Getting The Most From Your Hearing Aids

A car isn’t really an impulse buy (unless you’re very, very rich). Which means you will probably do a lot of research first. You have a good look at things such as gas mileage, overall price, and customer reviews. Google is your best friend these days. This level of research is logical! For most people who aren’t rich, it will take a long time to pay off the thousands of dollars you will spend. So you want to make certain your investment is well spent.

You’ll be thinking about how your purchase best fits your lifestyle and also practical things such as safety, gas mileage, etc. What style of vehicle do you enjoy? How much room do you require for weekly supplies? How much pep do you want to feel when you push down that gas pedal?

Put another way, to get the most out of your new car, you need to evaluate your options and make some decisions. And that’s the same mindset you should have when choosing your hearing aids. They may not cost tens of thousands of dollars, but they’re still an investment. And getting the most from your investment means determining which devices work best, in general, as well as what provides the most for your lifestyle.

Hearing aid advantages

In exactly the same way that you can talk about the benefits of a car in a very general way, you can also talk about the benefits of hearing aids in a similarly general way. Hearing aids are a great investment!

The benefits of hearing aids, for most individuals, are more tangible than just helping you hear. With a pair of hearing aids, you can remain involved with the people in your life. You’ll be able to better follow conversations during dinner, listen to your grandchildren tell you about fascinating dinosaurs, and chit-chat with the checkout clerk at the supermarket.

It’s only natural that you would want to make your hearing aids last as long as you can given all of the benefits. You don’t want those benefits to stop.

Do more costly hearing aids work better?

Some individuals may assume that they can only get a quality hearing aid if they get the most expensive device.

And, to be sure, hearing aids are an investment. There’s a reason why some hearing aids are costly in the first place:

• The technology inside of a hearing aid is really small and very state-of-the-art. So the package you’re paying for is extremely technologically potent.
• Hearing aids are also made to last for quite a while. Particularly if you take care of them.

But the most expensive model won’t necessarily be your best fit or work the best. There are lots of factors to think about (including the extent of your hearing loss and, well, your budget!) Some hearing aids will certainly last longer than others. But that isn’t always determined by how costly the device was in the first place.

In order to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, as with any other purchase, they will call for regular care and maintenance. Also, your hearing loss is unique to you and your hearing aids will need to be calibrated to your right needs.

Get the correct hearing aids for your hearing loss

What options do you have? When it comes to hearing aids, you’ll have numerous different styles and kinds to select from. We can help you figure out which hearing aids will be ideal for your hearing needs. Here are the options you will have to pick from:

• Completely-in-the-Canal Hearing Aids (CIC): These kinds of hearing aids can provide high-quality sound and are typically very discrete (perfect for people who want to hide their hearing aids). But with this kind of hearing aid, battery life, and overall longevity is often shorter. The small size also means you won’t get some of the most modern features.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are mostly discrete because they are molded to your ear canal. Because they’re a bit larger than CIC models, they may include more high-tech functions. These devices are still rather small and some of the functions can be a little tricky to manipulate by hand. Still, ITC models are ideal for people who need more features but still want to be discreet.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: This style of hearing aid is molded to fit completely in your outer ear. A “half shell” version fits in your lower ear and a “full shell” version fits totally inside your ear. These devices are more visible but can include sophisticated and powerful microphones, making them an excellent choice for noise control or complex hearing problems.
• Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids (BTE): In a sense, BTE hearing aids are the best of both worlds. This style of hearing aid has one bit that fits in your ear (that’s the speaker) but moves all of the bulky electronics to a casing that goes behind your ear. The little tube that connects the two parts is still rather discrete. These hearing aids offer many amplification options making them quite popular. When you want the best of both visibility and power, these devices will be the perfect choice.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): This is much like BTE hearing aids, except the speaker bit fits in the ear canal. They have the benefit of reducing wind noise and are usually less visible.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Even when you’re wearing the device, low-frequency sounds can still get into the ear. This makes them a good fit for people who can hear those low-frequencies pretty well (but have difficulty with high-frequency sounds). Though it works well for many individuals, it won’t be a good option for everyone.

Pros and Cons of over-the-counter hearing aids

Another option to think about is OTC or over-the-counter hearing aids. The difficulty is that OTC hearing aids are kind of like OTC medications, they work okay in a general sense. But it’s likely that OTC hearing aids won’t have the power you require if your hearing loss is more advanced or complex. Prescription hearing aids can be calibrated to your specific hearing needs which is a feature generally not available with OTC hearing aids.

The best way to determine what kind of hearing aid will be best for you, you should consult with us.

Repair and upkeep

After you decide on the ideal hearing aid for your hearing needs, taking care of it is crucial. Just like your car needs oil changes now and then.

So how frequently will your hearing aids need to be checked? You should get your hearing aid cleaned and maintained every six months to a year. This gives you a chance to be sure that everything is working effectively and as it should!

It’s also a good idea to be fairly familiar with your device’s warranty. If and when you require repair, knowing what’s covered by that warranty and what isn’t can save you some money! So now you’re wondering: how can I make my hearing aids last longer? The answer is usually simple: good maintenance and a strong warranty.

So… what is the best hearing aid?

There is no single greatest all-time hearing aid. If you go to twelve different hearing specialists and request the “best” hearing aid, they may provide you with twelve different models.

The secret is to find the best hearing aid for you and for your needs. Some families will go for a minivan, others for a sport utility vehicle. It all just depends, and the same is true for hearing aids.

But the more you understand ahead of time and the better informed you are, the easier it will be to find the hearing aids that are ideal for you. Call us to schedule a consultation today!