How do hearing aids help with hearing loss

Why don’t more people wear hearing aids?

Modern hearing aids are small and discreet – meaning they’re virtually invisible when you’re wearing them, and making them comfortable too. The technology inside them has advanced that they offer a range of different programmes and settings, automatic technology, and even Bluetooth capability so they can be connected wirelessly to your phone, TV and more!

But some people may still be reluctant to wear a hearing aid, but why?

• Lots of people don’t even realise they have hearing loss. Because age-related hearing loss happens so gradually, it’s not always easy to recognise. You might just think that other people are mumbling, and turn up the volume of the TV and your phone so you can hear them.

• Some people think hearing loss is a sign of getting old. But the truth is that one in six people in the UK are affected by hearing loss – and almost half of everyone over 50.

What are the first steps?

Hearing is one of our most important senses. It is essential to look after your hearing health and to visit your local hearing care professional immediately if you become aware of any hearing problems.

If you suspect that you are being affected by reduced hearing, arrange an appointment with a certified hearing professional as soon as possible. They will determine whether or not there really is hearing loss, and will offer you advice on how you can help yourself.

What should I be aware of before buying?

Buying a hearing aid is an important decision and can significantly improve your quality of life. Give yourself plenty of time to visit an experienced hearing care professional or audiologist and find the appropriate solution together.

• Find out here about hearing problems and how they can be treated.

• To prepare, take our online hearing test.

• Find a branch near you.

• Take a hearing test at your local hearing clinic and ask them for a detailed explanation of the results.

• Ask them to show you the various models that would be appropriate to your hearing problems and lifestyle, and to explain how they work.

• Find out which services are included in the purchase price. Ask your hearing care team to advise you on insurance coverage options and ways to cut maintenance, repair, or replacement costs in the event of loss.

• Ensure that the device settings are optimized for you. Wearing a poorly adjusted hearing aid is uncomfortable and the hearing aid will not provide the desired sound quality.

• Tell your friends and relatives about your new hearing aid, and explain that, from now on, they’ll no longer need to raise their voice when talking to you.

Some myths around hearing aids

‘Hearing aids don’t help’

Just a few years ago hearing aids were clumsy, hook-shaped devices that were only placed behind the ear and only made a minimal improvement to a person’s hearing.

One common problem, which was also a source of pain for the ears, was the feedback when someone hugged you, for example. This problem has been successfully overcome.

Even the misconception that you simply have to "train" your ears harder still persists. Many of those affected believe that by using a hearing aid, they’re ‘spoiling’ their sense of hearing and their hearing will become dependent on technical support.

However, hearing does not regenerate itself. Once hearing has been damaged, it is almost impossible to reverse and often a hearing aid is a solution. While the individual is not cured, the technology means that they will find it far easier to live with hearing loss.

Doing more than just making things louder

When you have a hearing loss, everything doesn’t just sound quieter. You probably find certain sounds more difficult to hear and understand than others. Plus, some sounds are unpleasant, or even painful, like sudden loud noises, wind noise, or very high pitches. So if a hearing aid just made everything louder, it wouldn’t be very helpful!

Determining the right volume

Of course, hearing aids do contain technology to amplify sound signals: if you have a hearing loss, you can only hear sounds above a certain volume. But think about it – if everything was made louder to the same degree, noises like a police siren would become unbearable. That’s why hearing aids can be adjusted to cater to your own discomfort threshold. This threshold represents the maximum volume before sounds become unpleasant to hear. For most people without a hearing loss, this value is around 100 decibels (dB). Hearing aids can be set so that sounds won’t be heard above your discomfort threshold, to make sure you’re hearing comfortably.

Background noise and exact frequency ranges

Hearing aids also need to amplify the specific frequencies that you can no longer hear very well. Modern digital hearing aids can cater to your own hearing loss, and to the frequency ranges that you find the most difficult to hear, in a precise and targeted way.

For many people with hearing loss, their biggest challenge is background noise. Trying to have a conversation in a noisy environment, like a busy restaurant, means relying on some very complex processing mechanisms to single out a friend's voice – and when you have a hearing loss, this is much harder. Because this such a common difficulty, hearing aid manufacturers are constantly working hard to improve the technology to help tackle hearing in background noise. Thanks to years of pioneering research, current technology can now significantly improve your ability to hear and understand speech in loud, busy environments.

To help you hear better in other challenging situations, hearing aids also feature a variety of programs. When you switch your hearing aid to a set program, its settings update to what you need to help you hear best in that particular situation, some hearing aids even do this automatically. Hearing aids can also suppress background noise and unpleasant feedback whistling – so the infamous whistling sound that older hearing aids made is now a thing of the past.

Some hearing aids such as the new Phonak Infinio come with Bluetooth connectivity. This means they can connect to other Bluetooth-enabled devices like your mobile phone or TV set and send the sound straight into your ears through your hearing aids. In some cases, a small, additional connector is required, which transfers the signals your hearing aids and the Bluetooth-enabled device.

There are even apps available that can help you hear better.Thanks to this Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone apps can link to your hearing aids, allowing you to control them wirelessly.

You can find more information the hearing aids that available at Boots Hearingcare here. If you’re not sure whether you would benefit from a hearing aid, you can always take our free online hearing test.

If the hearing check indicates that you might have a hearing loss, or if you would like to see a Boots Hearingcare expert for a more thorough hearing test, book your hearing test online or calling us on 0845 270 1600.