FAQs
Each individual with hearing loss experiences different hearing challenges and concerns. You likely have your own questions that are not included here. If so, go ahead and call us and one of our expert consultants will be happy to answer your specific question. We will make sure that you get the answers and help you need to find a hearing solution that you feel comfortable with. So, here are a few common questions our team often receives, with our expert answers.
'Excuse' me, 'I am sorry can you repeat yourself', 'What', and others are some things that you have been repeatedly saying, it is time that you get your hearing tested. There can be numerous other symptoms that tell you that you need a hearing aid. The initial symptoms of hearing loss in you or a loved one can be subtle. They typically start slowly. However, these early-warning symptoms can appear quickly and with greater intensity in certain people. It can be frightening and stressful to lose your hearing.
Once you check these symptoms, you need a hearing aid or assistance from a professional audiologist.
When someone is speaking to you, you notice that you pay closer attention to their face or try to read their lips
During interactions, you improperly respond.
You're experiencing ringing in your ears.
You raise the volume on your TV or radio.
People must often clarify what they have spoken to you.
Hearing is a challenge for you in noisy environments. For instance, at shopping centers, gatherings, or eaterie.
Conversations with more than two participants are challenging for you to follow.
You believe that other people's voices are mumbled or muted.
You stop participating in social events that you formerly enjoyed because you can't hear others.
You experience tension as a result of your constant effort to comprehend what other individuals are talking about.
You experience anxiety and trepidation as you attempt to comprehend and hear.
You become irritated with others because you can't hear or comprehend them.
You are self-conscious and reluctant to approach strangers for fear of misinterpreting what they are saying.
The intricate mechanism of hearing involves the ears and finishes with the brain, which receives, stores, and 'decodes' the input into what we can comprehend. The brain unexpectedly recognizes long-forgotten frequencies when hearing aids are added to improve hearing. It takes time, perseverance, and discipline to become used to augmentation. In a sense, you are reprogramming your brain to analyze stimuli, concentrate on some, and reject others, exactly as it did before your hearing was healthy.
Hearing aids operate using a straightforward three-step system. Sound is captured via a mic on the exterior of the hearing aid. These are delivered via an electronic amplifier, which amplifies and clarifies the sound. The signal then emanates from a speaker that faces the user's ear. This is how all hearing aids work on a fundamental level. The majority of contemporary hearing aids have more sophisticated functions, such as settings that lower ambient noise and sensors that can muffle extremely loud abrupt noises. By playing noises at specific frequencies, some hearing aids can even aid in the treatment of tinnitus.
Hearing aids can significantly enhance hearing, but they can never fully replace 'natural' hearing. Everything boils down to how our brain interprets sound. A person with normal hearing can easily pick up on many discussions in a crowded place. While certain cutting-edge hearing aids can assist in tuning into various noises, they cannot do it as precisely as human ears. Some noises, like wind, will always seem a little warped when heard via a hearing aid.Expecting a total cure for your hearing is unrealistic. Although they have some limits, hearing aids can improve hearing. Consider them to be similar to glasses, which can also get foggy or dazzle but, in the end, may help many individuals see much more properly.
According to utilization, hearing aids usually last 3 to 5 years, although a variety of factors can impact how long they last. Do you wear them every day, all day long? Do you reside in an area that is dusty or humid? Do you provide them with good care? Although hearing aids can last longer than five years, many users want to upgrade to more modern models to enhance hearing clarity and general functionality.
Repairing an outdated hearing aid that has beyond its warranty period is frequently more expensive than buying a new one. The desired effect throughout your hearing aids' lifespan will be ensured by cleaning them daily and making regular consultations with your hearing specialist.
Prominent hearing care businesses are seeing an increase in demand for rechargeable hearing aids. These rechargeable batteries must be charged in a dock, commonly so over course of a nighttime period and the majority of them are lithium-ion batteries.
Typically, zinc-air batteries are used as disposables in hearing aids. These turn on once the battery's outer cover is broken off before being inserted into the device. The kind and frequency of use of the gadget affect how long these batteries last.
According to the kind of hearing aid, the charging system and capacity, how frequently the hearing aid would be utilized, and the amount of streaming you do, an average hearing aid cell can range in length from 3 to 22 days.
10 (Size) - 3 to 7 days (Shelf-Life)
312 (Size) - 3 to 10 days (Shelf-Life)
12 (Size) - 6 to 14 days (Shelf-Life)
375 (Size) - 9 to 20 days (Shelf-Life)
When you have hearing problems in both ears, we nearly generally advise getting two hearing aids. The reason is that you will hear much better with two hearing aids than with just one.Despite having just one brain, you have a bidirectional hearing. To put it another way, your ears pick up sound, but it's your part of the cerebral cortex that turns it into audible sound. When both ears are sending data to your brain, it is much simpler.
Every hearing aid will be individually programmed by your audiologist to suit the appropriate degrees of magnification you require in each ear.
Therefore, with two hearing aids in both your ears, you will be able to hear better, comprehend better, and have a better life.
You will notice everything you have not experienced in a while when you first obtain a hearing aid, including ambient sounds as well as speech. Training your brain to block out unnecessary ambient noise, such as a clock ticking, or anything such requires patience. With a new hearing aid, everyone experiences an initial transition as their brain gets used to hearing again. The sounds that are amplified by hearing aids may even formulate appropriate movements like eating and drinking more apparent. Perhaps even you sound too loud to yourself.
Your brain will eventually develop the ability to 'tune out' the annoying noises you don't want to hear to focus on the vital sounds, such as people speaking to you. The rate at which each individual adapts to the hearing magnification provided by a hearing aid varies, but for the majority of people, it takes two to three weeks before they progressively become less sensitive to background noise.
Following your audiologist's suggestions regarding how frequently to wear your hearing aid first is the best approach to becoming used to a new device. They might advise that you wear it for an hour, numerous times a day, in different places. Extend the time you wear your hearing aid progressively as you get more at ease.
The cost of hearing aids is high. Costs involved with these gadgets, whether you choose a budget model or the top of the line, are frequently the reason why individuals choose not to buy them. Technology is one of the cost-raising factors.
The ultimate cost may be greatly raised by improved technological advancements, R&D, Bluetooth, smartphone apps, and other add-on services that enhance the user experience. Last but not least, hearing aid manufacturers probably increase the suggested retail price to reflect the price of the device's components, manufacturing, and other production-related expenditures.
You may be familiar with some of the various sorts of hearing aids, including how their sizes, fits, costs, and features vary. Although some instruments are more suited to a particular person than others, first understanding the various kinds allow us to narrow down our options. The type that best meets your needs may depend on the severity of your hearing loss, but each design also offers a wide range, from which we can assist you to choose.
BEHIND-THE-EAR (BTE) HEARING AIDS
The biggest hearing aids available, BTE devices can assist users of all ages and hearing loss severity levels. The actual gadget lies behind the outer ear and is connected to a bespoke earpiece that fits in the canal by a tube that hooks over the top of the outer ear. It's typically regarded as the least discrete choice because of its size and placement. However, because of their size, they also frequently offer more user-friendly manual controls, which can make them a perfect match for users who are very young or old or who have any difficulty with manual dexterity. Additionally, they frequently provide the finest noise augmentation levels.
IN-THE-EAR (ITE) HEARING AIDS
The two main types of ITE systems are complete shell devices, which cover the outer ear, and half shell devices, which fill the inner ear. Although they might still have some manual adjustments, these gadgets normally function best for persons with medium to profound hearing loss. Moreover, don't have as much flexibility for manual controls as BTE hearing aids. Although they are substantially bigger and have a longer battery lifespan than ITC hearing aids, they might not be as suitable for persons who have problems with physical ability.
IN-THE-CANAL (ITC) HEARING AIDS
These items are the most compact of the three kinds because they must fit inside the ear canal's aperture. They are therefore less noticeable but normally do not have many manual controls. ITC devices are typically used for moderate to mild hearing loss because they are likely to not have as much augmentation strength as the other devices, even though the technology is rapidly advancing in this area.
When you take a look at the various websites, you find a few popular names trusted by audiologists as well as customers. They are:
Oticon
Signia
Phonak
Widex
ReSound
Starkey