We have been blessed by five senses in our body that enables us to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Each one of these senses is a blessing in every way and they help us to function effectively. Unfortunately, some people do not have one or more of these senses. They are either disabled by birth or lose it at some point later in life due to various reasons such as medical complications, side effects of surgeries or even accidents. Regardless of the reason behind these disabilities, the common point is that they are unable to function like a normal person.
Imagine you suffer from hearing impairment and are unable to listen to a loved one talking to you, or you cannot work or study because of the communication barrier. That is how disability has an impact on your life.
However, thanks to science and technologies, we now have medical and technological solutions for people with disabilities, that allow them to overcome their problem and function like a normal person. One of the most revolutionary inventions in the medical industry were hearing aids.
These devices were designed to facilitate people with hearing impairment and allowing them to hear sounds and communicate effectively. Earlier, there were only standard basic hearing aids, which had their own limitation. However, with time, there have been improvements and now hearing aids are available in different variations.
In order to achieve the purpose of your communication effectively, it is important that you buy the right hearing device. Here are a few things that you should understand and remember when buying hearing aids.
Table of Contents
Hearing Tests
The most basic thing that you need to understand is that you cannot simply go and purchase a hearing aid, the day you realize your child cannot hear. Hearing impairment does not necessarily mean that your child or you can hear nothing.
Sound travels in the form of waves at a certain frequency and strikes your ears to enable you to hear it. Some people who have 100% hearing loss are unable to hear at all, while some can only hear sounds at a certain pitch or frequency.
Some people overhear or under hear the sounds. The way sound signals reach a person may vary from person to person and hence the nature of their disability may vary. It is important that your hearing aid is set to target exactly the type of hearing issue that you are dealing with, and this can only be figured out by a proper hearing test.
An ENT or hearing technician will perform a hearing test to assess your brains responsiveness to different sounds and their frequencies to evaluate exactly what type of hearing aid do you require.
Programmability
Once you have your hearing test results, your next purchase criteria should be to check the programmability of the hearing device. You are not always exposed to the same level of sound pitches constantly. You will be exposed to a different level of sounds at a public place, while the sound dynamics in your bedroom or at your home would be different.
Ideally, your hearing aid should have the capability to readjust the sound settings according to your surroundings and circumstances and such that it facilitates your particular type of hearing impairment. Some hearing aids also come with pre-programmed settings. Your hearing technician should be able to guide you about the most appropriate hearing device for your needs.
Noise Control
A hearing aid helps you to catch sounds from your surroundings and enhances your hearing ability. However, it would be very frustrating for you to hear annoying beeps and background noises along with the sounds you are trying to catch. It really distorts the communication process and makes it futile to have a hearing aid. Therefore, go for devices that offer better noise reductions.
Handling, Safety, and Maintenance
Hearing aids are expensive devices. Many times, the users of hearing aids include young kids, toddlers and old people. If the device is supposed to be in use by someone who is not able to take care of safety maintenance protocols, you need to go for products with most user-friendly and child-friendly features. You would not want your 4-year-old to nibble the tiny batteries of the hearing aid or break the device while playing with it.
Other Features
Telecoils and wireless connectivity are some of the more advanced features that are available in hearing devices. Telecoils allow you to communicate smoothly over telephones while wireless connectivity allows connecting your hearing device with your smartphone. These features are very effective for people who work.
