Over one third of our population over the age of 65 has significant hearing loss today and that number is growing. Everyday life is growing noisier and as it does, more Canadians are losing their hearing at an earlier age. Fortunately, with the tremendous technologic developments that have occurred in the last decade people with hearing impairment have better solutions to their hearing needs than ever before.
The first step that you need to take is to schedule an appointment to have your hearing evaluated by a professional. The hearing instrument specialist or Audiologist will perform a comprehensive audiologic evaluation to determine the degree of hearing loss present and the best course of treatment for your hearing loss. In approximately 10% of all cases, an underlying medical problem may be the cause of your hearing loss and the audiologist would refer you to an ear specialist or otolaryngologist. For the remaining 90% of people with hearing loss, the professional will recommend use of hearing aids to address your hearing and communication difficulties.
Unlike most consumer purchases, you can’t walk into a store and pick one out. You are buying an expensive piece of electronic equipment that is custom fit to your ear and that the hearing practitioner has to adjust to your specific hearing needs. A competent professional will discuss the various types and styles of hearing aids that will fit your hearing loss, your lifestyle, and your budget. As your needs are many, there are a multitude of products available.
Currently, there are hundreds of different hearing aids with different levels of technology available. Keep in mind two things. First, all of the technologies are available in all sizes of hearing aids—from the biggest, like the behind-the-ear model, to the smallest, which is the completely-in-the-canal size. Secondly, the more basic the technology, the less expensive the hearing aid and vice versa.
The first level of technology is a basic system we call linear and has been around for over 40 years. It amplifies all sounds the same. In other words, regardless of the level of sound that you hear—soft, medium, or loud—it gives essentially the same amount of volume. The limitations, then, are an inability to hear soft sounds, such as people who speak softly or from another room, and discomfort when loud sounds occur like traffic, a door slamming, or in a crowded noisy restaurant. But for someone with a very limited or quiet lifestyle, they may be an appropriate choice. Linear aids are now being fit in only rare instances.