The numbers don’t lie: you may require hearing aids someday. A study from NIDCD states that about a quarter of all people from 60 to 75 have some form of loss of hearing, and that number jumps up to 50% for those 75 and older. But how can you be sure which hearing aid is correct for you when you recognize it’s your best opportunity to combat loss of hearing? Advancements in technology through the years have corrected some of the issues usually connected to hearing aids, such as too much background noise and vulnerability to water damage. But there’s still a lot you should know when picking out a hearing aid to make sure it fits your lifestyle.

Directionality is a Key Feature

Directionality is one key feature you should look for, which has the ability to keep background noise down while focusing in on sound you want to hear including conversations. One, or both, of two types of directionality systems are working inside most hearing aids, they either focus in on sound directly in front of you, or they focus on sound produced by different speakers and sometimes do both.

Can You Use it With Your Phone?

As a nation, we’re addicted to our phones. Even if you don’t have a smartphone, chances are you have an old-style cell phone. And on the unlikely event that you don’t have any type of cell phone, you likely still have a land-line. So, when you’re trying out different hearing aids, you will want to see how they connect to your phone. What is the sound like? Do voices sound sharp? Does it feel easy to wear? Are there any Bluetooth connectivity options available? These are all the things you should take into consideration when selecting new hearing aids.

Are You Inclined to Use it?

In the last few years, as mentioned above, the technology of hearing aids has vastly improved. One of those advances has been the size and shape of hearing aids, which have moved towards the smaller and more comfortable direction. Nevertheless, there will always be some trade-offs. It is dependant on what your particular needs are. A smaller hearing aid is not as obvious and may fit better but a larger one could be more powerful. You can get a hearing aid that fits directly in your ear canal and is all but invisible, but it won’t have many of the features available in larger hearing aids and can sometimes be prone to earwax clogs. On the other side of it, better directionality features and more sophisticated sound amplification options come with a behind the ear hearing aid though it’s a little larger.

Exposure to Particular Background Noises

One of the most significant problems since hearing aid technology has been invented has been wind noise and the havoc it causes to users. Being outside on a windy day with a traditional hearing aid once meant that you couldn’t pick up anything except the wind, which is could drive anyone crazy. If you’re an outdoors kind of person or you live in a windy area, you’ll want to find a hearing aid that suppresses wind noise so you can have conversations at a normal volume and steer clear of the headaches that are related to hearing aid wind noises. Inform yourself about the many different hearing aid options available to you. Give us a call.