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Suggestions for First-Time Hearing Aid Purchasers  

The selection and purchase of a first hearing aid can be a difficult activity for just about anyone. When Consumer Reports did a comparative report on hearing aids, they followed consumers for six months as they tried to figure out which one to buy. After six months the disappointing results were in: these first-time hearing aid owners were left with ill-fitting hearing aids with volumes either too loud or too soft. Customers wound up paying widely varying prices for the same units, and did not always receive the kind of information they were looking for from the vendors.

That said, there are tips that can help you when shopping for your first hearing aid, and in this article we’ll cover a few of them. We can’t provide all of the information that would be useful to cover in such a short set of tips, so we refer you in advance to an excellent set of guidelines at Your Guide to Buying Hearing Aids. These guidelines are provided on the website of the Better Hearing Institute (BHI), a non-profit corporation that educates the public about hearing loss and what can be done about it. Here are our tips:

1. Consult a professional hearing specialist – Make an appointment with us or

with another certified hearing specialist in your area, and read the information in the BHI guidelines before you go. Those guidelines will help you to know what to expect, and what types of questions to ask.

2. Decide which type of aid is best for you -This is decided while working with the specialists, who will use tests they conduct during Step 1 to determine your type and severity of hearing loss. The type of aids you choose should reflect which type is best for your particular hearing problems, and for your budget.

 

   

Advanced Hearing and Balance Center IL | (847) 453-3643 | http://www.hearwellevanston.com/

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3. Do your research – Once you know which type of aid is bested suited for you, go to the Internet. Look for price comparisons from different vendors, reports on the frequency of problems and repairs, and most important, reviews from users as to the unit’s comfort and reliability.

4. Search for and select a vendor you can rely on – This may be the hearing

specialist you went to in Step 1, or someone recommended by them. Whoever you select as the vendor, make sure they have the proper training to make molds of your ears and fit hearing aids properly. Though it is tempting to purchase your hearing aid over the Internet, you would be skipping the critical step of having a custom fitting that would increase the likelihood of your hearing aids comfort and suitability.

5. Your hearing aid should fit comfortably and sound great – This should be

done before walking out the door after your first fitting, and the vendor you select should support this. The vendor should also provide free follow-up sessions to fine-tune either the fit or the performance of the hearing aids, and should be willing to offer you a “satisfaction guaranteed” warranty when purchasing them.

Good luck, and know that our specialists are here to help you in any way that we can.