It just feels great to find a bargain, right? It can be exhilarating when you’ve received a great deal on something, and the larger discount, the more satisfied you are. So letting your coupon make your buying choices for you, always chasing 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 treat hearing loss, going for the “cheapest” option can have health repercussions. After all, the entire point of getting hearing aids is to be able to hear clearly and to prevent health problems related to hearing loss like cognitive decline, depression, and an increased risk of falls. Choosing the correct 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 correct hearing aids for your personal needs and budget. These tips will help.
Tip #1: Research before you buy: Affordable hearing aids are available
Hearing aids have a reputation for taking a toll on your pocketbook, a reputation, however, is not always reflected by reality. Most hearing aid makers will partner with financing companies to make the device more affordable and also have hearing aids in a wide range of prices. If you’ve started exploring the bargain bin for hearing aids because you’ve already decided that really good effective models are out of reach, it could have serious health consequences.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Insurance may cover some or all of the expenses related to getting a hearing aid. Some states, in fact, have laws mandating insurance companies to cover hearing aids for children or adults. It never hurts to ask. If you’re a veteran, you might be eligible for hearing aids through government programs.
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. Depending on your sense of style, the frame comes in a few options, but the exact prescription differs significantly from person to person. Hearing aids, too, have distinct settings, which we can calibrate for you, tailored to your exact needs.
Purchasing a cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf won’t give you the same results (or any useful results at all in many cases). These are more like amplification devices that increase the sound of all frequencies, not only the ones you’re having difficulty hearing. Why is this so important? Usually, hearing loss will only affect some frequencies while you can hear others perfectly. If you boost all frequencies, the ones you have no trouble hearing will be too loud. You will most likely end up not using this cheap amplification device because it doesn’t solve 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 is that if you wish to hear sounds properly (sounds such as, you know, bells and whistles), you most likely need some of that technology. Hearing aids have specialized technologies calibrated specifically for those with hearing loss. Many modern designs have artificial intelligence that helps block out background noise or communicate with each other to help you hear better. In addition, thinking about 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 a reliable 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 an amplification device. If you get nothing else from this article, we hope it’s that. 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 cost. But that’s dishonest marketing.
Let’s take a closer look. An amplifier:
- Takes all sounds and makes them louder.
- Is typically cheaply made.
- Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about it.
On the other hand, a hearing aid:
- Will help protect your hearing health.
- Can be programed to recognize distinct sound profiles, such as the human voice, and amplify them.
- Can be programmed with different settings for different locations.
- Can achieve maximum comfort by being shaped to your ear.
- Is calibrated to amplify only the frequencies you have difficulty hearing.
- Is adjusted specifically to your hearing loss symptoms by a highly skilled hearing professional.
- Can reduce background noise.
- Has batteries that are long lasting.
Your hearing deserves better than cheap
Everybody has a budget, and that budget is going to restrict your hearing aid choices regardless of what price range you’re looking in.
That’s why we normally highlight the affordable part of this. The long-term advantages of hearing aids and hearing loss management are well recognized. That’s why you need to focus on an affordable solution. Just remember that your hearing deserves better than “cheap.”