4 Features To Look For In Your First Hearing Aid

Do you need a hearing aid? Is this your first time shopping for one? If it has been recommended that you need a hearing aid, then your audiologist has probably given you some suggestions on what to look for. The size of the hearing aid that you need is usually dependent on the severity of your hearing loss. If you have a mild-to-moderate loss, you may be able to get an aid that is small and fits inside your ear canal.

If your hearing loss is more serious, you may need a larger aid that fits over the back of your ear. Size isn't the only factor to consider, though. Here are a few other features that you may want to consider as you look for your first hearing aid:

Directional microphones. A directional microphone gives you the ability to focus the hearing aid on sounds coming from one position. For example, many people use directional microphones to pick up the sound coming from straight ahead of them. The microphone enhances that sound while reducing the sound coming from the sides and behind.

That could help you better understand conversations, especially in areas with a significant amount of background noise.

Telephone adapters. Do you spend a lot of time on the phone? If so, then you may want to consider this feature. When a hearing aid has a telephone adapter, the aid can intuitively determine when you're holding a phone over your ear. Then aid then switches to a special mode in which it mainly picks up sounds from the phone while reducing surrounding sounds. That helps you focus on the phone conversation without the clutter of surrounding conversations and noises.

Bluetooth connectivity. Much of your sounds that you need to hear may come from your electronic devices, like your cellphone, television, or a tablet. If you want to focus on the sounds coming from a specific device, you may want to get a hearing aid that has Bluetooth connectivity. You can then sync the aid up with that device to prioritize those specific sounds.

This can be especially helpful if you're doing something with a group, such as watching something on television. You can discreetly sync up with the device to get improved sound without having to turn up the volume to a level that may distract everyone else.

Remote control. You may want a hearing aid that is as small and discreet as possible. The problem with the smallest hearing aids, though, is that they often are so far in the ear canal that you can't access their volume or directional microphone controls. A hearing aid with a remote control can be an effective solution. The remote control is usually small enough to fit in your pocket, so you can get a discreet aid and still have the ability to control its volume, microphone, and other settings.

For more information, talk to your audiologist. He or she can recommend the best types of hearing aids for you. Try contacting a professional in Widex hearing aids to learn more.