Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting Americans, according to the book "Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery," by Byron Bailey. The vast majority of cases of hearing loss cannot be cured, and so remedies are based on making it easier to live with the condition. Hearing aids provide people with hearing loss the ability to hear. They improve hearing by amplifying sound and sending the amplified sound into the ear.
Step 1
Find a certified hearing test center. According to the American Academy of Audiology, a hearing test center must have either a physician or a certified audiologist. The centers are now very easy to find, and are even located in many supermarkets and department stores.
Step 2
Obtain an audiogram. An audiogram is a hearing test that an audiologist performs in a sound-isolated booth, according to the American Academy of Audiology. The audiologist performs the test by playing sounds of different frequencies at increasing intensities to record the ability to hear at each of the frequencies.
Step 3
Choose a hearing aid type. Several hearing aid options currently exist. According to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, older models of hearing aids have a large component behind the ear and have a large ear piece that is clearly visible in the ear. Some of the newer models are now small enough to completely fit inside the ear and are barely visible. The larger hearing aids are able to provide better amplification of sound, but are cumbersome and aesthetically inferior.
Step 4
Try out the hearing aid. According to the book "Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery," by Byron Bailey, hearing aid dispensers are required by law in most states to provide a free one-month trial period for patients to decide whether or not they are satisfied with their hearing aids.
References
- "Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery"; Byron Bailey; 2006
- American Academy of Audiology: Consumer Information
- How's Your Hearing? Ask an Audiologist
- Mayo Clinic: Hearing Aids, How to Choose the Right One?
