We all love a good bargain. But when it involves your health, be careful what you buy and keep your eye on the little details.

The terms “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” may seem similar but they are actually very different devices. And your overall hearing and health could suffer severe repercussions if you make the wrong decision about this.

Hearing amplifiers

A little device that goes inside of your ear, a hearing amplifier increases the volume of external sound. Technically classified as personal sound amplification products by the government, these devices tend to be very basic and one-dimensional. The volume of the world is basically cranked up.

These devices are generally not recommended for individuals with moderate to significant hearing loss because of their one-size-fits-all approach.

Distinct difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers

Once people learn that hearing amplifiers are not recommended for individuals with even moderate hearing loss, the differences between the two devices begin to become pretty stark. Hearing aids, obviously, are recommended for individuals with hearing loss.

Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers have the ability to increase volumes. But one of these devices has a much higher degree of amplification technology and sophistication.

• Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can tune in to it. The acoustics of any given place will change depending on a list of factors. Some hearing aids can fine tune to these changes automatically. A dedicated device or smartphone can calibrate hearing aids that don’t do it automatically. You will avoid fewer places because you will be capable of hearing better in a wider variety of places as your hearing aids make minute adjustments.
• With hearing aids, only select frequencies of sound are boosted. That’s because people normally lose their hearing one frequency at a time. Either high-frequency sounds or low-frequency sounds typically disappear first. Hearing aids work to fill in the gaps in your hearing rather than just making everything louder. This selective approach is much more beneficial for individuals who suffer from hearing loss.
• Picking out and amplifying speech is one of the primary functions of a hearing aid. Because communication is so essential in our lives and also because of the irregular way hearing loss develops, this is an essential function. Because of this, hearing aid manufacturers have invested enormous resources into improving the clarity of speech above everything else. In order to make sure voices can be heard clearly even in a crowded room, state-of-the-art technology and algorithms are packed inside of modern hearing aids.

To put it bluntly, correctly treating hearing loss depends on these capabilities. Usually, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.

Finding the best option at an affordable price

Along with a diminished ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also lead to cognitive decline. With amplifiers, you’re very likely to do more harm to your hearing because the device doesn’t differentiate frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe volumes. And that isn’t good for anyone.

Currently, the only recommended treatments for hearing loss, if it isn’t a result of earwax, are certain surgeries and hearing aids. Neglecting hearing loss and bypassing treatment doesn’t save you money long term. Overall healthcare costs have been shown to increase by more than 40% with neglected hearing loss. Fortunately, there are affordable options. We can help.

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References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373077