Why Are Hearing Aids Better than PSAPs

You have probably seen several advertisements regarding personal sound amplifying products (PSAPs) running on the TV, the ones that pitch these items as a cheaper, yet an equally effective solution to hearing aids. Costing as little as $20, these products seem to be the ultimate deal. They become all the more attractive when compared to the exuberant selling prices of hearing aids. But, can they actually replace hearing aids?  

In reality, an amazing deal is often untrue. The commercials, as they always do, hide some crucial details and stress more on information that’s designed to catch your interest. The main question still lingers, though. Why would anyone want to invest more money on a hearing aid when cheaper alternatives like PSAPs are available? Here is why:  

1. PSAPs are not regulated by the FDA and are not classified as medical devices:  

If you listen to the PSAP commercials carefully, you will hear about these devices ‘boosting’ your ability to hear; however, there is no mention about treating hearing loss. As PSAPs are not FDA-regulated medical devices, they cannot be used to treat any medical condition. Therefore, in a majority of advertisements of PSAPs, there is no mention about treating hearing loss. Although useful, PSAPs are recreational products designed to provide hearing benefits to those who can already hear properly. Hearing aids, on the other hand, are medical devices (regulated by the FDA) that are prescribed as a way of treating hearing loss.  

2. You cannot customize PSAPs:  

Often unattractive in appearance, hearing aids are actually high-tech devices that include a lot of gadgetry in them. This technology enables hearing aids to do a lot more than just amplify sounds. Hearing aids can modify and adjust to different volumes and pitches. Thus, a person suffering from hearing loss can hear properly with a hearing aid.  

In comparison, a PSAP is a one-size-fits-all electronic gadget that only amplifies soft sounds. Since every person suffers from a slightly different kind of hearing loss, PSAPs do not properly treat all frequencies. Instead, as they amplify all kinds of sounds (without taking the environment into consideration), PSAPs end up distorting sounds in noisy surroundings.  

3. PSAPs cannot augment speech recognition:  

Compared to background noises, sounds produced by humans are different as humans produce sounds that are high in frequencies. Since digital hearing aids can discover variations in sound frequencies, they can enhance speech and reduce background noise at the same time. PSAPs, on the other hand, do not possess the ability to enhance the hearing experience by differentiating between background noise and speech.  

4. PSAPs might end up costing you more:  

In many cases, hearing loss is caused by the temporary and reversible factors that do not require hearing amplification. For instance, hearing loss can be caused by earwax accumulation. So, if that is the case, all you need is a straightforward professional cleanup which can correct your hearing in no time.   

Secondly, in many cases, more serious medical conditions can lead to hearing loss. So you might need a professional assessment to check if hearing loss is merely a symptom of another major medical issue. However, since you can buy a PSAP without requiring any sort of medical advice, you could be putting yourself at the risk of a serious issue.  

Lastly, unlike hearing aids, there’s no money back guarantee on PSAPs. So, if you do buy one and it does not perform the job you want it to, you might not get your money back.