Add Better Hearing to Your New Year’s Goals
Is better hearing on your list of new year’s goals? Hearing loss affects thousands of people daily, but it’s not something you simply have to live with, without any assistance.
If you’ve had more and more difficulty hearing people or find yourself turning the volume up higher on your television than ever before, now is the time to take action.
At the start of every year, it’s common for people to begin planning how they’re going to make their lives better for the year ahead. Receiving assistance for your hearing loss is one way to make your life easier and more enjoyable.
Add better hearing to your list of goals for the new year and discover laughter, song, and all the sounds you’ve been missing.
Hearing Assessment: Your First Step toward Better Hearing
Hearing loss may present itself in different ways, more commonly, it starts subtly, so much so that you won’t notice the loss immediately. For example, you may start asking people to repeat what they’ve said or become annoyed with them when you can’t understand them. You may even begin feeling stressed when going to social events.
These are all early signs indicating possible hearing loss, and you should make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. Early treatment helps to keep the problem from developing more seriously for longer periods.
It’s not just age that can lead to this condition. Younger people are at risk of permanent (but often avoidable) hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices, such as constantly using earbuds or headphones when listening to loud music. Workplace-related hearing loss is also a concern for people of all ages.
When some people think of hearing loss, they may imagine it’s a total loss of all sounds. However, it’s far more common to experience a gradual decrease in hearing that may be difficult to notice for a while. If you suspect you may not be hearing at the level you once did, your first move should be to book a hearing test.
At your hearing consultation, a professional audiologist or hearing instrument specialist will examine your ears and assess the level of hearing loss you may be experiencing.
They’ll be able to discuss your experiences and needs to make recommendations for how to proceed, including which assistive devices and hearing aids will be the best fit for you.
What are the benefits of hearing aids?
Hearing aids will help to eliminate the background noise in a crowded room, allowing you to hear the person talking to you. With hearing aids, you can avoid missing parts of or all of a conversation, a business presentation, or even your child’s school concert.
When we hear better, we are more social, outgoing, and personable. We interact with friends and family better and stop missing out on important events. This can reduce isolation, delay the onset of conditions like dementia, and help with mental health in general.
Hearing aids have come a long way since they were first invented. With technological advancements, hearing aids are now smaller and function better than ever. They are no longer the big and bulky devices we saw our grandparents with. Today, they are small, sleek, and, in some cases, almost invisible.
The Different Hearing Aids Available
There are many different hearing aids on the market today. However, how do you decide which one will suit you and your lifestyle the best?
One thing to keep in mind is the IP rating. This indicates how your electronic device, such as a hearing aid, performs in dusty situations or when encountering moisture.
The scale goes from 1-7, and the higher the number, the better. There are two numbers to look for: the first one is for dust, and the second one is for moisture.
For waterproof devices, the number needs to be 7; otherwise, they are water resistant, which is different.
All modern devices are fully rechargeable, so you no longer have to constantly replace dead batteries. Some even have wireless charging capabilities.
While there are a number of hearing aids available for purchase, Hearing Solutions has found these provide consistent quality and notable features:
Phonak Audéo Life
This waterproof device comes with Bluetooth connectivity and smart apps to ensure even the most athletic of us can still enjoy working out, swimming, and more.
This hearing aid can be completely submerged in fresh, salt and pool water up to 50 centimeters or 1.64 feet. The Phonak Audéo Life is also sweat proof, so even the hardest workouts won’t stop you from hearing the world around you.
Phonak Audéo Fit
This unit is perfect for health-conscious people who track every movement. This device has seven major benefits to help you track your health and progress, as well as allowing you to carry on with your day job and enjoy the simple things in life:
- Sweat and waterproof
- Earwax protection
- Wireless charging
- Smartphone apps
- Activity tracking
- Crisp sound quality
- Multiple connections: bluetooth, microphone, and TV
Widex Moment Sheer
With a revolutionary technology called PureSound, this device enhances sound for “pure” real-world sounds. While some devices may lag when processing sounds, this aid reduces that lag time and clears up the sound you are listening to.
This also applies to music, voices, and sounds of nature when streaming them to the hearing aid from any other device, such as a smartphone.
Phonak Audéo Lumity
For those of us who love to be around people, socialize at every event and take any opportunity to do so, or just rely on constant communication for work, this device is focused on better understanding speech in crowded situations.
With universal connectivity for any device, including health tracking, this little unit is powerful in many crowded and loud situations, thus allowing you to never miss a thing.
Old Innovation Meets New Technology
In 1898, inventor Miller Reese Hutchison developed the first hearing aid using electric currents to amplify sounds. 1913 saw the first commercially produced hearing aids using vacuum tubes.
As society evolved, so did technology, and in turn, so did the advantages and applications beneficial to you, the wearer.
Today sees the end of batteries, volume adjustments, and struggles to hear better in crowded rooms. Hearing aids are now fully rechargeable and can even be charged wirelessly in some cases. Some hearing aids are automated for volume and contain noise-cancelling capabilities.
For the tech-savvy user, there are phone apps and Bluetooth connections, thus allowing you to do so much more and enhance your hearing even further.
Better Hearing Goals: Never Miss a Sound Again
There are some sounds that you may notice fading, and some sounds you don’t realize are gone until you get a hearing aid and are finally able to rediscover all the sounds you may have lost.
While those with no hearing loss or difficulty may take these things for granted, we know there are some sounds that you should never miss out on.
Your new baby or grandchild crying or laughing for the first time, a loved one sharing important news, or even vital information from a co-worker.
Hearing Solutions are your Ontario-based hearing experts who take your hearing seriously and work with you to improve the way you experience your daily life.
We are much more than just a hearing loss clinic; we provide the chance to live better, hearing the world around you.
With the ability to assist with things such as assistive listening devices (phones and alarm clocks), repairs, adjustments, and maintenance to the evaluation and treatment of tinnitus, there is a reason that the experts at Hearing Solutions have been voted the “Best Hearing Clinic” for over 18 years.
Every new year is a chance for a new start. While you might be inclined to dismiss the signs of hearing loss, or believe it’s “not that bad,” it’s time to recognize that you deserve more than “not that bad.”
If you notice your world is getting quieter, birds don’t sing as loud, car horns don’t make you jump, or music doesn’t have the same feel, then reach out and book your free hearing test and evaluation now.
Get in touch with Hearing Solutions at 1-888-811-9799, or book online and bring music and sound back to your life in 2023.
References
Hearing Aids with Improved Speech Understanding – Audéo Lumity. (n.d.). Phonak. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://www.phonak.com/en-us/hearing-devices/hearing-aids/audeo-lumity.
The History of Hearing Aids | Hearing Systems. (2019, February 19). Hearingsystemsinc.com. https://hearingsystemsinc.com/the-history-of-hearing-aids/#:~:text=The%20first%20electric%20hearing%20aid.
What are the health benefits of hearing aids? (n.d.). Healthy Hearing. https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/health-benefits.
WIDEX MOMENTTM hearing aids. (n.d.). Widex. https://www.widex.com/en/hearing-aids/moment/.
World Health Organization. (2021, April 1). Deafness and Hearing Loss. Who.int; World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss.
