The Correct Process of Choosing The Right Hearing Aid
There are four types of hearing loss: conductive (outer and/or middle ear damage or blockage); Sensorineural (hair cells of the inner ear or nerve pathways that connect to the brain are damaged); and Mixed (both Conductive and Sensorineural). Fourth, is Auditory Neuropathy/Dyssynchrony Spectrum Disorder (ANSD). ANSD means although the inner ear (cochlea) receives sounds normally, the signals leaving the cochlea are disorganized, or the nerve processes sound abnormal.
While surgery can correct some types of hearing loss, hearing aids might still be required to help improve hearing.
A test is done to determine what type of hearing loss a person might have. An audiologist will perform this test using sound volumes and pitches to one ear at a time.
Bring all your medical records with you for the audiologist to review. More importantly, if you become ill before your appointment, cancel the test and reschedule. Some illnesses, such as the common cold, can risk the hearing test not being accurate.
If the results of a hearing test conclude there is a need for a hearing aid, a person should determine his or her priorities in terms of choosing the correct hearing aid. Priorities include being able to adjust the microphone on the hearing aid. Some people may work in an environment where the sound volume changes constantly.
In this situation, wearing a hearing aid that can easily be adjusted is very important. The placement of the hearing aid is important in terms of the fit. Some people may need an in the ITC (in the canal) device, where a person can put a workout on his or her head without fear of moving their hearing aid.
Proper fitting of a hearing aid, especially for children and growing teenagers, is crucial to ensuring the device functions on the highest standard it was designed for. Being able to replace parts on the device should be important to any user. Parts should be replaced or adjusted in terms of the right size and fit to ensure the least amount of feedback, which is a whistling sound that comes out of the ear when the device does not fit properly.
When choosing a hearing aid, make sure you research costs and fees the manufacture charges. One such fee is reprogramming adjustment charges. Reprogramming adjustments are necessary when the sound quality or amplification settings on the hearing aid are not meeting the needs of the owner. Some manufacturers offer lifetime warranties for reprogramming adjustments.
Read and review all manufacturer warranties, with respect to their return policy due to repairs needed from defects of the hearing aid. Some companies actually offer subscriptions. For a monthly fee, the hearing aid can be protected from damage and loss. Some subscriptions also offer unlimited checkups and cleanings and even some offer one-time replacements of the device for free.
Some companies will allow the potential owner to wear a temporary device in order to test the hearing aid for a certain amount of time before committing to a purchase.
