It just feels great to find a bargain, right? It can be thrilling when you’ve received a great deal on something, and the larger discount, the more satisfied you are. So letting your coupon make your shopping choices for you, always chasing after the least expensive products, is all too easy. When it comes to investing in a pair of hearing aids, chasing a bargain can be a huge mistake.
Health consequences can result from choosing the cheapest option if you need hearing aids to treat hearing loss. After all, the whole point of using hearing aids is to be able to hear well and to prevent health problems related to hearing loss such as mental decline, depression, and an increased risk of falls. The trick is to choose the hearing aid that best fits your lifestyle, your hearing requirements, and your budget.
Tips for finding affordable hearing aids
Affordable is not equivalent cheap. Keep an eye on affordability as well as functionality. That will help you find the most ideal hearing aid possible for your individual budget. These tips will help.
Tip #1: Do your homework: Affordable hearing aids exist
Hearing aid’s reputation for being incredibly pricey is not necessarily reflected in the reality of the situation. Most manufacturers produce hearing aids in a number of price points and work with financing companies to make their devices more affordable. If you’ve already decided that the most reliable hearing aids are too expensive, you’re probably more likely to search the bargain bin than seek out affordable and reliable options, and that can have a lasting, negative impact on your hearing and overall health.
Tip #2: Ask what’s covered
Insurance might cover some or all of the costs associated with getting a hearing aid. As a matter of 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
In some aspects, your hearing aids are a lot like prescription glasses. The frame is pretty universal (depending on your sense of fashion, of course), but the prescription is adjusted for your distinct needs. Hearing aids, too, have distinct settings, which we can tune for you, tailored to your precise needs.
You won’t get the same results by grabbing some cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf (or, in many instances, results that are even slightly helpful). These are more like amplifiers that increase the volume of all frequencies, not just the ones you’re having trouble hearing. What’s the importance of this? Hearing loss is often uneven, you can hear some frequencies and sounds, but not others. If you raise all frequencies, the ones you have no problem hearing will be too loud. In other words, it doesn’t really solve the problem and you’ll wind 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 great 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 specialized technology in hearing aids can be tuned in to the user’s level of hearing loss. Many modern models 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 select a model that fits your lifestyle.
That technology is crucial to compensate for your hearing loss in a healthy way. A little speaker that turns the volume up on everything is far from the sophistication of a modern hearing aid. Which brings us to our last tip.
Tip #5: A hearing amplification device is not 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 very hard to make you think 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:
- Turns up the volume on all sounds.
- Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about it.
- Is typically made cheaply.
A hearing aid, on the other hand:
- Will help safeguard your hearing health.
- Can pick out and amplify specific sound types (like the human voice).
- Is set up specifically to your hearing loss symptoms by a highly qualified hearing professional.
- Increases the frequencies that you have a hard time hearing and leaves the frequencies you can hear alone.
- Can be programmed with various settings for different locations.
- Has batteries that are long lasting.
- Can create maximum comfort by being molded to your ear.
- Can regulate background noise.
Your hearing deserves better than cheap
Everyone has a budget, and that budget is going to restrict your hearing aid options regardless of what price range you’re looking in.
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. This is why an affordable solution is where your attention should be. Just remember that your hearing deserves better than “cheap.”