hearing aids are specifically manufactured to help you hear speech. To some extent, that’s as a consequence of the irregular way hearing loss develops, but it’s also because communication is such an essential function of your hearing. Because of this, hearing aid manufacturers have invested monumental resources into maximizing the clarity of speech above everything else. There are state-of-the-art algorithms and processes working inside of hearing aids to make sure that, even in a crowded and noisy place, voices come through loud and clear.
• Hearing aids are designed to select and boost certain wavelengths of sound. Because hearing loss usually advances frequency by frequency. Frequencies at the higher and lower end of the spectrum are usually the first to go. Instead of making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. This selective approach is far more beneficial for individuals with hearing loss.
• Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can calibrate to it. The acoustics of any given place will change depending on a long list of factors. These adjustments can even happen automatically with some modern hearing aids. Others can be adjusted with a smartphone or a dedicated device. By making small adjustments to the settings of your hearing aid, you’re capable of hearing better in a wider variety of settings, meaning there will be fewer locations you wish to avoid.

To put it bluntly, properly treating hearing loss depends on these features. And these are attributes that are not present in the majority of personal hearing amplifiers.

Finding the best solution at an affordable price

Untreated hearing loss can cause cognitive decline, not to mention increasingly diminished ability to hear. With amplifiers, you’re likely to do more harm to your hearing as the device doesn’t distinguish frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe levels. And that isn’t good for anyone.

Unless your hearing loss is being caused by earwax, hearing aids and some surgeries are the only approved treatment options for hearing loss at this time. You won’t save any money long term by failing to get treatment for your hearing loss. Overall healthcare costs have been found to increase by more than 40% with untreated hearing loss. Luckily, there are affordable options. We can help.

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References

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