How to Get The Most From Your Hearing Aids

If you aren’t very wealthy, a car isn’t really an impulse buy. So a great deal of research is most likely the first step you take. You look at reviews, you assess prices, and you evaluate gas mileage. (You’re on Google a lot.) This amount of research makes sense! You’re about to spend tens of thousands of dollars on something and spend years paying for it (unless, again, you are very rich). So you want to make sure your investment is well spent.

Not only do you look at the objective factors (gas mileage, safety, etc), but you’ll also think about best fits for your lifestyle. What type of vehicle do you enjoy? Do you need a lot of space to carry things around? How much pep do you need to feel when you push down that accelerator?

So you need to have a close look at all of your possibilities and make some informed decisions so that you can get the most out of your investment. And that’s the same mindset you should take when choosing your hearing aids. They may not cost tens of thousands of dollars, but they are an investment. Figuring out which device will best fit your lifestyle and which device works best in general, is the best way to get the most from your investment.

The advantages of hearing aids

The example of the benefits of buying hearing aids can be broadly compared with the example of buying a car. Hearing aids are a great investment!

The benefits of hearing aids, for most people, are more tangible than merely helping you hear. Staying involved with your family and friends will be much easier with a good set of hearing aids. You’ll be able to more easily follow conversations during dinner, listen to your grandchildren tell you about cool dinosaurs, and converse with the checkout clerk at the grocery store.

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

Do more expensive hearing aids work better?

Some people might assume that they can only get a quality hearing aid if they get the most expensive device.

Hearing aids are certainly an investment. Here are a couple of reasons why some hearing aids might be expensive:

• The technology inside of a hearing aid is very tiny and very advanced. That means you’re paying for an extremely potent technological package.
• They’re designed to be long-lasting. Especially if you take care of them.

But the most expensive model won’t necessarily be your best fit or work the best. There are a lot of variables to think about (including the degree of your hearing loss and, well, how much you can spend!) Do some hearing aids last longer than others? Of Course! But that isn’t always dictated by how costly the device was in the first place.

As with any other investment, hearing aids will require regular maintenance in order to continue working effectively. What’s more, your hearing aids will have to be tuned to your ears and calibrated for your distinct level of hearing loss.

Make sure you get the right hearing aids for you

What choices do you have? You’ll be able to pick from numerous different types and styles. You can work with us to determine which ones are the right choice for you and your hearing goals. Here are the options you will have to pick from:

• Completely-in-the-Canal Hearing Aids (CIC): For people who want their hearing aids to be discrete and also deliver high-quality sound, these hearing aids will be the ideal choice. But with this type of hearing aid, battery life, and overall lifespan is often shorter. The small size also means you won’t get some of the most sophisticated functions.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are specifically molded to your ear canal, which makes them mostly hidden. They will often include more high-tech functions being a bit bigger than CIC models. These devices are still pretty small and some of the functions can be a bit tricky to manipulate by hand. If you want your hearing aid to be discrete but also contain some advanced features, this type will be ideal.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: These hearing aids are also molded to your ears. No part of the hearing aid sits inside your ear canal, it all sits in your outer ear. Two types are available (full shell, which fits the entirety of your ear, or half shell, which sits in the lower ear). If you have complex hearing issues or need more powerful noise control, the more advanced technology and larger microphones will make these hearing aids a great choice.
• Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids (BTE): In a sense, BTE hearing aids are the best of both worlds. This style of hearing aid has one part that sits in your ear (that’s the speaker) but transfers all of the bulky electronics to a housing that goes behind your ear. The pieces are connected by a small tube, but for the most part, it’s fairly non-visible. These hearing aids offer many amplification choices making them quite popular. When you want the best of both visibility and power, these devices will be the perfect solution.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): With this design, the speaker part sits in the ear canal but they are otherwise similar to BTE models. This makes them even less visible, with the additional advantage of decreasing things like wind noise.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Open-fit hearing aids will allow low-frequency sounds to enter the ear even while you’re using the device. If you have difficulty hearing higher frequencies but low-frequencies aren’t really an issue, these hearing aids will be a good fit for you. Though it works well for many people, it won’t be a good option for everybody.

What about over-the-counter hearing aids?

Another option to think about is OTC or over-the-counter hearing aids. The difficulty is that OTC hearing aids are sort of like OTC medications, they work okay in a basic sense. But if your hearing loss warrants a set of more powerful hearing aids or more specialized hearing aids, OTC devices may fall a bit short. Prescription hearing aids can be calibrated to your specific hearing needs which is a feature generally not provided by OTC hearing aids.

The best way to find out what type of hearing aid will be best for you, you should consult with us.

Repair and upkeep

After you choose the best hearing aid for your hearing needs, taking care of it is crucial. Just like your car requires oil changes once in a while.

So how often will your hearing aids need to be assessed? In general, you should schedule a regular upkeep and cleaning appointment for your hearing aids every six-to-twelve months. By doing this you can be sure everything is in good working order.

It’s also not a bad idea to be somewhat familiar with your device’s warranty. If and when you need repair, knowing what’s covered by that warranty and what isn’t can save you some cash! So now you’re wondering: how do I make my hearing aids last longer? The answer is usually simple: good maintenance and a strong warranty.

So… what’s the best hearing aid?

There’s no single best hearing aid. Every hearing specialist might have a different model that they feel is the best.

The secret is to choose the best hearing aid for you and for your needs. Just like with an automobile, for some an SUV will be the right choice, and for others, a minivan will best fit their lifestyles. The same goes for hearing aids, it all depends on your situation.

But you will have an easier time finding the hearing aid that’s best for you if you are well informed ahead of time. Schedule a hearing exam with us today!