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If you are a nurse, doctor or physician and you have some degree of hearing loss, then you definitely know how difficult is to use a stethoscope, because you’ll always want to measure the standard metrics despite being hard of hearing.
Whether you are using hearing aids like a cochlear implant or not, using a stethoscope can be challenging. But thanks to advanced technology, amplified stethoscopes are now available.
In this review, I will be recommending some of the best stethoscopes for nurses hard of hearing. Keep reading!
Why You Need a Hearing Loss Stethoscope?
As you know, stethoscopes are used for hearing the sound of the internal organ of the human body like heart, and lungs. And they help to detect any malfunctioning of the organs that might cause any health problem. Nurses also use stethoscopes when counting pulse or checking blood pressure. As you can see, you need a stethoscope as long as you are in the healthcare profession, and hearing loss can’t stop you doing this amazing work.
But what if you have a severe hearing problem? Can a stethoscope be used with cochlear implants or the hearing aids?
Stethoscopes for hearing impaired doctors offer some options and these options depend on many factors including To evaluate the patients’ needs, the audiologist looks at these features.
If you are using a hearing aid and want to continue using it with your stethoscope, then it is possible. You can use the over-the-ear headphone with the amplified stethoscope or your hearing aid might need to be custom designed.
The type of hearing aid that you have: There are mainly four types of hearing aids mBTE, BTE, ITE, and IIC. However, the over-ear headphone can be used with all of them, so you need to look for the amplified stethoscope with 3.5mm jack.
What features does your hearing aid have?
For instances – DNR, Telecoil, streamer, or others. If you have these extra features then your work is going to be easier, there are some electronic stethoscope which supports this feature. It means the stethoscope sound can be streamed to your hearing aids.
Best Stethoscope for Nurses Hard of Hearing – Buyer’s Guide
There are some crucial things, identified by the Association of Medical professionals with hearing loss, which you should keep in mind to use these stethoscopes effectively.
Some hearing aids and amplifiers have the capability to boost the frequency and reduce background noise. On the other hand, some gadgets like the cochlear implant have the feature of increasing the sound with reducing background noise.
I also want to tell you, using the amplified stethoscope will make auscultation perfect, there is no 100% guarantee. However, it is the best option for doctors with bad hearing.
What is the difference between Amplified and Traditional Stethoscopes?
Most of the amplified stethoscopes are specially made for doctors that have a very low degree of hearing loss and they don’t need hearing aids. If you are already using a hearing aid or going to use one soon then amplified stethoscope will not work for you.
However, if you have normal hearing loss, then you are not prohibited from using amplified stethoscopes. In this case, the amplification will be boosted beyond the normal, even they are perfectly usable in extremely loud or busy environments.
Now check out my recommendations for the best stethoscopes for nurses hard of hearing.
Thinklabs One Digital Stethoscope (Overall Best Choice)
The Thinklabs One Digital is probably the best digital stethoscope for hearing impaired doctor or nurses without any doubt. Because this device is compatible with both types of users, whether you are using any typeof hearing aids or not.
According to the manufacturer, this portable stethoscope is capable to amplify the sound up to 100 times, it means even if you have severe level hearing loss, it can help you. Additionally, it allows you to connect high-quality 3.5mm jack-based headphones, to provide better sound quality and more comfort, this way you can also use it with your hearing aids with the over the hear headphone. The Thinklabs has also included the headphones and they are pretty good, however, if you need more effective then you can also purchase separately for even better performance.
The best part, you are free to adjust the range of frequency that you are hearing, and frequency response can be adjusted by changing the pressure over the diaphragm, which is so realistic and will give you a standard stethoscope feeling.
There is an inbuilt Thinklink app available which allows you to connect this stethoscope with your iPhone, Android, iPad or MAC/PC, so you can send or capture the sound between them. This feature could be useful for those students who are still learning.
In the package, Thinklabs includes a studio quality headphone, they offer the excellent bass for heart sound and crystal-clear treble base for music enjoyment. Thanks to its dedicated headphone amplifier which has sufficient power to drive low-impedanIudio headphones producing 45.2mWatts.
As We said earlier, this device provides universal compatibility. For those who use the hearing aids, the Thinklabs is compatible with the hearing aid and Cochlear implants streamers, so you can send audio directly to your listening gadgets. If your hearing gadgets don’t support this streaming feature, you can simply use an over the ear headphone and that works just great.
Pros
- Best sound amplification for clearest hearing
- Frequency adjustment available
- High-quality headphone included with the package
- Compatible with 3.5mm based headphones
- Universal compatibility with all users
- Can be used in noisy environments thanks to the crisp and clear sound quality
Cons
- Slightly expensive
Eko Digital Stethoscope (Best for Non-Hearing Aid Users)
If you don’t use any type of hearing device, then probably you have only a mild or even low range level of hearing loss. in this situation, the Eko Digital Stethoscope could be a nice choice for a budget price.
This digital stethoscope is capable of 40x sound amplification along with reducing the ambient noise. With the digital-analog toggle feature, you can use this stethoscope even when this unit is turned off.
Like the Thinklabs Digital stethoscope the Eko stethoscope also supports mobile connectivity, the app is available for both platforms – Android and iOS. This device is rechargeable, and can last up to 9 hours with a single charge!
Here is another interesting thing about this device: if you don’t want to replace your previous stethoscope, you can purchase just the attachment unit, and it fits easily. This way you can upgrade your old stethoscope within a fair budget.
The Eko digital is a great stethoscope for those nurses or doctors who have minor hearing loss and don’t use the hearing aids.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Amplifying unit is available separately and can be paired with your old stethoscope for upgrading
- Effective 40x sound amplification can deliver very clear sound
- Long battery life up to 9 hours
- Can be used when the unit is turned off
Cons
- Not compatible with hearing aids or cochlear implant
Cardionics E-Scope 7700 (Another Great Choice with Headphone Compatibility)
Cardionics E-Scope 7700 is another amplified stethoscope which supports the external headphones, that’s why it is also useful for hearing aids users. This lightweight stethoscope is capable of amplifying the sound up to 30 times, which is pretty solid while using with hearing aids.
The design of this unit is really interesting, on the diaphragm, there are some very functional buttons provided for settings. These are very convenient for changing the volume, heart sound or breath sound.
Finally, when this device is not being used, you can easily hang around your neck, thanks to its lightweight nature.
Thinklabs and Cardionics E-Scope 7700 both are compatible with custom headphones, but it has a somewhat low amplification power. That’s why it is only recommended for doctors with low hearing loss, but compatibility with the hearing aids makes it a solid digital stethoscope.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Nice amplification power up to 30 times
- Compatible with custom headphone
- Dedicated volume control button on the digraph
Cons
- Not ideal for severe hearing loss
Best Stethoscope for Nurses Hard of Hearing Conclusion
Unfortunately, there are only a few options available when it comes to amplified stethoscopes. I believe the Thinklabs One is the best stethoscope for hard of hearing because it is compatible with hearing aids too.
You can use it with hearing streamers or by plugging your favorite high-quality headphone, it works well with both.
However, if you don’t use any type of hearing gadgets then Eko is also a great choice for those on a tight budget.
There is another option you can check out – The Cardionics E-Scope 7700, which supports the headphone as well, and comes with 30x amplification power.
Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect product, they all have pros and cons. What may lack in one product can be made up for in another product. Your hearing situation will determine your needs.
I hope this review on the best stethoscope for nurses hard of hearing has been helpful.