It just feels good to save money, right? Getting a good deal can be invigorating, and more rewarding the better the bargain. So letting your coupon make your shopping choices 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 require hearing aids to manage hearing loss, choosing the “cheapest” option can have health consequences. Avoiding the development of health issues like depression, dementia, and the risk of a fall is the entire point of using hearing aids in the first place. Finding the right hearing aid to fit your hearing needs, lifestyle, and budget is the trick.
Choosing affordable hearing aids – some tips
Affordable is not equivalent cheap. Affordability, and functionality, are what you should be looking for. That will help you find the best hearing aid possible for your personal budget. These are helpful tips.
Tip #1: Do your homework: Affordable hearing aids are available
Hearing aids have a reputation for taking a toll on your pocketbook, a reputation, though, is not always represented by reality. Most hearing aid makers will partner up with financing companies to make the device more affordable and also have hearing aids in a wide range of prices. If you’ve started searching the bargain bin for hearing aids because you’ve already decided that really good effective models are out of reach, it could have significant health consequences.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Insurance may 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. It never hurts to ask. There are government programs that often supply hearing aids for veterans.
Tip #3: Your hearing loss is unique – find hearing aids that can calibrate to your hearing needs
Hearing aids are, in some aspects, a lot like prescription glasses. Depending on your sense of fashion, the frame comes in a few options, but the exact prescription differs significantly from person to person. Similarly, hearing aids might look the same cosmetically, but each hearing aid is tuned to the individual user’s hearing loss needs.
Buying a cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf is not going to give you the same benefits (or any useful results at all in many cases). These amplification devices boost all frequencies instead of boosting only the frequencies you’re having trouble with. What’s the importance of this? 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 low, you’ll make it painful in the frequencies you can hear without amplification. You will probably end up not using this cheap amplification device because it doesn’t resolve your real issue.
Tip #4: Not all hearing aids have the same features
There’s a tendency to look at all of the amazing technology in modern hearing aids and imagine that it’s all extra, simply bells and whistles. But you will need some of that technology to hear sounds clearly. Hearing aids have innovative technologies calibrated specifically for those with hearing loss. Background sound can be blocked out with many of these modern designs and some can communicate with each other. In addition, taking into account where (and why) you’ll be using your aids will help you select a model that fits your lifestyle.
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, say this with me: a hearing amplification device is not a hearing aid. This is the number one takeaway from this article. Because hearing amplification devices try really hard to make you think they work the same way as a hearing aid for a fraction of the price. But that just isn’t true.
Let’s take a closer look. A hearing amplification device:
- Is typically cheaply built.
- Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about it.
- Turns up the volume on all sounds.
A hearing aid, however:
- Has highly skilled professionals that adjust your hearing aids to your hearing loss symptoms.
- Has long-lasting batteries.
- Can achieve maximum comfort by being molded to your ear.
- Can be programmed with various settings for different locations.
- Can pick out and amplify specific sound types (like the human voice).
- Can limit background noise.
- Will help you safeguard the health of your hearing.
- Is tuned to amplify only the frequencies you have difficulty hearing.
Your ability to hear is too crucial to go cheap
No matter what your budget is, that budget will restrict your options depending on your general price range.
This is why an affordable option tends to be the emphasis. The long-term advantages of hearing aids and hearing loss management are well recognized. This is why an affordable solution is where your attention should be. Just remember that your hearing deserves better than “cheap.”