How Do I Choose The Right Hearing Aid For Me?

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     Sound familiar? The moment you type in "hearing aids" into your search bar, the constant advertisements promising you everything short of selling you a brand new pair of ears will come popping up.

     With all of the marketing and advertisements out there, how do you know where to start or what to believe? In the last five or so years, advertising campaigns for hearing devices has skyrocketed. What makes things even harder than the common false claims marketed to everyone with a hearing loss, is that most of these devices look near identical. In hopes of facilitating an already difficult task, try following these guidelines in your search for better hearing!

     Firstly, you need to get yourself an appointment for a full Audiogram. Yes, the free online hearing screenings are intriguing, however, they are still merely a screening with too many variables that can portray an incorrect result. In many cases, your doctor, as well as the majority of hearing aid clinics, will actually provide you with a FREE hearing evaluation. Have your hearing care professional go through your results thoroughly and explain to you whether your hearing loss is Conductive or Sensorineural. If your loss is conductive, than you should consult your ENT for further evaluation. If your loss is sensorineural, than the only help out there for your hearing would be to pursue hearing aids.

     Once you have learned about your hearing loss and have made the decision to seek out hearing aids, it is never a bad idea to look into the major hearing aid brands out there. Common and reputable names are Signia Siemens, Phonak, Starkey, Oticon, and a variety of others that can get thrown into the mix. Reading reviews, pros/cons, and benefits of the variety of brands is definitely helpful before an in person appointment.

     In choosing a clinic to go to, I would prioritize a few different aspects of care. Firstly, does that particular hearing aid dispenser work with multiple manufactures. If they do, that allows you to feel more comfortable in knowing that your provider will be selecting the correct hearing aid for you based on what is appropriate as opposed to which manufacturer they have a contract with. Attributes of manufacturers that would make a provider select one over another may have to do with the hearing aid size, power, rechargeability, iPhone/Android connectivity, or any other factor that would ensure a higher probability of success with their patient.

     After selecting the specific make and model of a hearing aid comes an extremely important aspect of the process. The Care. You want to glance at the clinic's google or yelp reviews as well as ask them what their servicing policy is. You can purchase the most advanced hearing aid in the world, however, without the right care, your chance at success dwindles significantly. Find a provider who has patience, experience, is easily accessible for appointments, and includes lifetime visits with the purchase of your hearing aids. Those visits will be extremely helpful for future repairs, adjustments, questions, and annual Audiograms to check for any changes in your hearing. In addition, your hearing aids should come with a warranty from the manufacturer in the event of loss or damage to the devices. Unfortunately when it comes to hearing aids, what can go wrong often does. The odds that your hearing aids will need some form of repair or adjustment is almost 100% certain. The care you select should have a major impact on your decision as to where you choose to purchase hearing aids.

To summarize the important tips here:

-Get a full Audiogram and hearing evaluation

-Do your research on different makes and brands

-Find a provider with great reviews and service that works with multiple manufacturers of hearing aids

-And lastly, DO NOT believe every advertisement that comes your way!

Good luck on your road to better hearing!