Don't fear
what you can't hear, We can help to make it Clear!
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO HEARING LOSS
- Hearing Aids
- Cochlear Transplant
- Lip Reading
- Sign Language
Hearing aids are the most common solution for hearing loss. The hearing aids of yesterday were borderline obnoxious, and many found their home in a drawer. Whistling was a really annoying problem, but overall quality of sound was not good either. The early hearing aids amplified everything which was not a viable solution.
Today, there are so many hearing aid manufacturers. If I was going to buy a hearing aid, my main concern would be the quality of sound and the ability to program the hearing aid. I have listened to many hearing aids and they ARE NOT all the same, by any means. Some sound like you are listening to the radio station that doesn't come in very good. Some sound tinny-not having a "normal" sound quality.
The next important consideration would be SERVICE. It doesn't matter if I have the best hearing aid on the market, if the person I bought it from does not know how to make the hearing aid do what I need it to do, I have just wasted my money. Hearing aid dispensers are a dime a dozen due to the need for better hearing, particularly with the Baby Boomers. Computer competency and understanding the hearing aid program are crucial to success.
Another key consideration is that you get what you pay for-sometimes! There are companies that advertise low-cost hearing aids, and the primary reason to do this is to get the potential customer in the door. If this low-end hearing aid is purchased-BUYER BEWARE. I would venture a pretty strong opinion that this customer is not going to be satisfied with his/her purchase. One the reverse side, I have heard horror stories of how much someone paid another company for hearing aids. Just because a hearing aid cost a lot of money doesn't necessarily mean that it is truly the best of the best. Sometimes, hearing aid dealers are just greedy.
Making the decision of which hearing aid to buy is not easy, especially if the potential customer doesn't know what questions to ask. Here is a list of important questions to ask before buying a hearing aid:
- Is this hearing aid digital or analog? (analog is the old-style of circuit)
- If it is programmable, find out how many bands and channels it has-this will indicate the amount of fine tuning that can be done on the computer to enhance the quality of sound. Four banks is usually the minimum, and 12-16 would be the high end. The number of channels is also important in programming the hearing aid.
- What is the true performance of the hearing aid regarding anti-whistling?
- Does the hearing aid adapt to the environmental sounds?
- Does the hearing aid dealer charge to make programming adjustments?
- How long will the batteries last?
- If batteries are purchased are purchased from the dealer, what is the price?
- What kind of maintenance does the dealer provide?
- What kind of guarantee does the dealer provide-in case you are not satisfied with the hearing aid, and what kind of refund are you entitled to in case of return?
- What kind of warranty comes with the hearing aid?
- How long has the manufacturer been making these hearing aids?
