If you aren’t really rich, a car really isn’t an impulse purchase. So a lot of research is most likely the first step you take. You have a good look at things such as gas mileage, overall price, and customer reviews. Google is your best friend right now. 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. Is there a specific style of vehicle you really like? How much room do you need for weekly groceries? How fast do you want your car to be?

Put another way, to get the most from your new car, you need to evaluate your options and make some choices. And that’s the same attitude you should take when choosing your hearing aids. They won’t cost tens of thousands of dollars, but they’re still an investment. Determining which device will fit your lifestyle best and which device works best in general, is the best way to get the most out of your investment.

The benefits of hearing aids

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

Yes, they help your hearing, but for most people, the benefits are more tangible than that. Staying involved with your friends and family will be a lot easier with a good pair 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 enjoying conversations with friends.

With all these benefits, it seems sensible that you’d start to ask, “How can I help my hearing aids last longer?” You want to keep those benefits coming!

Do more expensive hearing aids work better?

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

And, to be sure, hearing aids are an investment. There’s a reason why some devices are expensive in the first place:

• The technology inside of a hearing aid is really small and very state-of-the-art. So the package you’re purchasing is very technologically potent.
• Hearing aids are also designed to last for quite a while. Especially if you take care of them.

But the most costly model won’t automatically be your best fit or work the best. There are lots of variables to consider (including the degree of your hearing loss and, well, your budget!) Some hearing aids will certainly last longer than others. But that isn’t always determined by how costly the device was in the first place.

In order to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, as with any other purchase, they will call for regular care and maintenance. What’s more, your hearing aids will need to be tuned to your ears and calibrated for your distinct level of hearing loss.

Get the proper hearing aids for your hearing loss

So, what are your options? When it comes to hearing aids, you’ll have several different styles and kinds to select from. You can work with us to determine which ones are ideal for you and your hearing goals. But generally, here’s what you’ll have to select from:

• Completely-in-the-Canal Hearing Aids (CIC): For individuals who want their hearing aids to be hidden and also provide high-quality sound, these hearing aids will be the best choice. The only trouble is that they tend to have a shorter lifespan and battery life. The small size also means you don’t get some of the most sophisticated functions.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are specifically molded to fit your ear canal, which makes them mostly hidden. They will typically contain more high-tech functions being a little bigger than CIC models. These devices are still rather small and some of the features can be a bit hard to manipulate by hand. If you want your hearing aid to be discrete but also have some sophisticated functions, this type will be appropriate.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: These devices are also molded to your ears. No part of the device sits inside your ear canal, it all fits in your outer ear. Two styles are available (full shell, which fits your whole ear, or half shell, which sits in the lower ear). These devices are more visible but can include advanced and powerful microphones, making them an excellent choice for noise control or complex hearing conditions.
• Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids (BTE): In a sense, BTE hearing aids are the best of both worlds. This type of device has one part that fits in your ear (that’s the speaker) but moves all of the bulky electronics to a housing that sits behind your ear. The two parts are connected by a little tube, but for the most part, it’s pretty non-visible. These hearing aids are popular because they offer many amplification solutions. These types are a good compromise between visibility and power.
• 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 fits in the ear canal. They have the benefit of decreasing wind noise and are usually less visible.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Even when you’re using the device, low-frequency sounds can still get into the ear. This makes them a good fit for people who can hear those low-frequencies fairly well (but have trouble with high-frequency sounds). Though it works well for many people, it won’t be a good option for everyone.

Pros and Cons of over-the-counter hearing aids

Over-the-counter hearing aids (or OTC hearing aids, to keep inundating you with acronyms) are yet another alternative to think about. OTC hearing aids work okay in general, much like OTC medications. But it’s likely that OTC hearing aids won’t have the power you need if your hearing loss is more pronounced or complex. In general, OTC hearing aids can’t be specially calibrated to your hearing like prescription hearing aids can.

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

Repair and maintenance

Obviously, once you’ve gone to all the trouble to select your perfect hearing aid type, you need to take care of it. Just like your car requires oil changes now and again.

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

You should also become familiar with your warranty. If and when you require repair, knowing what’s covered by that warranty and what isn’t can save you some cash! A strong warranty and regular upkeep will help your hearing last as long as possible.

So… what is the best hearing aid?

There isn’t a single greatest all-time hearing aid. Every hearing specialist might have a different model that they feel is the best.

The secret is to find the best hearing aid for you and for your needs. 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 all depends on your situation.

But the more you know beforehand and the better informed you are, the easier it will be to get the hearing aids that are perfect for you. Give us a call to schedule a consultation today!

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References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/in-depth/hearing-aids/art-20044116