If you just got your first hearing test and your specialist recommended treatment for hearing loss, you might have a lot of questions. Let’s look at a few common questions about hearing aids to help clarify the path ahead.
1. Will Hearing Aids Cure Hearing Loss?
This is a common question. While hearing aids help manage hearing loss by collecting and amplifying sound, they can’t cure it. They can make your life substantially easier by improving speech comprehension and background awareness.
2. Do I Need Two Hearing Aids?
Although hearing loss isn’t always even between both ears, we still usually recommend two hearing aids. There are a couple of reasons why:
- They help you localize. Without hearing loss, your ears help you locate the direction of a sound by analyzing the minute difference in time between when a sound reaches either ear. The process happens fast enough that you don’t realize it’s happening, but you may notice the skill missing if you develop hearing loss. Wearing a second hearing aid helps restore this skill.
- Easier comprehension in noisy environments. Sound localization is crucial in busy environments with competing noises. Two hearing aids can work in tandem to amplify noise from a specific direction, helping you drown out distracting sounds. You can wear them from quiet park days to busy nights at Astor’s Table.
3. Are Hearing Aids Uncomfortable?
Hearing aid comfort is one of the biggest concerns among new users. In the first few weeks of wearing your devices, they may feel a little odd, similar to wearing headphones all day. The sound can also be unusual because, after living with untreated hearing loss, your brain isn’t used to so much noise. Luckily, these feelings go away as you grow accustomed to your devices. Within a few days or weeks, they’ll start to feel like an extension of yourself.
4. Which Style of Hearing Aid Is Best for Me?
There are a few different hearing aid styles:
- Behind-the-ear (BTE)
- Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC)
- In-the-ear (ITE)
- In-the-canal (ITC)
- Completely-in-the-canal (CIC)
- Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC)
The styles available to you will depend on your degree of hearing loss, hand dexterity and appearance preferences. For example, BTE devices can treat any degree of hearing loss because they offer the greatest amplification and are easy for people with dexterity issues to handle. IIC devices, on the other hand, are smaller and best for mild hearing loss. People who want a discreet appearance may prefer them.
Starting Your Hearing Aid Journey
If you have any more questions or would like to start your hearing aid journey, contact Today’s Hearing to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.