You know the situation. You’re out at a friend’s dinner party – music is playing, plates and cutlery clatter around you, and of course there’s the energetic conversations; multiple discussions across the table in all directions.
You sit there struggling to pick out any single speaker. The result? You simply can’t take part in the conversation, it’s just too tiring. It’s an all-too-common scenario. And that’s the rub: hearing loss doesn’t just affect your hearing, it affects your social life. Hearing aids are exactly what you’re looking for.
You’re not alone
If you suffer from hearing loss, you’re not alone: more than 10 million people in the UK live with the condition. Yet despite its abundance, hearing loss still has the power to restrict your life. Feelings of isolation, social withdrawal and even depression can all be traced back, at least in part, to hearing loss.
Hearing aids really make a difference to your lifestyle and overall health. Hearing aid wearers are less likely to suffer depression or develop dementia.
Hearing aids have come a long way in recent years. Heavy, cumbersome devices have been replaced by sleek, lightweight pieces of technology that are both discreet and much smarter than anything that’s been before.
So sophisticated are the latest devices, that they can automatically sense the immediate sound environment and deliver the best possible sound to your ears. It can even distinguish between human voices and background noise. And it does all of this in milliseconds, without you even noticing.
Types of hearing aids
Today’s digital hearing aids are worlds apart from the analogue hearing aids of yesteryear. The Oticon Opn™ underlines this point – it’s the world’s first internet-connected hearing aid.
Why does it need an internet connection? Well, it means you can connect to compatible devices around your home such as your TV or mobile phone (using it as a headset for taking calls), and you can control your hearing aid via the Oticon ON app. The app lets you adjust settings without using the small and fiddly controls on the hearing aid itself, and activate useful features like anti-tinnitus technology.
The Oticon Opn is so packed with incredible tech, that using it can result in a 20% reduction in listening effort and a 30% improvement in speech understanding- even in noisy environments.
Find your fit
Your audiologist will be able to recommend the ideal hearing aid for you, choosing between three main fitting styles:
- Completely in the canal (CIC) hearing aids are extremely small and are suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss.
- Receiver in the ear (RTE) hearing aids are ideal for mild to moderate hearing loss, but they’re still discreet, making them a popular choice.
- Behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids are the most powerful and produce the best sound quality – great for moderate to severe hearing loss.
Get your life back
Hearing aids can really help you reclaim your social life and keep hearing loss at bay. Our expert audiologists at The Hearing Care Partnership will guide you to the perfect hearing aid – we’ll even give you a free hearing assessment and hearing aid demonstration.
To find out more about the latest digital hearing aids like the Oticon Opn and many more, drop into your local THCP practice or book an appointment online.