According to a study by TNS NIPO conducted in 2005, there are at least 1.4 million people aged 18 and over with hearing loss. They sometimes cannot understand a conversation completely or even at all, have difficulty following the news on the radio and have to turn the volume knob up a bit to be able to properly follow their favorite program on TV. These people could greatly benefit from a hearing aid, yet only 500,000 people wear one.
When do you have a hearing problem?
People usually discover that they are hearing impaired when others point it out to them or when they are in large groups. People have the greatest difficulty understanding and following conversations from several people at the same time. If you suspect that you have problems with your hearing, you do not need to go to a hearing care professional or doctor immediately. It is possible to first take a
hearing test anonymously by telephone or the Internet . Tinnitus , or ringing in the ears , can be a sign of early hearing loss .
Immediately on the hearing aid?
It is not always necessary to purchase a hearing aid . The hearing problem could also be caused by, for example, too much earwax , which can be solved by syringing out the ears. However, if the GP suspects that the hearing problem is due to the ear itself, you will be referred to the hearing care professional , a hearing center or a specialist in the hospital. This person will then take a hearing test and possibly an audiogram ; a graphical representation of a person’s absolute hearing threshold as a function of sound frequency.
It is not harmful not to wear a hearing aid if the hearing care professional recommends it. However, you will get the most benefit from wearing the hearing aid as soon as possible after diagnosis. The brain can process the new sound from the hearing aid better when you can still hear relatively well. In addition, concentrated listening without a hearing aid costs a lot of energy , which can be saved with the hearing aid.
Then I should definitely hang such a very striking device on my ear, right?
Nowadays, hearing aids and hearing aids are only available in digital versions . These are a kind of minicomputers that have a microphone, a sound filter, an amplifier and a speaker. The hearing aid is adjusted by the hearing care professional based on the audiogram.
The prices of hearing aids vary considerably. The cheapest models cost around 475 and the most expensive models cost around 1500. This price difference is not so much due to the conspicuousness, but to the ease of use. The more expensive models have more advanced ways to adjust the hearing aid if desired at any time of the day.
CIC device
You will always like a hearing aid, but with a CIC device you have to work very hard. CIC stands for ‘Complete In the Canal’ , which means that the device disappears completely into your ear canal . A CIC hearing aid is only 1 cm in size. However, the battery is a lot smaller, so you will have to replace it more often than a regular hearing aid.
Poor hearing and insurance
If you have a hearing loss of at least 35 dB, the health insurance will provide you with your first hearing aid up to a reimbursement of 476. With additional insurance, this reimbursed amount may be higher. Every five years you will receive a new reimbursement of 476 for a new hearing aid .