Hearing Aids - Important Factors For Choosing The Right One
Hearing aids have become much more advanced in recent years and although they are
infamously expensive, the price has come down by as much as 10% in the last 5 years. This is largely due to digital technology which is making the devices smaller, more effective and most of all almost invisible. The main reason why people who have hearing problems shy away from actually wearing a device is because of the size and the way it looks. With these new digital hearing aids you can get a hearing aid that is virtually invisible.
There are a number of different choices you have when it comes to actually buying a hearing device. For the most part your own unique condition will dictate which type of device you need, but the 5 basic styles are as follows:
- Completely-in-the-canal devices have ear pieces that are specifically molded to fit the inside of your ear canal and is is usually ideal for people with mild to moderate hearing problems. It gets inserted all the way into the ear canal which makes it unnoticeable and therefore quite popular.
- As the name says, in-the-canal devices are molded to only fit partially into the ear canal and they have slightly larger batteries and therefore they are slightly bigger.
- In-the-ear devices are usually custom made and designed to fit on the outside of your ear. Although these are the most versatile hearing aids that can be adjusted by the user, its also one of the bigger styles that is rather visible.
- Behind-the-ear devices clip around your ear and sits behind the ear to drive sound into the ear canal. They are also quite big and because they sit outside the ear, they are very noticeable.
Cost is one of the determining factors since most medical funds won't cover the cost of a device. Prices range between $1000 and $5000 and the average lifespan is about 5 years - so its a sizable investment and its best to see a qualified audiologist before you make the investment.