Getting The Most From Your Hearing Aids

If you’re not really rich, a car really isn’t an impulse purchase. Which means you will probably do a great deal of research first. You have a good look at things such as gas mileage, overall price, and customer reviews. Google is your best friend right now. This level of research makes sense! For most individuals 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 sure your investment is well spent.

You’ll be considering how your purchase best fits your lifestyle and also practical things such as safety, gas mileage, etc. Is there a particular style of vehicle you really like? Do you require a lot of room to carry supplies around? How fast do you want your car to be?

Put another way, to get the most from your new car, you need to assess your options and make some choices. And when you’re picking out new hearing aids, it’s essential to have this same mindset. They may not cost tens of thousands of dollars, but they are an investment. And getting the most from your investment means determining which devices work best, overall, as well as what provides the most for your lifestyle.

The advantages of hearing aids

The example of the benefits of buying hearing aids can be broadly compared with the example of purchasing a car. Hearing aids are pretty awesome!

The advantages of hearing aids, for most people, are more tangible than merely helping you hear. With a set of hearing aids, you can stay involved with the people in your life. You’ll have an easier time chatting with the clerk at the pharmacy, listening to a tale about dinosaurs at the dinner table with your grandchildren, and enjoying conversations with friends.

With all these benefits, it stands to reason that you’d start to ask, “How can I help my hearing aids last longer?” You don’t want those benefits to go away.

Do more costly hearing aids work better?

Some individuals might think that they can only get a quality hearing aid if they get the highest-priced device.

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

• Hearing aids are made to include very state-of-the-art technologies, and they have to make those technologies as small as possible. So the package you’re purchasing is extremely technologically potent.
• They’re made to be long-lasting. Especially if you take care of them.

But that doesn’t mean the most costly option will automatically work best. There are a lot of variables to think about (including the extent of your hearing loss and, well, your budget!) Do some hearing aids last longer than others? Certainly! 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 investment, they will call for routine care and maintenance. What’s more, your hearing aids will have to be calibrated to your ears and calibrated for your distinct level of hearing loss.

Get the proper hearing aids for your hearing loss

So, what are your options? You’ll be able to choose from several different styles and types. We can help you figure out which hearing aids will be best for your hearing requirements. Here are the choices you will have to choose from:

• Completely-in-the-Canal Hearing Aids (CIC): These kinds of hearing aids can provide high-quality sound and are usually very discrete (perfect for individuals who want to hide their hearing aids). The only trouble is that they tend to have a shorter longevity and battery life. And some of the most sophisticated features 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 discrete. Because they’re a bit larger than CIC models, they might include more high-tech functions. These devices are still pretty 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 include some sophisticated features, this style will be appropriate.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: These devices are also molded to your ears. No part of the hearing aid sits in your ear canal, it all sits in 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 option.
• Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids (BTE): In a way, BTE hearing aids are the best of both worlds. This style of hearing aid has one bit that sits in your ear (that’s the speaker) but transfers all of the bulky electronics to a casing that goes behind your ear. The little tube that connects the two parts is still fairly discrete. These hearing aids are popular because they offer many amplification solutions. When you want the best of both power and visibility, these devices will be the perfect option.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): With this model, the speaker part sits in the ear canal but they are otherwise a lot like BTE models. This makes them even less visible, with the additional advantage of decreasing things like wind noise.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Even when you’re using 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 everybody.

Pros and Cons of over-the-counter hearing aids

Over-the-counter hearing aids (or OTC hearing aids, to keep flooding you with acronyms) are yet another alternative to think about. OTC hearing aids work fine 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 advanced or complex. Prescription hearing aids can be fine-tuned to your specific hearing needs which is a feature generally not available with OTC hearing aids.

Regardless of what kind of hearing aid you decide to buy, it’s always a good plan to consult us about what might work best for your particular requirements.

Repair and maintenance

After you choose the best hearing aid for your hearing requirements, taking care of it is crucial. Just like your car requires oil changes now and again.

So how often will your hearing aids need to be assessed? Generally, you should schedule a regular maintenance and cleaning appointment for your hearing aids every six-to-twelve months. This gives you an opportunity to make sure that everything is working effectively and as it should!

You should also get familiar with your warranty. If and when you need repair, knowing what’s covered by that warranty and what’s not can save you some cash! A strong warranty and regular maintenance will help your hearing last as long as possible.

Is there a hearing aid that’s the best?

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

Which hearing aids match your hearing loss requirements will be the ones that are best for you. Just like with a vehicle, for some an SUV will be best, and for others, a minivan will best fit their lifestyles. It all just depends, and the same goes 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. Schedule a hearing exam with us today!

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