What is a hearing aid?

A hearing aid is a device that makes sounds louder so that a person who has hearing loss can communicate better.

If a person has been struggling with hearing loss for a long time, he or she may have turned down invitations to do things with others because of difficulty following conversations.  The main goal of a hearing aid is to improve the quality of a person’s life by enabling the person to feel connected to others and to understand what is said in conversations once again.

Each person’s hearing loss is different, and there is not one hearing aid that works best for everyone.  The audiologist will adjust the hearing aid so it amplifies the pitches each person needs to hear.  Hearing aids come with a trial period of about 30-45 days and they are available in different colors and skin tones.  During the trial period the audiologist will make any adjustments that are necessary based on how the person is hearing sounds.

All hearing aids are battery operated.  Batteries usually last about 100 hours and can easily be replaced by the hearing aid user.  It is important to open the battery chamber when not wearing the aid, otherwise the battery will be drained.  

How are hearing aids described?

Hearing aids are best discussed by breaking them into 2 main categories.
1.  Types (what they sound like or the technology inside)
2.  Styles (what they look like)