Yuba City, CA    Call: 530-749-9734   |    Text: 530-844-1606

New Wave Hearing Aid - Hearing Aids 101

Choosing the Right Hearing Aid for You

Our goal is to help you feel comfortable and find the right hearing aid to match your lifestyle

Hearing aids of the past were large, bulky, and noticeable. It’s no wonder many folks have concerns about wearing them! But today we are fortunate to offer many hearing aids that are small, unnoticeable, and offer superb sound quality. For our high-tech wearers, there are even “smart” hearing aids that connect to your television or smartphone (no wires needed!) just like ordinary headphones would.

There are several types of hearing aids, and they are categorized according to where the receiver is located. BTE is the traditional behind-the-ear style. The styles where the receiver is in the ear are called ITE or RITE. Receivers placed in the ear canal are called ITC or RIC. If the receiver is completely in the ear canal it’s called CIC.

We know there are many choices-- but don’t worry, we are experts at helping you find the right style to match your budget, lifestyle, and comfort because we truly believe proper hearing aids will transform your life. After your new hearing aids are programmed and fitted to your needs, you will have the best hearing possible.

Call to schedule a visit! We would love to discuss your hearing solutions.  

Hearing Aid Basics

How do hearing aids work? Sounds are collected through the use of small microphones inside the hearing aids. A computer chip receives the incoming sound and analyzes it based on your specific hearing loss. What you are hearing are audio signals through tiny speakers in your ears.

The best hearing aid selection will depend on several factors: your activity level, what level of technology you’re comfortable with, the severity of your hearing loss, and the situations in which you would like to hear better (outdoors, at home, busy shops, etc.).

Selecting Your Hearing Aids

Hearing aid selection begins with a comprehensive hearing evaluation. This includes a hearing test, but it also includes conversation about your lifestyle. We want to know which situations are most troubling, the types of hearing loss you experience, or if you have other symptoms like dizziness/vertigo/tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Once we analyze your specific type of hearing loss, we may recommend hearing aids. Hearing aids benefit most people who have sensorineural hearing loss (indicative of damage to the inner ear or nerve damage between the cochlea and brain). If we feel it is necessary, we may refer you to a medical doctor for further examination.

Hearing Aids in Real Life

When hearing aids are well-fitted and adjusted to your preferences, they work extremely well and will increase your quality of life. Having a professional fitting is the best way to ensure a good fit—and you'll know it’s a good fit when they feel comfortable and improve sound. If you notice your hearing aids are feeling uncomfortable, come in immediately for an adjustment. We’re happy to help.

Although hearing aids drastically improve hearing, they will not provide “perfect” hearing. The devices are used to “aid” in better hearing and can never take you back to the good ole’ days before your hearing loss. The best way to hear better is proper fitting, positive attitude, and coming in for adjustments if necessary.

It takes a little bit of time to adjust to better hearing with your new hearing aids. It can sometimes be challenging for your ears and your brain to hear sounds again— for most people hearing loss has been developing for many years and they’ve gotten used to hearing loss. We are here to assist you with this adjustment period; so try not to get frustrated.

Choosing How Much to Spend on Hearing Aids

Paying for high quality hearing aids is important because so much of our lives involve staying connected and communicating with others. People who can’t hear well tend to be more isolated or withdrawn from activities they once loved. However, not all hearing aids need to be top-of-the-line. How much to spend really depends on your lifestyle.

Those who have more quiet, serene lives without much interaction with noise will only need a low-use hearing aid. If you stay at home, don’t watch television or listen to the radio and rarely use the phone or engage with others, it is less important to have a high-tech hearing aid.

However, if you have an active lifestyle or have high interaction levels with other people and media devices, you will need hearing aids that can keep up with you. If you’re engaged with the community, enjoy going out, prefer to do your own shopping, or like to talk on the phone or listen to the radio, you will need a high-use hearing aid that will be worn for 12-16 hours a day. In this situation, high-quality hearing aids will be an investment into your quality of life. Most people fall into this category, even if they live alone.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VALUE AND COST OF HEARING AIDS

Cost is simply the amount of money you pay for an item. Value, however, describes what the item is worth. How could you benefit from hearing aids? How many situations do you encounter each day where you wish you would have been able to hear better? Are there situations where better hearing would have enhanced your enjoyment, or increased your quality of life? What is good hearing worth, per day, to be active and included?