Hearing Aid Ratings

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Hearing aids are essential in assisting people who have mild to profound hearing loss to hear better the sounds around them.

Without hearing aids, individuals can have extreme difficulty engaging others and communicating with them, and this in turn can have a profound effect on the person's relationships with others.

So how do hearing aids work?

Hearing aids operate by gathering sound from the environment and then sending these amplified sound waves into the ear.

The sound waves are then converted into electrical impulses in the auditory system, then relied through the nervous system to the brain, where these impulses are interpreted as sounds.

But how exactly do hearing aids amplify sound?  All hearing aids have a small microphone that picks up environmental sounds.  But before relaying these sounds to the auditory system, the hearing aid amplifies them. 

The amplifier in the hearing aid receives sound from the device's microphone and enhances that sound, making it louder, and also often enhancing the quality of the sound through use of digital technology.

The built-in speaker then takes this sound and relays it on to the ear, where it vibrates on the eardrum.  This in turn relays the vibrations to small bones inside the middle ear.  The sound eventually makes its way to the brain.

Which hearing aids are right for you?

Hearing aids come a variety of different sizes and varieties.  They are selected for a given patient based on the degree and type of hearing loss and the size of the ear canal. 

So how do you know which type of hearing aid you need?  Your audiologist will determine this based on testing.  You can be given several options and make your selection based on cost and hearing aid ratings. 

Once your need for a hearing aid has been diagnosed and the right type of device has been determined, your audiologist will make or order to be made ear molds.  These molds are then made into your hearing aids.

You will have time to discuss your different options and check on the various hearing aid ratings and prices before ordering your devices. 

Once the hearing aids are done, you must be fitted with them and then further adjustments can be made over time to ensure a continued good fit.

Some great places to get more information on hearing aids online are at the NIDCD Hearing Aid ratings page and Hearing Aids 101.