It’s estimated that almost 48 million Americans report having difficulty hearing. But despite this, less than 10 million wear hearing aids.
There are many reasons why someone may choose not to wear hearing aids. Ranging from social stigma, to an unwillingness to accept a hearing loss, the reasons are varied. Many of the reasons that people opt to not wear hearing aids are based on old information, or a perception of what a hearing aid looks like based on older models, or even a lack of understanding as to how sophisticated hearing aid technology is in our day and age.
The past few years have seen tremendous advances in hearing aid technology, which has helped to address many of the complaints people have about older models. Today, we’re taking a look at some of the common complaints that new hearing aids solve.
Common Complaints that New Hearing Aids Solve
“My hearing aid is picking up too much background noise.”
Background noise has been a common complaint from hearing aid users for years. Wind, excess conversation, even the whir of a refrigerator can all be picked up by hearing aids. But as a hearing aid wearer, that’s not what you want to be focusing on, right? Not to worry, in today’s hearing aid market noise-cancellation technology has come a long way.
Smart hearing aids, such as the Oticon OPN S™ hearing aids, have been designed to allow you to focus on the conversation you’re having. These hearing aids will allow you to take an active part in ongoing conversations, while minimizing the distraction from background noise.
“I’m worried about getting my hearing aids wet.”
Just like many tech devices, water is more often foe than friend. As a hearing aid wearer, this often means you are forced to make the decision between hearing well, or coming into contact with water or moisture. Do you want to swim? Or do you want to hear?
Today, there are both waterproof and water-resistant hearing aids. Commonly, hearing aids are given an IP 67 or IP 68 rating. The first number is the measure from 0 to 6 of dust protection. The second, from 0 to 9, is for moisture. Thus, the higher the number, the better protection your hearing aid has from dust and moisture.
If you’d like to check the IP rating of your device, you can do so on the manufacturer’s website. Alternatively, come in to speak with the hearing specialists at Hearing, Balance & Speech Center, and we’d be happy to check for you.
“My hearing aid doesn’t connect to my phone.”
Phone conversations can be difficult with a hearing loss. It’s easy to forget how much we rely on visual cues during a conversation, whether those are facial expressions, gestures, or even lip-reading. Trying to use the phone with a hearing aid used to be a challenge.
In today’s world of smart-devices, this complaint can well and truly be put to bed. Now we have the choice of hearing aids that can connect to your phone through Bluetooth, functionality which also allows them to connect to other smart-devices in your home such as the T.V. Hearing aids with Bluetooth connectivity will allow the audio to be streamed directly into your device.
Have a Question? Want to Get Your Hearing Checked? Contact Us Today!
Seeking treatment for a hearing loss will help to minimize the impact that it can have on your work-life. Don’t delay, book an appointment with the team at Hearing Balance & Speech Center. Give us a call on 203-774-5642 or book a consultation with us today.