
Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the United States. For many people with hearing loss, hearing aids are an essential part of their journey toward better hearing. But what happens when hearing aids are just not enough?
Some situations, such as busy restaurants, sporting events, and lectures are particularly challenging for some people, even when wearing hearing aids. Research shows that people with hearing loss need a higher signal to noise ratio than people without hearing loss. A brief test called the QuickSIN (Speech-in-noise) Test can be used by your audiologist to measure speech understanding in a realistic environment with background noise. When someone scores poorly on this test, it is a good indication they will struggle significantly in noisy environments when using hearing aids alone. This is because even the best hearing aids are not able to provide enough separation between the intended signal and the background noise in certain situations.
This is when assistive listening devices (ALDs) can bridge the gap to help people communicate more successfully, even when the environment is challenging. There are a wide variety of ALDs on the market today and the great thing is that these can often be used in conjunction with hearing aids to offer an additional boost at little to no additional cost. Some ALDs may also be used as stand-alone devices and do not require the person to have hearing aids.
Assistive Devices designed to work with hearing aids
Assistive Devices designed to work as stand-alone options
If you’re interested in learning more about which ALDs may be best for your lifestyle and needs, talk with an expert. The audiologists at Professional Hearing Center are here to help.