Woman suffering from hearing loss choosing a hearing aid.

What is the plan when you’ve realized that you need to invest in hearing aids? Hearing aids are soon to become an essential part of your life so choose wisely. High-quality hearing aids can be purchased from a hearing aid specialist, but the cheaper flimsy ones can be found only on the internet. If you truly think that you can get a quality device for less from the internet, then the sacrifice is how well you hear, and that’s your decision. What should you expect when investing in hearing aids?

Cheap Internet Knockoffs Are Not Actually Hearing Aids

Even though they seem to be a bargain, those internet hearing assistance devices will wind up costing you more over time. They are very poor in quality and don’t work very well. You have to buy new batteries so often that it winds up costing you a lot.

Amplifying sound is all these low-quality devices do. Modern, top quality digital hearing aids incorporate various technologies to create a device customized to your needs. You can decide to go cheap and buy one online but you will lose out on several essential features.

You have to see your new hearing aids for what they are – an investment in your future. If you can’t hear well it can make your life very difficult and might wind up costing you money, so it’s a bad choice to go cheap with your hearing aids. There may be other ways you can get hearing aids if you can’t afford them, so make sure you get the ones you really need.

Analog Vs. Digital

A better quality, more reliable sound is delivered by digital hearing aids and they’re more consistent also. Analog units are outdated and are not worth considering.

It’s likely that all of the hearing aids you see at a quality retailer will be digital. If you don’t know the difference you may mistake an analog device for a digital. Low-quality analog signals are what the older out-dated hearing aids process. With analog hearing aids, the quality of the sound is very inconsistent.

Selecting The Perfect Features

When you go shopping for hearing aids think about the two elements which are features and style. You want features that make your life better in a style that is comfortable. Some common features to consider include:

  • Environmental noise control
  • Synchronization
  • Direct audio input
  • Bluetooth
  • Wireless connectivity
  • Rechargeable batteries
  • Remote controls
  • Variable programming
  • Noise reduction
  • Telecoils
  • Directional microphones

Take Into Consideration The Different Styles

There are many styles available to you, as you will realize when you begin researching hearing aids. Luckily, there are so many styles to pick from that finding a style that works for your needs is almost guaranteed. Some of the different styles are:

  • Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC)
  • In-the-Ear (ITE)
  • In-the-Ear (ITE)
  • Behind-the-Ear (BTE)
  • Receiver-in-the-Ear (RIE)
  • Open Fit

A pretty good description of each style is offered by the names. BTE hearing aids consist of a piece that sits behind the ear. A clear piece of tubing connects the BTE to an ear-mold that rests in the opening of the ear canal.

As is apparent by its name, ITE devices go “in the ear”. It’s a single unit that sits in the opening of the ear canal. Nothing attaches behind the ear. ITC indicates “in the canal” and they are very much like ITE’s but ITC’s go further into the ear canal and that means that you don’t see them so much.

RIC devices and RIE hearing aids have a “receiver in the canal” and a “receiver in the ear” respectively, which are then connected to a piece behind the ear. Both styles tend to be less noticeable than BTE hearing aids.

As opposed to having ear-molds, open fit units, which are a type of BTE, have a thin tube that goes into the ear canal. This style works well for people who don’t like the feel of something stuck in their ear.

When you’ve taken all of these styles and options into account, it’s time to decide which one that would best fit your needs. To give an example, if you use your phone or a computer regularly, you will want a device that has Bluetooth capability. You will save money on replacement batteries if you get a model with a rechargeable battery and a telecoil is ideal for listening to lectures or seminars.

Lastly, Your Buying Options Should be Considered

You want to purchase your hearing aids from a qualified retailer, one that custom fits the devices and offers a free trial period. It’s hard to be confident that you are making the right decision if you don’t have a chance to try your hearing aids before you purchase them.

A good quality hearing aid will come with a good warranty so be sure to check that out as well. What does it cover? Do you get a new hearing aid if something goes wrong or does the warranty only cover parts and maybe labor?

Before buying hearing aids schedule an appointment with a hearing care professional for a checkup and hearing test, also. There could be many reasons you might observe a change in your hearing and they don’t all require hearing aids.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

Medical information dates as new research comes out all the time - if you have a concern about your hearing, please call us.

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