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First Time Hearing Aid Buyer Tips Shopping for and buying your first hearing aid is a daunting activity, and not just for you. 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. Their report was dismaying: two-thirds of the aids purchased ended up being misfitted, or amplified the sounds either too much or too little. Prices varied widely, and the people selling them did not always provide the kinds of information the shoppers needed. Fortunately, there are a few simple tips you can follow so you can find the most comfortable hearing aid for you and avoid expensive mistakes. This article is too short to provide all the tips that would be useful, so to supplement it we recommend Your Guide to Buying Hearing Aids. The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is a non-profit that publishes information on hearing loss and its treatment, including this guide and many others. Here are our suggestions: Consult a professional hearing specialist – Make an appointment to see one of our audiology specialists or any other certified hearing specialist in your area. You can be best prepared for your appointment by reviewing the BHI guidelines beforehand. Those guidelines will help you to know what to expect, and what types of questions to ask.

Select the hearing aid that best suits your needs and lifestyle – This depends on the type and severity of your hearing loss, and should have been determined by tests performed by specialists during Step 1. Which type of hearing aid is best for you depends on the nature of your hearing loss, combined with your budgetary constraints. Research hearing aids of this type – After determining the type of hearing aid you need, use the Internet to look up information about different models. 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.

 

   

Central  Audiology  Center,  LLC  | (240)  329-­‐4401  | http://hearingaidshagerstown.com  

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Find a reliable vendor – This vendor may be your hearing specialist from Step 1 or someone they referred you to. Your hearing aid vendor should be trained and equipped to make molds of your ears to fit your hearing aid properly. While it is possible to buy hearing aids on the Internet, this is not recommended because most models have to be custom-fitted. Your hearing aid should fit comfortably and sound great – Your first fitting should include tests by your vendor to ensure comfortable fit and good function of your new hearing aid. 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. We wish you good luck with selecting your first hearing aid, and want you to know that we are here to provide help if you need it.