PERSIONAL SOUND AMPLIFIERS

Consumers today have many questions about hearing loss and hearing aids. How do you know if you need a hearing aid

Consumers today have many questions about hearing loss and hearing aids. How do you know if you need a hearing aid? Where should you go for testing? What testing will be done? What are your options among hearing products? What level of technology is best for you? How much is it going to cost? How long will the whole process take? How will you adjust to hearing with a hearing aid?

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prepared this booklet to help answer those questions. It describes how to tell if you should have your hearing tested; where you can get your hearing tested; and what to expect during the testing. We give you questions to ask in selecting a hearing care professional. Hearing aid manufacturers have introduced many technological changes, so we explain the new technology and talk about costs.

Many people with hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids, but don’t have them. Some are hesitant because they don’t know where and how to start the whole testing process. Others may not be sure about picking a professional and selecting the right aid from among the many options. Cost is a big barrier for many. Some people are concerned about “looking old” with a hearing aid.

If you are just beginning to have concerns about whether your hearing is declining; or if you’ve tried a hearing aid in the past and weren’t happy with it; or if you know someone who really should get his or her hearing checked, this booklet will answer many of your questions.

How big is the problem of hearing loss?

www.webmd.com

About 31.5 million Americans—one in 10—experience impaired hearing. Hearing loss affects all ages, but specifically, there are more baby boomers aged 45-64 with hearing loss (10 million) than there are people over the age of 65 with hearing loss (9 million).

As baby boomers reach mid-age, a time when hearing loss frequently becomes more noticeable, they face concerns about what to do about their hearing loss. Boomers may have more hearing problems at an earlier age than previous generations. Their noisy life style, with prolonged exposure to rock concerts, loud stereos, city traffic, power tools, and lawn mowers, may take its toll on their

ears. Hearing care professionals confirm that they are seeing more younger clients seeking help with hearing loss. The National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders reports that 20 million Americans are exposed to dangerously noisy environments. Of the 31.5 million Americans with hearing loss, 10 million of these impairments are partially attributable to damage from exposure to loud sounds.

Most hearing loss can be helped—but not cured—by hearing aids. Yet most people with hearing loss don’t take advantage of this help.

Almost everyone with a hearing loss hears better with a hearing aid, yet only 23 percent of those who need a hearing aid have one.

More than 6 million Americans do use hearing aids, but about 24 million with hearing loss do not.

Types of Hearing Aids

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-aids

Hearing aids come in many types and sizes, with a wide variety of features. Just which is best for you depends on your individual hearing loss and your personal needs. Your audiogram along with your budget and dexterity must all be coordinated to find the right aid for you.

What are the choices among hearing aids?

A modern hearing aid is an electronic device that picks up sound waves with a tiny microphone, changes weaker sounds into louder sounds and modifies the sound signals in other ways, and conveys them to the ear through a tiny speaker. A small battery powers all this. Beyond the basics of microphone,amplifier, and speaker is a technological array among hearing aids, whichrange from larger units that fit behind the ear to tiny ones that are almost invisible. You can tell an aid’s style by three initials that indicate where they are worn.

BTEs—behind the ear—are about one inch long and fit snugly behind your outer ear. A small tube connects with the amplification device behind your ear and delivers amplified sound into your ear canal. It has an adjustable volume control. The battery fits into a compartment at the bottom of the aid. Its larger size allows for more power and features, such as telecoils. BTEs are suitable for the entire range of hearing loss.

OTEs—on the ear—are a new style of BTE that is extremely small and sits on top of the outer ear. The tube going into the ear canal can be very narrow and, in some OTEs, may have a speaker located in the ear canal itself.

ITEs—in the ear—are custom-fitted to your outer ear’s contours. Both the volume control and the battery are smaller than the ones used in a BTE. The smaller size may not amplify sufficiently for those with very severe loss. For some users, this small size can be difficult to insert or remove, change batteries, or adjust the volume. Most ITE aids have special features, such as telecoils, to make talking on the telephone easier.

ITEs are appropriate for those with mild to moderate loss.

ITCs—in the canal—are smaller. They fit farther into the ear canal so they are barely visible. They are cosmetically appealing but are harder to manipulate and may not be powerful enough for someone with severe loss. They are customized to fit the size and shape of your ear canal.

CICs—completely in the canal—are the smallest ITEs. Cosmetically, they may be the most flattering, but their tiny size can be a real disadvantage in handling. Because they are closest to your eardrum, they need less power and take a smaller battery. They are the most expensive ITEs because of their miniaturized circuitry, and they often need more frequent maintenance and cleaning than larger aids because of their placement in the canal.

How are the newer hearing aids different?

In the past decade, hearing aids have changed considerably. The new technology means:

• Newer aids are much more cosmetically appealing.

• Current aids can provide a cleaner, higher quality sound than those of a few years ago because of changes in how the sound is processed, as over 90% of hearing aids today have digital,rather than older analog technology.

• They can provide more listening comfort due to better automatic

control of volume and frequency response.

• The dispenser can readily adjust newer models in the office, rather than having to send them back to the factory for adjustments.

How much do they cost?

Manufacturers don’t set retail prices (hearing care professionals do) so you may find the same hearing aid costs $300 less just across town.

However, it’s important to know how hearing aids are priced so you will know what to compare and what you will get for your money

Quality service and product selection may be even more important than bottom-line price. An office with a broad range of products from more than one manufacturer has more options in recommending the most appropriate aid for your needs.

You need to compare prices and services among hearing care professionals. Find out exactly what’s included in a quoted price.

Hearing care professionals generally quote one price for the whole package of services.

Ask them to break out the separate charges for testing and evaluation, fitting, and followup care, as well as the aid. Keep in mind that you won’t know the full cost of a particular aid until you have had your hearing tested.

To make a fair cost comparison, you will need to know the full specifications of the recommended hearing aid model.

If you are going to get a second opinion, insist on getting a copy of your audiogram.

You should be able to get a second opinion based on the initial audiogram. If the second dispenser wants to retest you, you shouldn’t have to pay for testing more than once

What should you know about batteries?

All hearing aids require batteries. Replacing batteries is one of the ongoing costs of wearing hearing aids. Be sure you learn from your dispenser which type of batteries to use, how to insert them properly, and how to test them.

How long a battery will last depends on the battery type, your aid’s power requirements, and how long you use it each day. Batteries may last from several days to several weeks.

Batteries come in different sizes depending on the size and power needs of your hearing aid. Hearing aids typically use one of five different sizes—675, 312, 13, 10, and 5. Compare prices on batteries and consider buying them in bulk, on sale, or from battery clubs to save money.

You can conserve the battery’s life by turning off the hearing aid when you are not using it. Find out if you should open the battery door or remove the battery at night. You can extend the life of your spare batteries if you store them in a cool, dry place, but don’t put them in the refrigerator because the moisture reduces battery life. And don’t carry them around loose in your pocket or purse; keys or coins could short out your battery. Keep them in the original packaging until you need to use one. If they rattle around together, they can short each other out.

If you accidentally swallow a battery or get a battery burn, contact your doctor or call the National Button Battery Hotline at 202-625-3333.

Be sure to pull the paper tab off the battery just before inserting it. The paper tab lengthens the battery’s life from the time it is manufactured to your use. When you remove the paper tab, put the tab on your calendar to remind you when you last changed your batteries.

Where can you get additional information?

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