Any form of hearing loss or damage is initially detrimental for one’s health and well being. Although, there are services readily available to you that can help in finding a product designed for you. More specifically, a hearing aid may be your best option. These are hearing enhancement products that can help in the boosting of your hearing in order to have a much more enriched and full life. Depending on the make and model you get, some are extremely inconspicuous and you would realistically forget they’re even in there. What the true test is can you wear them all day without discomfort. Licensed hearing specialists can recommend any and every possible hearing enhancement solution from here until tomorrow, but if at the end of the day it lacks comfort than you won’t wear them. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter how good the protection is if don’t want to wear them because they’re too uncomfortable. The following will go into what you should look for as a consumer when it comes to all day comfort you can count on.
Style
There are various shapes and sizes of hearing aids currently on the market. It doesn’t matter what you may want because one is more aesthetically pleasing over the other. The most common are ones that go behind the ear. These types have a cord or wire that runs from the “control center” behind your ear directly into your ear canal. Another type of hearing aid are those that are molded for your ear and sit directly in the outer portion of your ear. They are slightly less conspicuous that their bigger brother, but if you can look closely you’ll still be able to tell they’re wearing a hearing aid. The smallest of the models fit inside your actual ear canal. The downside is that they may not have all the amenities bigger hearing aids have. They also may be more difficult to handle and get in/out of your actal ear. Some may not like having something directly in their ear. Some may want more discretion than others, therefore having such small types of hearing aids plays a crucial role. Whichever style you choose, make sure you get your hearing first checked out by an audiologist to make sure you’re getting the appropriate solution.
Fit
Everyone’s ear canal is built different, which means there will be a different solution for everyone. Fit doesn’t solely mean comfort in your ear, it can also mean does the hearing aid actually stay secure? We all have various jobs and pastimes, some may be more active than others. Just as you wouldn’t necessarily wear a hearing aid if it would have any form of discomfort, you also wouldn’t necessarily wear a hearing aid if it was constantly falling out. If you are already self-conscious about your hearing aid, having something with a relatively small footprint and overall being inconspicuous may be a fit issue as well. Again, it doesn’t necessarily matter what you want, it may be more up to your doctor and what feels comfortable for you.
Durability
Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. Hearing aids are things that are going to either be constantly in use or at the very least be taken in and out of your ear everyday. Having a durable product is vital for something that is overall going to give you a better quality of life. You don’t want something that will drop on the floor once and not work. As the infamous tattooer “Sailor Jerry” once said, “Good work ain’t cheap and cheap work ain’t good.” Pay the initial upfront cost which may be a little higher than what your used to for a product that will last.
Sound Quality
One of the main parts of a hearing aid is the processor or sometimes called the amplifier. This is what translates the sound taken in from the microphone and modifies specifically to your hearing aids. More specifically, when you go in to get your fitting for a hearing aid the audiologist is the one that can fine tune it to the decibels you have issues interpreting. Some processors are higher quality than others and and are able to cancel out background noise in order for you to be able to truly hear those that you’re having a conversation with. Once again, research is key so do your due diligence in order to make sure you’re getting all you can out of your hearing aid.
Tailor It For You
When most people read the word “comfort” they initially think of how something will feel. As you can see in this article it’s just one small aspect of it. Comfort can also mean how good the sound quality is as well as how inconspicuous the hearing aid is when you’re in a large group. Bring back the confidence and quality of life you once had by taking the steps today to see how a hearing aid can positively impact you.