Saving money just feels great, right? It can be exhilarating when you’ve received a great deal on something, and the bigger discount, the more satisfied you are. It’s a little too easy, then, to make the cost your chief criteria, to always choose the least expensive option, to let your coupons make your buying choices for you. But chasing a bargain when it comes to buying hearing aids can be a big oversight.
If you need hearing aids to manage hearing loss, choosing the “cheapest” option can have health consequences. After all, the entire point of using hearing aids is to be able to hear clearly and to prevent health issues associated with hearing loss like cognitive decline, depression, and an increased chance of falls. Choosing the correct hearing aid to suit your hearing needs, lifestyle, and budget is the key.
Tips for choosing affordable hearing aids
Affordable is not equivalent cheap. Keep an eye on affordability and functionality. That will help you find the best hearing aid possible for your personal budget. These tips will help.
Tip #1: You can get affordable hearing aids.
Hearing aid’s reputation for being extremely pricey is not necessarily reflected in the reality of the situation. Most hearing aid makers will partner with financing companies to make the device more affordable and also have hearing aids in a wide range of prices. If you’ve already made the decision that the most effective hearing aids are out of reach, you’re probably more likely to search the bargain bin than seek out affordable and effective options, and that can have a lasting, harmful impact on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Some or even all of the expense of hearing aids could be covered by your insurance. Some states, in fact, have laws requiring insurance companies to cover hearing aids for kids or adults. Asking never hurts. If you’re a veteran, you might be eligible for hearing aids through government programs.
Tip #3: Your hearing loss is unique – choose hearing aids that can calibrate to your hearing needs
Hearing aids are, in some ways, a lot like prescription glasses. The frame is fairly universal (depending on your sense of style, of course), but the prescription is calibrated for your distinct needs. Hearing aids, too, have specific settings, which we can calibrate for you, personalized to your exact needs.
You won’t get the same benefits by grabbing some cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf (or any helpful results at all in many instances). These are more like amplification devices that raise the sound of all frequencies, not only the ones you’re having trouble hearing. What’s the significance of this? Hearing loss is often irregular, you can hear some frequencies and voices, but not others. If you boost all frequencies, the ones you have no trouble hearing will be too loud. Simply put, it doesn’t actually solve the problem and you’ll wind up not using the cheaper device.
Tip #4: Different hearing aids have different capabilities
There’s a temptation to view all of the great technology in modern hearing aids and think that it’s all extra, just bells and whistles. The problem with this idea is that if you wish to hear sounds clearly (sounds such as, you know, bells and whistles), you probably need some of that technology. Hearing aids have innovative technologies calibrated specifically for those who have hearing loss. Background noise can be filtered out with many of these modern designs and some can communicate with each other. In addition, considering where (and why) you’ll be using your aids will help you select a model that fits your lifestyle.
It’s crucial, in order to compensate for your hearing loss in an efficient way, that you have some of this technology. A little speaker that cranks the volume up on everything is far from the sophistication of a modern hearing aid. Which brings up our last tip.
Tip #5: An amplification device is not the same thing as a hearing aid
Alright, say this with me: a hearing amplification device is not a hearing aid. This is the number one takeaway from this article. Because the providers of amplification devices have a monetary interest in convincing the consumer that their devices work like hearing aids. But that’s untruthful marketing.
Let’s break it down. A hearing amplification device:
- Turns the volume up on all sounds.
- Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about all.
- Is typically made cheaply.
Conversely, a hearing aid:
- Will help you safeguard the health of your hearing.
- Has long-lasting batteries.
- Can identify and amplify specific sound types (like the human voice).
- Is calibrated to amplify only the frequencies you have a hard time hearing.
- Has highly skilled professionals that program your hearing aids to your hearing loss symptoms.
- Has the ability to adjust settings when you change locations.
- Can create maximum comfort by being molded to your ear.
- Can regulate background noise.
Your hearing deserves better than cheap
Everyone has a budget, and that budget is going to restrict your hearing aid choices no matter what price range you’re looking in.
This is why an affordable solution tends to be the emphasis. The long-term advantages of hearing aids and hearing loss management are well documented. This is why an affordable solution is where your attention should be. Don’t forget, cheap is less than your hearing deserves.”
