Until recently, if you wanted to be treated for hearing loss or get hearing aids, you had one choice — see an audiologist or other licensed hearing healthcare professional.
Today, the options have definitely gotten more complicated, with online-only retailers, big-box stores, and numerous new or unexpected companies now advertising hearing loss solutions.
Here’s the thing, though — seeing a hearing professional is still the best way to be treated for hearing loss or get hearing aids. Let us explain why.
Your hearing loss is unique — your solution should be, too
Our sense of hearing is complicated. Similar to our sense of taste (why do some people love avocados or clams while others hate them?) it is also nuanced and unique to each individual. Thus, it seems right that the most effective solution to one’s hearing loss be nuanced, unique and slightly complicated, too.
Hearing aids — fit, programmed and supported by experienced, caring hearing professionals — are the most reliable way to get an effective solution tailored to your needs.
Today’s hearing aids are sophisticated, powerful tools
Hearing aids have long been the go-to remedy for hearing loss. Just as glasses are advised when we have vision issues, and pacemakers are prescribed to correct irregular heartbeats, hearing aids are what healthcare professionals recommend to treat hearing loss.
And rightly so — especially today’s hearing aids. Smarter and more technically advanced than ever before, the best hearing aids are able to do amazingly sophisticated things to help us hear better and stay connected — all in a tiny electronic device that needs to sit comfortably in our warm, moist, unique-as-a-fingertip ear for a dozen hours each day every day (that’s part of the complicated part).
But as with any sophisticated tool — or even simple ones like, say, a chisel — they produce even better results when wielded by an expert who is proficient at using them. That’s where the hearing professional comes in.
Hearing professionals are the difference between "ok" and "WOW!"
Only an experienced hearing professional has the skill and training to fit and program a hearing aid to your specific hearing and lifestyle needs. And as we wrote above, each person’s needs are unique.
There’s your hearing loss itself, which a hearing professional can specifically test and measure. What are your hearing thresholds? What frequencies do you struggle with? Are both ears affected? Is it the same loss in both? These are just a few of the questions that thorough testing and an audiogram will answer.
Then there are the intangibles, like why you want to hear better; what you want to hear better; the types of listening environments you frequent; if you’re mostly busy and active or relaxed and reserved; whether you’re tech savvy, adept with your smartphone, have dexterity issues, style concerns or specific feature requests, etc. The list goes on.
Only after all these questions are answered — and your needs and wants are thoroughly discussed — will the hearing professional tailor a solution just for you (the right style, features and technology level). And only after your hearing solution is tailored, can you feel confident it will work the way you need it to, and provide the delight you expect and deserve.
Hearing aids are an investment — get your money’s worth
Finally, no matter where you get your hearing aids from, they won’t be cheap. Hearing aids are an investment in clearer communication, human connectedness, improved health and happiness, and a better quality of life — so it’s important you get your money’s worth.
When you buy them from a hearing professional, that’s exactly what you’ll get. Will you pay more? Most likely. But you’ll also get the expert consultation, personalized fitting, and the service, support and ongoing care that a human sensory function as important as your hearing requires.
Get your hearing aids from a local hearing professional
As leaders in the hearing health industry for over 50 years, we’ve seen and been through a lot. But one thing has remained consistent throughout the many technological innovations, scientific advancements and regulation changes of the past half century — hearing aids fit and supported by skilled and caring hearing professionals produce the best and most satisfying results.
If you’re ready to experience how hearing aids can change your life and want to find a hearing professional you can trust, we can help. Simply type your zip code in here and you’ll get a list of professionals in your area who can test your hearing, consult with you on options, and then tailor a solution to your needs.
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