How to choose a hearing aid ?How to choose a good and inexpensive hearing aid for an elderly person ?

hearing loss or complete loss thereof - is certainly not a death sentence for a man, and exist with the lack of it is possible.However, the quality of life at the same time can significantly deteriorate.Caught in a similar situation, do not despair and lose heart.Let's try to deal with what can be done to improve the state of failing health and how to choose a hearing aid that can restore the body lost properties.

Why deteriorating hearing

reasons, reducing the sharpness of perception of sounds, there are many.The most common and legkoustranimaya - is the accumulation of a significant amount of sulfur in the ear canal.Also at the hearing can be affected by complications caused by infectious diseases.In such cases it is sufficient to see a specialist and undergo treatment designated by him.As a result of hearing loss can be restored very soon.

on the deterioration of quality can affect the perception of sound professional activity.The noise from working machinery at a construction site, loud club music, the sound of gunfire in shooting galleries - all these acts negatively on human health.

The main causes of hearing loss include:

  • head trauma or ear;
  • congenital malformations of the ear and ear canal;
  • effects of some types of antibiotics;
  • chemotherapy, radiation;
  • age-related changes;
  • genetic predisposition.

Effect of hearing loss on human life

hearing impaired interferes with normal communication.One has much to strain to hear the words of the interlocutor, and so, in turn, need to repeat their lines several times.In order to understand the essence of the conversation, the deaf person has to constantly look people in the face.To catch the thread of conversation becomes more difficult, and the patient often responds inappropriately.To watch TV or listen to the radio, turn up the volume of transmitters that can interfere with people around.

As a result of these efforts of hearing people often experience headaches, increasing irritability.Psycho-emotional state of the patient becomes unstable, and it is increasingly evades communication with friends and acquaintances.

neglect inconvenience arising in any case impossible.Timely treatment to the doctor will help improve hearing.In many cases, the aid may come a hearing aid.Its use in combination with therapeutic measures will significantly improve your overall health.

Medical indications

While seemingly simple answer to the question of how to choose their own hearing aids, it is obvious that it is not necessary to do so.Based only on the appearance of the sound conductor or its value, you can buy a device that not only help restore hearing but also exacerbate the negative position.Thus, improper adjustment volume can trigger the growth of blood pressure in hypertensive patients, leading to a disastrous outcome.

Some people are not recommended to use zvukoulavlivayuschih devices.This is especially should pay attention to when planning to purchase hearing aids for the elderly.Contraindications to apply to patients with acute or chronic mental disorders and diseases of the central nervous system.You should be careful to those who have problems with heart activity, blood vessels, or have chronic ear infections.

To find out what is best to choose a hearing aid, it is necessary to consult with your doctor and make the necessary inspection.Audiologist will diagnose hearing loss, according to the results of the audiogram to determine the level of reduction perception of sound throughout the frequency range.

degree of damage to hearing

In medicine, there are several levels of hearing loss, for which he needed a hearing aid.How to choose it correctly, tell the classifier based on the results of numerous studies.

considered normal hearing ability to hear sounds in the range of zero to twenty decibels.Everything that is outside this range is considered a hearing loss:

  • mild - from twenty to fifty decibels;
  • average degree - from fifty to seventy decibels;
  • severe degree - audible from seventy to ninety decibels;
  • superheavy degrees - ninety decibels and above.

to correctly answer the question of how to choose a hearing aid, you should know that according to the principle of action they are divided into two basic categories: analog and digital.Let's look at the properties of each of them.

Analog Devices

Hearing equally produce amplification of signals into the microphone.As a result, the sounds were indistinct, will become quite clear.But those noises that before the patient perceived normally, will be further strengthened by the analog signal will be too loud.

As a result, a person receives excessive noise pollution and loses intelligibility.As a rule, long-term use of such devices leads to increased irritability and reluctance to use them constantly.The main advantage of analog systems is that it is inexpensive hearing aids affordable price which makes them popular so far.

Digital devices

devices are essentially miniature computers.It is based on strengthening the electoral incoming signals.When processing incoming sounds are separated them for speech and noise.As a result, a high degree of intelligibility of human speech with a simultaneous lowering of extraneous sounds.For hypertensive patients and people suffering from headaches, the best hearing aids - those with noise-canceling.

order to maximize fine-tune the parameters of the hearing device on the individual, should be more careful to spend an audiogram.The greater the number of active points will be considered in the study, the more precisely the machine is set to the individual.Accordingly, the perceived sound is clearer.

Features of microphones

digital devices equipped with a system of microphones that operate in two modes.

Directional zvukoperedayuschie devices provide high-quality signal from the object located in the vicinity of the hearing-impaired person.This is the best option for people who lead a secluded and measured way of life.

Omnidirectional microphones allow you to hear interlocutors are around.For the Deaf people who lead an active lifestyle, a lot of talking, and children are hearing aids will suit most.

Recent developments in zvukopererabatyvayuschih systems, adaptive directional microphones are set up.These models are able to organize the surrounding sounds and adjust to them, regardless of the direction vector.Shifting environmental noise situation leads the automatic switching to an appropriate program of quality perception.

Types of hearing aids

Zvukoperedayuschie devices have a variety of external forms.Choose an appropriate can be based on the design of the machine, its size, technology used, and color solutions.

To know how to choose a hearing aid in accordance with the needs and way of life, you need to consider the merits and advantages of the most sought-after models.By type of location they are divided into:

  • -ear - are located in the ear or ear canal;
  • BTE - placed behind the ear.

instrument behind the ear or inside - what to choose

The obvious advantages-channel devices include sleek design and small size, which makes them totally invisible, especially in well-chosen colors.In-the machines are made for each patient individually according to the anatomical structure of the ear.

The disadvantage can be considered that the hearing aid is compact is more complex to use and maintain.Impact of earwax as an aggressive environment affects the quality of the instrument.Specifications ITE devices have some limitations that do not allow people to use them with a degree of hearing loss over seventy decibels.Not suitable miniature tools and those who are subject to frequent inflammatory processes in the ears.Also, do not recommend the compact audio devices to use children and the elderly.

BTE outwardly look quite bulky and attracts attention.Aesthetic devices offset by the lack of quality assurance of sound even at extra-heavy degree of hearing loss, which reaches one hundred twenty decibels.Ease of maintenance and reliability make BTE models popular among elderly people.

service life of the hearing aid device to

served as long as possible, it requires proper care.In accordance with the instruction unit and the ear-tip should be cleaned regularly.For preventive action should periodically contact the service center.When the required conditions lifetime of quality hearing devices can reach five or six years.

Faced with the need to use hearing aids should realize that high quality sound and comfort depend on the proper selection and quality settings for the machine.This should help an experienced and qualified doctor, audiologist, whose task is to address the patient's best for him properly.