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Education
To both improve your hearing ability and obtain an excellent value in hearing aids, it
is wise to select a hearing aid manufacturer who is also a reliable partner. The
success of the partnership is dependent upon a reasonable understanding of hearing and
hearing aid technology.
Education is the key to improved hearing!
One in seven people HAVE a hearing loss. If you think you might be one of them, and
have thought about getting a hearing aid but are not sure if it would help, this web
page is for you. A hearing aid might help you if your hearing is not as good as it
used to be. Do not be put off by the idea of wearing hearing aids or think it will
not make a difference. The hearing aids that are now available will help most people.
What you can expect from your hearing aid? A hearing aid will not give you perfect
hearing - it makes sounds louder and may help you to hear on the telephone, makes
conversations easier and increases your confidence.
Hearing aids do not make your
hearing get worse: If you have tinnitus (hissing, buzzing or other noises in your ears
or head), you may notice this less when you use a hearing aid. Some report relief,
others no difference.
It takes some time to get used to a hearing aid:
Until
you have used it in a lot of different situations you will not know how well it suits
you. Do not be afraid to ask for possible adjustments, it is common to need them. You
may need to have the aid adjusted several times; it is worth persevering until you are
acclimated to it.
When you get your hearing aid, follow instructions on how to
clean it and look after it. What you have to do varies, depending on the type of
hearing aid you have. STANDARD HEARING AIDS
Behind-the-ear aids have an earmold, which fits inside your ear. The
hearing aid itself sits behind your ear, and a plastic tube connects it to the
earmold.
In-the-ear aids and canal aids fit inside your ear. The working part
of the hearing aid is enclosed in the custom made plastic shell so that the whole aid
fits into your ear. With full size or standard in-the-ear aids, the aid can be seen
from the side. The smallest canal aids fit right inside your ear canal, where they are
less visible. If you have a severe hearing loss, or very small ear canals, canal aids
will probably not be suitable for you.
DIGITAL HEARING AIDS Digital
hearing aids are the newest kind of aids. You may have heard about digital hearing
aids. The difference between digital and ordinary analogue hearing aids is in the
technology inside the aids and how they work. They can be behind-the-ear, in-the-ear or
in-the-canal models. However, digital hearing aids contain a tiny computer.
The aid converts sound into a series of numbers - information that the computer can
understand. Digital aids, therefore; have much more flexibility for processing sounds
than analogue aids. It is likely, that within a few years, all new hearing aids will be
digital. One of the biggest problems hearing aid wearers face is in
hearing what they want to hear - such as conversation - when there is a lot of
background noise. Digital aids are marketed as being able to give better sound when
there is noise in the background. Most cut out some background noise, but it is worth
remembering that some analogue aids are designed to do this, too. Digital aids have
other advantages as well. Some are designed so that they whistle less than analogue
hearing aids, and they may also last longer than analogue hearing aids because they
have fewer parts. They also process sound in different ways to make it easier to
understand speech, even when there is no background noise. Like analogue hearing aids,
digital hearing aids vary, and may have different features. Any features specific to
your particular hearing need will be offered or discussed.
PROGRAMMABLE HEARING AIDS
Programmable hearing aids can be adjusted to suit your hearing loss, using a computer.
They can be programmed for certain hearing situations and re-programmed as hearing
situations change or your hearing loss changes. They are available in all hearing
aid packaging such as tiny in-the-ear sizes or large powerful over the ear styles.
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