It just feels great to save money, right? It can be thrilling when you’ve received a great deal on something, and the bigger discount, the more satisfied you are. So letting your coupon make your shopping decisions for you, always going after the least expensive items, is all too easy. When it comes to investing in a pair of hearing aids, chasing a bargain can be a big oversight.
If you need hearing aids to manage hearing loss, going for the “cheapest” option can have health consequences. After all, the whole point of using hearing aids is to be able to hear well and to prevent health problems associated with hearing loss like cognitive decline, depression, and an increased chance of falls. Choosing the right hearing aid to fit your hearing needs, lifestyle, and budget is the key.
Tips for picking affordable hearing aids
Cheap and affordable aren’t necessarily the same thing. Look for affordability as well as functionality. This will help you keep within your budget while enabling you to get the ideal hearing aids for your personal needs and budget. These are helpful tips.
Tip #1: Research before you buy: Affordable hearing aids are available
Hearing aid’s reputation for being incredibly expensive is not always reflected in the reality of the situation. 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 reliable hearing aids are too expensive, you’re probably more inclined to search the bargain bin than look for affordable and effective options, and that can have a long-term, negative affect on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Find out what your insurance will cover
Some or even all of the cost of hearing aids may be covered by your insurance. In fact, some states require that insurance cover them for both children and adults. Asking never hurts. If you’re a veteran, you may be eligible for hearing aids through government programs.
Tip #3: Your hearing loss is unique – choose hearing aids that can tune to your hearing needs
Hearing aids are, in some aspects, similar to prescription glasses. The frame is rather universal (depending on your sense of fashion, of course), but the prescription is adjusted for your particular needs. Hearing aids, too, have distinct settings, which we can tune for you, tailored to your precise needs.
Purchasing a cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf is not going to give you the same results (or any useful results at all in many instances). These are more like amplification devices that increase the volume of all frequencies, not only the ones you’re having problems hearing. What’s the significance of this? Normally, hearing loss will only affect some frequencies while you can hear others perfectly. If you make it loud enough to hear the frequencies that are too quiet, you’ll make it uncomfortable in the frequencies you can hear without amplification. You will most likely end up not using this cheap amplification device because it doesn’t resolve your real issue.
Tip #4: Different hearing aids have different capabilities
It can be tempting to believe that all of the modern technology in a quality hearing aid is simply “bells and whistles”. The problem with this idea is that in order to hear sounds properly (sounds such as, you know, bells and whistles), you likely need some of that technology. The specialized technology in hearing aids can be tuned in to the user’s level of hearing loss. Background noise can be blocked out with many of these modern designs and some can connect with each other. In addition, considering where (and why) you’ll be using your aids will help you select a model that fits your lifestyle.
It’s essential, in order to compensate for your hearing loss in a reliable way, that you have some of this technology. Hearing aids are much more advanced than a basic, tiny speaker that amplifies everything. And that brings up our last tip.
Tip #5: A hearing amplification device isn’t a hearing aid
Alright, repeat after me: a hearing amplification device is not a hearing aid. If you get nothing else from this article, we hope it’s that. Because hearing amplification devices try very 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 the case.
Let’s break it down. A hearing amplification device:
- Is usually made cheaply.
- Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about it.
- Turns the volume up on all sounds.
Conversely, a hearing aid:
- Will help you preserve the health of your hearing.
- Has highly skilled professionals that program your hearing aids to your hearing loss symptoms.
- Has batteries that are long lasting.
- Boosts the frequencies that you have a tough time hearing and leaves the frequencies you can hear alone.
- Can minimize background noise.
- Can be shaped specifically to your ears for maximum comfort.
- Has the capability to adjust settings when you change locations.
- Can be programed to recognize specific sound profiles, like the human voice, and amplify them.
Your hearing deserves better than cheap
Regardless of what your budget is, that budget will restrict your options depending on your overall price range.
That’s why we often emphasize the affordable part of this. When it comes to hearing loss, the long term benefits of hearing loss management and hearing aids is well recognized. That’s why you need to work on an affordable solution. Just remember that your hearing deserves better than “cheap.”