Well, we’ve got some news. Most people don’t want to get hearing aids, nor do they necessarily feel like shelling out thousands of dollars for something they’ve heard their friends complaining about for years. Others have tried hearing aids and felt like the benefit was not comparable to the cost. Still others feel that they only have difficulty in one or two situations, like watching television with a spouse or eating in a restaurant.
All hope is not lost! Personal Sound Amplifier Products (PSAPs) are a cost-effective hearing aid alternative. It is important to understand the difference between the two types of devices so that you don’t overpay for either.
Both hearing aids and PSAPs help to improve our ability to hear sounds, but the PSAP is not intended to make up for impaired hearing. Rather, they are intended to amplify sounds in challenging listening environments for persons who have normal or close to normal hearing. Hearing aids, on the other hand, are considered to be devices that intend to compensate for impaired hearing.
Not sure if your hearing is impaired or not? Check this list of signs that your hearing might be impaired:
- People complain that your voice is too loud or that you shout instead of talking
- You often ask people to repeat themselves
- Friends or family complain that your television or radio is too loud
- You hear better out of one ear than another
- You feel like you strain to hear
Hearing aids are programmed to closely match your hearing loss, and to deliver amplification at specific frequencies and intensities. PSAPs have a much more general prescription, similar to that of reading glasses at the drug store…it’s a general setting that is based on what “most” people preferred to listen to or hear. Both PSAPs and hearing aids are set so that they will not damage your residual hearing; they have output limiters on them so as to not expose your ears to loud, damaging sounds.
If you have questions about your hearing or whether or not a PSAP or hearing aid is right for you, call Hearing Revolution!