Not Ready for a Hearing Aid? Alternatives Break Tradition

Your spouse's voice, the traffic signals, your favorite TV show - you probably don't think about your sense of hearing often, but without the ears' ability to collect and translate invisible sound waves, many important things would go unheard. Unfortunately, missing out is a reality for 98 million Americans who experience some degree of hearing difficulty. The ability to hear is directly related to one's quality of life. Nearly half of online U.S. adults have some hearing problems, reports the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), and many choose not to seek medical advice regarding their condition and ignore possibilities for correcting the problem. In fact, according to the CEA study "Personal Sound Amplification Products: A Study of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior," 24 percent of people reported a device was cost prohibitive and 18 percent did not want a hearing aid. Hearing problems can occur at any age and are often exacerbated by being in noisy places like restaurants or trying to hear things that are at a distance. If you feel you have been missing out on listening to the world around you, there's no reason to delay taking action - a solution may be simpler than you think. If you strain to hear in certain situations, you have two primary options: a hearing aid or personal sound amplification products (PSAPs). Hearing aids Hearing aids cater to a small group within those 98 million who have moderate to severe hearing impairments. To get a hearing aid, a trained professional will test the levels of hearing difficulty, determine the right solution, and fit the person for a device. While they can be an effective solution, hearing aids are costly and many people want to avoid the negative associations with wearing one. Hearing aids are the best option for those with persistent hearing loss, but there are many others who struggle with hearing in everyday situations like talking in a loud restaurant, watching TV or attending business meetings. People in these situations would be good candidates for alternative solutions that do not require medical intervention. PSAPs Personal sound amplification products are a hearing-assistance alternative that is quickly gaining popularity. PSAPs work by using technology to augment a person's ability to hear. One example is Soundhawk, a system that includes a lightweight earpiece called the Scoop that features dual-microphones to elevate desired sounds while minimizing disruptive background noise. For really noisy situations, Soundhawk also includes a small wireless microphone that picks up sound at its source and delivers it to the Scoop in your ear up to 33 feet away - making it easy to hear the TV and have conversations in a loud restaurants. The system can be customized for each user with a simple mobile app on your smartphone or tablet. Personal sound-amplification products can be ordered and used without medical intervention, plus they are more affordable; this makes them a good option for people that experience situational hearing problems. While a hearing aid can cost $2,000 or more, PSAPs typically range between $100 and $600 - much more in line with what people with lower-level hearing problems are willing to invest. Visit www.soundhawk.com to learn more. Hearing the world around you is too valuable of an experience to miss. Now, thanks to new hearing-assistance alternatives, nobody is stuck with the stigma or cost of traditional solutions. Learn more today about what options are best for your needs.