If you are an even somewhat internet saavy and are
investigating hearing aids you have undoubtedly noticed the
many web sites that are offering hearing aids online. The
problem is some of the prices for the hearing aids are very
cheap. Others offer a better price for the hearing aids
than you will get going directly to a hearing professionals
office. Why the difference?
The first big difference between online hearing aid sites
is that many of them only sell directly to you. There are
two types of these sites: those that sell quality hearing
aids and those that sell cheap, "one-size-fits-all" hearing
aids. The sites that sell quality hearing aids
inexpensively are able to because they do not offer
professional services along with the hearing aids. They
often tell patients that they can program the hearing aids
to their audiogram and just ship them to them. There are
many problems with this scenario. First, they have not
ever seen you. How can they be sure the hearing aids they
are prescribing will fit you properly, that you will be
able to use the hearing aids properly, or you don't have
wax in your ear? There is no way they can teach you how to
use the hearing aids by demonstration, and actually
watching you do it, how to properly insert your hearing
aids, use the controls, or even clean them.
Probably the most important thing is they cannot verify the
hearing aids are actually correcting your hearing loss.
This what professionals will do for you. A professional
will program the hearing aid while you wear it and perform
verification of the hearing aid's performance. If the
hearing aids need to be fined tuned you can simply go to
their office and they can take care of it while you wait.
If you purchase from a web site, you will have to ship it
back to them and wait for up to 2 weeks to get your hearing
aid back! If there is a problem with the hearing aids, or
you are having difficulty, a hearing professional will be
readily available to help you. Often, patients that
purchase hearing aids directly end up frustrated and either
put the hearing aids away in a drawer or pay a professional
to help them. In the end, they have spent the same amount
of money and wasted a tremendous amount of time.
The web sites that sell cheap hearing aids are even worse
in my opinion. These are "one-size-fits-all" type
products. What size they were designed to fit I have no
idea! They are usually ugly and uncomfortable. These
hearing aids provide very little benefit and most people I
have talked to actually end up throwing them away and
buying quality hearing aids. Many people come to the false
conclusion that hearing aids cannot help and never receive
the real benefits that hearing aids can give them. I have
one patient that wasted almost $3000 over 4 years on these
cheap hearing aids before he finally bought some quality
hearing aids. His custom hearing aids cost him about the
same, but they actually help him hear better and he has now
owned them for 6 years.
The other type of web site you will find will refer you to
a professional in your area. The professional will test
you and help you with the selection of your hearing aids.
They will put into consideration not only your hearing
loss, but cosmetic concerns, budget, and lifestyle
considerations. Then, when your hearing aids arrive from
the manufacturer, the professional will have you come in
for a fitting session. They will make sure that your new
hearing aids are properly programmed to your hearing loss,
that the settings are comfortable and that you can actually
hear better. The professional will make sure the hearing
aids are physically fitting your ear and that they look as
good as possible. They will schedule you for follow-up
appointments where, based on what you tell them, they will
make changes to the programming of your hearing aids. This
is essential because everyone hears sound differently, and
what sounds good to one person doesn't always sound good to
another. If the first hearing aids you try are not working
well for you, they will return them and let you try
different hearing aids without penalty. They will continue
to see you and fine tune your hearing aids until your doing
well. Then they will provide ongoing service to your
hearing aids to make sure they stay in good working order.
There is always someone out there trying to come up with a
new way of doing business. When they offer a genuine
service or product that provides a real benefit that's
good. But when they short-change you either with low
quality products or improper care, well obviously, that is
just plain wrong! Hearing aids require the services of a
professional. That is why most states actually regulate
the sale of hearing aids and require licensure to fit them.
Make sure that when you decide to get help for your
hearing you use a licensed professional. There is nothing
wrong with buying a hearing aid through the internet. Just
make sure you only use a company that insists on your
working with a professional.
----------------------------------------------------
Kelly C. Calkins, AuD is a doctor of audiology and owns her
own practice. For more information about hearing aids or to
locate a professional near you, call us today at
1-877-777-1710 or visit our website at
http://www.aidright.com
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