We’ve heard countless complaints about the high cost of hearing aids and we understand. This leads us to the question: Why are hearing aids so expensive nonetheless? Before ferocious complaints are made, let’s take a look at the contributing factors for the cost. Hopefully, there will be a deeper appreciation for what goes into the dollar amount of hearing aids.
Research and Development Costs
A sizable portion of the manufacturing costs of hearing aids consists of research and development (R&D) costs. Hearing aids may be small but the amount of time, manpower and money poured into their design and development can run into tens of millions of dollars. Engineers, researchers and scientists work together on these devices that, in turn, means more R&D costs are added.
The R&D part has produced several technological innovations that make hearing aids look, feel and function like real ears. These include directional microphones, a technology that directly focuses external sounds into the wearer’s ears; water-resistant materials that can withstand humid conditions; and smartphone-compatible hearing aids, many of which can be connected to external devices like television and radio, too. There are even hearing aids specifically designed to manage the symptoms of tinnitus.
These technological advancements didn’t come cheap! But these are welcome developments because modern hearing aids, especially cochlear implants, function like the ear in so many ways. Just think about the clunky and chunky design of hearing aids if these developments weren’t made.
Customization Costs
Unlike mass-produced products, hearing aids are best customized to the specific hearing loss of their wearers. While you can buy over-the-counter hearing aids, these aren’t as functional as customized hearing aids since these are one-size-fits-all devices. But the hearing issues and shape of the ear of each individual are unique and, thus, these over-the-counter hearing aids deliver inferior performance.
In contrast, customized hearing aids are specially fitted and programmed according to the person’s specific needs and wants. The customization also takes into account the lifestyle preferences of the individual and the sound environments he lives in.
The costs of customization add up. These include the customized hearing aids themselves as well as the extra services, such as cleanings and adjustments as well as health check-ups.
There’s also the fact that customized hearing aids will increase your quality of life and the increased costs paid for them will be worth it.
If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Hearing aids can change your life! But you have to remember that these devices also require proper care and maintenance for extended use. You must learn to extend the juice of your hearing aids’ batteries, even change them, when needed.
Before we proceed to the effective tips in extending the life of your hearing aids’ batteries, let’s take a look at their average life. On average, these batteries last for 3-7 days with the actual number being dependent on several factors. These include the type and size of the hearing aids, the type and size of their batteries, and the number of hours the hearing aids are used, among others.
Use the Oldest Batteries First
Batteries for hearing aids last for several days but these also have their expiration dates. You should always check the expiration dates on batteries, if any, so that you’re aware of when to use them. You must also remember that the longer these batteries are stored, the shorter their usable life will be.
For this reason, you have to use the oldest pack of batteries first. This way, the spare batteries in your purse will always be usable. Store spare batteries in a dry room, which should neither be cold nor hot; refrigerators and bathrooms are then unsuitable places for battery storage.
Turn Off Your Hearing Aids When Possible
Obviously, the batteries’ juice will be conserved when the hearing aids are turned off. You must then remove your hearing aids from your ears and turn them off, whenever possible. These instances include before going to sleep, taking a shower or bath, and relaxing in a quiet environment.
If you won’t be using your hearing aids for an extended period, you should remove the batteries from the battery compartment and place them in a dry area. This aids in preventing corrosion to their metal parts, among other possible damage caused by trapped moisture.
But if you will be using your hearing aids shortly after turning them off, you may want to consider leaving the battery compartment open. The excess moisture that has accumulated inside the compartment can then evaporate and, thus, there’s less risk of corrosion on the batteries. Plus, it decreases battery drain.
Again, place your hearing aids with their battery compartment open in a safe and dry place! Placing in on the kitchen sink or bathroom sink will defeat the purpose, not to mention that the hearing aids can become wet.
The way batteries are handled upon opening also make a difference. Wash your hands before replacing the old batteries so as to avoid getting dirt on the new batteries and the hearing aids. Avoid removing the plastic tab on a battery pack when the batteries won’t be used immediately. Wait for 5 minutes and let the new batteries sit, so to speak, before placing them into the battery compartment.
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For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com
The hearing aids that your grandparents previously used can’t hold a candle, so to speak, to modern hearing aids! The former was large, chunky and clunky with more breakdowns than necessary while the latter has a streamlined design and sophisticated features. Here’s a look at the advanced features that modern hearing aids offer their users.
Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Old-fashioned hearing aids rely on small batteries for power, a feature that can become unwieldy and inconvenient. Think about the batteries conking out when you’re travelling or changing the batteries with arthritic hands.
These battery-reliant models are mostly a thing of the past! Nowadays, there are rechargeable options with portable charging stations instead of batteries. For as long as you are in a place with electricity, you can recharge your hearing aids quickly.
Near-invisible Hearing Aids
Remember how large the hearing aids used by your grandparents seemed to look on their ears? You can practically see them from a few feet away! You were probably hesitant about wearing hearing aids yourself because of it.
Fortunately, many modern hearing aids are so small that these can’t be seen by others unless with a close inspection. These devices fit comfortably yet snugly inside your ear canal – yes, you read it right – instead of being fitted outside of your ear. You can then go about your daily business, even wear headphones, without attracting attention to your hearing aids.
Water-resistant Hearing Aids
Emphasis must be made that water-resistant isn’t the same as waterproof. Water-resistant hearing aids shouldn’t be worn while you’re going swimming in the pool, lake or sea, not even to the shower or bathtub. But these devices can be worn in humid environments since these are designed to withstand low moisture levels.
Take note that there are no waterproof hearing aids in the market yet.
Telecoil Hearing Aids
Have you ever been bothered by phantom noises, such as ringing, buzzing and hissing? These are known as phantom noises because there isn’t an external source for them. If so, then you may have tinnitus, a condition that isn’t an illness in itself but a symptom of an underlying health issue.
Ask your audiologist about telecoil hearing aids, which can minimize the phantom noises and other distracting background noises in the environment. These hearing aids have a telecoil, a small part that allows connection of audio sources to the hearing aids. These are usually used alongside phones, FM systems and induction loop systems.
Smartphone-compatible Hearing Aids
Many people with hearing loss issues use smartphones in communicating with others. It then makes sense to use smartphones in conjunction with hearing aids.
These smartphone-compatible hearing aids have features that allow for volume control, among others, from your smartphone, known as synching the two devices. You can even stream music and videos as well as take calls and video calls from your smartphone and hear the sounds on your hearing aids.
Are you intrigued? Ask your audiologist today and see how your life can improve with these features!
If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure that you get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
The use of hearing aids for tinnitus relief seems counterintuitive. Hearing aids, after all, increase the clarity and volume of the environmental sounds possibly resulting in worsening tinnitus. But this isn’t the case, surprisingly so, and here’s why.
Tinnitus as a Symptom
Before you think that you have tinnitus, you should first know what it is and what it isn’t. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus is a condition wherein the affected person hears sounds inside his ears or head without an external source.
These are phantom sounds that seem real, as well as annoying and frustrating as these adversely impact daily life. These can take the form of hissing, buzzing, ringing and clicking with varying duration and intensity.
If it’s any consolation, tinnitus affects an estimated 50 million Americans albeit in varying degrees and duration. Also, it isn’t a disease or a disorder in itself – instead, it’s a symptom of an underlying health issue. It can be caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises, extreme stress, and head colds, as well as sinus or ear infections and hearing loss.
In fact, people who have hearing loss are more likely to experience tinnitus more frequently. This is because their world, in a manner of speaking, is quieter with little environmental sounds penetrating it.
Hearing Aids for Relief
How then does hearing aids provide relief against tinnitus? Hearing aids amplify and clarify external sounds that, in turn, makes it easier for the wearer to make distinctions between several sounds. When a person with tinnitus wears hearing aids, the amplification of the external sounds will mask the buzzing, clicking or ringing sounds.
The hearing aids allows for better hearing ability of the desired external sounds, such as voices of other people, music and birds chirping. This means the phantom sounds brought by tinnitus are relegated to the background and, thus, become less annoying.
There’s also the matter of brain training. By wearing hearing aids, you’re basically retraining your brain so that it can ignore the phantom sounds in your ear. The longer you wear hearing aids, the better you can manage your tinnitus symptoms.
Of course, the assumption here is that the hearing aids are properly fitted and customized according to your specific hearing issues. You are well-advised to buy customized hearing aids despite their more expensive price because these can be customized. You will be able to hear well while also minimizing the side effects of wearing these devices.
Even if you don’t have hearing loss, hearing aids can be used in the management of tinnitus symptoms. Ask your audiologist about hearing aids that produce white noise and other sounds that provide relief, such as ocean waves. You won’t have to suffer from hearing phantom noises after a while of using them.
If you think your family or you need a hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Hearing aids are supposed to make their users hear better and, thus, communicate better. But many people, usually newbies, report that they can’t hear as well as they did before they used hearing aids. They seemed to hear less environmental sounds even with their hearing aids turned on at nearly full volume.
So, do hearing aids actually cause a worsening of hearing loss? The short answer: No. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why it seems to be so and why it isn’t so actually.
It’s a Matter of Perception
The human brain can play tricks and it’s something that psychologists, magicians and con men know all too well. This is the reason why some users of hearing aids express concern that their hearing ability decreased after wearing these devices for a few weeks. They further assert that they were better off without hearing aids.
In reality, their brains are tricking them into thinking so! On average, persons with progressive hearing loss will live with their condition for 7-10 years before seeking professional intervention. Their hearing ability gradually worsened through the years, perhaps aggravated by improper ear care like poking the ear canal with cotton buds.
As the years pass without proper medical intervention, their brains become more and more accustomed to their decreased hearing ability. They then start thinking that their current hearing ability is normal – well, at least, normal according to their own perception.
What happens when they start wearing hearing aids? Well, if you’re new to these devices, you will be unaccustomed to the sound clarity and volume of the environmental sounds. Your brain starts to readjust to the better sound quality and consider it as the new normal.
When that happens, the severity of your hearing loss becomes significantly noticeable without your hearing aids on. You will then think that the hearing aids worsened your hearing loss!
But wear your hearing aids again and your ability to hear environmental sounds increases.
It’s a Matter of Customization
But improperly fitted hearing aids can make it seem like, indeed, your hearing loss is worsening. You may experience feedback from these devices, perhaps even suffer from headaches and tinnitus caused by the feedback. You won’t want to wear your hearing aids anymore because their side effects seem to be outweighed by their benefits.
You should then consult with your audiologist about making adjustments to address the issues of poor physical fit and poor customization to your specific hearing issues. Hearing aids are effective because these amplify and process sounds in a way that makes them sound better in your ears.
But their efficacy only works when they are customized to your specific hearing loss. So if you think that your new hearing aids are aggravating your hearing loss, you have to consult with your audiologist.
Hearing aids may be expensive, partly because of the customization costs, but they are well worth their cost. If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure to get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com