Getting The Most Out of Your Hearing Aids

If you aren’t very wealthy, a car really isn’t an impulse purchase. So a lot of research is probably the first thing you do. You look at reviews, you compare prices, and you consider gas mileage. (You’re on Google a lot.) This amount of research makes sense! You’re about to drop tens of thousands of dollars on something and spend years paying for it (unless, again, you are very rich). So you want to be certain it’s worth it!

You’ll be thinking about how your purchase best fits your lifestyle and also practical things such as safety, gas mileage, etc. What type of vehicle do you like? How much room do you need for weekly groceries? How much power do you want to feel when you push down that accelerator?

In other words, to get the most out of your new car, you have to examine your options and make some decisions. And that’s the same attitude you should have when choosing your hearing aids. They won’t cost tens of thousands of dollars, but they’re still an investment. And getting the most out of your investment means figuring out which devices work best, in general, as well as what provides the most for your lifestyle.

Hearing aid benefits

In exactly the same way that you can talk about the benefits of a car in very general terms, you can also talk about the benefits of hearing aids in a similarly general way. Hearing aids are pretty awesome!

Yes, they help you hear, but for most individuals, the benefits are more tangible than that. Staying involved with your friends and family will be much easier with a good set of hearing aids. You’ll have an easier time chatting with the clerk at the pharmacy, listening to a story about dinosaurs over dinner with your grandkids, and engaging in conversations with friends.

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

Are higher quality hearing aids always more costly?

There may be some people out there who would presume that the most effective way to make your hearing aid work better and last longer is to just buy the most high priced device possible.

And, to be certain, hearing aids can be an investment. Here are a couple of reasons why some hearing aids might be expensive:

• Hearing aids are made to include very advanced technologies, and they have to make those technologies as small as possible. That means you’re paying for a very potent technological package.
• They’re designed to be long-lasting. If you take good care of them this is especially true.

But the most costly model won’t necessarily be your best fit or work the best. How severe your hearing loss is and, obviously, what you can afford are a couple of the factors to think about. Some hearing aids will definitely last longer than others. 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 need to be calibrated to your ears and calibrated for your specific level of hearing loss.

Make certain you get the correct hearing aids for you

What choices do you have? You’ll be able to choose from numerous different styles and types. We can help you figure out which hearing aids will be best for your hearing requirements. Here are the options you will have to choose from:

• Completely-in-the-Canal Hearing Aids (CIC): These types of hearing aids can provide high-quality sound and are usually quite discrete (great for individuals who want to hide their hearing aids). The only difficulty is that they tend to have a shorter longevity and battery life. The small size also means you won’t get some of the most modern functions.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are specifically molded to fit your ear canal, which makes them mostly discrete. They will typically contain more high-tech functions being slightly bigger than CIC models. These devices are still rather small and some of the functions can be a little hard to manipulate by hand. Still, ITC models are ideal for people who require more features but still want to remain discreet.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: This type of hearing aid is molded to fit completely inside your outer ear. A “half shell” version fits in your lower ear and a “full shell” version fits completely in your ear. If you have complex hearing problems 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 way, BTE hearing aids are the best of both worlds. This type of device has one bit 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 little tube, but in general, it’s pretty non-visible. These hearing aids provide many amplification solutions making them quite popular. When you want the best of both power and visibility, these devices will be the best option.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): This is a lot like BTE hearing aids, except the speaker bit sits in the ear canal. This makes them even less visible, with the added advantage of decreasing things like wind noise.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Even when you’re using the device, low-frequency sounds can still get into the ear. If you have problems hearing higher frequencies but low-frequencies are not really a problem, these hearing aids will be a good fit for you. It’s not a good option for all types of hearing loss, but it does work well for many people.

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 fine in a basic sense. But it’s likely that OTC hearing aids won’t have the power you require if your hearing loss is more advanced or complex. In general, OTC hearing aids can’t be specifically calibrated to your hearing in the same way that prescription hearing aids can.

The best way to determine what kind of hearing aid will be best for you, you should talk with us.

Repair and upkeep

After you choose the best hearing aid for your hearing requirements, taking care of it is crucial. This is, again, like a car which also needs upkeep.

So, now you’re thinking: how frequently should my hearing aids be checked? You should get your hearing aid cleaned and properly maintained every six months to a year. This gives you an opportunity to be sure that everything is working properly and as it should!

It’s also a good idea to be fairly 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 great warranty.

So… what is the best hearing aid?

There isn’t a single best all-time hearing aid. If you go to twelve different hearing specialists and ask for the “best” hearing aid, they may provide you with a dozen different models.

Which hearing aids match your hearing loss requirements will be the ones that are best for you. Just like with an automobile, for some an SUV will be best, and for others, a minivan will best fit their lifestyles. The same goes for hearing aids, it just depends on your specific situation.

But the more you understand ahead of time and the better informed you are, the easier it will be to get the hearing aids that are perfect for you. Schedule a hearing test with us today!

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