It just feels great to save money, right? Getting a good deal can be thrilling, and more rewarding the bigger the deal. It’s a little too easy, then, to make the cost your primary criteria, to always choose the least expensive option, to let your coupons make your buying decisions for you. When it comes to investing in a pair of hearing aids, going after a bargain can be a big mistake.
If you need hearing aids to manage hearing loss, going for 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 problems associated with hearing loss such as cognitive decline, depression, and an increased risk of falls. The trick is to find the hearing aid that best fits your lifestyle, your hearing needs, and your budget.
Tips for choosing affordable hearing aids
Cheap and affordable aren’t always the same thing. Affordability, as well as functionality, are what you should be keeping your eye on. That will help you get the best hearing aid possible for your personal budget. These tips will help.
Tip #1: Do your homework: Affordable hearing aids exist
Hearing aid’s reputation for being incredibly expensive is not always reflected in the reality of the situation. The majority of manufacturers produce hearing aids in a wide range of price points and work with financing companies to make their devices more budget friendly. If you’ve already made the decision that the most effective hearing aids are too expensive, you’re probably more likely to search the bargain bin than look for affordable and reliable options, and that can have a lasting, detrimental impact on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Insurance might cover some or all of the expenses related to getting a hearing aid. Actually, some states mandate that insurance cover them for both children and adults. It never hurts to ask. There are government programs that frequently provide hearing aids for veterans.
Tip #3: Your hearing loss is unique – choose hearing aids that can tune to your hearing needs
Hearing aids are, in some aspects, 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 distinct settings, which we can tune for you, tailored to your exact needs.
Buying a cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf won’t give you the same results (or, in many instances, results that are even remotely useful). These are more like amplification devices that increase the sound of all frequencies, not just the ones you’re having problems hearing. Why is this so important? Normally, hearing loss will only impact some frequencies while you can hear others perfectly. If you raise the volume enough to hear the frequencies that are too quiet, you’ll make it painful in the frequencies you can hear without amplification. In other words, it doesn’t actually solve the problem and you’ll end up not using the cheaper device.
Tip #4: Not all hearing aids have the same features
It can be tempting to think that all of the modern technology in a quality hearing aid is just “bells and whistles”. But you will need some of that technology to hear sounds clearly. Hearing aids have specialized technologies tuned specifically for those who have hearing loss. Many modern models have artificial intelligence that helps block out background noise or connect with each other to help you hear better. Additionally, considering where (and why) you’ll be using your aids will help you choose a model that fits your lifestyle.
That technology is necessary to compensate for your hearing loss in a healthy way. Hearing aids are a lot more advanced than a basic, tiny speaker that amplifies everything. And that brings us to our last tip.
Tip #5: An amplification device is not the same thing as a hearing aid
Okay, say this with me: A hearing aid is not the same thing as a hearing amplification device. If you take nothing else away from this article, we hope it’s that. Because hearing amplification devices try very hard to make you think they do the same thing as a hearing aid for a fraction of the price. But that’s untruthful marketing.
Let’s break it down. An amplifier:
- Provides the user with little more than simple volume controls (if that).
- Is typically made cheaply.
- Turns up the volume on all sounds.
A hearing aid, conversely:
- Has the ability to adjust settings when you change locations.
- Can be shaped specifically to your ears for maximum comfort.
- Can minimize background noise.
- Will help you preserve the health of your hearing.
- Can identify and amplify specific sound types (like the human voice).
- Has batteries that are long lasting.
- Boosts the frequencies that you have a difficult time hearing and leaves the frequencies you can hear alone.
- Has highly qualified specialists that program your hearing aids to your hearing loss symptoms.
Your ability to hear is too essential to go cheap
Regardless of what your budget is, that budget will determine your options depending on your general price range.
This is why an affordable option tends to be the emphasis. When it comes to hearing loss, the long term advantages of hearing loss treatment and hearing aids is well documented. This is why an affordable solution is where your attention should be. Don’t forget, cheap is less than your hearing deserves.”