It just feels good to find a bargain, right? Getting a good deal can be thrilling, and more rewarding the better the bargain. So letting your coupon make your buying decisions for you, always looking for the least expensive products, is all too easy. But going after a bargain when it comes to purchasing hearing aids can be a big mistake.
If you need hearing aids to manage hearing loss, going for the “cheapest” option can have health repercussions. Preventing the development of health issues such as depression, dementia, and the risk of a fall is the whole point of using hearing aids in the first place. Finding the correct hearing aid to fit your hearing needs, lifestyle, and budget is the key.
Finding affordable hearing aids – some tips
Affordable is not the same thing as cheap. Affordability, and functionality, are what you should be keeping your eye on. This will help you keep within your budget while enabling you to find the correct hearing aids for your personal requirements and budget. These tips will help.
Tip #1: Do your homework: Affordable hearing aids exist
Hearing aid’s reputation for being very expensive is not necessarily reflected in the reality of the situation. The majority of 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 out of reach, you’re probably more inclined to search the bargain bin than look for affordable and effective options, and that can have a lasting, negative affect on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Insurance may cover some or all of the expenses associated with getting a hearing aid. Actually, some states mandate that insurance cover them for both children and adults. It never hurts to ask. If you’re a veteran, you may 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 aspects, a lot like prescription glasses. The frame is rather universal (depending on your sense of fashion, of course), but the prescription is calibrated for your particular needs. Hearing aids, too, have distinct settings, which we can tune for you, tailored to your precise 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 useful). These are more like amplifiers that increase the volume of all frequencies, not just the ones you’re having difficulty hearing. What’s the importance of this? Hearing loss is usually irregular, you can hear some frequencies and voices, but not others. If you increase all frequencies, the ones you have no trouble hearing will be too loud. You will probably end up not using this cheap amplification device because it doesn’t solve your real problem.
Tip #4: Different hearing aids have different functions
There’s a tendency to view all of the great technology in modern hearing aids and think that it’s all extra, just bells and whistles. But you will need some of that technology to hear sounds properly. The specialized technology in hearing aids can be tuned in to the user’s level of hearing loss. Many modern designs have artificial intelligence that helps filter out background noise or connect with each other to help you hear better. Also, choosing a model that fits your lifestyle will be simpler if you factor in where (and why) you’ll be using your hearing aids.
That technology is essential to compensate for your hearing loss in a healthy way. A little speaker that turns the volume up on everything is far from the sophistication of a modern hearing aid. Which brings us to our last tip.
Tip #5: A hearing amplification device is not a hearing aid
Okay, repeat after me: a hearing amplification device is not a hearing aid. 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 do what hearing aids do. But that simply isn’t true.
Let’s take a closer look. A hearing amplification device:
- Gives the user the ability to control the basic volume but that’s about it.
- Turns the volume up on all sounds.
- Is typically built cheaply.
On the other hand, a hearing aid:
- Is tuned to amplify only the frequencies you have difficulty hearing.
- Can be programed to identify specific sound profiles, like the human voice, and amplify them.
- Will help you preserve the health of your hearing.
- Can create maximum comfort by being shaped to your ear.
- Can reduce background noise.
- Is set up specifically to your hearing loss symptoms by a highly qualified hearing specialist.
- Has long-lasting batteries.
- Has the capability to change settings when you change locations.
Your ability to hear is too important to go cheap
Everybody has a budget, and that budget is going to limit your hearing aid options no matter what price range you’re looking in.
That’s why we normally highlight the affordable part of this. When it comes to hearing loss, the long term advantages of hearing loss management and hearing aids is well recognized. This is why an affordable solution is what your focus should be. Just remember that your hearing deserves better than “cheap.”