Saving money just feels great, right? Getting a good deal can be invigorating, and more rewarding the bigger the deal. It’s a little too easy, then, to make the price your primary consideration, to always choose the least expensive option, to let your coupons make your consumer choices for you. When it comes to purchasing a pair of hearing aids, going after a bargain can be a huge oversight.
Health repercussions can result from choosing the cheapest option if you require hearing aids to manage hearing loss. After all, the entire point of using hearing aids is to be able to hear clearly and to prevent health problems related to hearing loss including cognitive decline, depression, and an increased risk of falls. The key is to find the hearing aid that best suits your lifestyle, your hearing needs, and your budget.
Picking affordable hearing aids – some tips
Cheap and affordable aren’t always the same thing. 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 are helpful tips.
Tip #1: Do your homework: Affordable hearing aids are available
Hearing aids have a reputation for taking a toll on your wallet, a reputation, however, is not necessarily represented by reality. The majority of manufacturers sell hearing aids in a number of price points and work with financing companies to make their devices more affordable. If you’ve started exploring the bargain bin for hearing aids because you’ve already resolved that really good effective models are out of reach, it could have significant health consequences.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Insurance might cover some or all of the expenses 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: Look for hearing aids that can be tuned to your hearing loss
Hearing aids are, in some ways, similar to prescription glasses. Depending on your sense of style, the frame comes in a few options, but the exact prescription differs considerably from person to person. Hearing aids, too, have specific settings, which we can calibrate for you, tailored to your precise needs.
You won’t get the same benefits by grabbing some cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf (or, in many cases, results that are even slightly useful). These amplification devices boost all frequencies instead of boosting only the frequencies you’re having trouble with. What’s the significance of this? Hearing loss is usually irregular, you can hear some frequencies and sounds, but not others. If you increase all frequencies, the ones you have no trouble hearing will be too loud. Simply put, it doesn’t really solve the problem and you’ll wind 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 properly (sounds like, you know, bells and whistles), you most likely need some of that technology. The sophisticated technology in hearing aids can be dialed 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. Additionally, considering where (and why) you’ll be using your aids will help you choose a model that fits your lifestyle.
That technology is necessary to compensate for your hearing loss in a healthy way. A tiny speaker that cranks 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
Alright, say this with me: A hearing aid is not the same thing as an amplification device. If you take nothing else away from this article, we hope it’s that. Because the makers of amplification devices have a financial interest in persuading the consumer that their devices do what hearing aids do. But that’s dishonest marketing.
Let’s have a closer look. A hearing amplification device:
- Takes all sounds and turns up their volume.
- Is typically cheaply made.
- Provides the user with little more than basic volume controls (if that).
A hearing aid, however:
- Will help protect your hearing health.
- Has the ability to change settings when you change locations.
- Is calibrated to amplify only the frequencies you have difficulty hearing.
- Has highly qualified professionals that program your hearing aids to your hearing loss symptoms.
- Can regulate background noise.
- Can be molded specifically to your ears for maximum comfort.
- Can be programed to identify distinct sound profiles, such as the human voice, and amplify them.
- Has long-lasting batteries.
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.
That’s why we normally emphasize the affordable part of this. 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.”