Getting The Most From Your Hearing Aids

If you aren’t really rich, a car isn’t really an impulse purchase. Which means you will probably do a great deal of research ahead of time. You take a good look at things such as gas mileage, price point, and customer reviews. (You’re on Google a lot.) This amount of research is logical! For most individuals who aren’t wealthy, it will take a while to pay off the thousands of dollars you’re about to spend. So you want to be certain it’s worth it!

Not only do you look at the concrete factors (gas mileage, safety, etc), but you’ll also give thought to best fits for your lifestyle. What type of vehicle do you enjoy? Do you need a lot of room to carry supplies around? How fast do you want your car to be?

Put another way, to get the most out of your new car, you need to assess your options and make some choices. And when you’re selecting new hearing aids, it’s important to have this same mindset. They’re still an investment even though they cost much less than a new car. And getting the most from your investment means figuring out which devices work best, overall, as well as what provides the most for your lifestyle.

The advantages of hearing aids

The example of the benefits of buying hearing aids can be broadly compared with the example of buying a car. Hearing aids are pretty great!

The advantages of hearing aids, for most individuals, are more tangible than simply helping you hear. With a set of hearing aids, you can remain involved with the people in your life. You’ll be able to more easily follow conversations during dinner, listen to your grandkids tell you about cool dinosaurs, and chit-chat with the cashier at the grocery store.

It’s only natural that you would want to make your hearing aids last as long as possible given all of the benefits. You don’t want those benefits to go away.

Are higher quality hearing aids always more costly?

Some people might assume that they can only get a quality hearing aid if they get the highest-priced device.

Hearing aids are certainly an investment. Here are a couple of reasons why some hearing aids tend to be costly:

• Hearing aids are designed to contain very state-of-the-art technologies, and they have to make those technologies as small as possible. So the package you’re paying for is very technologically potent.
• They’re designed to be long-lasting. If you take good care of them this is especially relevant.

But that doesn’t mean the most expensive option will inevitably work best. How severe your hearing loss is and, of course, what you can afford are a couple of the factors to consider. Some hearing aids will undoubtedly last longer than others. But that isn’t always dictated by how expensive the device was in the first place.

As with any other purchase, hearing aids will need regular maintenance in order to keep working properly. Also, your hearing loss is distinct to you and your hearing aids will have to be tuned to your exact needs.

Make certain you get the right hearing aids for you

What choices do you have? When it comes to hearing aids, you’ll have several different styles and types to choose from. We can help you determine which hearing aids will be best for your hearing requirements. Here are the choices you will have to choose from:

• Completely-in-the-Canal Hearing Aids (CIC): For people who want their hearing aids to be discrete and also provide high-quality sound, these hearing aids will be the best choice. The only difficulty is that they tend to have a shorter longevity and battery life. And some of the most state-of-the-art features tend to be missing due to their smaller size.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are mostly hidden because they are molded to your ear canal. They will typically include more high-tech features being slightly bigger than CIC models. These devices are still rather small and some of the features can be a little tricky to manipulate by hand. Still, ITC models are ideal for individuals who require more features but still want to remain discreet.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: These devices are also molded to your ears. No part of the device sits in your ear canal, it all fits in your outer ear. Two styles are available (full shell, which fits your whole ear, or half shell, which fits in the lower ear). If you have complex hearing issues or need more powerful noise control, the more advanced technology and larger microphones will make these hearing aids a great choice.
• Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids (BTE): In a sense, BTE hearing aids are the best of both worlds. This type of hearing aid has one part that sits in your ear (that’s the speaker) but moves all of the bulky electronics to a casing that sits behind your ear. The small tube that connects the two elements is still pretty discrete. These hearing aids are popular because they provide many amplification options. When you want the best of both power and visibility, these devices will be the best choice.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): This is much like BTE hearing aids, except the speaker bit fits in the ear canal. This makes them even less visible, with the added benefit of decreasing things like wind noise.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Even when you’re using the device, low-frequency sounds can still get into the ear. If you have problems hearing higher frequencies but low-frequencies aren’t really a problem, these hearing aids will be a good fit for you. It’s not a good option for all types of hearing loss, but it does work well for many individuals.

Pros and Cons of over-the-counter hearing aids

Over-the-counter hearing aids (or OTC hearing aids, to keep flooding you with acronyms) are yet another option to think about. OTC hearing aids work okay in general, much like OTC medications. But if your hearing loss warrants a set of more powerful hearing aids or more specialized hearing aids, OTC devices could fall somewhat short. Generally, OTC hearing aids can’t be specially tuned to your hearing like prescription hearing aids can.

The best way to determine what kind of hearing aid will be best for you, you should talk with us.

Repair and maintenance

Of course, once you’ve taken all of the steps to pick out your perfect hearing aid type, you should take care of it. Just like your car requires oil changes now and then.

So, now you’re thinking: how often should my hearing aids be checked? In general, you should schedule a routine maintenance and cleaning appointment for your hearing aids every six-to-twelve months. This gives you an opportunity to make sure that everything is working properly and as it should!

It’s also not a bad idea to be somewhat familiar with your device’s warranty. If and when you need repair, knowing what’s covered by that warranty and what’s not can save you some money! A good warranty and regular maintenance will help your hearing last as long as possible.

So… what’s the best hearing aid?

There’s no single best hearing aid. If you go to twelve different hearing specialists and ask for the “best” hearing aid, they may provide you with a dozen different models.

The key is to choose the best hearing aid for you and for your needs. Just like with an automobile, for some an SUV will be best, and for others, a minivan will best fit their lifestyles. The same is true with hearing aids, it all depends on your situation.

But the more you know ahead of time and the better informed you are, the easier it will be to find the hearing aids that are ideal for you. Contact us to schedule a consultation today!