How do I know if I should try a Personal Sound Amplifier or a Hearing Aid

If you’re unsure of which of these two products are right for you we hope we can give you some helpful points to consider.

Personal Sound Amplifiers are for those individuals who have normal hearing but find themselves in certain listening situations needing help to hear what is going on.  Perhaps you’re at a lecture and are finding it difficult to hear the speaker or maybe you need a little extra volume for TV listening. This is what a PSAP is for.

On the other hand if you’re always having trouble hearing and you think you may no longer have normal hearing, then you should look into getting a hearing aid by seeing a hearing healthcare professional (Audiologist, Licensed Hearing Aid Dispenser, or Doctor). If you think you have a medical issue that is causing your hearing loss then you should not only consider a hearing aid but see an audiologist or doctor. Hearing aids are medical devices used to help you hear better and can only be fit by a hearing health care professional. You must make an appointment and have your hearing evaluated so that the right hearing aid will be fit for your specific type of hearing loss.

PSAPs are readily available on line. Since they are designed for someone with normal hearing they do not require a hearing evaluation by a hearing healthcare professional. No appointment is needed. Just purchase one and you’re ready to hear better in those special situations.

The difference between PSAPs and hearing aids has been compared to the differences between reading glasses you can buy anywhere versus prescription eyeglasses. Reading glasses are for people who have normal vision, but maybe in a dark restaurant need some help in order to read the menu. Personal Sound Amplifiers are for these kinds of situations in the hearing world.

Like prescription eyeglasses are for people with more significant vision issues issues where you should see an optometrist or ophthalmologist, Hearing Aids are for people who have hearing loss or medical issues related to their hearing and should see an audiologist or ENT.

Deciding Which Kind of Personal Sound Amplifier (PSAP) is Best

Personal Sound Amplifiers (also known as PSAP’s) are designed either to fit inside the ear or behind the ear.  To find out which one would work best for you…read along!!

There are a few factors that would help you determine whether you would want a Personal Sound Amplifier (PSAP) that fits either in your ear or behind your ear is the best and right choice for you.

IN-THE-EAR PERSONAL SOUND AMPLIFIER (I.T.E. PSAP)

First…many consumers assume that a PSAP that fits in the ear would automatically be the best choice, but that is not entirely true.  For example, some in the ear (I.T.E) models can be more difficult to place in your ear and stay securely in the bowl of your ear so they won’t fall out.  This can be slightly problematic since everyone’s ears are built differently.  These PSAP units are designed quite small and very thin so it can be difficult to know how securely the PSAP is sitting in your ear.

Second…It is important that the opening of the PSAP where the sound comes out is aimed into your ear canal. If it doesn’t sit properly at the opening of your ear canal you will hear very little or possibly nothing at all.

BEHIND-THE-EAR PERSONAL SOUND AMPLIFIER (B.T.E. PSAP)

Behind the Ear PSAPs offer some excellent benefits as well.  Although these PSAP’s are slightly larger, they become easier to handle and sit behind the ear.  The body of the unit rests comfortably behind your ear with the very slim ear wire, which carries the sound, hooking around the front of your Pinna and then the tip of the wire sits right outside the opening of the ear canal.  Since it sits behind your ear,  it is easier to make sure that it is sitting securely on your ear.  For added security, you will know that the wire hooks around the ear.  The tip of the ear wire can be easily checked for sound,  by making sure it is aimed directly into your ear canal.  This feature makes it less likely to disrupt or displace the PSAP itself.

Either way, consumers will be very happy with their Personal Sound Amplifier purchase.  Some consumers will find the I.T.E. PSAP to be more comfortable to wear while other consumers will prefer the B.T.E. PSAP because of its ease of handling and its featherweight also making it very comfortable to wear.  We hope this has given you some help in figuring out which style of PSAP is right for you.   For further information or any other questions regarding PSAP’s please visit our website at www.hear4youtoday.com .

FDA EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEARING AIDS AND PERSONAL SOUND AMPLIFIERS (PSAP)

With an influx of PSAP’s arriving in stores and online, the FDA felt it was necessary to explain to the public, what it saw as the differences between Personal Sound Amplifiers (also known as PSAP) and hearing aids.   For consumers needing a boost, a PSAP can be a very viable option.  They are inexpensive compared to hearing aids, are discreet and work in many types of situations.  The FDA describes the difference below. 

The FDA said “PSAP’s are intended to amplify environmental sound for non-hearing impaired consumers. They are not intended to compensate for hearing impairment. Examples of situations in which PSAPs typically are used include listening to lectures with a distant speaker, listening to soft sounds that would be difficult for normal hearing individuals to hear (e.g. distant conversations, performances, bird watching, and hunting (listening for prey).”

The FDA goes on to say that “PSAPs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or mitigate disease and do not alter the structure or function of the body, they are not devices as defined by in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.  As such, there is no regulatory classification, product code, or definition for these products (PSAPs)”.

The FDA also states that although both affect our ability to hear sound, “a PSAP is a wearable electronic product that is not intended to compensate for impaired hearing, but rather is intended for non-hearing impaired consumers to amplify sounds in the environment for a number of reasons, such as for recreational activities.”

Personal Sound Amplifiers (PSAP) takes hearing to new levels.  This device was designed to help the average person hear better in noisier environments, reducing the background noise all while amplifying hard-to-hear sounds.  To learn more, please visit www.hear4youtoday.com

Stay Healthy All Winter Long with Hear4YouToday.com

Stay Healthy All Winter Long with Hear4YouToday.com

Staying healthy this winter is a priority as the flu and cold season is upon us.  As the winter settles in and we dream of summer, we at Hear 4YouToday offer great products that will help keep those nasty cold and flu germs under control and help keep you healthy all winter long.

KEEP GERMS IN-CHECK WITH PDI SUPER SANI-HANDS ALC GERMICIDAL DISPOSABLE WIPES

Did you know that your work or home desk harbors a ton of germs, microorganisms, viruses and bacteria?  In order to help keep your desk in tip-top shape this winter, we have a solution.  Our PDI Super Sani-Hands ALC GermicidalDisposable Wipes kill up to 99% of germs after just 2-minutes of contact time.  Keep your keyboard, cell phone, telephone and desk clean with daily use.

KEEP YOUR TELEPHONES CLEAN WITH DISPOSABLE ACOUSTIC EARPHONE COVERS

Providing extra protection from your telephone these Disposable Acoustic Earphone Covers that are hygienic, hypo allergenic, latex-free and acoustically transparent.  These covers allow many different people to use the same handset without sharing germs or bacteria.  Just place a cover on the base of the telephone or on your ear for maximum protection, or both!

Hear4YouToday (www.hear4youtoday.com) is dedicated to providing the very best in products for the hard of hearing, including quality of life products and hearing loss education items. All products offered by Hear4YouToday have been carefully selected and tested by our team of experts to provide the optimum combination of usability, functionality and economy. Hear4YouToday offers an exclusive money back guarantee on all products and will match or beat any legitimate competitive price. We will not be undersold! 

Check out these articles about hearing loop technology!

At Here4YouToday.com, we are always scouring the Internet in search of news impacting the hard of hearing, in general, and news about hearing loop technology, in particular.

Hearing loop technology makes it possible for the hard of hearing to enjoy perfect sound quality at theatres, concert halls, playhouses, churches and other public places. In other words, it allows the hard of hearing to enjoy a sense of normalcy that many of us thought impossible.

Here are some recent articles about hearing loop technology. We’ll be sure to post more in the coming weeks and months!

Church in North Carolina the first in its county to offer hearing loop technology

At Bellevue College in Washington State, hearing loop technology is just one enhancement to the quality of life for students and faculty living with disabilities 

In Arizona, those who use hearing loop technology are trying to inform their peers about it within the hard of hearing community

In Tucson, Arizona, hearing loop technology is installed in more than 40 places 

There’s a push in Kentucky to make hearing loop technology available throughout the state 

A church is the first house of worship in Colorado’s Summit County to feature hearing loop technology

Hear4YouToday is dedicated to providing the very best in products for the hard of hearing, including quality of life products and hearing loss education items. All products offered by Hear4YouToday have been carefully selected and tested by our team of experts to provide the optimum combination of usability, functionality and economy. Hear4YouToday offers an exclusive money back guarantee on all products and will match or beat any legitimate competitive price.

There are lots of ways to stay in touch with H4YT!

If you are of a certain age, you remember when it was unusual for a company to even have a website. Believe it or not, those days weren’t that long ago! But as we welcome in 2013, a business needs a lot more than just a single web presence in order to distinguish itself in an increasingly crowded landscape.

With that in mind, Hear4YouToday.com has embraced social media - Facebook and Twitter, to be exact. We post multiple times per week on both platforms, where we share with our followers and our friends the latest news and deals at Hear4YouToday as well as news stories that are of interest to the hard of hearing and their families and friends. Make sure to follow us and like us to ensure you don’t miss a thing!

Hear4YouToday is dedicated to providing the very best in products for the hard of hearing, including quality of life products and hearing loss education items. All products offered by Hear4YouToday have been carefully selected and tested by our team of experts to provide the optimum combination of usability, functionality and economy. Hear4YouToday offers an exclusive money back guarantee on all products and will match or beat any legitimate competitive price. 

Hear4YouToday.com is back up and running after Hurricane Sandy

Like millions of others on the East Coast, Hear4YouToday.com was impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Ninety percent of residents on Long Island, NY, where we are based, lost power - some for up to two weeks or more. And several coastal communities were literally decimated by Sandy and the coastal flooding she wrought.

But Long Islanders are tough and resilient people, and we’re joining our neighbors in bouncing back from the direct hit we absorbed from Mother Nature. Hear4YouToday.com is back operating at 100 percent efficiency and ready to serve all our loyal customers by providing them the best deals on quality of life products for the hard of hearing and their families and loved ones. Visit our website and contact us today to learn more about all that we can do for you!

Hear4YouToday is dedicated to providing the very best in products for the hard of hearing, including quality of life products and hearing loss education items. All products offered by Hear4YouToday have been carefully selected and tested by our team of experts to provide the optimum combination of usability, functionality and economy. Hear4YouToday offers an exclusive money back guarantee on all products and will match or beat any legitimate competitive price.