Hearing loss is a complex individualized condition, yet many people feel the urge to take treatment into their own hands. Along with the privatization of other healthcare services, getting treatment for hearing loss is now possible in new ways, without the guidance of an audiologist or hearing healthcare professional. Despite the urge to cut corners on your hearing assistance, this approach comes with many risks. Let’s consider some of the reasons that it is important for you to treat your hearing loss with a professional rather than seeking out a one-size-fits-all approach through a retailer.
Hearing Loss is Unique
Each person has a unique profile of hearing ability. When you come for your diagnostic exam, we will carefully guide you through the steps of the test. Most tests take the form of pure tone audiometry. In this exam, a series of different tones at various volumes and pitches will be played either through headphones or speakers in a soundproof room. When you hear a sound, you simply gesture that you have heard something. This series of sounds and your ability to hear them is transformed into a detailed account of how loud a frequency of sound needs to be for you to be able to hear it. The chart of your hearing ability is called an audiogram, and we will be able to read and interpret this chart for you.
With this information in hand, we will be able to make an educated recommendation for the type of hearing aids that are appropriate for your condition. You might need a higher or lower level of amplification, and you might need a hearing aid that is particularly good for amplifying the sound of voices, for example. The uniquely individualized nature of your hearing ability is the most important reason to seek treatment with a dedicated hearing practice.
One-size-fits-all models might be amplifying sounds that you are able to hear already. On the contrary, they might not give you the support you need in targeted ranges of hearing that are necessary for your communication ability. By generally raising the sound of the world at the same level, you will likely feel like background noise is far too loud if you use one of these devices.
Hearing Assistance is Specialized
Although big-box retailers are beginning to sell generic models of hearing aids, they also offer many hearing assistive devices that are insufficient to treat hearing loss. Take, for instance, the over-the-counter sound amplifier that you can purchase at some drugstores or through television ads. These devices use a basic microphone to pick up the sound of the world and amplify all of it to a pair of headphones. You will be able to hear a loud sound on the other end, but that amplification is not tailored to your specific needs.
When you wear this device, you will likely feel that the sound of background noise overwhelms voices in conversation. At the same time, you might be doing additional damage to your hearing. When the entire profile of sound is amplified to this level, you might be overwhelming your ears with sounds that they are still able to detect on their own. With these devices available through impersonal retail outlets, you might be doing serious harm to your hearing while failing to assist your communication ability.
Hearing health professionals and audiologists are uniquely able to give you the specialized assistance you need through their expert recommendations. Just as you would be unlikely to buy other healthcare items directly from a big-box retailer, your hearing aids should be no different.
When you work in consultation with our team of hearing health professionals, you will get targeted care that is suited to your needs. At the same time, you will avoid some of the scams and traps that are out there, including expensive devices that can do more harm than good.
If you or someone you love seems to have an issue with hearing, the first step is to get a hearing test. With this information in hand, our team can talk with you and guide you through the steps to connect you with the right kind of hearing aids for your individual needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!