When Should You Take a Hearing Test?

While hearing loss is considered part of the normal aging process, most people don’t understand the risks of leaving the condition untreated.

If you don’t go for a hearing test and have your hearing treated left untreated, you’ll find it hard to enjoy your daily activities, which could lead to stress.

Statistics show that millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss, and for this group, hearing aids are often the best option.

Research estimates that one in three individuals aged between 65 and 74 years and up to half of the individuals over 75 are affected by impaired hearing, adding to their already stressful life.

It could become problematic for said individuals to watch movies, converse with friends, hear timers, and even prevent them from hearing basic sounds that represent danger.

Loss of hearing cuts individuals from their own life and such conditions often lead to increased physical and mental health challenges.

Hearing aids are miniature electronic devices that are designed to correct hearing loss. You can customize the devices to address various forms of hearing loss depending on each individual’s needs.

However, one question that most individuals would like to know is; how do they work?

How Do These Devices Help with Hearing Loss?

As mentioned earlier, hearing aids have three primary parts:

A microphone receiver
An amplifier
Speaker

Hearing aids are prescribed to individuals that suffer from sensorineural conditions caused by damage to tiny hair cells located in the inner ear.

These hair cells pick up sound signals and send neural signals to the brain through the auditory nerve.

Factors that are known to damage the tiny hair cells include:

Aging
Disease
Loud noises
Medication
Shock

Hearing aids work by picking up sound signals, amplifying them, and transmitting them close to the tiny hair cells.

The tiny hair cells pick the signals and transfer them to the brain through the auditory nerve. The hearing device you require depends on how bad your hearing loss is.

For instance, standard hearing aids are suitable for people with mild hearing loss.

However, those with severe to profound hearing loss are prescribed ‘power’ hearing aids with higher amplification.

How Do You Get Hearing Aids?

If you discover that you have some problems with your hearing, then the first step you should do is visit an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor. If you don’t know one, you could ask your regular doctor to recommend one to you.

Your ENT will perform some tests on you to try and find out what could be causing your loss of hearing.

You’ll also be required to see an audiologist who’ll have you take a hearing test that shows your results on an audiogram. Your audiologist will use the results to determine the hearing loss you have and how bad it is.

How to Select Good Hearing Aids

Finding the best hearing aids can be tricky; however, you could have an easier time if you applied some basic fundamental filters.

Modern hearing aids have compelling features that can accomplish lots of goals. Here are some essential features that could help you choose perfect hearing aids.

Individualized Adjustment

It’s always a good idea to purchase hearing aids that offer individualized adjustments. The hearing aids should be versatile and have programmable sound settings.

You could fine-tune your hearing aids, try them out for a few days, and readjust them if they aren’t as comfortable as you would like them to be.

Sound Quality

Purchase hearing aids that reproduce high-quality sounds with minimum noise and distortion. Poor quality hearing aids often alter original sounds making them sharper and harsher, making it hard for you to understand speech and enjoy sounds.

You could go for hearing aids that provide noise reduction, feedback reduction, wind reduction, and even in-ear memory prompts.

An Inventive Design and Features

It would be great if your hearing aids offered other features that make using them convenient.

Purchasing hearing aids that provide Bluetooth connectivity, telehealth capabilities, smartphone application control, and even intuitive control could provide you with exceptional advantages that could significantly enhance your life.

Get the chance to connect and listen to audio straight from your phone or TV.

Apart from this, you could also opt for modern hearing aids that provide invincible-in-canal designs that make the fact that you are using hearing aids less awkward.

How to Know when You Need Hearing Aids?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then the chances are that you need hearing aids.

Do you always have to turn your radio or television’s volume up?
Do you often feel that people are mumbling during conversations?
Is it easier for you to understand masculine voices compared to feminine or child voices?
Is it hard for you to hear your doorbell or telephone?
Do you find it hard to follow conversations in a crowded restaurant?
Do you find yourself limiting your social activities because you find it hard to hear people speak?
Has a friend or relative mentioned that you may have a hearing problem recently?

Take Away

Visiting your ENT doctor and having your hearing loss treated could help you have better experiences.

Purchasing the best hearing aids that are accommodating, have advanced technology, and are effective could go a long way to helping you live a healthier and better life.