How to Buy Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are a great solution for individuals experiencing hearing loss. It’s one of the easiest and stress-free ways to restore your hearing so that you can continue living your life normally. Choosing hearing aids is an important decision that is vital to improving your listening experience. Your audiologist can help you with most of the difficult decisions, and they will help you decide what type of hearing aid is best for your lifestyle, hearing loss and budget needs. In most cases, you can simply explain to your audiologist how you live your life and what kind of features you’d want. They’ll be able to pair you with a suitable hearing aid based on your requirements. To prepare you for selecting your hearing aids, consider the following common questions, and how they can help you make the best decision for your specific needs.

Where do you buy hearing aids?

While hearing aids can be bought online and without assistance from an audiologist, this isn’t advised for a number of different reasons, but mainly, to ensure you get a tailored fit and device. For example, you need to know your current level of hearing loss so that the hearing aid can be fine-tuned to your hearing loss needs, and you need to learn about the different styles of hearing aids that your audiologist can show you. It’s important to book an appointment with your audiologist and purchase your hearing aids through them instead of buying them yourself. This will also give you access to services like cleaning, maintenance and repairs should you need help with your hearing aids.

Is a hearing examination important?

Yes. Before buying any hearing aid, you will need to visit an audiologist for a hearing examination. This usually lasts around an hour and will help your audiologist determine your level of hearing loss. Once they have examined your hearing, they’ll be able to suggest hearing aids for your needs. In some cases, they might discover that your hearing loss is being caused by a treatable condition. For example, you might be experiencing temporary hearing loss due to impacted earwax or an ear infection.

What hearing aid styles are there?

There are a variety of different hearing aid styles designed to suit everyone’s lifestyles and needs. For example, if you’d like longer battery life and more amplification, then a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid can provide you with a better experience. However, if you prefer something discreet and that is barely visible, then an in-the-canal (ITC) or an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid may be a better choice. Smaller hearing aids do come with a caveat that they can be difficult to operate if you have limited dexterity. The buttons are usually a little smaller and handling it can be challenging without a full range of motion in your fingers. They can also easily be lost compared to their larger counterparts. Cleaning may also be a concern, but this is a service that your audiologist can offer you during regular checkups. When speaking to your audiologist about hearing aids, it’s a good idea to ask them to show you the different styles and their advantages. They will likely have a selection of samples for you to try out to see if they fit your needs.

Other features to consider

Your audiologist will likely be equipped with a wide range of different hearing aids, many of them offering wireless connectivity options. Some may even have smartphone-compatible features, allowing you to use Bluetooth or even controlling your hearing aids through an app. Make sure you speak to your audiologist about modern features when purchasing hearing aids. These can be important features to have if you want to adapt to your hearing aids quickly, especially if you use your smartphone regularly or have particular needs. There are also audiologist-specific additions, such as added warranty that you can purchase. This will ensure that even if your hearing aids are lost or broken, you can get a replacement.

Speaking to an audiologist

If you’d like to speak to a professional audiologist straight away, then get in touch with Arkansas Professional Hearing Care at (501) 588-0177. If you have any questions or are unsure where to purchase your hearing aids, then we’d be happy to assist you. Even without a referral from your physician, we’d be happy to assist you and book a consultation with one of our experienced audiologists. We’ll ensure that you get the correct help with your hearing aids so that you can overcome any challenges or concerns with buying them.