We all enjoy a good bargain. But you should be careful and be aware of little details in regards to your health.

The names “hearing aid” and “hearing amplifier” might seem similar but they are actually very different devices. And making the wrong choice could have important ramifications for your hearing and your overall health.

What is a hearing amplifier?

A hearing amplifier is a little device that, when put in your ear, increases the volume of the sounds around you. Technically classified as personal sound amplification products by the government, these devices tend to be quite simple and one-dimensional. A hearing amplifier is like turning the volume of the world up.

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

Distinct difference between hearing aids and personal amplifiers

Once people learn that hearing amplifiers are not recommended for individuals with even modest hearing loss, the differences between the two devices start to become rather stark. Of course, hearing aids are recommended for people who cope with hearing loss.

Both hearing aids and hearing amplifiers have the ability to increase volumes. The biggest difference between the two devices is how sophisticated that amplification is.

• With hearing aids, only select frequencies of sound are amplified. Because hearing loss often advances frequency by frequency. Wavelengths at the higher and lower end of the scale are usually the first to go. Rather than making everything louder, hearing aids work to plug holes in what you’re hearing. For individuals who have hearing loss, this selective approach is more effective.
• Whatever environment you find yourself, your hearing aids can calibrate to it. The acoustics of any given place will change depending on a list of factors. These adjustments can even be made automatically with some modern hearing aids. Other models can be calibrated using a smartphone or a dedicated device. You will avoid fewer locations because you will be able to hear better in a wider variety of places as your hearing aids make minute adjustments.
• Hearing aids are specially manufactured to help you comprehend speech. In part, that’s due to the uneven way hearing loss develops, but it’s also because communication is such an essential function of your hearing. As a result, hearing aid makers have invested significant resources into maximizing the clarity of speech above everything else. In order to make certain voices come through clearly even in a noisy room, advanced technology and algorithms are bundled inside of modern hearing aids.

Simply put, these features are crucial components of properly treating hearing loss. Usually, personal amplifiers don’t have these abilities.

The best deal for your ears

Along with a decreased ability to hear, untreated hearing loss can also result in mental decline. With amplifiers, you’re likely to do more damage to your hearing as the device doesn’t differentiate frequencies and will most likely turn everything up to unsafe volumes. And who wants to do that?

Unless your hearing loss is from earwax, hearing aids and some surgeries are the only authorized treatment options for hearing loss at this time. Ignoring hearing loss and avoiding treatment doesn’t save you money long term. Overall healthcare costs have been found to increase by more than 40% with neglected hearing loss. Luckily, there are affordable solutions. We can help.

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References

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