5 Considerations Before You Buy Hearing Aids, Conclusion

In our last two blog posts, we talked about how an individual's lifestyle, physical limitations, and ability to hear in noise are major considerations in choosing the right hearing instruments. Two other considerations must be made before purchasing hearing aids:

• Type and Degree of Hearing Loss
• Budget

Hearing Loss

Choosing a hearing instrument that will properly address your particular type and degree of hearing loss is a primary consideration for an audiologist.

• For example, if an individual has a high frequency hearing loss with a normal low frequency response, a hearing aid that permits low frequencies to enter the ear normally while allowing only high frequencies to be amplified would be ideal. This is called selective amplification. However, if the individual with this type of hearing loss chooses a hearing aid that totally plugs the ear canal, the effect is often an artificial sound.
• If an individual has a moderate to severe hearing loss in the low frequencies, almost any model of hearing aid can be adapted to the hearing loss.
• As an individual's hearing changes, the hearing aid will need further adjustments. It is important to select a model of hearing aid your audiologist can adjust should your hearing change. If you select a model that is barely within the fitting range for that model and your hearing drops, you will have to buy a new hearing aid. We don't want that! It's imperative to pick a model of hearing aid with "head room"!

Budget

All manufacturers of hearing aids make three levels of technology: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Hearing aids are placed in a level based on the sophistication of the microphones and the number of channels. A Level 1 hearing aid has 4-8 channels and the microphones are usually fixed-directional. A Level 2 hearing aid has 8-12 channels and the microphones offer adaptive directionality. A Level 3 hearing aid has up to 48 channels with multi-channel adaptive directionality in the microphones. In general, the noisier your world, the better you will do with a higher level hearing aid.  

Before you purchase hearing aids, be sure to clarify what is included in the purchase price. At Appalachian Audiology, hearing aid prices include the hearing devices, accessories, and ear molds (should ear molds need to be made). The price also includes service and adjustments for the life of the hearing aid. We also include 10 packs of batteries (roughly one year's supply of batteries), a Dry Spot dehumidifier to store the hearing devices within, and a generous repair and service warranty. 

In general, the most sophisticated, technologically advanced hearing instrument in the world should not cost more than $2800-$3000 per instrument. 

If someone is charging more, be careful! 

For specific hearing instrument pricing, please click here.