Hearing aids and hearing health

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss may include: Muffling of speech and other sounds, difficulty understanding words especially in background noise or in a crowd, turning up the TV or radio higher than what others prefer, experiencing the perception that others mumble, asking people to repeat themselves often, and more. You might also find yourself leaning forward to hear a conversation or having trouble hearing in noisy situations, like in a crowded restaurant. We offer a convenient free online hearing test. Don’t wait if you believe you may have hearing loss.

Hearing loss can have a huge effect on your overall health and well-being. It can impact more than just your hearing. The mental and emotional effects of hearing loss include changes to your self-esteem and the way you interact with others. It’s important to take care of your hearing health to keep it in the best shape possible, just like you take care of the rest of your body. Hearing aids are proven to help you overcome the stress and frustration of hearing loss and enhance your overall quality of life.

While hearing aids can improve how much you hear, the biggest impact is often your ability to understand others — no more saying "what" all the time, or feeling frustrated in loud settings. Our customers find renewed enjoyment in restaurants, concerts, and family gatherings. Beyond the everyday benefits, wearing hearing aids has been linked to long-term health benefits, such as healthier brain function.

Untreated hearing loss only gets worse the longer you wait, so any hearing aid is better than nothing. But the best device for severe hearing loss is a behind-the-ear (BTE) device that is medical-grade quality. The great news is that the latest BTE hearing aids are now designed smaller than ever. They come packed with awesome features like the most accurate speech recognition technology, even in noisy environments, and acoustic-motion sensors that deliver crystal clear sounds. So even with severe hearing loss, you’ll be able to hear what’s most important to you no matter where you are.

Yes, all products we offer are medical-grade hearing aids.

All hearing aids have a microphone, a digital amplifier, and a speaker. The microphone picks up sounds and sends them to the amplifier, which is actually a tiny digital processor that selects which sounds to make clearer and which sounds to ignore. It then gives those important signals a boost before pushing them through the speaker. The end result? Crisper, clearer sound with better understanding.

SoundBright offers medical-grade hearing aids. Unlike amplifiers, hearing aids are medical-grade devices used to treat hearing loss. Unlike amplifiers which simply amplify all sounds & frequencies, hearing aids clarify speech by reducing unwanted background noise, helping you hear better in places like loud restaurants and outdoor spaces. Hearing aids can also be customized to your specific hearing aids needs, unlike amplifiers. Since these simple amplifiers lack the automatic sound detection and filtering of a high-quality hearing aid, they are unlikely to provide significant benefits for people experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss. Learn more on this topic by reading our blog, Hearing Aids vs. Sound Amplifiers: What's the Difference?.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, nearly 29 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids. But among adults aged 20 to 69 who are experiencing hearing loss, only 16 percent have ever tried hearing aids. SoundBright aims to make hearing care more accessible and affordable.

Hearing loss affects your health and happiness. Researchers found that people with untreated hearing loss reported feeling excluded, embarrassed, lonely, and depressed because of communication problems in social situations. Hearing loss also directly affects your work and wages and has been shown to accelerate cognitive decline. Hearing loss is progressive and, with time, only gets worse; thus, it is important to act now.

It's a misconception that mild hearing loss isn't serious enough for hearing aids. Even if you only have mild hearing loss, hearing aids can make a significant difference in your quality of life. Research has also revealed that, over time, hearing loss can be associated with depression, cognitive decline, and an impact on work performance, among other issues. If left untreated, hearing fatigue, caused by straining to hear people talk, can also be a significant cause of headaches, exhaustion, and social isolation. Read more about the value of hearing aids in our value guide.

Hearing aids have been shown to improve cognitive performance, processing speed, and visual working memory. They also improve communication, emotional well-being, relationships, school and work performance, and quality of life. According to the WHO, the support that hearing aids provide can substantially enhance the lives of those affected by hearing loss. You’ll have more energy and feel more connected to people.