Hearing Aids
Treating your hearing loss is the first step toward a healthier, happier life.
Wearing a hearing aid can enrich your life and reopen many doors that may have closed for you over the years. Other benefits of treating your hearing loss with hearing aids include:
- Hearing your grandchild's first words
- Hearing nature again
- Feeling safer in cities
- Attending dinners in noisy environments
- Enjoying parties and understanding conversation
Technology
Hearing Aid Brands
The best hearing aid devices are from the brands that deliver the functionality you need, in an easy to wear and affordable solution. The answer to this question is as individual as your hearing needs.
There are five major hearing aid manufacturers in the world. Starkey, Sonova (makes Lyric, Phonak and Unitron hearing aids), Resound (makes Beltone), WS audiology (makes Widex and Signia hearing aids), William-Demant (makes Oticon, Sonic, and Philips hearing aids).
Your audiologist will help you select the right one, but keep in mind that your success with the hearing aid is in large part how it is programmed for you by your audiologist.
Hearing Aid Styles
The best hearing aids are highly individualized. No two people hear the same, and no two people have the exact requirements for hearing aids. There are in-the-ear styles as well as behind-the-ear styles. When selecting a style of hearing aid, the following should be considered:
- The type/degree of the hearing loss
- Power requirements
- Manual dexterity and visual abilities
- Budget
- Cosmetics and aesthetics
- Anatomical and medical considerations
- Lifestyle requirements
A wide range of hearing aid devices and features are available in each hearing aid style. Hearing aids' cost generally depends on the technology and the number of features the instrument has and not necessarily on the style selected. On the following page, we list the most common styles available.