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Hearing Professionals
Before Purchasing Hearing Aids
Hearing Professionals Inc.
. http://www.hearing-professionals.com/

Before Purchasing Hearing Aids

Hearing aids purchased for a discounted rate may actually be more costly over time and not provide you with the benefit you need.

Customers who visit an audiologist get the benefits of a professional's training, time and attention. Audiologists typically have access to a wide variety of hearing aid models and can help the user select the best one for his or her hearing loss, lifestyle and listening demands.

Discount plans oftentimes sound like the benefit you receive is equivalent to the level of technology that you need, but this is not always true. As with vision loss, no two individuals' hearing losses are the same one size fits all hearing aids won't work.

In addition, audiologists will know about special products for tinnitus (ringing in the ears), single-sided deafness, and how to make assistive listening devices work together to make talking on the phone or hearing the television easier for the wearer.

As hearing aids become more high-tech and complex, getting the right program fitting is often the difference between wearing the hearing aids and leaving them in a drawer. Hearing aids are essentially wearable, micro-sized computers so program adjustments require an audiologist to personalize the sound quality and the fit of the hearing aid.

Visiting an audiologist enables them to provide the greatest benefit and comfort for the wearer based on his or her needs, preferences or lifestyle.

Your audiologist will want to schedule routine visits for professional maintenance and adjustments of your hearing aids.

Be aware that many times when purchasing hearing aids online or a retail environment, the technology may not be up-to-date, it may be less sophisticated and it could be an amplifier (not a hearing aid).

An amplifier elevates all volume and doesn't distinguish between the conversation you want to hear and the background noise you would rather ignore.

Questions you should ask before investing

Who is your provider are you seeing an audiologist?

Are there any services included in the price of the hearing aid(s)?

Is there a repair warranty? If so, how long?

Is there loss and damage coverage? If so, what is the policy?

How long is the trial period?

What hearing aid manufacturers do they work with/dispense?

What is the difference in technology levels?

Are the hearing aid(s) compatible with assistive listening devices?

Do you have a hearing aid benefit through your insurance?

Those who try to get a bargain may be sacrificing quality resulting in ill-fitting devices they wear infrequently and have to replace regularly (not saving much money in the long run).

Hearing aids are an investment, be sure you know what you're getting before you purchase.

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