Recognizing you have a problem with your hearing is the first step, but you are just at the beginning of your search for the right solution.
You may have different people trying to tell you how to go about it, which device works the best and so on, but sometimes you'll need to block out the noise to do the right thing for yourself.
Only you will know when the right solution has come along.
Here are five important questions to ask during your search for the right hearing aid.
1.
What have I been up to recently? Is there anything you have been doing recently which has hampered your ability to hear? This question is pertinent because you may have clogged up your ears swimming or surfing, or might be experiencing blockage related to a cold or ear infection.
Wouldn't you be pleasantly surprised to find out your problem was of the minor sort and could be corrected without any further testing? It certainly would be a welcome bit of news, so find out.
2.
Can I be sure this audiologist is right for me? How did you come across your audiologist? If you found him or her online or in a newspaper, you may be wasting some of your precious time.
Recommendations from someone you know or from your regular doctor will go a long way towards solving this problem.
Then again, if you don't get some information from a primary source, there is no reason to fret.
Just make sure the specialist at least has positive reviews on the whole.
3.
Is saving money a good goal for this search? Saving money is always a good idea, but is this really one of the searches where saving money should be involved at all? Consider it like any other area of your healthcare.
Sometimes, spending top dollar (or somewhere above the lowest price) is really in your best interests.
If you are struggling to get the cash, figure out a way or ask about payment plans.
4.
Is there anything I left out of the testing process? Once you go through the entire process of having your hearing tested and getting fitted for a hearing aid, the audiologist will send you back out on your own to make a trial run of it.
Do your best to cover the ground you would normally cover, plus figure out what other types of seasonal or occasional activities you have left out.
The more thorough your testing is, the better off you will be in the end.
5.
Is the risk worth the reward? Everything is risk vs.
reward on some level, and with hearing aids the same general principles apply.
Is your warranty substantial enough to cover the amount of money you are spending on a device? Think this part over carefully, because the last thing you want is to be stuck with a device which ends up making you unhappy in a year or so if or when it breaks down.