by Sreek Cherukuri, MD
Board-certified ENT Doctor
Hearing aids are great for helping you hear the world around you, especially if you are hard of hearing. However, they may not be suitable for everyone. Depending on your hearing condition, your doctor or audiologist may not recommend them for you.
They can be expensive depending on the type of hearing aid you choose and some people feel there is a negative stigma associated with wearing hearing aids. They also require numerous fitting appointments, are hard to handle for those with dexterity issues, and often require tiny batteries or complicated apps to make changes. Fortunately, hearing aids are not the only answer for individuals with hearing loss.
In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of several alternative options to hearing aids for those with hearing loss. Though keep in mind, each individual has a different degree of hearing loss and sometimes a combination of alternatives works better.
Cochlear implants:
These are tiny electronic devices surgically placed inside the ear. Instead of amplifying sound like hearing aids, they bypass damaged parts and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. This allows people with severe and profound hearing loss to perceive sounds again.
Assistive listening devices:
Assistive listening devices, such as the ClearCast PAL™ help people with hearing loss by amplifying the specific conversations you want to hear without background noise. It incorporates hearing aid components in an easy to use neckband form factor, and uses a dual-microphone technolology to make conversations clear without the hassles of hearing aids.
Lip-reading and sign language classes:
Lip-reading and sign language classes can help people with hearing loss improve their communication skills and better understand others.
Sensory Substitution:
A wristband delivers unique vibrations to the wrist in correspondence with target sounds that are typically the most difficult to hear. The wristband picks up sound from the environment through an onboard microphone, and uses a machine learning algorithm to filter background noise.
Click here to try the ClearCast PAL risk-free in your home today.