Realistic Expectations for Hearing Aids

What can you realistically expect a hearing aid to do?

Reality:

1. Hearing aids do not restore normal hearing- they "aid" your ability to hear.
2. Hearing aids do not "take over" your hearing. In fact, today's devices do not amplify everything equally. Today's technology permits the audiologist to selectively amplify only what you need. For example, if you hear low pitched sounds normally, they are not programmed to be amplified.
3. Loudness growth is not linear. This means that soft and average sounds may be increased but loud sounds are not.

Benchmarks for real success include:

Soft sounds should be audible

Speech should be clear in difficult listening environments

Loud sounds should be in your range of comfort

With this in mind, how does your budget impact the choice of hearing aid?