Check This Before You Buy Your First Hearing Aid

1. Check This Before You Buy Your First Hearing Aid Using a hearing aid is one of the best ways to improve your hearing. Though it can’t bring back your normal hearing ability, this device allows you to hear and listen to the sounds you used to hear and enjoy before. But in order to get the most out of your new hearing aid, you need to find the right device that will suits your needs first. Below are some of the important things that you have to check on and consider before you buy a new hearing aid. Have your hearing tested first Though you might experience some difficulties hearing, you can’t just buy any over-the-counter hearing aid. Before starting to look for and buy a hearing aid, consider getting a hearing test first. Through a hearing test for adult in Watertown, you will be able to know whether or not a hearing aid is indeed needed to help improve your hearing. The audiologist at the hearing evaluation services in Watertown NY will assess your hearing ability, determine what caused your hearing problem, diagnose its severity, and recommend you the right hearing aid based on the results of the evaluation and your needs as well.

2. Pick the right size Hearing aids are not created equal. There are many hearing aid options available for you to choose from especially in terms of size. Know that the size does not always determine the effectiveness and functionality of a hearing aid. That is, a bigger hearing aid does not always mean it is better than its smaller counterpart. There are a lot of small and stealth hearing aids that are designed with mechanisms that are as effective as the chunkier ones. Check the background noise minimization feature Most of the hearing aids available on the market today are designed with background noise and feedback suppression features. Before purchasing, make sure to check if your chosen hearing device has this feature or if it has a functional microprocessor that can distinguish low-frequency sounds from high-frequency sounds. This feature makes it is possible to intensify high-frequency sounds like speech and suppress everything else. Know the different styles Hearing aids come in many styles and it is wise to get familiar with these styles first before buying one. Each style differs in terms of ease of use, cost, appearance, and functionality. You may want to ask your audiologist or a hearing professional which of these styles best suits you.

3. Over the counter vs prescription hearing aids Apart from the price range, another major difference between a prescription hearing aid and an over-the-counter hearing aid is their programmability. Most OTC hearing aids are pre-programmed and are design as a “one size fits all” personal amplifier. Most of them amplify sounds uniformly without taking into account the user’s unique hearing needs. On the other end, the best hearing aids in Watertown that are prescribed and recommended by audiologists have a sound processor that can be programmed to suit the user’s needs based on the hearing test results. They come with pre-programmed settings and customizable programming features that allow you to adjust the sound based on certain circumstances. Know that hearing devices must be able to provide you with an improved sound based on your distinct hearing loss or the severity of your hearing problem and should be programmed and customized based on that. Otherwise, you may still experience difficulties hearing and distinguishing sounds even with the hearing aid on.