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Hearing Loss - Different Kinds of Hearing Aids
By Val Bedard

Now I am not an audiologist or hearing aid provider but there are usually four different styles of hearing aids to choose from. Working with your audiologist or hearing aid provider closely is important in choosing the right hearing aid for your hearing loss. Common hearing aid styles are: • Completely in the Canal - these are best for those with a mild to moderate hearing loss. These are so small that you can hardly see them in your ear. The small style can also be a disadvantage - little space for volume controls and directional microphones, also batteries are smaller, so battery life may be shorter. • In the Canal - partly in the ear canal but not as deeply as the Completely in the Canal. These are good for mild to moderately severe hearing loss in adults. As these are a little bigger than the Completely in the Canals aids. They may contain features but the small size can make these aids difficult to adjust. • In the Ear - fits in your outer ear. Helpful for people with mild to severe hearing loss. They are vulnerable to wind noise but the larger size makes it easier to adjust and insert. • Behind the Ear - appropriate for almost all types of hearing loss. These are usually the most powerful and often the most easily adjustable type.

The hearing aid industry is sometimes part of the problem. Their ads play up the small size of the hearing aid - "no one will ever know you have one". Society imposes the rule that "everyone has to be the same". We were not made from a cookie cutter. We are each unique and different people. Our hearing loss is just as unique! No one has the same hearing loss that I have. Just because people wear hearing aids, doesn't mean you can't communicate with them and continue to have a wonderful relationship.

The technology behind these aids is often amazing and you need to learn about all the features from your audiologist or hearing aid provider. Depending on your hearing loss and your lifestyle, the right hearing aid will often be quite obvious, but do familiarize yourself with what's out there. Don't be shy about asking questions!

Your audiologist or hearing aid provider will give you all kinds of information on your new hearing aid. Read everything they give you so that you are familiar with your new aid. You have spent a lot of money on this "gadget", so be sure to learn all you can about it!

For first time hearing aid wearers, a common complaint is "all that noise". They have been living in their nice quiet little world, and now these hearing aids make everything sound so loud. "Oooh…I don't like!" Again, these habits can be strong enough that the hearing aid wearer will put the hearing aids in their night table never to be taken out again. Have we heard that before? Now is the time to learn to hear again through amplification. It can be done! Don't give up! It will get better with the more you wear your hearing aid. I promise!

Keep doing things that you enjoy! It keeps you thinking young and it keeps you positive in your outlook.

Hearing aids simply amplify all sounds that are close to the listener. If you were to stand 20 feet away and speak normally to the hard of hearing person, he may not hear what you are saying with any degree of accuracy. Try that experiment at home with trusted family and friends so that they learn how best to communicate with you. How far or how close do they need to be in order for you to comfortably hear? Are male voices better than female voices? How about children? How about someone with an accent? How are you with directions, can you tell where the sound is coming from? This is a good experiment for you too. It is important to understand who and where you hear well and who you have to work with a little harder.

The more you wear them, the more practice your brain will get in relearning how to interpret sounds that is coming into your ears. If you just wear them "once in a while" you'll always "be rusty". So keep up with your practicing. Don't give up! Concentrate on the benefits you will receive. It will be worth it!

It may be true that hearing aids carry a much greater stigma than eye glasses. Very few people notice if a person is wearing eyeglasses, although the frames and lenses are far more obvious than hearing aids. It is assumed there is no need to treat a person with glasses in a special way but, it is often assumed that there will be greater difficulty in communicating with a person wearing hearing aids.

Don't listen to horror stories from family and friends. Go forward on your own journey to get your hearing aids. Thank them for sharing their story with you and that you'll keep their experience in mind. Everyone is different and has different experiences with getting hearing aids. Remember how resistant some of us were about having to wear seat belts? Now today putting on a seat belt is a habit that is not even thought about. That's what you want to achieve with your hearing aids. After a while, you wouldn't think of going about your day without putting in your hearing aids.

Hearing aids will not cure your hearing loss. For those of you who have a "mild" hearing loss, you can expect a hearing aid to be very effective in quiet places. If you are in a noisy environment, no hearing aid is going to solve your hearing difficulties. Coping strategies, such as speechreading, can offer some assistance.

Hearing aids are sold by Audiologists and Hearing Aid Practitioners. Audiologists are hearing health care professionals who have a minimum of a Master's Degree in the Science of Audiology from a university. Hearing Aid Practitioners must study their profession for two years at a college level. Both are trained to test hearing and to fit hearing aids. Find a person that you feel comfortable with, whether an Audiologist or a Hearing Aid Practitioner, then ask questions until you understand his or her explanation. Now is not the time to be shy! Buying a hearing aid is a big deal!

You are allowed to go back after the purchase for any adjustments or advice if you are having difficulties, so be sure that you are comfortable with your Audiologist or a Hearing Aid Practitioner.

Val Bedard has a profound hearing loss since birth. She owns her own business Hear Well Services Ltd. ( http://www.hearwell.ca ), sells assistive listening devices for the hearing impaired, can be reached via email at info@hearwell.ca or by telephone at 1-888-549-2092.

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