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.

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