Many of our patients ask about hearing aid-type devices they see at drug stores for less than a hundred dollars. Most of those items are called Personal Sound Amplification Products, PSAPs, and are not to be confused with Hearing Aids. Sometimes they look like a Bluetooth headset, an earphone or even look like a hearing aid but they function much differently.
PSAPs amplify, but so do Hearing Aids, so what’s the difference? Although some PSAPs can be controlled using a smartphone, they cannot be programmed using a person’s specific hearing test results and unique hearing needs, such as having difficulty understanding conversation in background noise and being super sensitive to very loud sounds. PSAPs generally amplify everything, including background noise, making speech much more difficult to understand if there is noise in the background like music, a fan or other people talking.
PSAPs are great devices for people who cannot see an Audiologist either because of poor health or because they do not live near an Audiologist’s office. They can make listening easier for people who are only communicating with one person at a time in a quiet environment, like a loved one or a medical provider. However, a PSAP will not be helpful at a big family dinner, a sports event or a social environment because they do not filter out noise. Some PSAPs can even get so loud they could potentially cause further hearing loss.
Digital Hearing Aids work quite differently.
The computer inside the hearing aid is programmed specifically to a patient’s hearing test and hearing needs. The physical fit is also customized so that the hearing aid is secure in or on the ear and therefore, the hearing is more consistent. Hearing Aids actively search the sound environment for speech and focus on amplifying speech rather than background noise. This means the microchip in the Hearing Aid is processing and purifying the sound in order to make listening less of an effort and more comfortable for the wearer. When the most appropriate sound signal is brought in by the hearing aids with good technology and then sent to the brain, only then can the brain attempt to process the information and allow for meaningful conversation.
We look forward to seeing how scientific innovations can better serve our patients!
