Determining which hearing aids are the best choice for you involves a number of factors and may include a test drive! You provider not only considers which models are the most appropriate for your particular hearing loss type and severity, but also will want to know some details about your lifestyle, needs, and preferences. What are your most challenging listening situations? Does this hearing aid model have a more comfortable sound quality for you? How about fit and comfort? Have you any dexterity issues that need to be considered? Are you likely to want to control how things sound? Do you prefer the hearing aids adjust automatically with no need for adjustment by you?
Hearing aids are only one part of a responsible approach to addressing hearing loss. More important is the quality of the testing and counseling that accompanies the purchase. No one can provide you with ideal hearing aids without first conducting thorough and accurate hearing tests and asking the right questions about your needs and lifestyle. It is estimated that half of all Americans wearing hearing aids did not receive a proper evaluation before the instruments were fit. Without the crucial information these tests provide, the likelihood of success with a given instrument is extremely low.
After your initial diagnostic evaluation, you and your Audiologist should work together to select a hearing aid that best suits your needs and budget. Style and features can affect cost, but the most expensive hearing aids may not always be the ones that are best for you.
In addition to a proper evaluation, a discussion regarding your wants, needs, lifestyle, and a discussion about realistic expectations about the performance of hearing aids is imperative. If the promises made by the dispenser seem too good to be true, they probably are!
At Northland Audiology, we believe in the importance of educating people about their hearing and their hearing aid options so that they can make informed decisions that they are comfortable with.