What’s the Difference Between Affordable and Cheap Hearing Aids?

Display of over the counter hearing aids at a pharmacy.

It just feels good to save money, right? It can be exhilarating when you’ve found a great deal on something, and the larger discount, the more pleased you are. It’s a little too easy, then, to make the price your chief criteria, to always go for the least expensive option, to let your coupons make your buying decisions for you. When it comes to purchasing a pair of hearing aids, chasing a bargain can be a huge mistake.

If you need hearing aids to treat hearing loss, choosing the “cheapest” option can have health consequences. Preventing the development of health issues like depression, dementia, and the risk of a fall is the entire point of using hearing aids after all. Choosing the correct hearing aid to suit your hearing needs, lifestyle, and budget is the trick.

Tips for picking affordable hearing aids

Affordable is not the same thing as cheap. Look for affordability as well as functionality. This will help you keep within your budget while enabling you to find the ideal hearing aids for your personal needs and budget. These tips will help.

Tip #1: You can get affordable hearing aids.

Hearing aids have a reputation for putting a dent in your pocketbook, a reputation, though, is not necessarily represented by reality. Most manufacturers sell hearing aids in a broad range of price points and work with financing companies to make their devices more budget friendly. If you’ve already made the decision that the most effective hearing aids are out of reach, you’re probably more likely to search the bargain bin than look for affordable and effective options, and that can have a lasting, detrimental impact on your hearing and overall health.

Tip #2: Find out what your insurance will cover

Some or even all of the cost of hearing aids might be covered by your insurance. As a matter of fact, some states mandate that insurance cover them for both kids and adults. It never hurts to ask. If you’re a veteran, you may be eligible for hearing aids through government programs.

Tip #3: Your hearing loss is unique – choose hearing aids that can tune to your hearing situation

In some aspects, your hearing aids are similar to prescription glasses. Depending on your sense of style, the frame comes in a few options, but the exact prescription differs considerably from person to person. Hearing aids, too, have distinct settings, which we can calibrate for you, personalized to your exact needs.

Purchasing a cheap hearing device from the clearance shelf won’t give you the same benefits (or any useful results at all in many instances). These amplification devices increase all frequencies rather than raising only the frequencies you’re having a hard time hearing. Why is this so significant? Usually, hearing loss will only affect some frequencies while you can hear others perfectly fine. If you make it loud enough to hear the frequencies that are too quiet, you’ll make it uncomfortable in the frequencies you can hear without a device. You will probably end up not using this cheap amplification device because it doesn’t solve your real problem.

Tip #4: Different hearing aids have different functions

It can be tempting to think that all of the modern technology in a good hearing aid is just “bells and whistles”. But you will need some of that technology to hear sounds clearly. Hearing aids have innovative technologies tuned specifically for people with hearing loss. Many modern designs have artificial intelligence that helps block out background noise or communicate with each other to help you hear better. Also, selecting a model that fits your lifestyle will be easier if you consider where (and why) you’ll be using your hearing aids.

It’s essential, in order to compensate for your hearing loss in an efficient way, that you have some of this technology. A little speaker that turns the volume up on everything is far from the sophistication of a modern hearing aid. Which brings us to our last tip.

Tip #5: An amplification device isn’t the same thing as a hearing aid

Alright, repeat after me: A hearing aid is not the same thing as an amplification device. If you get nothing else from this article, we hope it’s that. Because hearing amplification devices try very hard to make you think they work the same way as a hearing aid for a fraction of the cost. But that’s untruthful marketing.

Let’s break it down. An amplifier:

  • Is typically made cheaply.
  • Takes all sounds and turns up their volume.
  • Gives the user the ability to adjust the basic volume but that’s about it.

Conversely, a hearing aid:

  • Has batteries that are long lasting.
  • Can be programmed with various settings for different locations.
  • Can limit background noise.
  • Will help safeguard your hearing health.
  • Is calibrated to amplify only the frequencies you have trouble hearing.
  • Can be shaped specifically to your ears for maximum comfort.
  • Can be programed to recognize distinct sound profiles, like the human voice, and amplify them.
  • Is adjusted specifically to your hearing loss symptoms by a highly qualified hearing specialist.

Your ability to hear is too essential to go cheap

Regardless of what your budget is, that budget will restrict your options depending on your general price range.

This is why an affordable option tends to be the emphasis. When it comes to hearing loss, the long term advantages of hearing loss treatment and hearing aids is well documented. That’s why you need to work on an affordable solution. Don’t forget, cheap is less than your hearing deserves.”

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.