How-Hearing-Aids-Can-Change-Your-Life

How Hearing Aids Can Change Your Life

In Hearing Aids by Bary E. Williams Au.D.

People of all ages can be impacted by hearing loss and, in turn, hearing aids are of great benefit to people of all ages. There is so much information online about hearing aids, how they work, their benefits, and, of course, their drawbacks. The cost of hearing aids is of course a big factor in selecting the right hearing aid for you—and cost can be a big hindrance, as they can be very expensive and sometimes insurance does not cover them. There are other factors to consider when thinking about hearing aids as well, including what styles that are appealing and what kind of battery power will best suit your hearing needs.

Wading through this information is super critical, however, if you want to get a better sense of how hearing aids can change your life. It is important to know all of the options that are available to you. Doing so will help you to make an informed decision about maintaining your best hearing health.

Hearing Aid Styles

There are multiple different styles of hearing aids. Some hearing aids that fit inside of your ear canal, like Invisible-in-Canal (IIC) and Completely-in-Canal (CIC) styles. Hearing aids that fit inside of your ear canal are typically small and have smaller batteries and are great for people with moderate hearing loss. They are also great for people who want a discrete device.

Larger hearing aids often fall in the In-the-Ear (ITE) category, and they sit in your ear bowl (the recess of your ear). These hearing aids are great for people with severe hearing loss in part because they have stronger battery power. Some ITE hearing aids also have wireless connectivity and volume control wheels. Behind-the-Ear (BTE), Receiver in the ear (RITE), or receiver in the canal (RIC) devices have component parts that are visible outside of the ear canal: half of the hearing aid device sits behind your ear, and a small, clear, and thin tube connects to a small, soft earbud that is inserted inside of your ear canal. In these devices, the microphone that captures outside sounds is in a different place than the receiver, and they have very little feedback and fewer problems with occlusion.

Listening Features with Hearing Aids

While hearing aids will not restore your hearing, they are important for maintaining the hearing you do have. With a hearing aid that helps you to capture more complex sounds, you will likely confidence in all of the hearing scenarios you participate in every day. These include one-on-one conversations with loved ones, group conversations in environments with lots of competing noise, or simply engaging with coworkers at a meeting.

Hearing aids improve your quality of life in other ways, especially as new and advanced hearing aids have technological developments that allow you to wear them almost anywhere and for long periods of time. Hearing aid companies have developed machine learning technologies that allow your devices to recognize your own voice, meaning that hearing aid users will experience next to know auditory occlusion that oftentimes results as hearing aids struggle to process the user’s voice as well as a distinctly other voice. Devices capable of machine learning ensure that the more the user uses the hearing aid the hearing aid device will learn and adapt to the user’s preferences. These devices will not only remember the user’s listening preferences and apply them when encountering similar environments, but it will more rapidly analyze any given soundscape and be able to prioritize certain sounds more accurately.

It seems that nearly every hearing aid can claim better battery capabilities, uses rechargeable batteries, and/or has more wide-ranging WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. They come with apps that transmit sound directly from cell phones, televisions, and other devices directly to the hearing aid, getting hearing aid users directly to the source of the sounds they want to be immersed in. New technologies have resulted in hearing aids that can endure the sweat of people who like to exercise, and that can withstand water, making it so that hearing aid users don’t have to fumble taking their devices out when washing or swimming.

At the same time, selecting the right hearing aid will also help you to simply enjoy things that you do every day in life, like watching television at home without having to raise the volume to levels that may uncomfortable to loved ones. Whatever your needs are, selecting the right hearing aid will make sure that your life only changes for the better.

Exceptional Hearing Care

Have you experienced changes in your hearing? Are you in the market for a new pair of hearing aids? At Exceptional Hearing Care, we are excited to share the latest in hearing aid technology with you. Contact us today to learn more!

Bary E. Williams Au.D.
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