Hidden Hearing aids
BY Sophie Mills
1st Jan 2015 Health Conditions
Many of us get our teeth and eyes checked once a year, or more often if we feel we have a problem. But do we give a second thought to our hearing? When is it time to get your hearing checked?
The development of a hearing loss can happen over time, so gradually that you don’t even notice. That’s why it is advised that everyone over the age of 55 has their hearing checked every year, the same amount you would for your eyes and teeth.
With 1 in 6 adults in the UK suffering from a hearing loss, you won’t be alone in your experience.
What if I do have a problem?
If you feel you do have a problem with your hearing, it may not mean you need a hearing aid immediately, if at all.
A hearing problem loss can be due to many reasons, including:
- Infections,
- A build-up of earwax
- A blockage that means sound can’t pass freely through the ear.
- Head trauma
- Age
- Exposure to loud noise
If you take a hearing test and find that you are in need of a hearing aid, a qualified Audiologist will help you with the decision process to make sure you have all the information you need.
What can I expect?
There is a range of hearing aids available, whether you choose to go through the path of the NHS or through a private health care provider.
The models:
Behind-The-Ear (also known as a BTE)
- Small
- Discreet
- Comfortable
- Reliable and trusted design
- One of the more common designs you may have seen
Receiver-in-canal and receiver-in-the-ear (also known as an RIC and RITE)
- Significantly smaller than a BTE
- One of the most naturally fitting hearing aids
Spectacle hearing aids
- Affectionately called “Spec aids”, these are designed for wearers of both glasses and hearing aids
Invisible hearing aids
- Designed with discreetness in mind
- The invisible-in-canal hearing aid is completely invisible within the canal (depending on the anatomy of your ear)
- No one needs to know you’re wearing a hearing aid unless you tell them
