Saving money just feels great, right? Getting a great deal can be thrilling, and more gratifying the bigger the bargain. 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 consumer choices for you. But going after a bargain when it comes to purchasing hearing aids can be a big mistake.
Health consequences can result from going for the cheapest option if you need hearing aids to treat hearing loss. Preventing the development of health issues like depression, dementia, and the danger of a fall is the entire point of using hearing aids in the first place. The key is to choose the hearing aid that best fits your lifestyle, your hearing requirements, and your budget.
Tips for choosing affordable hearing aids
Affordable is not the same thing as cheap. Affordability, and functionality, are what you should be keeping your eye on. This will help you stay within your budget while enabling you to get the ideal hearing aids for your personal needs and budget. These tips will help.
You can get affordable hearing aids.
Hearing aid’s reputation for being incredibly pricey is not always reflected in the reality of the situation. Most manufacturers sell hearing aids in a wide range of price points and work with financing companies to make their devices more affordable. If you’ve already made the decision that the most reliable hearing aids are too expensive, you’re probably more inclined to search the bargain bin than look for affordable and effective options, and that can have a lasting, detrimental impact on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Find out what your insurance will cover
Insurance might cover some or all of the costs associated with getting a hearing aid. 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: Find hearing aids that can be calibrated to your hearing loss
In some aspects, your hearing aids are a lot like prescription glasses. Depending on your sense of fashion, the frame comes in a few options, but the exact prescription differs greatly from person to person. Hearing aids, too, have specific settings, which we can calibrate for you, personalized to your exact needs.
You’re not going to get the same results by grabbing some cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf (or, in many instances, results that are even remotely helpful). These amplification devices increase all frequencies instead of raising only the frequencies you’re having a hard time hearing. What’s the importance of this? Hearing loss is often irregular, you can hear some frequencies and voices, but not others. If you raise all frequencies, the ones you have no problem hearing will be too loud. Simply put, it doesn’t really 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 believe that all of the modern technology in a good hearing aid is just “bells and whistles”. The problem is that in order to hear sounds clearly (sounds such as, you know, bells and whistles), you most likely need some of that technology. Hearing aids have innovative technologies calibrated specifically for people with hearing loss. Many modern designs 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 select a model that fits your lifestyle.
It’s essential, in order to compensate for your hearing loss in a reliable 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. And that brings us to our last tip.
Tip #5: A hearing amplification device isn’t a hearing aid
Alright, repeat after me: A hearing aid is not the same thing as a hearing amplification device. If you get nothing else from this article, we hope it’s that. Because the manufacturers of amplification devices have a monetary interest in convincing the consumer that their devices work like hearing aids. But that just isn’t the case.
Let’s take a closer look. An amplifier:
- Is often cheaply built.
- Takes all sounds and turns up their volume.
- Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about all.
A hearing aid, on the other hand:
- Can be molded specifically to your ears for maximum comfort.
- Has long-lasting batteries.
- Will help protect your hearing health.
- Boosts the frequencies that you have a tough time hearing and leaves the frequencies you can hear alone.
- Can be programed to identify distinct sound profiles, like the human voice, and amplify them.
- Has the ability to adjust settings when you change locations.
- Can limit background noise.
- Is set up specifically to your hearing loss symptoms by a highly skilled hearing specialist.
Your ability to hear is too essential to go cheap
No matter what your budget is, that budget will determine your options depending on your overall price range.
This is why an affordable option tends to be the emphasis. The long-term benefits 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.”