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Acceptance of Hearing Aids
(Seniors Choice, September 2004)
- by Kevan van Herd -
Most of us Seniors can remember in our youth when a person with a hearing loss was considered a bit "subnormal" or a "few cards short of a full deck". Yet as an example of public acceptance, because Queen Elizabeth dared to use her eye glasses in public, it became popular to wear glasses --- but alas for our people with poor or no hearing ability, we continued to be considered subnormal probably because high officials refused to wear their hearing aids in public
As time went on, a hard of hearing person no longer had to use a funnel to the ear to hear anyone -- a huge body hearing aid was invented in which the main portion hung around the neck or attached to the belt with a prominent wire going to the speaker in the ear.
Later, about 35 or 40 years ago, finer circuits were invented along with powerful batteries, and the hearing aid became a Behind the Ear type with a tube attached to the ear mold that was inserted in the ear. Then about 25 years ago the In-The-Ear hearing aids were made that could be adjusted to just about any peculiar type of hearing loss and they were so small that some of them were right out of sight in the ear canal, depending on the severity of the hearing loss. Then 7 years ago Digital systems were invented.
My timing might not be quite correct, but I am sure most seniors who were associated with a hard of hearing person could remember the dramatic steps to overcome deafness - and those steps continue to be more dramatic with tremendous improvements of the hearing aids almost each month.
We also are aware that a Digital hearing aid is far more costly than the ordinary Analog hearing aid but for the most part they are far superior as the Audiologist can adjust it to accommodate nearly any kind of hearing loss, so they are definitely worth the higher cost. An old fashioned or "Analog" hearing aid costs about $200 approximately, but a Digital hearing aid costs anywhere from $850.00 to $4,000 each, depending on the style and circuitry needed.
As hearing aids grow more powerful and more adaptable to a particular hearing loss, they do require more visits to the Hearing Specialist for adjustments until that hearing aid is delivering clear and understandable speech to you. So today, when you buy a good hearing aid, be prepared to make a few visits to the Specialist for adjustments until you are satisfied with what you hear.
Wearing a hearing aid today is accepted as part of the person just as glasses are - there is no stigma attached to it as there used to be - in fact, a hard of hearing person who wears a hearing aid is being considerate of his friends and relatives who no longer have to continually repeat statements, or yelled at to be heard and understood. |
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MYRA CANYON KELOWNA BC
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