“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

There are a couple different ways to interpret the word “cheap hearing aids”. For somebody on a small budget, it means “affordability”. On the other hand, it conveys low-quality, turning an apparently economical purchase into a not-so-smart choice, epitomized by the adage “You get what you pay for”.

Unfortunately, determining whether you’re getting a great value from whether you’re buying a very low-quality device can be tricky. When it comes to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more true.

The saying “you get what you pay for” is particularly potent with hearing aids. This doesn’t always mean opting for the top-tier option, but rather, scrutinizing products that boast a price tag too enticing to be legitimate. Customers need to recognize that important information is often left out of the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

They often just amplify sound

Cheap “hearing aids” generally offer limited functionality, primarily amplifying or reducing overall volume. If you boost the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also pick up background noises like the dishwasher, a fan in another room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house slippers moving across the floor.

If everything is louder, it totally defeats the purpose of using a hearing aid.

Contrastingly, a high-quality, modern hearing aid goes beyond simple volume adjustment. It minimizes background noise while skillfully managing sound and enhancing clarity. Real hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom programmed to your specific hearing needs.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

The Food and Drug Administration has written guidelines for companies who sell hearing devices and have strict rules as to what can be labeled hearing aids.

Unfortunately, many personal sound amplification products PSAPs are incorrectly sold as hearing aids even though they only amplify sound.

The majority of reputable providers comply. But there are some vendors, particularly online, that might be misinformed about what characterizes the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and consequently, they put out misleading claims about their products. You may even find some that claim that they are FDA-approved when that’s actually not true.

For most types of hearing loss they won’t be effective at all

The slow loss of hearing often involves difficulty with specific frequencies rather than a sudden total loss. You might have a difficult time understanding a small child or a woman, for instance, but you have no issue understanding a man with a low voice.

You get overall amplification with cheap hearing aids. However, if you have trouble with particular frequencies, merely increasing the volume will be inadequate. And turning up the overall volume could lead to added damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t struggle with will be roaring in your ears.

High-quality hearing aids offer a solution by being programmable to make up for the loss of specific frequencies. They offer a more personalized hearing experience by shifting frequencies you can’t hear very well to frequencies you hear better.

Feedback can be a problem

Cheap hearing aids are typically not custom fit to your ears. Without that custom fit, you’ll generate a feedback loop. As the speaker in your ear wiggles around, the microphone picks up the sound. What does this sound like? An ear-shattering screech.

They typically won’t help you on your cellphone

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. The absence of Bluetooth becomes crucial when considering phone connectivity. With cheaper hearing devices, when you try to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your ears or lips rubbing on the phone, or clothing and hair.

In contrast, digital hearing aids use telecoil or Bluetooth technology, creating a wireless connection between your hearing aid and the phone. This advanced feature ensures that when your daughter talks on the other end, her voice is sent directly into your hearing aids, enhancing clarity and overall communication.

They were never meant to treat hearing loss

This may come as a surprise because so many people think otherwise. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were designed to amplify sound for people who have relatively good hearing.

Cheap devices might help a little if you only have slight hearing loss. But they won’t be of much help for individuals who actually need hearing aids.

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids isn’t hard. Insurance or other third parties might cover them. There are also affordable brands, leasing plans, and financing possibilities. If you suspect you have hearing loss, start by getting checked out. Call us today for a consultation, we can help figure out what’s best for you, depending on your amount and type of hearing loss, and make certain you get a pair that won’t break the bank!