How to Get The Most From Your Hearing Aids

A car isn’t really an impulse purchase (unless you’re very, very rich). Which means you will probably do a great deal of research ahead of time. You have a good look at things like gas mileage, overall price, and customer reviews. (You’re on Google a lot.) This amount of research is logical! For most individuals who aren’t rich, it will take a while to pay off the thousands of dollars you’re about to spend. So you want to make sure your investment is well spent.

Not only do you look at the concrete factors (gas mileage, safety, etc), but you’ll also think about best fits for your lifestyle. What type of vehicle do you like? Do you require a lot of room to carry things around? How fast do you want your car to be?

So you should take a close look at all of your possibilities and make some informed decisions in order to get the most from your investment. And when you’re picking out new hearing aids, it’s important to have this same attitude. They’re still an investment even though they cost much less than a new car. Determining which device will best fit your lifestyle and which device works best in general, is the best way to get the most from your investment.

The advantages of hearing aids

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

Yes, they help you hear, but for most people, the advantages are more tangible than that. Staying involved with your family and friends will be much easier with a good pair of hearing aids. You’ll be able to more easily follow conversations during dinner, listen to your grandchildren tell you about fascinating dinosaurs, and converse with the cashier at the supermarket.

With all these benefits, it seems sensible that you’d start to ask, “How can I make my hearing aids last longer?” You want to keep those benefits going!

Are higher quality hearing aids always more costly?

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

Hearing aids are definitely an investment. Here are a couple of reasons why some hearing aids tend to be expensive:

• The technology inside of a hearing aid is really tiny and very sophisticated. So the package you’re purchasing is extremely technologically potent.
• Hearing aids are also designed to last for quite a while. If you take good care of them this is especially relevant.

But that doesn’t mean the most expensive option will automatically work best. There are a lot of factors to consider (including the degree of your hearing loss and, well, how much you can spend!) Some hearing aids will certainly last longer than others. But the cost of the device isn’t always the deciding factor.

As with any other investment, hearing aids will require regular maintenance in order to continue working properly. What’s more, your hearing aids will need to be tuned to your ears and adjusted for your specific level of hearing loss.

Make certain you get the right hearing aids for you

What choices do you have? You’ll be able to choose from numerous different styles and types. You can work with us to figure out which ones are ideal for you and your hearing goals. Here are the options you will have to pick from:

• Completely-in-the-Canal Hearing Aids (CIC): These types of hearing aids can provide high-quality sound and are generally quite discrete (perfect for people who want to hide their hearing aids). The only difficulty is that they tend to have a shorter lifespan and battery life. And some of the most state-of-the-art functions are typically missing due to their smaller size.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are specifically molded to your ear canal, which makes them mostly hidden. They will often contain more high-tech functions being a bit bigger than CIC models. These devices are still fairly small and some of the functions can be a little difficult to manipulate by hand. If you want your hearing aid to be discrete but also include some sophisticated features, this style will be ideal.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: This type of hearing aid is molded to sit completely in your outer ear. A “half shell” version sits in your lower ear and a “full shell” version fits completely in your ear. These hearing aids are more exposed but can contain advanced 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 device has one part that fits in your ear (that’s the speaker) but moves all of the bulky electronics to a housing that goes behind your ear. The little tube that connects the two elements is still rather discrete. These hearing aids provide many amplification choices making them quite popular. When you want the best of both power and visibility, these devices will be the best option.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): This is much like BTE hearing aids, except the speaker part sits in the ear canal. This makes them even less visible, with the additional benefit of reducing things like wind noise.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Open-fit hearing aids will let low-frequency sounds enter the ear even while you’re hearing the device. This makes them a good fit for individuals who can hear those low-frequencies fairly well (but have problems with high-frequency sounds). It isn’t a good choice for all types of hearing loss, but it does work well for many individuals.

How about over-the-counter hearing aids?

Another possibility to think about is OTC or over-the-counter hearing aids. OTC hearing aids work okay in general, much like OTC medications. But it’s likely that OTC hearing aids won’t have the power you need if your hearing loss is more pronounced or complex. Generally, OTC hearing aids can’t be specially programmed to your hearing like prescription hearing aids can.

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

Maintenance and repair

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

So, now you’re thinking: how frequently should my hearing aids be assessed? Generally, you should schedule a regular maintenance and cleaning appointment for your hearing aids every six-to-twelve months. By doing this you can be certain everything is in good working condition.

It’s also not a bad idea to be fairly familiar with your device’s warranty. You will save some cash when you are aware of what is and isn’t covered. So now you’re wondering: how can I make my hearing aids last longer? The answer is sometimes simple: good maintenance and a great warranty.

So… what’s the best hearing aid?

There is no single best all-time hearing aid. Every hearing specialist may have a different model that they think is the best.

Which hearing aids match your hearing loss needs will be the ones that are best for you. Some individuals will go with a minivan, others for an SUV. It all just depends, and the same is true for hearing aids.

But you will have an easier time finding the hearing aid that’s right for you if you are well informed ahead of time. Call us to schedule a consultation today!