What You Need to Know About Hearing Aids

Hearing loss is common, especially as people get older. About one-third of Americans ages 65 to 75 have some hearing problems. Yet studies estimate that only 20 percent of people who would benefit from wearing a hearing aid do so.

Hearing loss often starts with an inability to hear high-frequency sounds. A person with diminished hearing often will complain that he or she can hear others just fine but can't make out what they're saying.

See an expert

If you suspect you have a hearing problem, make an appointment with an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in ear, nose, and throat problems; or an otologist, a doctor who specializes in ears.

The doctor will examine your ears and ask questions about your hearing. After ruling out some sort of obvious obstruction or major ear infection, most doctors may use a tuning fork to make a preliminary assessment, followed by more advanced tests that will determine the extent and frequency range of your loss.

If your doctor recommends a hearing aid, the following suggestions can help you determine which kind will suit you best.

Buying a hearing aid

You'll have many questions when you shop for a hearing aid: Should I get a behind-the-ear or an in-the-ear model? A digital or an analog aid? Should I spend $300—or $3,000?

There are two basic choices in circuitry—digital and analog. An analog hearing aid boosts all frequencies alike, so you hear everything louder. This approach can make it more difficult to understand speech, which may be lost amid the amplified background noise. A digital hearing aid can be programmed to boost specific frequencies, so that you hear some or all of the frequencies you have lost. This approach makes speech much more understandable than with an analog hearing aid. 

A programmable analog hearing aid tries to bridge the two approaches to boosting frequencies. By adjusting the amplifier, you can adjust certain ranges of pitch just as you would on your home stereo when you adjust the bass, treble, and midrange. An analog hearing aid, however, still doesn't have the ability to fine-tune frequencies that a digital aid has.

Apart from circuitry, hearing aids differ in placement—they either go behind the ear or within the ear. Behind-the-ear aids are small, powerful, and easy to handle for cleaning, changing the battery, and adjusting the volume. Although they're more noticeable than in-the-ear aids, they can be easier to use.

The in-the-ear models come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are plainly visible and fill the entire, bowl-shaped part of the outer ear. Others can hardly be seen and fit almost completely in the ear canal.

Smaller, more expensive

The price of a hearing aid depends on both the circuitry and the size. As a rule, the smaller the hearing aid, the more expensive it is.

In most states, two kinds of specialists are licensed to fit you for a hearing aid: audiologists and hearing-aid dispensers, sometimes called hearing-instrument specialists. Audiologists must have a master's degree and are licensed to evaluate hearing and fit people with hearing aids. Many are affiliated with hospitals and schools. Dispensers are usually licensed only to sell and fit hearing aids.