How to Get The Most From Your Hearing Aids

If you’re not very wealthy, a car isn’t really an impulse buy. Which means you will probably do a ton of research ahead of time. You check out reviews, you compare prices, and you consider gas mileage. (You’re on Google a lot.) This level of research makes sense! For most individuals who aren’t rich, it will take a long time to pay off the thousands of dollars you will spend. So you want to be certain it’s worth it!

Not only do you consider the concrete factors (gas mileage, safety, etc), but you’ll also think about best fits for your lifestyle. What style of vehicle do you like? Do you require a lot of space to carry supplies around? How much pep do you need to feel when you push down that gas pedal?

So you should have a close look at all of your options and make some informed decisions in order to get the most from your purchase. And that’s the same mindset you should have when selecting your hearing aids. They won’t cost tens of thousands of dollars, but they’re still an investment. And getting the most from your investment means figuring out which devices work best, in general, as well as what provides the most for your lifestyle.

The advantages of hearing aids

In just 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!

The benefits of hearing aids, for most people, are more tangible than simply helping you hear. With a pair of hearing aids, you can remain connected to the people in your life. You’ll be able to better follow conversations at the dinner table, listen to your grandchildren tell you about cool dinosaurs, and converse with the cashier at the supermarket.

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

Are higher quality hearing aids always more expensive?

There might be some people out there who would presume that the best way to make your hearing aid work better and last longer is to just buy the most expensive device they can.

Hearing aids are definitely an investment. There’s a reason why some devices are expensive in the first place:

• Hearing aids are designed to include very state-of-the-art technologies, and they have to make those technologies as tiny as possible. That means you’re paying for a very potent technological package.
• Hearing aids are also made to last for a long time. If you take good care of them this is particularly true.

But that doesn’t mean the most costly option will inevitably work best. How severe your hearing loss is and, of course, your budget are a couple of the factors to think about. Some hearing aids will undoubtedly 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 need regular maintenance in order to keep working effectively. 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 correct hearing aids for your hearing loss

What options do you have? When it comes to hearing aids, you’ll have several different styles and kinds to pick from. You can work with us to determine which ones are best for you and your hearing needs. 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 discrete and also provide high-quality sound, these hearing aids will be the ideal choice. But with this kind of hearing aid, battery life, and overall lifespan is often shorter. And some of the most modern functions are typically missing due to their smaller size.
• In-the-Canal Hearing Aids (ITC): These hearing aids are specifically molded to your ear canal, which makes them mostly hidden. They will typically include more high-tech features being a bit larger than CIC models. Some of these features can be a little tricky to adjust by hand (because the devices are still quite small). If you want your hearing aid to be discrete but also have some sophisticated features, this style will be ideal.
• In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: This type of hearing aid is molded to sit completely in your outer ear. Two styles are available (full shell, which fits your whole ear, or half shell, which fits in the lower ear). These hearing aids are more exposed but can include sophisticated and powerful microphones, making them a great 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 style of device has one bit that fits in your ear (that’s the speaker) but moves all of the bulky electronics to a casing that sits behind your ear. The two parts are connected by a small tube, but for the most part, it’s fairly non-visible. These hearing aids provide many amplification choices making them quite popular. These kinds are a good compromise between power and visibility.
• Receiving-in-the-Canal (or in the Ear) Hearing Aids (RIC or RITE): This is a lot like BTE hearing aids, except the speaker part sits in the ear canal. They have the advantage of minimizing wind noise and are generally less visible.
• Open-Fit Hearing Aids: Open-fit hearing aids tend to let low-frequency sounds enter the ear even while you’re using the device. If you have trouble hearing higher frequencies but low-frequencies aren’t really a problem, these hearing aids will be a great fit for you. Though it works well for many individuals, it won’t be a good option for everyone.

What about over-the-counter hearing aids?

Over-the-counter hearing aids (or OTC hearing aids, to keep flooding you with acronyms) are yet another option to think about. The trouble is that OTC hearing aids are kind of like OTC medications, they work fine in a general way. But it’s likely that OTC hearing aids won’t have the power you require 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.

No matter what type of hearing aid you choose to purchase, it’s always a good plan to talk to us about what might work best for your specific needs.

Repair and upkeep

Obviously, once you’ve taken all of the steps to select your perfect hearing aid type, you should take care of it. This is, once again, like a car which also needs maintenance.

So, now you’re thinking: how often should my hearing aids be checked? You should get your hearing aid cleaned and properly maintained every six months to a year. By doing this you can be certain everything is in good working condition.

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

Is there a hearing aid that’s the best?

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

The key is to choose the best hearing aid for you and for your personal requirements. Some families will go with a minivan, others for a sport utility vehicle. It all just depends, and the same is true for hearing aids.

But the more you understand beforehand and the better informed you are, the easier it will be to find the hearing aids that are perfect for you. Schedule a hearing assessment with us today!