Finding a bargain just feels great, right? It can be thrilling when you’ve received a great deal on something, and the larger discount, the more pleased you are. So letting your coupon make your buying decisions for you, always chasing after the least expensive items, is all too easy. When it comes to purchasing a pair of hearing aids, going after a bargain can be a huge oversight.
If you require hearing aids to treat hearing loss, choosing the “cheapest” option can have health consequences. After all, the whole point of getting hearing aids is to be able to hear well and to prevent health problems related to hearing loss including cognitive decline, depression, and an increased chance of falls. Finding the right hearing aid to suit your hearing needs, lifestyle, and budget is the key.
Tips for picking affordable hearing aids
Affordable is not equivalent cheap. Keep an eye on affordability and functionality. This will help you stay within your budget while allowing you to get the ideal hearing aids for your personal requirements and budget. These are helpful tips.
Tip #1: Research before you buy: Affordable hearing aids exist
Hearing aid’s reputation for being incredibly pricey is not always reflected in the reality of the situation. Most hearing aid manufacturers will partner up with financing companies to make the device more budget friendly and also have hearing aids in a number of prices. If you’ve already made the decision that the most effective hearing aids are out of reach, you’re probably more inclined to search the bargain bin than look for affordable and effective options, and that can have a lasting, detrimental impact on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Find out what your insurance will cover
Insurance might cover some or all of the expenses related to getting a hearing aid. As a matter of fact, some states mandate that insurance cover them for both children and adults. Asking never hurts. There are government programs that often supply hearing aids for veterans.
Tip #3: Look for hearing aids that can be calibrated to your hearing loss
Hearing aids are, in some aspects, a lot like prescription glasses. The frame is pretty universal (depending on your sense of fashion, of course), but the prescription is calibrated for your distinct needs. Hearing aids, too, have distinct settings, which we can tune for you, personalized to your exact needs.
Purchasing a cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf won’t give you the same results (or, in many cases, results that are even slightly helpful). These are more like amplifiers that raise the volume of all frequencies, not just the ones you’re having problems hearing. Why is this so important? Usually, hearing loss will only affect some frequencies while you can hear others perfectly fine. If you make it loud enough to hear the frequencies that are low, you’ll make it painful in the frequencies you can hear without a device. Simply put, it doesn’t actually solve the problem and you’ll end up not using the cheaper device.
Tip #4: Not all hearing aids have the same features
There’s a tendency to view all of the amazing technology in modern hearing aids and imagine that it’s all extra, just bells and whistles. But you will need some of that technology to hear sounds clearly. The sophisticated technology in hearing aids can be tuned in to the user’s level of hearing loss. Background sound can be filtered out with many of these modern designs and some can communicate with each other. In addition, taking into account where (and why) you’ll be using your aids will help you choose a model that fits your lifestyle.
It’s crucial, in order to compensate for your hearing loss in an efficient way, that you have some of this technology. A little speaker that cranks the volume up on everything is far from the sophistication of a modern hearing aid. Which brings up our last tip.
Tip #5: An amplification device is not the same thing as a hearing aid
Okay, 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 work the same way as a hearing aid for a fraction of the price. But that simply isn’t true.
Let’s break it down. An amplifier:
- Is usually made cheaply.
- Turns the volume up on all sounds.
- Gives the user the ability to control the basic volume but that’s about it.
A hearing aid, however:
- Can be programmed with different settings for different locations.
- Has long-lasting batteries.
- Will help you preserve the health of your hearing.
- Can reduce background noise.
- Can be shaped specifically to your ears for maximum comfort.
- Is set up specifically to your hearing loss symptoms by a highly qualified hearing professional.
- Can pick out and amplify specific sound categories (such as the human voice).
- Increases the frequencies that you have a hard time hearing and leaves the frequencies you can hear alone.
Your ability to hear is too essential to go cheap
Everybody has a budget, and that budget is going to limit your hearing aid choices no matter what price range you’re looking in.
This is why an affordable option tends to be the focus. 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 concentrate on an affordable solution. Just remember that your hearing deserves better than “cheap.”