Before we begin looking at the different types of hearing instruments currently available it is important to mention some of the things they can and can’t do.

There are lots of marketing campaigns out there from manufacturers and national chains that are ‘saying all the right things’ – they know what someone with a hearing loss wants to hear them say, so they say it.

But how true-to-life are their claims? Let’s investigate.

• Fit completely inside the ear canal – practically invisibly.
• Automatically turn loud sounds down and quiet sounds up.
• Make conversation easier and more natural by enhancing speech and reducing background noise, e.g crowds or traffic.
• Use a discreet remote control to select different ‘listening programmes’ for different ‘listening situations’ – such as listening to music.
• Detect which way you are facing so it enhances the sound you are ‘looking at’.
• Cancel out feedback.

Today’s instruments ARE very sophisticated and can do more than ever before to help their wearer to hear better.

Marketing campaigns don't tell you everything, and it's important to be realistic. Let’s take as our example the hearing instrument that can fit completely inside your ear (often called a CIC, i.e. a Completely-In-Canal). This is completely true, and they are extremely good at what they do because they use the natural shape of your ears to enhance sounds.

But they're not suitable for everyone:

• If your ear canal is too small or bendy, it simply won’t fit!
• If your hearing loss is quite bad they're too small to give you the power you need.
• The smaller electronics in them make them more expensive
• They usually need more maintenance because they sit in the ear canal where wax, body heat and moisture can stop them from working.

The lesson here is that marketing campaigns don’t tell you everything – they only tell you the bits you want to hear – even though the bits they tell you may be true.

Unfortuanately many people are blinkered by these clever campaigns. They see the advertisements for a CIC and decide that they want CIC or nothing, not realising that it may not be suitable for them. If they're not careful, they could end up spending a lot of money on something that no-one can see but doesn’t help them to hear any better!

	It’s our job at Broom Reid & Harris: to provide you with impartial, independent advice to explain your hearing loss to you to discuss possible solutions best suited to your hearing loss and lifestyle. Only by doing so can we help you to hear better.

The other side-effect of all these marketing campaigns is that people’s expectations begin to outgrow the technology! This is not a fault of the technology, but because of how our ears work:

Remember this:
With a permanent hearing loss, parts of your hearing has been irreversibly damaged. A hearing instrument can ‘aid’ the damaged ear to hear again but it can’t repair the damage.

So before you invest in a hearing instrument, here are some things to bear in mind:

• A hearing instrument will help you take part in things because you'll be able to hear what's going on.
• Things will probably sound a bit different at first to how you remembered them, but your brain is extremely clever and will soon get used to what it's hearing.
• Your new hearing instrument will take time to get used to. Research by scientists has shown that people who regularly wear their hearing instruments benefit far more than someone who only wears it occasionally. That's because the more they are worn, the easier it is for our brain to learn how to use the 'new' sounds.

	At Broom Reid & Harris we will: Give you advice and assistance to help you get the most out of your hearing. Help you get used to wearing your new hearing instrument in the situations you want to be able to hear in. Provide you with ongoing support as you use it more and more. We have found that those people who really do hear better with their hearing instruments are those who use their hearing instruments and not just wear them 'for special occassions'.

Next subject: Choosing a style of hearing instrument to suit you