Considerations When Purchasing Hearing Aids

You finally went to the hearing care professional and discovered what you'd expected all along. The family's been telling you for months - YOU NEED HEARING AIDS.

The decision to purchase hearing aids is not one to take lightly. These are sophisticated digital instruments and there are many factors to consider before choosing the model that will fit your needs, lifestyle and pocket book.

Beginning the hearing journey can often be overwhelming and consumers are often unsure where to begin in the process. Simply put, the process begins with you. The following are areas to consider before you make the big decision of purchasing hearing aids.

Your Hearing Loss

If you have not had your hearing tested yet, this is the first step that must be taken. A hearing test will first determine if you are a hearing aid candidate and will give you an idea on how much power you are going to require.

Understanding your hearing loss will also allow you to understand your needs. Ensure you leave your hearing care professional's office understanding the degree and severity of your hearing loss.

Hearing Aid Style

Hearing aids come in a variety of styles from completely-in-the-canal (CIC) devices to BTE (behind-the-ear) devices. There are pros and cons to each style - pros and cons to consider long before you write the check.

Size does matter when it comes to hearing loss and the typical rule of thumb is the larger the hearing loss, the larger the hearing aid. However with advancements in digital hearing aid technology, even the most powerful hearing aids on the market are discreet and compact.

Your Style

You can go totally discreet with a hearing aid that's invisible - a CIC unit - or you can go flashy with brightly colored cases designed to make a statement and show a little attitude.

There are units that match your outfit for the evening, hearing aids that show you still got a little pizzazz. How about a zebra-skin BTE or perhaps something in midnight magenta? Have the love for golf or gardening? There are even hearing aids designed just for you!

Discuss design and style with your hearing care professional. Ask about different colors, shapes and design.

Your Hearing Needs

Keep an ongoing list of situations and environments you find yourself having difficulty. The number of environmental factors affecting your listening abilities helps your hearing care professional determine how sophisticated of hearing aid you need.

Your Lifestyle

We're living longer. And that means we're doing stuff longer into what were once ironically called the Golden Years. Long-timers lead active on-the-go lifestyles - everything from a morning round at the club to RV-ing their way through the countryside.

If you're wearing a hearing aid and hiking 10 miles on weekends, you want a hearing aid that's industrial-strength - a hearing aid that's impervious to sweat, moisture (it rains), dust, debris and even ear wax. You want something reliable, even under stressed activity.

On the other hand, if the most strenuous thing you do all day is walk the dog, you don't need the heavy-duty model. Just don't walk the dog in the rain.

Discuss with your hearing care professionals all of the daily activities you engage in - they all will influence the features your hearing aids should have.

The Cost

Hearing aids are expensive - that is if you are purchasing legit ones. Quality costs money. You can skimp on other things but not on something that'll have such a significant impact on your quality of life.

When looking at the varying levels of cost keep in mind the brand, level of technology, number of features, style and where you live all affect the price. For the highest-end hearing aids, you can expect to pay between $3000-4000 per ear. Even entry-level hearing aids - just the basics - they cost roughly $1,000 per ear. For mid-level devices the cost can range anywhere in-between.

Averaged over the lifetime of the instruments (3 - 5 years or more), the cost per day of a pair of highly featured, advanced instruments is about $3 - less than a large latte at your favorite java joint. And hearing aids are proven to not only help you hear better, but to actually improve your and your family's quality of life. Something you just can't put a price on.

Discuss with your hearing care professional exactly what you need; they will help you select the right product in your price range.

Consider the Whole You

Before you buy any hearing aid, consider the impact this new addition will have on quality of life - your quality of life.

Consider the whole picture. What's important to you? Determine your needs, your wants and your wishes. Look at your budget to determine the most you can invest in your hearing. Then sit down with your hearing care professional to begin your journey to better hearing.