Hearing Aid Help
Finding the right hearing aid starts with an evaluation from an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist (otolaryngologist) and an audiologist. The otolaryngologist will first take a medical history and examine your ears for any obstructions (such as wax) that can be removed, and the audiologist will give you a hearing assessment. This involves putting you in a soundproof booth to test your ability to hear different sounds, words and frequencies.
Lot’s of Choices
Your audiologist will help you choose the right kind of hearing aid based on the degree and severity of your hearing loss, the shape of your ears, and your hearing preferences. Most hearing aids today are digital, which incorporates the latest and greatest technology (some even come with remote controls, Bluetooth cell phone capability and more), providing far better sound quality than the old analog versions, which mostly just made things louder. The different styles of hearing aids available include the:
• Behind-the-ear (BTE): This is the biggest, most powerful and most noticeable model that fits behind the ear, along with a mold that fits in the ear canal. It helps with all types of hearing loss.
• In-the-ear (ITE): This style fills most of the bowl-shaped area of your outer ear, and works well for people with mild to severe hearing loss. The large size makes them powerful and easy to adjust. The negatives, however, are they are very noticeable and more vulnerable to picking up wind noise.
• In-the-canal (ITC): Smaller than ITEs, this style fits in the outer portion of the ear canal, and is suited for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The small size makes them barely visible – but disadvantages include possible feedback, a need for frequent cleaning and hard-to-replace batteries.
• Completely-in-the-canal (CIC): For people with mild to moderate hearing loss, this is the smallest and least conspicuous hearing aid – it fits completely inside your ear canal. The downside is tiny batteries that are hard to change and have a shorter life. CICs are also more susceptible to causing a plugged-up feeling (as if wearing earplugs) and they’re generally more expensive.
• Open fit (“mini” BTE): Only for people with high-frequency hearing loss (the most common type), these are a popular, relatively new BTE style, that is barely noticeable, and their design avoids that plugged-up feeling that small in-canal models can cause.
Savvy Tips: Before purchasing a hearing aid, ask for a 30-day trial period to make sure you’re happy with it. And for information on the different kinds of hearing aids and new technologies, get a copy of the “Consumer’s Guide to Hearing Aids” for $4.25 at www.hearingloss.org or call 301-657-2248.
Cost Alert
You can expect to pay from $1,000 to $3,000 or more out of pocket for each hearing aid, and be aware that most health insurers nor Medicare covers them. If this doesn’t fit into your budget, check out “Audient” (www.audientalliance.org; 877-283-4368), a nonprofit service that helps people purchase new behind-the-ear hearing aids at prices discounted between 30 and 75 percent. To be eligible, your income must be no higher than two-and-a-half times the national poverty level - $24,500 for an individual, plus $8,500 for each additional family member.
Another way to save money is to buy online, but be careful. While the savings can be enticing, purchasing this way may mean bypassing the audiological evaluation process, and other important services that can be very helpful. To locate dozens of companies that sell hearing aids online, try a Google search at www.google.com.
