Finding a bargain just feels great, right? Getting a good deal can be exhilarating, and more rewarding the bigger the deal. So letting your coupon make your buying decisions for you, always going after 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.
Health consequences can result from choosing the cheapest option if you require hearing aids to treat hearing loss. After all, the whole point of getting hearing aids is to be able to hear well and to prevent health issues related to hearing loss such as cognitive decline, depression, and an increased chance of falls. Choosing the right hearing aid to suit your hearing needs, lifestyle, and budget is the trick.
Tips for choosing affordable hearing aids
Affordable is not equivalent cheap. Affordability, and functionality, are what you should be keeping your eye on. This will help you stay within your budget while enabling you to get the ideal hearing aids for your personal needs and budget. These are helpful tips.
Tip #1: Do your homework: Affordable hearing aids are available
Hearing aids have a reputation for putting a dent in your wallet, a reputation, however, is not always reflected by reality. Most hearing aid makers will partner with financing companies to make the device more budget friendly and also have hearing aids in a wide range of prices. If you’ve already made the decision 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 effective options, and that can have a lasting, harmful affect on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Find out what your insurance will cover
Insurance might cover some or all of the costs related to 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 frequently provide hearing aids for veterans.
Tip #3: Your hearing loss is unique – find hearing aids that can tune to your hearing situation
In some ways, your hearing aids are similar to prescription glasses. Depending on your sense of fashion, the frame comes in a few options, but the exact prescription differs considerably from person to person. Hearing aids, too, have distinct settings, which we can calibrate for you, personalized to your precise needs.
Purchasing a cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf won’t give you the same benefits (or any helpful results at all in many instances). These are more like amplifiers that increase the sound of all frequencies, not just the ones you’re having trouble hearing. Why is this so important? Normally, hearing loss will only impact some frequencies while you can hear others perfectly. If you boost all frequencies, the ones you have no trouble hearing will be too loud. Simply put, it doesn’t actually 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 with this idea is that if you wish to hear sounds properly (sounds like, you know, bells and whistles), you most likely need some of that technology. The specialized 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, taking into account where (and why) you’ll be using your aids will help you choose a model that fits your lifestyle.
It’s essential, in order to compensate for your hearing loss in an efficient way, that you have some of this technology. Hearing aids are much more advanced than a simple, tiny speaker that boosts the volume of everything. And that brings up our last tip.
Tip #5: An amplification device isn’t the same thing as a hearing aid
Alright, say this with me: A hearing aid is not the same thing as a hearing amplification device. This is the number one takeaway from this article. Because hearing amplification devices try really hard to make you believe they do the same thing as a hearing aid for a fraction of the price. But that’s untruthful marketing.
Let’s have a closer look. A hearing amplification device:
- Is often cheaply made.
- Turns up the volume on all sounds.
- Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about it.
A hearing aid, however:
- Has batteries that are long lasting.
- Has highly skilled specialists that adjust your hearing aids to your hearing loss symptoms.
- Boosts the frequencies that you have a tough time hearing and leaves the frequencies you can hear alone.
- Can achieve maximum comfort by being molded to your ear.
- Will help protect your hearing health.
- Has the ability to change settings when you change locations.
- Can reduce background noise.
- Can be programed to recognize specific sound profiles, such as the human voice, and amplify them.
Your hearing deserves better than cheap
No matter what your budget is, that budget will determine your options depending on your overall price range.
That’s why we often highlight the affordable part of this. The long-term advantages of hearing aids and hearing loss treatment are well documented. That’s why you should work on an affordable solution. Don’t forget, cheap is less than your hearing deserves.”