Hearing loss is a challenge for millions of Canadians. No matter if you were born with or developed hearing difficulties later in life, coping can be difficult. While it is easy to take it for granted, clear hearing makes our daily lives much easier to manage. With hearing loss, simple tasks such as going to the grocery store or talking to family on the phone can become more difficult and stressful. Many of our clients who experience hearing loss tell us they sometimes feel as though feel left out of society, and enjoying life with family and friends can be tough.
Luckily, hearing aids are available to provide help when it comes to understanding and hearing the world around you. In this article, you will learn a few of the pros and cons of hearing aids, and you will learn how NexGen Hearing can help you with your hearing difficulties and better understand how hearing aids work.
Pros of Using a Hearing Aid
We know that hearing aids help the user hear by amplifying sound, but how can they help you in your daily life?
Hearing Aids Help Communication
Hearing aids are great for those who have trouble communicating with others around them. Because they help you better hear the conversations around you, you can be more of a presence around the dinner table and in the office, as you will be able to effectively listen and respond appropriately to your friends, family, and coworkers. This can make a variety of tasks more manageable, from casual conversations to doctors appointments or important work meetings where catching every detail of the conversation is essential.
Hearing Aids Are Less Visible Than Ever
Another great reason to use a hearing aid is that they have become more versatile than ever and can be selected so that they fit your lifestyle needs. Hearing aids no longer have to look ugly or be extremely bulky. Technology has advanced in such a way that hearing aids can be purchased in a variety of sizes, colours and styles that can fit your everyday needs. Hearing Aids such as the ITC (In the Canal) and CIC (Completely in Canal) are so small and discrete that most people can’t even notice you are wearing a hearing aid. Even the traditional BTE (Behind the Ear) style of hearing aids have come away, with many being designed with low profiles and streamlined designs which make them difficult to spot.
Hearing Aids Have More Features than Ever
Hearing Aids aren’t just for facilitating conversations in person, they also help us enjoy our leisure time watching TV, listening to the radio, or enjoying music. Hearing aids have come a long way in recent years, with significant technological advances. Technologies such as Bluetooth can pair your hearing aid directly with your media devices such as smartphones, computers, tablets, or more so you can enjoy your favourite content without putting the volume too high. Hearing aids today can also come with telecoils, a technology which helps users hear more clearly on the phone as well as in public places with induction loop systems such as auditoriums, airports, bus stations, theatres, places of worship, and more.
Hearing Aids And Education
Hearing aids can also be a great way to improve your education. Many children and young adults with hearing difficulties may not realize they have such a condition and might end up falling behind in school as a result. If you are studying and suffer from hearing loss, hearing aids allow you to better hear your instructors and classmates, giving you greater ability to focus.
Cons of Using a Hearing Aid
There are a lot of Pros to wearing hearing aids, so what are there any Cons? Is there any reason not to get them?
Different Comfort Levels With Hearing Aids
One of the disadvantages of using a hearing aid is a possibility that it might be uncomfortable for the wearer. It is important to underline that most people do not feel any discomfort at all when wearing a hearing aid. Your comfort level will depend on the style and type that you purchase, which itself will depend on your hearing loss, lifestyle, and communication requirements. Your Registered Hearing Instrument Provider at NexGen Hearing can help with selection, type, size, and comfort to ensure you get the hearing aid you need to suit your individual needs.
Losing Your Hearing Aid
Lastly, unless you have a hearing aid that is implanted into you, you run the risk of losing it. This can be a problem mostly in younger children and older adults who are more prone to forgetting where they place things. For those who do have trouble remembering where they put their hearing aids, solutions such as retention strings or even GPS location can help reduce the risk of loss.
The Verdict
The Pros of getting hearing aids greatly outweigh the Cons. Hearing Aids are an extremely effective way of managing hearing loss while maintaining your lifestyle. With the help of our expert Audiologists and Registered Hearing Instrument Providers, NexGen Hearing is committed to helping guide you to the right solution.
How NexGen Hearing Can Help
If you believe you have hearing loss, hearing aids can be a life changer. NexGen Hearing offers free hearing tests to help determine if you have hearing loss, and to what extent. We have years of experience helping British Columbians manage their hearing loss. For more information, send us a message or call us at 877-606-6671.