Hearing Aid Lifestyle
Hearing aid lifestyle is one of the most important factors when considering hearing devices. A decision based solely on cost, can result in a device that doesn’t match your lifestyle and is therefore not capable of satisfying your expectations.
Cost is incredibly important, but it should not be the most important.
Hearing aid lifestyle is not a reference to your level of physical activity. With hearing aids, activity is determined by the amount of time spent in challenging listening environments. Meetings, work, church, restaurants, family gatherings and social events are just a few of the many situations that are difficult for individuals suffering from hearing loss.
Explaining the subtle differences between hearing aid technology levels is incredibly challenging. There are approximately five technology levels per manufacturer within a given product line. If we consider only the big six manufacturers (Starkey, Widex, Resound, Phonak, Oticon, Signia), we have a minimum of 30 options to consider when recommending a hearing aid.
With so many options, how do our audiologists decide which device matches a specific hearing aid lifestyle?
A decent comparison is to car buying. The most basic or entry level trim of a car, performs the most basic functions. As you spend more money, the driving experience is enhanced. Step up a notch and you have might have access to an automatic transmission. Spend a little more and you have the ability to carry on phone conversations without the use of your hands. Find yourself at the very top and now your car is stopping automatically, parallel parking, and alerting you if you begin to drift.
Basic hearing aids allow you to hear just as well as high end hearing aids in the most basic listening settings. For individuals primarily in one-on-one scenarios, a low cost hearing aid might provide everything you need! With that said, patients living a more active lifestyle require a more sophisticated hearing aid to ensure expectations are met!
Hearing aids are just shells, the computer chip on the inside dictates its capability. If the function of the hearing aid doesn’t match your hearing aid lifestyle, you’ll be disappointed. Easy to say but hard to convey considering more sophisticated devices are also more expensive. Just like buying a car, the only person that can determine the benefit of improved technology is you!
At Modern Audiology, we conduct a comprehensive hearing consultations to ensure our recommendation is consistent with your hearing aid lifestyle and stays within the budget you have set aside for your hearing health!
Call today or click here to schedule an appointment to find out how we can help you!