Getting The Most From Your Hearing Aids

If you aren’t really rich, a car isn’t really an impulse purchase. So a great deal of research is most likely the first step you take. You check out reviews, you compare prices, and you evaluate gas mileage. (You’re on Google a lot.) This amount of research makes sense! 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 certain your investment is well spent.

You’ll be thinking about how your purchase best fits your lifestyle and also practical things like safety, gas mileage, etc. What type of vehicle do you want? How much room do you require for weekly groceries? How fast do you want your car to be?

In other words, to get the most out of your new car, you need to evaluate your options and make some decisions. And that’s the same attitude you should have when choosing your hearing aids. They’re still an investment although they cost much less than a new car. Identifying which device will fit your lifestyle best and which device works best in general, is the best way to get the most from your investment.

The benefits of hearing aids

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

Yes, they help your hearing, but for most individuals, the benefits are more tangible than that. Staying connected with your friends and family will be a lot easier with a good set of hearing aids. You’ll be able to better follow conversations at the dinner table, listen to your grandkids tell you about fascinating dinosaurs, and converse with the checkout clerk at the grocery store.

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 expensive hearing aids work better?

There may be some people out there who would assume that the best way to make your hearing aid work better and last longer is to simply purchase the most expensive device possible.

And, to be certain, hearing aids are an investment. Here are a couple of reasons why some hearing aids tend to be costly:

• Hearing aids are designed to include very sophisticated technologies, and they have to make those technologies as small as possible. So the package you’re purchasing is very technologically potent.
• Hearing aids are also made to last for quite a while. If you take good care of them this is particularly relevant.

But the most costly model won’t necessarily be your best fit or work the best. There are a lot of variables to consider (including the extent of your hearing loss and, well, how much you can spend!) Some hearing aids will undoubtedly last longer than others. But that isn’t always determined by how expensive 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 need regular care and maintenance. Also, your hearing loss is distinct to you and your hearing aids will need to be tuned to your specific requirements.

Make certain you get the best hearing aids for you

What choices do you have? When it comes to hearing aids, you’ll have numerous different styles and types to pick from. We can help you determine 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 deliver high-quality sound and are generally very discrete (perfect for individuals who want to hide their hearing aids). But with this kind of hearing aid, battery life, and overall lifespan tends to be shorter. The small size also means you don’t get some of the most modern functions.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are custom molded to fit your ear canal, which makes them mostly hidden. They will typically contain more high-tech functions being a little larger than CIC models. These devices are still fairly small and some of the features can be a little tricky to manipulate by hand. If you want your hearing aid to be discrete but also contain some sophisticated functions, this type will be ideal.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: This type of hearing aid is molded to sit entirely inside your outer ear. Two types are available (full shell, which fits your whole ear, or half shell, which sits in the lower ear). If you have complex hearing problems or need more powerful noise control, the more advanced technology and larger microphones will make these hearing aids the perfect choice.
• Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids (BTE): The speaker of this device fits in your ear and the more bulky electronic part goes behind your ear making them the best of both worlds in a way. The pieces are connected by a small tube, but in general, it’s pretty non-visible. These hearing aids offer many amplification solutions making them quite popular. When you want the best of both power and visibility, these devices will be the best solution.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): This is a lot like BTE hearing aids, except the speaker bit fits in the ear canal. This makes them even less visible, with the additional benefit of decreasing things like wind noise.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Open-fit hearing aids will let low-frequency sounds enter the ear even while you’re using the device. If you have problems hearing higher frequencies but low-frequencies aren’t really an issue, these hearing aids will be a good fit for you. Though it works well for many people, it won’t be a good option for everyone.

How about over-the-counter hearing aids?

Over-the-counter hearing aids (or OTC hearing aids, to keep flooding you with acronyms) are yet another option to think about. The difficulty is that OTC hearing aids are sort of like OTC medications, they work fine in a general sense. 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 specifically programmed to your hearing in the same way that prescription hearing aids can.

Regardless of what type of hearing aid you decide to invest in, it’s always a smart plan to consult us about what will work best for your specific needs.

Maintenance and repair

Obviously, once you’ve gone to all the trouble to pick out your perfect hearing aid type, you should take care of it. This is, once again, like a car which also needs maintenance.

So, now you’re thinking: how frequently should my hearing aids be checked? You should get your hearing aid cleaned and maintained every six months to a year. This gives you a chance to make sure that everything is working effectively and as it should!

It’s also not a bad 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 upkeep and a great warranty.

So… what’s the best hearing aid?

There’s no single best hearing aid. Every hearing specialist might have a different model that they feel is the best.

Which hearing aids match your hearing loss needs will be the ones that are best for you. Just like with a vehicle, for some an SUV will be the right choice, and for others, a minivan will best fit their lifestyles. The same goes for hearing aids, it all depends on your specific situation.

But you will have an easier time finding the hearing aid that’s right for you if you are well informed beforehand. Schedule a hearing assessment with us today!