Hearing Amplifiers vs Hearing Aids
Hearing amplifiers vs hearing aids? Well, in this post I’ll talk about the key differences between these devices so that you can get the help you need. Coming up!
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Hi, I’m Dr. Derek – audiologist, audio engineer, and musician with ProFitHearing.com bringing you the best insight in today’s latest hearing aids, headphones, and audio technology to improve your life. If you have concerns about your hearing, always consult with your local physician or audiologist.
Today, I’m talking about hearing amplifiers vs hearing aids.
Hearing Amplifiers
Let’s start with hearing amplifiers. Hearing amplifiers are not intended to treat hearing loss. A hearing amplifier is also known as a personal sound amplification product or PSAP. They can be used to amplify environmental sounds or to hear people from a far distance. You may use a hearing amplifier to increase the volume for sounds for hunting, bird watching, or while listening to a presenter speak. They are intended to be used by people with normal hearing.
A hearing amplifier might be very basic with a volume control up and down. Some hearing amplifiers may be more sophisticated with directional mics, bluetooth capability, and sound presets to select from. A hearing amplifier is not customized to an individual’s hearing levels and does not require consultation with a medical professional. A hearing amplifier may be more of a quick fix to hear better in certain situations, however if you have concerns about your hearing always consult with your local physician or audiologist.
Hearing Amplifiers vs Hearing Aids
Now, let’s discuss how hearing aids differ from hearing amplifiers. A hearing aid is selected and fit by an audiologist or hearing aid dispenser and is custom tuned to the user’s hearing level. Hearing aids are specifically designed to treat people with hearing loss. This custom tuning amplifies only the sounds the user has difficulty hearing. For example, many people say that they can hear someone speaking to them but they have difficulty understanding the words. This could be a sign of high frequency hearing loss. A properly tuned hearing aid would boost up just those high frequency sounds to an appropriate volume level for the user so that the words are more clear and easy to understand.
Hearing aids also provide more volume for soft sounds and less volume for loud sounds. This feature is called (non-linear) compression, and it increases the range of sounds that are audible to the hearing aid user while also keeping the loudness levels comfortable and at a safe level. In contrast, a hearing amplifier is much more likely to turn up soft and loud sounds equally which can cause the sounds to get too loud possibly reaching unsafe listening levels.
Hearing aids also have directional microphones to help cancel out the background noise, custom fit options like earmolds, iPhone/Android connectivity, and wireless connection to other devices like a television or external microphone. The features in hearing aids are far superior to those found in hearing amplifiers.
In summary if you have hearing loss, hearing aids will give you the best sound quality and loud sounds will be regulated to not exceed a safe listening level. If you don’t have hearing loss and you just want to hear better than normal in certain situations, a hearing amplifier can provide extra volume. However, loud sounds are not necessarily regulated by a hearing amplifier and they may exceed a safe listening level. Avoid listening at loud levels to help prevent any noise induced hearing loss.
Question of the Day
So for today’s question, have you ever tried a hearing amplifier? If so, which device did you try and how was your experience? Let’s connect in the comments below!
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If you’re interested in hearing aids, click HERE for my free ebook “How to Buy Hearing Aids.” Know what to ask your audiologist or hearing aid dispenser so that your hearing aids are easy to use and have all the features you’re looking for.
Remember Pro Fit Hearing brings you the best insight today’s latest hearing aids, headphones, and audio technology to improve your life. If you have concerns about your hearing, always consult with your local physician or audiologist.
-Dr. Derek