Hearing aid

A hearing aid is a device used to help the hard-of-hearing hear sounds better. In the past, a funnel-like amplification cone, called an "ear trumpet" or "ear horn", was used. Now, however, the most common style is a small electronic device that fits into the wearer's ear. The first variety of this device had a rectangular battery pack connected by a thin wire, intended to be held in a pocket. During the mid- to late 20th century, this type of power storage was replaced by a more inconspicuous sort in models in which small, circular batteries were placed in the inserted unit itself.

Buyer beware

Hearing aids are often advertised on the Internet for much lower prices than you can get at an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist. These hearing aids are often substandard in quality, are never custom-fit to your ear, and are rarely adjustable. They may be too powerful for your ears or too weak. The best way to purchase a hearing aid is from a licensed professional who has tested your hearing.

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Audiologists are licensed professionals who have a graduate degree (Masters, Au.D. or Ph.D.) in the hearing sciences and state/national licensure. Hearing instrument specialists ("hearing aid dispensers") are professionals with state or national licensure. Prior to 1984 when audiologists changed their code of ethics to allow the selling of hearing aids, hearing instrument dispensers fit all of the patients referred to them by audiologists. In Australia, another category of professional called audiometrists exists. These professionals have some higher education, fit hearing aids, and provide rehabilitative services.

Related Topics:
Audiologists - Au.D. - Ph.D. - Australia - Audiometrists

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Purchasing a hearing aid from an audiologist or a dispenser is the safest choice for your hearing. In addition, follow-up care is best practice when anyone receives hearing aids. When someone first seeks hearing aids, it is likely they have had hearing loss for quite some time. It will take several months of full-time use before the brain readjusts to hearing sounds that it may not have heard for decades.

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Hearing aids are not perfect. They will not restore or fix hearing loss. They are an aid to make sounds accessible to those who have hearing loss. Two problems occur with hearing loss that cannot be assisted by hearing aids:

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• When the auditory cortex of the brain does not receive input/stimulation (i.e. what happens in hearing loss), this part of the brain may start to lose cells, and the ability to process sound. This is most common with more severe hearing losses, and cannot be reversed with hearing aids. Although this cell loss is worse in severe hearing loss, it is seen in all amounts of hearing loss and is caused by sensory deprivation.
• Damage to the hair cells of the inner ear result in sensorineural hearing loss. When these hair cells are damaged, a person loses some ability to discriminate between sounds. This will likely cause decreased ability to understand speech. In this case, amplifying speech (as a hearing aid does) does not always improve speech understanding.

Multiple follow-up visits are common, particularly for new hearing aid users. The most common complaint about hearing aids, especially when someone starts wearing them for the first time, is that the sound of their own voice is too loud or that it sounds like they are talking into a barrel. Most hearing aid users will adjust to the sound of their own voices within several months if the aids are worn regularly. If the problem persists, ask your dispenser or audiologist if any adjustments can be made to the hearing aid.

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