Hearing loss is no longer a herculean hurdle that it once was! With the rapid improvement in modern technology, one can lead a normal life even with chronic hearing problems. Modern hearing aids are small enough to be embedded into your ear canal or they can be tucked away behind your ears, which will keep the device out of sight. Here are a few tips to help make it easy for you to choose the right hearing devices.
Go to your doctor
The first sign of hearing problem usually starts as a faint, constant humming noise. In some cases, you might lose the ability to respond to auditory stimulus, where people might have to speak louder, or your family might complain about your habit of listening to the TV on a loud volume, even if you only barely hear the sounds.
If any of these problems persists, then it pays to go to an ENT specialist or your general practitioner for a check-up. Inability to hear clearly is not a definitive symptom of deafness. It might arise due to excess build-up of ear wax or certain neurological problems that can be countered with proper medication. Only a proper checkup and testing will result in the right diagnoses. Although hear loss is not life threatening, getting tested as early as possible will help you mitigate problems well in time before they get out of hand.
Once your doctor assesses you of the intensity of the problem, he will begin with the medication and will suggest a suitable hearing aid to counter your hearing loss. If you don’t require a surgery to counter your hearing loss, then you are better off than most people with hearing troubles. If a surgery is involved to offer corrective measures, even then, you might have to wear hearing aids.
Types of hearing aids
Although the doctor will prescribe the technical details of the hearing aid, you can have your pick from a variety of devices that suits your budget and your style. Here are three of the most popular types of hearing aids in the market-
Behind the ear (BTE)
Devices are among the most common types of hearing aids. They fit snugly behind your ear and a custom made mold connects the ear canal to the BTE. They offer excellent feedback correction and assure normal hearing at all times.
In the ear (ITE)
Devices are compact and easily fit in the outer ear. Made of compact plastic or flexible acrylic, this device is mounted inside the outer ear, which makes it hard to spot when one is wearing the same. However, controlling the volume, feedback and changing the batteries is quite a hassle owing to the compact size.
In the canal (ITC)
Hearing aids, as the name suggests, is mounted inside the ear canal, and owing to their small size, it becomes hard to control the volume, feedback, and other parameters.
Being prepared with the right kind of information can make it easy when shopping for a new hearing aid.
