If you have decided now that you must get rid of your hearing loss and start listening to the important sounds of your life then you are absolutely right in your decision. However, there are some considerations that you must know before purchasing any hearing aid. Since there are about 48 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, though most of them do not get help from hearing aids, due to the costs or lack of access to hearing professionals. They lack more in their life including all the important details of the life that they cannot hear. Here are the things that you must consider before buying a hearing aid.
- Hearing test:
The first thing you need to do is to go through a professional hearing screening so that you get a thorough evaluation of your hearing loss. The hearing test will be easy, and painless.
- Expectations:
The other most important thing before you purchase the hearing aids is to know that it will not restore your hearing abilities to normal. It is best to expect the truth so that you do not witness any emotional setbacks. Hearing aids are perfect to help you with your hearing but they cannot give back your hearing abilities. They manage the negative effects of hearing loss and as soon as you get them off you will still have a hearing loss. However, you must not wait for too long before starting to wear hearing aids because it can provide more negative effects. Untreated hearing loss leads to increased depression, anxiety, memory loss and can also lead to Alzheimer’s.
- Financial plan:
Cost is a major factor for which people refrain from getting the hearing aids. Though Medicare doesn’t cover the costs of getting hearing aids, other financial programs can help in doing so. You must do good research for preparing a financial plan and to be within your budget. The healthcare professional will provide you with different options for getting the hearing aids. The prices can vary according to the technology and style and can be in a range of $1000 to $3500 for one hearing aid.
- Battery life and size:
Batteries are an extremely important factor in hearing aids. Smaller hearing aids will have smaller batteries and it will need to be replaced more often. The life can be between 3 to 17 days of the battery. You should consider hearing aid with a large battery so that it can run for some time. The hearing ad professional will refer you about the battery size and where to purchase it.
- Warranties:
There are two warranties with every hearing aid that is a loss and damage warranty which means that the hearing aid will be replaced if it is met with irreparable damage or loss. It can be for up to 1 to 3 years. Another warranty is the manufacturer’s repair warranty which will be liable if the hearing aid doesn’t function properly.