You have just been diagnosed with a hearing loss. Is a hearing instrument your answer? Yes, but our next step is to sit down and figure out what hearing instrument is best for you, based on your needs.
Most people with poor eyesight would not even consider trying to function without glasses or contacts, but many who can not hear well would simply allow themselves to live in an increasingly quiet world. Hearing often deteriorates at a slow pace so some people may not realize how serious their hearing problem is, while some people do not want to be seen wearing a hearing aid. The prospect of buying a hearing aid can be very intimidating and confusing. You need an audiologist who will work with you over several visits to find the right hearing aid, teach you how to use and maintain it and then is available to service it in the months and years to come. Hearing aids contain a few controls; when choosing a hearing aid, you need to make sure that those controls are straightforward and large enough to manipulate with ease. Changing batteries, which may be needed as often as once a week, should be a simple task.
All hearing aids come with a 30-day trial period (this is a law in some states). During that 30-day trial period you can test out the hearing aid to see if you like it. If you are not satisfied with your hearing instrument after that 30-day period you may return your instrument, but you are charged a fitting fee.
Let's talk a little about hearing instruments and what you need to know.
Do I need a hearing aid?
Yes. Hearing aids can help you view the world in a different light. Hearing aids are the same as someone putting on glasses for the first time that is having difficulty seeing. It makes them see the world a lot clearer. This is the same as someone who is having difficulty hearing and they put a hearing aid on for the first time, it makes them hear the world clearer. Hearing aids will help you hear other sounds (people, noises, etc.) sharper and clearer. Like glasses, hearing aids have an adjustment period until you get used to them.
What hearing aid is best?
There is no best hearing aid for a particular person. What is best depends on personal perception of sound, cosmetic preferences, physical comfort, ease of operation, and budget. Our Audiologist will recommend several options and allow a person to try them for 30 days (payment is refunded with a return, less fitting fee). No hearing instrument will restore hearing back to normal, but you will notice a significant improvement in your communcation abilities. Remember...realistic expectations of hearing are a prerequisite to success with a hearing instrument.
Why can I not buy hearing instruments direct from the factory?
State law limits the dispensing of hearing instruments to licensed dealers and audiologists. Beyond the legal restrictions, the process of matching hearing loss and listening needs to a specific instrument requires proper testing, evaluation, and face-to-face counseling by a qualified professional. An analogy would be trying to order medication for hypertension over the phone from a drug manufacturer without seeing a doctor. Only a trained professional can achieve the full benefit from technology.
Why are hearing aids so expensive?
Hearing Instruments are not expensive in comparison to other family expenditures. The average lifetime of a hearing instrument can be 5-8 years depending on care, maintenance, and the progression of hearing loss. The average cost of an In-The-Canal hearing instrument in 2007 was about $2500, depending on the sophistication of the electronics. Divided by the lower end of lifetime (5 years) this computes to $500 per year or $41.60 per month, less than the cost of cable television service.
One hearing aid or two?
For people with significant hearing loss in both ears, the standard advice is to wear two hearing aids. Most people with hearing loss in both ears need two hearing aids to capture sounds on both the right and left side. In addition, wearing two hearing aids allows for better speech discrimination in noise, better localization ability which is important for safety reasons, and a sense of balance.
Price Ranges
Hearing aids range in price from $1,000 to $3,100. This depends on the size and the technology of the hearing aid. Hearing aids come in different sizes, technology, and colors. The different sizes include:
- Conventional Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aids, which are often misconstrued as unattractive, are well hidden by your hair. There is a custom mold that goes in your ear with a tube that connects to the earhook on the hearing aid that sits behind your ear. They are recommended for people with severe hearing loss, people with excessive ear wax, drainage, poor dexterity, and the like. They can be ordered with a volume control and program button or fully automatic.
- Open Fit Behind-The-Ear hearing aids are the newest craze on the market. They are virtually invisible and can accommodate most hearing losses. They are digital hearing aids with sophisticated technology in a slim casing, which makes them more costly than the other styles. They are fully automatic so you simply put them in and let the hearing aids do the work.
- In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aids are designed to fit in the ear with no controls behind the ear. They can be ordered with a volume control and/or a program button or fully automatic. The controls are small and may be difficult for some people to see and handle.
- In-The-Canal (ITC) hearing aids, which are barely visible, may be ordered with a volume control or fully automatic.
- Completely-In-The-Canal hearing aids, are virually invisible, and are deep-seated in the ear canal. A pull-cord is used to remove it from your ear. Typically, the smaller the hearing aid the more expensive it costs.
Depending on the hearing loss configuration and degree, some sizes may not be beneficial for specific hearing losses.
The different technologies include:
- Conventional (traditional) Hearing Aids -- these hearing aids amplify all sounds, both loud and soft. This type of technology is being fazed out by most major manufacturers and replaced with digital technology.
- 100% Digitally Programmable Hearing Aids -- these hearing aids use the same technology that is used to program the microchips of computers and have different programs to amplify different frequencies to different degrees. Some of them have several programmable memories that make it possible to choose different settings depending on the environment. For example, you can switch programs when you move from a quiet car to a noisy restaurant. These hearing aids are 100% computerized and programmed to your specific hearing loss.
