What things to consider when buying hearing aids: types, models, maintenance, repair, hearing aid insurance

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT HEARING AID

According to WHO statistics, the number of people suffering from hearing loss in the world is more than 400 million, both adults and children, which makes the issue of hearing aid relevant. Obviously, for every person who faces this problem the question of choosing the right hearing aid is of great importance. There are several points to take into consideration if you want your hearing aid serve you right. First of all, one should keep in mind that a hearing aid is not just another gadget in your collection and not an “earphone”, but a medical device that is used only when a What’s more, there is a plethora of models from numerous manufacturers, which makes this task even more challenging. Secondly, as a rule, you can’t buy these life-saving aids for a song. They are fairly expensive for a reason. Therefore, it would be a great idea to consider hearing aid insurance to avoid additional expenses on maintenance and repair.

TYPES OF HEARING AIDS

Hearing aid manufacturers offer the following types of hearing aids:

• Analogue Hearing aids – the basic concept is to transform sound waves into electrical impulses, which are subsequently amplified and transferred to the inner ear structures. It’s worth noting that the inexpensive models typically attract hearing-impaired people because hearing aid insurance might not be necessary with this purchase, but the limited technical capabilities of analogue models can NOT reproduce the entire “sound range”;

• Digital Hearing aids are devices that convert sound waves into a sequence of specific numbers. Sounds are captured, processed, and already digitized sound is converted by a special program, after which it is transformed into the speaker of the device in the form of waves. Digital hearing aids are not as budget-friendly as analogue hearing aids that’s why hearing aid insurance will definitely come in handy in the case of breakdown or damages of different kinds. Hearing aids are seldom covered by private health insurance. Some companies, on the other hand, provide an add-on coverage, which implies that a hearing-impaired person can have a hearing aid benefit for an additional monthly charge. However, it’s worth considering purchasing digital hearing aids because they provide better hearing correction and come with extensive features.

Digital Hearing aids are classified as follows:

• Behind-the-ear Hearing aids – models in which one part is fastened behind the ear and the other is put into the external auditory canal;
• In the ear Hearing aids – wireless headphones that are put into the ear canal and are produced from a cast of the patient’s ear; the processor and battery are housed within the device;’
• In the canal Hearing aids – devices that are completely placed inside the ear canal, are also made according to an individual cast, the constituent elements are also placed inside the device.

HOW TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HEARING AID YOU NEED

When choosing a hearing aid, a patient should browse through the different options for devices on the market and necessarily follow the recommendations of an audiologist. A correct diagnosis and adequate recommendations are possible only after an examination by an audiologist who diagnoses and corrects hearing impairment.

HOW TO CHOOSE A HEARING AID FOR AN ELDERLY PERSON

A significant part of hearing-impaired patients are elderly people and it’s very important for these category of patients to choose a hearing aid that provides adequate hearing correction, is easy to use and maintain. Another significant factor which influences the buying decision is the cost of the device. Retired people can’t splash money buying different hearing aids one after another until they find the right one. They approach this process seriously and usually buy hearing aid insurance because they know that hearing aids repair might cost an arm and a leg.

It is also important to understand that older patients often have a number of comorbidities in addition to hearing loss, which also will influence the choice of the model of a hearing aid. The health record of the patient should be taken into account by the audiologist when selecting and adjusting the hearing aid. It is also important to explain to an adult patient that the brain needs time to adapt to a new device.