Being told that your hearing isn’t as good as it once was, can be worrying, especially as hearing is an important sense that helps you to remain connected to the people and experiences within your life, from your home life to your work life – and everything in between.
If you are experiencing hearing loss, you might have discussed getting hearing aids with your audiologist, to help ensure that your quality of life remains, despite your hearing loss. Hearing aids are incredible devices – they can significantly improve the quality of your hearing, from how loud noises appear to how clear sounds are.
Choosing the right hearing aids for you and your lifestyle can be rather confusing as there is a lot that you need to think about and consider. To help make the process of choosing hearing aids a little easier, below is a guide to the three factors that you might want to consider.
The Type of Hearing Loss You Have
The style of hearing aid that works best for you may depend on the type of hearing loss you have, as well as to what extent of hearing loss you are experiencing. Each hearing aid type offers a range of different features designed to work best with different types and levels of hearing loss.
The three most widely used hearing aids are behind the ear (BTE), in the canal (ITC) and in the ear (ITE). ITE hearing aids tend to work best for anyone with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, while BTE hearing aids tend to work best for people with mild-to-severe hearing loss. ITC hearing aids work best for people with mild hearing loss, and for those who need extra support to hear a range of frequencies.
The Lifestyle That You Have
It’s also important to think about the type of lifestyle that you have when it comes to choosing hearing aids. For instance, if you spend most of your time at home and don’t really use technology all that often, traditional hearing aids might work well for you.
However, many modern hearing aids offer a range of additional capabilities, such as being Bluetooth compatible which allows them to connect directly to a range of devices, including your phone, music and television. This can help to prevent feedback that you might otherwise hear and are ideal for anyone who likes to frequently use smart technology.
How Visible
Another factor that you might want to consider is how visible your hearing aids will be. While there’s nothing wrong with needing hearing support, some people prefer to keep their hearing aids discreet.
ITE hearing aids come in a wide range of colors – with various colors designed to mimic a range of skin shades. While BTE hearing aids tend to come with a larger design than other styles, however their larger surface areas means less feedback and whistling as they sit behind the ear, they may be more noticeable than other hearing aid styles. ITC hearing aids are a great lightweight option, they’re also nearly invisible when properly placed.
Hopefully, the guide above has given you further insight into which hearing aids could be the best fit for you.