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Does FM listening devices work better than hearing aids?

I am hard of hearing and I wear hearing aids however in class last semester, I still had a very hard time hearing. The office of disability support on my campus offered a FM listening device. Will that work better? If so, what is the purpose of spending thousands of dollars on hearing aids (besides convenience) when you can get a listening device for so cheap? I have made appointments to get my hearing evaluated and my hearing aids checked.

Public Comments

1. Hearing aids are "self contained" and can be used anywhere. FM listening headsets are used only in auditoriums and churches where there is a transmitter set up to rebroadcast the sound coming out of the PA system. The FM listening device (receiver) then picks up the broadcast. I have noticed that most people take their hearing aids out when using the assisted listening headsets. To make a long answer short, yes you still will need your hearing aid, but you may choose to take it out when using the FM listening device.
2. I know what you mean, what I have done is my hearing aid has an FM reciever and I can use my hearing aids and what ever my professors say I hear right in my hearing aids with out the added background noise. It is awesome and has helped me so much since I have been in college.
3. FMs AND HEARING AIDS ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS FM systems and assistive listening devices (ALDs) are not just used in theaters and churches anymore. It is your right under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to access needed modifications such as a taper recorder, preferential seating, a note taker or FM system. PLEASE NOTE THAT BILATERAL HEARING AIDS IMPROVE LOCALIZATION AND AMPLIFIES SOUNDS... INCLUDING SOUNDS IN SPECIFIC FREQUENCIES BASED ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL AUDIOGRAM. FM SYSTEMS JUST AMPLIFIES THE SPEAKERS VOICE WHICH REDUCES THE BACKGROUND NOISE. There are several types of FM systems that can be used in the classroom. FM systems are composed of a FM transmitter and a receiver. The FM transmitter or the microphone and its components are used by your professors. The idea is to increase the speech signal and to decrease the background or ambient noise that your hearing aids may pick up. The FM receiver can be an ear level receiver such as hearing aid audio boots. A boot is a small sleeve that fits over the end of a BTE hearing aid. The boot inserts the audio signal into the hearing aids' Direct Audio Input (DAI) interface. Not all BTE hearing aids have an audio boot interface. Other receivers include: headphones/ear buds (typically for children with CAPD or ADD), a desktop speaker or a sound field system located around the classroom (everyone benefits from this). Depending on the type you buy, FMs can be fairly inexpensive to purchase. Here's just one of many links: http://www.harriscomm.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=46_156 Disclaimer: Any information provided on this website, should not be considered medical advice nor a substitute for a consultation with your physician or audiologist. If you have a medical problem, contact your local physician for diagnosis and treatment.