When you have hearing loss, the number one kind of treatment that you are likely to get is a hearing aid. These days, hearing aid technology is incredibly powerful, and you’ll be amazed at how good they are as devices to help your hearing. But even with hearing aids, you are going to need to exercise some caution about where you get it and which kind you go for, and that’s what we’re going to look at in this article.
In particular, we are going to discuss the problem with over-the-counter hearing aids. While you might be tempted to make use of these hearing aids, in truth you’ll usually find that they are not giving you what you need, and that you are much better off going to an audiologist for help.
No Hearing Exam
First of all, when you are getting an over-the-counter hearing aid, you are merely picking up a one-size-fits-all device that is not necessarily all that good for your specific needs. In particular, you are not seeing a professional who is helping you with your hearing and finding out for you exactly what is going wrong with your hearing. For this, you need to have an audiologist carry out a hearing exam for you.
During such a hearing exam, you are going to discover exactly what is going on with your hearing and what you can do about it, and you’ll find that this is incredibly powerful with regards to your ability to hear better in the future. You won’t get that service with an over-the-counter hearing aid.
Hearing Loss Comes in Many Forms
Not everyone experiences hearing loss in the same way, or to the same degree. One person might have more hearing loss in one ear or might have more pronounced hearing loss than their neighbor. Because of factors like these, you can’t really expect your hearing loss to be the same as anyone else’s – and that means that you can’t expect to be able to make use of the same device as someone else, either.
For that reason, an over-the-counter hearing aid is rarely going to be exactly what you need for your specific, individual hearing loss. You are much more likely to get exactly the help you need from an audiologist, who can get you with the right hearing aid for your needs.
Making the Right Choices
When you are on the market for a hearing aid, it’s important that you are making the right choices, so that you don’t end up with a device that isn’t really doing anything for you. But how can you make sure that you are making the right choice in this regard? There are a few specific things to bear in mind, so take a look at the following.
Avoid Hearing Amplifiers
These devices are often marketed as hearing aids, but they are not quite the same. They’re not as powerful, they are not designed for your specific kind of hearing loss and they won’t give you the same help that you will get from a true hearing aid. Hearing amplifiers will turn the volume up on everything rather than just the right frequencies of sound, so it’s not ideal.
Don’t Rush into It
The quicker you act, the more likely you are to make a mistake. It is much better to take your time with finding a hearing aid that’s right for you, even if that means that you are going to have to be a little more patient. Rushing it never works out in the long run, so make sure that you are taking it slow and doing it properly.
Speak To an Expert
Finally, and most importantly, the best way to make sure that you are making the right choices with regard to finding a hearing aid is simply to speak to an expert. They are going to know exactly what you need in your specific case. They’ll be able to carry out a full hearing test, figure out what has gone wrong and provide the best solution – all of which is much better than merely picking up an over-the-counter hearing aid from a random store.
Without speaking to an expert, you can’t really be sure what is going on or what you’re getting in a hearing aid, so bear that in mind. To speak to a trusted audiologist and to learn more about the Natural Hearing Centers, you can call us today at (888) 221-9156 to do so.
