Which Hearing Instrument is Best for Me? 

When it comes to deciding on which hearing aid to purchase, it can seem like a daunting task.  If you pay attention to various advertisements or start asking other hearing aid users for advice, your head may start spinning.  There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to hearing aids, but it is NOT your job to try to figure it out on your own.  Audiologists are trained to consider a variety of factors in order to determine the most appropriate hearing instrument for YOU and YOUR lifestyle.
Factors to be considered:
·         Hearing Loss- It is necessary to find a hearing aid that is capable of amplifying the degree of hearing loss.  Someone with a severe or profound hearing loss cannot wear the same hearing aid as someone with a mild to moderate hearing loss.  Also each style or size of hearing aid (behind-the-ear, open-fit, custom, etc.) is not appropriate for every configuration of hearing loss.  While someone with a low frequency hearing loss may do well with a deep, small completely-in-canal aid, someone with a high frequency hearing loss would do much better with an open-fit hearing aid.
·         Level of Technology- There is a great range in hearing aid technology.  The biggest difference as you decrease in the level of technology (yes, that usually corresponds to price also) is the degree of fine-tuning available to the audiologist and the number of "automatic" features that work in the hearing aid.  The greater the fine tuning ability, the better the audiologist can match a particular hearing loss and the better the sound quality.  More advanced technology will also allow for better communication in noisy environments.
·         Communication Needs- Your individual communication needs help determine which level of technology is most appropriate.  Someone who is in and out of meetings all day, on a cell phone and in noisy communication environments may need something more advanced than a person that more of a home-body, has one or two visitors at a time and stays in very controlled or quiet communication environments.

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