Most of us put off getting hearing aids for as long as possible. Why? Because of the way they look and what that says about your age and infirmity.
With new technology, you can hear things you hadn’t even noticed were gone – bird song, the rustle of autumn leaves, the doorbell. Plus, most hearing aids are so small and well-designed that you don’t notice you’re wearing them – and neither does anyone else.
Here’s what you can expect with some of the best models.
Focus on speech
Anyone with hearing loss knows the difficulties of crowds at parties, restaurants and meetings. The newer aids have a special function that can focus on speech and cut out background sound, so you can even understand your mumbling teenage grandkids.
Cut out what you don’t want to hear
Heavy traffic, noisy machinery or even a blustery, windy day are some sounds that can feel painful. Part of a modern hearing aid’s function is to reduce these sounds for your listening comfort.
Smart location settings
A GPS function can tell your new hearing aids where you are, so it automatically adjusts settings to suit. This is particularly useful when you have a regular schedule of moving in and out of situations. Noise reduction, volume and speech clarity adjustments help you hear in comfort at each location, whether it’s a loud concert or a quiet walk in the park.
Wireless – of course!
What isn’t wireless these days? Your hearing aids can connect with your smartphone so you get the very best clarity listening to your favourite music, a podcast lecture or a phone call. You can even stream TV shows and hear every word.
Take control with an app
Gone are the days when you had to take out your hearing aids to adjust them. Not only are all the functions automated, most manufacturers also offer an app for your smartphone so you can establish preferences, adjust settings, check battery life, and even find your hearing aids if they go missing.
Rechargeable and hassle-free
That fiddly manual job of changing batteries – and dropping them, and wondering what to do with the old ones, and worrying about running out – now you don’t even have to cope with that. The very latest hearing aids can come with rechargeable batteries, so all that hassle is gone.
Fancy extras
You can make your busy life easier with a few add-ons, including a TV streamer straight to your aids so you can adjust the volume independently, and a remote microphone so you can hear a speaker at crowded business meetings.
Hear the world, enhance your life
If you think you might have hearing loss, it’s time for a test. Forget about how hearing aids will make you look – that’s all in the past. Concentrate instead on how sharper, clearer hearing and smart technology can enhance your life.