Hearing loss affects a large number of people in America. Yet around 80% of people who would benefit from a hearing aid don’t use one, with high costs being a big reason.
BTE Hearing Aids
These hearing aids help improve your hearing across specific ranges of the audio spectrum the human ear can hear. Your audiologist tests your ability to hear different frequencies and understand speech and then adjusts the hearing aids to compensate for your specific deficiencies. In the most popular style, called RITE hearing aids, the microphone and the processor sit in a casing behind the ear while the speaker rests in the ear canal.
Custom In-The-Ear (ITE) Hearing Aids
Similar to BTE hearing aids, these aids must be fitted and ordered specially by an audiologist after a hearing test. The audio technology is encased in a custom-molded plastic shell that fits in the outer part of the ear canal. They can give you lower tones since your ears are closed up, but they’re more likely to be affected by ear wax, moisture, and sweat. Another effect of this type of hearing aid: Your own voice sounds louder to you.
Cochlear Implants
These hearing aids are implanted through a surgical procedure and use electrical current to stimulate auditory nerve fibers. They are reserved for people with profound hearing loss. The cost of evaluation, surgery, device, and rehab can be rather high, as much as $100,000 in some cases, although most of it should be covered by private insurance or by Medicare.
Personal Sound Amplifiers (PSAPs)
Personal Sound Amplifiers is for people with normal hearing who need a little boost in volume. They can be marketed as over-the-counter hearing aids, but they aren’t regulated by the FDA. You can find these devices for as little as $20, but quality devices generally cost about $250 to $350.
How Hearing Aids Work:
Here’s what is inside a typical behind-the-ear hearing aid:
- The microphone for picking up sound waves traveling toward the ear.
- The device’s amplifier boosts certain frequencies of sound.
- The speaker transmits the boosted sound into the ear.
- The hearing aid’s computer chip converts analog sounds into digital signals and then compresses and processes these sounds based on your personal hearing needs and environment. The device’s chip also reduces any unwanted background noise and cancels any interfering feedback.
