Hearing Aids
Hearing Aid - discreet and effective
Here on the site, you will find our selection of hearing aids, which are both discreet and effective in enhancing your ability to capture sounds, music, and speech around you, if you have a hearing loss.
There are many variants of hearing aids and it can often be both a heavy item on the budget, as well as difficult to navigate through all the specifications.
Below you will find some things that are good to know when you are looking for a new hearing aid, to make it a little easier for you to choose the right one.
7 things you should know when looking for a new hearing aid
When you need to find your new hearing aid, it can be a jungle to navigate through the specifications, for what is the good specification and what should you be aware of?
We attempt below to give you answers to some of the specifications and what you can look for to find the right hearing aid for you.
#1 - Fit and ergonomics
When you are looking at a hearing aid, it is important that you try whether the hearing aid sits well on or in your ear.
You should be able to wear the hearing aid on and in your ear for many hours every day, and therefore it is important that it sits well and does not feel uncomfortable to wear or have in.
Most newer hearing aids are ergonomically designed, so you hardly feel you are wearing it, which makes it easier to get used to using the device, while you do not feel marks and pressure from the device.
#2 - Hertz and hearing range
Hertz (Hz) is the frequency that humans hear at and the frequency indicates the number of vibrations that hit your ear every second.
Normal hearing individuals can capture frequencies between approximately 20 and 20,000 Hz, where very high frequencies can feel uncomfortable in the ear, especially in the range between 500 and 4000 Hz, where it feels pleasant.
Between 500 and 4,000 Hz are the frequencies for speech and for example music, but different sounds and tones have different frequencies.
With normal hearing, humans can perceive up to 400,000 different tones, but if you have a hearing loss, this becomes limited.
#3 - Adjustment options
Hearing aids often have the option of adjusting the volume, so you can turn it down or up depending on the situations you find yourself in.
The hearing aid amplifies almost all sounds unless there is noise reduction built in, and this means that you can find yourself in situations where sounds can feel uncomfortably loud.
For example, at family gatherings or concerts, you can be almost overwhelmed by the volume, and here it is very practical and comfortable to be able to turn down the hearing aid a bit, as it can be nice not to hear so well in these situations.
The number of steps that sound can be adjusted varies from hearing aid to hearing aid, but it is recommended to consider a hearing aid with as many steps as possible, as it provides the best opportunity for optimal sound.
#4 - Noise reduction
Another specification to keep an eye on is whether the hearing aid has built-in noise reduction, as this function can mean that you will rarely need to adjust your hearing aid.
At the same time, noise reduction is pleasant because the function tries to separate background noise from particularly speech and music signals.
Noise reduction can filter out background noise such as car alarms, noise from vacuum cleaners, or similar sounds, but it also has a limitation, as the function often cannot filter out talking.
This means that some hearing aids' noise reduction does not help much in, for example, social gatherings or parties.
However, technology is constantly evolving, so the noise reduction function is improving to distinguish background noise, and you can supplement with a directional microphone in the hearing aid, so it filters out noise from what you are not focusing on.
#5 - dB level
Another specification you may encounter is the dB level, which indicates the pressure with which sound waves hit your ear.
dB stands for decibel and in common terms, dB is often mentioned in connection with the volume of, for example, music, noise, or others.
The higher the number of dB, the louder the sound.
A normally hearing person can perceive sounds from 0 dB to about 120 dB, but it is in no way pleasant to hear volumes around 110 - 120 dB, as it can be painful and the sound can become distorted, while hearing can incur permanent damage.
Volumes below 0 dB are not perceived by the human ear at all, and a normal conversation typically occurs at around 50 dB.
The most pleasant volume range for the human ear is approximately between 25 dB to about 90 dB.
If you have a hearing loss, a hearing aid's volume can often be adjusted between approximately 45 dB and 120 dB.
#6 - Discreet design
When you are looking for a hearing aid, you can consider the design of the hearing aid, whether it is a hearing aid for placement inside the ear, without an outer part or if there is an outer part, how is this designed to sit?
Some hearing aids are designed to sit only inside the ear and have no outer part, making these very discreet, but since they often need to be molded to the ear, this type can be very costly.
Other hearing aids have an outer part that captures sounds and through a small tube, sends the sounds further into the ear to the speaker.
These hearing aids are often slightly larger, and since many people with hearing loss prefer to hide the hearing aid as much as possible, it can be an advantage to consider both the size of this outer part and its placement.
However, most newer devices have a relatively small outer part, which can be easily positioned behind the ear and is almost not visible, and with an ergonomic design, the weight on the ear is reduced.
#7 - Storage and charging
When you are not using your hearing aids, you can of course place them on a flat surface such as a table, but it is important to keep the hearing aid away from moisture and direct sunlight.
You should not store your hearing aids in the car on a hot summer day and if you are going to the beach, you can beneficially put the hearing aids in a zip-lock bag and place them in your bag, so they are protected against salt and sand from the sea.
Your hearing aids often come with a storage case, which provides optimal storage for your hearing aids when you are not using them.
Hearing aids have small batteries and these need to be changed or charged regularly, it is important that you check the user manual to ensure this is done correctly.
Newer hearing aids may, in some cases, come with a case that functions as a power bank, when the device is placed in the case, it gets charged, meaning you can just charge the case and then place the hearing aids in it when you go to bed or do not need them.
