Finding a bargain just feels great, right? Getting a great deal can be invigorating, and more gratifying the bigger the bargain. So letting your coupon make your buying decisions for you, always going after the least expensive items, is all too easy. But going after a bargain when it comes to purchasing hearing aids can be a big oversight.
If you require hearing aids to treat hearing loss, going for the “cheapest” option can have health consequences. After all, the whole point of getting hearing aids is to be able to hear clearly and to prevent health issues associated with hearing loss including cognitive decline, depression, and an increased chance of falls. The key is to find the hearing aid that best suits your lifestyle, your hearing requirements, and your budget.
Picking affordable hearing aids – some tips
Cheap and affordable aren’t always the same thing. Look for affordability as well as functionality. This will help you keep within your budget while allowing you to find the ideal hearing aids for your personal needs and budget. These tips will help.
Tip #1: Research before you buy: Affordable hearing aids are available
Hearing aids have a reputation for putting a dent in your wallet, a reputation, however, is not necessarily reflected by reality. Most hearing aid manufacturers will partner up with financing companies to make the device more budget friendly and also have hearing aids in a number of prices. If you’ve already decided 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 reliable options, and that can have a lasting, negative impact on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Some or even all of the cost of hearing aids might be covered by your insurance. In fact, some states mandate that insurance cover them for both children and 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 – find hearing aids that can tune to your hearing situation
Hearing aids are, in some ways, a lot like prescription glasses. The frame is pretty universal (depending on your sense of fashion, of course), but the prescription is calibrated for your particular needs. Hearing aids, too, have specific settings, which we can tune for you, tailored to your exact needs.
You’re not going to get the same benefits 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 boosting only the frequencies you’re having trouble with. Why is this so significant? Normally, hearing loss will only affect some frequencies while you can hear others perfectly. If you boost all frequencies, the ones you have no problem hearing will be too loud. 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
There’s a tendency to look at all of the great technology in modern hearing aids and imagine that it’s all extra, just bells and whistles. The problem is that in order to hear sounds clearly (sounds like, you know, bells and whistles), you most likely need some of that technology. The sophisticated technology in hearing aids can be tuned in to the user’s level of 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.
It’s crucial, in order to compensate for your hearing loss in an efficient way, that you have some of this technology. A tiny 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: A hearing amplification device is not a hearing aid
Okay, say this with 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 persuading the consumer that their devices work like hearing aids. But that simply isn’t true.
Let’s break it down. A hearing amplification device:
- Is usually made cheaply.
- Supplies the user with little more than simple volume controls (if that).
- Turns up the volume on all sounds.
A hearing aid, on the other hand:
- Can identify and amplify specific sound types (like the human voice).
- Can be programmed with different settings for different places.
- Can reduce background noise.
- Is set up specifically to your hearing loss symptoms by a highly qualified hearing professional.
- Can be molded specifically to your ears for maximum comfort.
- Will help safeguard your hearing health.
- Has long-lasting batteries.
- Is tuned to amplify only the frequencies you have trouble hearing.
Your hearing deserves better than cheap
No matter what your budget is, that budget will determine your options depending on your general price range.
That’s why we tend to highlight the affordable part of this. The long-term advantages of hearing aids and hearing loss management are well recognized. This is why an affordable solution is what your focus should be. Just remember that your hearing deserves better than “cheap.”