Archive for June, 2009

Clothes, books, televisions and even hearing aids — you can really buy just about anything on the Internet.

But there’s an important question to ask when buying things online: if you haven’t seen or tested it out in person, how do you know it will be right? Take a bed, for example. Would you buy a mattress without knowing whether it’s comfortable? Would you buy a TV without first seeing the quality of the picture? Would you buy hearing aids without the help of a qualified professional?

Really, the Internet is great when it comes to researching and comparing consumer products. And when it comes to hearing aids, it’s the same story. Hearing aid consumers can go online to research different hearing aids and find out important information on hearing loss. They can even buy hearing aids online. Many people do go online to buy hearing aids because of the cost. For a lot of people, insurance will not cover the cost of hearing aids, or they may not even have insurance in the first place, so they may turn to the Internet to search for the cheapest possible solution. In reality, buying hearing aids online may save a person several hundred dollars up front, but what many of them do not take into account is that they may be getting what they’re paying for: poor quality and a lack of hearing safety.

While you may save money up front, that savings may mean nothing later if you need to get your hearing aids reprogrammed or if you need to see a hearing professional to receive follow-up care. Another way that cost savings can be negated is if you buy a hearing aid online and need to get a local professional to program it. What’s more is that many newer digital hearing aids can’t even be fitted without the wearer being in the office.

Something important to do before you buy a hearing aid is to get a hearing evaluation. Be sure to have this evaluation done by an audiologist or a hearing instrument specialist. They should be certified and licensed to conduct this evaluation.

Manufacturers of hearing aids have even cautioned consumers about purchasing hearing aids online in order to protect them from possibly getting a unit that is not actually what they ordered. This is such a serious issue that manufacturers have placed alerts on their websites that stress consumers should buy hearing aids directly and only from qualified and trained hearing professionals. Hearing aids purchased online may also not be appropriate for the hearing loss of the consumer, manufacturers also warn. Here’s is Starkey’s policy, and here is ReSound’s policy.

Additionally, hearing aid professionals are a necessary part of the hearing aid fitting process. It’s possible for some hearing aids to be factory fit, but they should ideally be programmed with a computer so that it can be as accurate as possible in order to fit the wearer’s everyday needs and take into account their level of hearing loss. Still, even factory fit hearing aids will need adjustments every so often. An important consideration is whether you will trust someone unknown to program your hearing aid. How will they know it’s right?

So why exactly is buy a hearing aid in person so important? Well, first of all, properly evaluating your hearing loss and assessing your needs is vital when you’re buying hearing aids. A hearing professional needs to determine which hearing aids are best for you according to your hearing loss — not everyone is the same, and an ear exam is needed to find out which model is best. After that, a hearing professional must determine a hearing aid that will fit your lifestyle and meet your needs, and one that stays within your desired price range. The combination of discussing your needs with a professional and having them examine you will enable you to get a hearing aid that will work well for you. You cannot get this kind of expertise when you buy online, which is why so many wind up with hearing aids they’re not happy with.

One very alarming concern about buying hearing aids online is safety. A possible situation is that hearing aids arrive, and you put them in without knowing they’re turned on full power. This can seriously damage a person’s hearing. So in order to avoid this happening, the consumer would need to get the hearing aids checked out by a local professional — and that would cost them.

Another reason to buy hearing aids in person is the fact that digital hearing aids, being very sophisticated technology, need to be adjusted and programmed by professionals who are trained to do so. This is a complicated adjustment and program, as the professional must program each frequency depending on the person’s hearing loss. Programming and adjustment also involves the different features of the hearing aid. Even if you buy hearing aids online and the retailer programs the hearing aids according to your hearing loss — which is a rare thing for them to offer — there’s no guarantee that the settings will be correct. You might very well need to visit a local professional to get adjustment and proper fit. Programming a hearing aid involves much more than hearing loss, too. Your lifestyle, preferences, familiarity with wearing hearing aids and more should all be taken into account. And an online retailer just can’t do this.

Also, many of these new digital hearing aids have to be calibrated in the person’s ear canal in order to have a successful fit. This is done in-office, while the client is wearing the hearing aids and is hooked up to a computer.  This procedure can’t be done over the web or through the mail — it requires the client’s head. ReSound’s Azure, all the Starkey Destiny models, etc. require this in-canal procedure to be properly fit.

Yet another reason to purchase hearing aids in person is that a face-to-face retailer will be able to provide you with the all-important after-purchase care and follow-up visits to make sure your hearing aid is properly fitted. These essential services are even usually included in the price of hearing aids bought directly from a face-to-face retailer. Online retailers simply cannot do this. So you may wind up saving money up front, but that savings will soon diminish once you pay for several follow-up visits with a local professional. In some cases, it could possibly even wind up costing you more.

Though hearing aids at physical stores may seem to cost more than ones you find online, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re getting professional help and expertise with that cost when you buy from a qualified retailer who can provide you with follow-up care. The store you buy from will likely be a place that you visit frequently and form a relationship with. They will come to be a place you trust to help make your hearing as good as possible.

Another key thing to keep in mind is that a retailer on the Internet may not accept returns and may not guarantee the products they sell you. They may not even give you a trial period. So if your hearing aids don’t work out, this could mean a lot of wasted time and money, and you’ll be back at square one. A qualified retailer you visit in-person will work hard to provide you with excellent service and see to it that you’re getting a good product that is improving your hearing.

Though the up-front savings involved with buying hearing aids online may seem appealing at first, it’s important to consider all of this information so that you will wind up with hearing aids that you are happy with.

Consumer Reports is a trusted source for unbiased, honest reviews of products. And in their July issue, they’re publishing a report on hearing aids. This is the first comprehensive report on hearing aids that they’ve done since 1992. This report is meant to be a comprehensive guide to buying and owning a hearing aid.

Making this report on hearing aids involved following a dozen hearing-impaired patients over a period of six months. Consumer Reports noted how they shopped for and used hearing aids, they also lab-tested 44 hearing aids’ features. Furthermore, 1,100 people all over the nation who had bought a hearing aid in the last three years were a part of a survey given by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Consumer Reports found that two-thirds of 48 total hearing aids purchased had been amplified too little or too much, so the user was not experiencing the right fit. Still, 73% of people who took part in the national survey said that they were “highly satisfied” with their hearing aids. That could mean that people using hearing aids might be so pleased with their improved hearing that they don’t actually seek assistance to improve their fit and fine-tune the hearing aids. This means that these people could be missing out on even better results.

To read the full report, see the July issue of Consumer Reports in print or online.

Hearing Aids at Hearing Aid Express

At Hearing Aid Express, we’re proud to say that we offer affordable, well-priced hearing aids from a variety of brands like Starkey, Unitron and ReSound. We know how important it is to make sure your hearing aids fit right so that you can hear sounds clearly and loudly and be comfortable. Stop by one of our convenient locations in Houston, Austin or Dallas today, or give us a call (800-348-2018), and we’ll be happy to provide you with exceptional customer service.

Resound Aims at the Hearing Aid Sweet Spot

Resound hearing aids are known for making hearing devices that fit your life instead of forcing you to change your life to accomodate your hearing aid. Resound hearing aids are compact, sophisticated pieces of advanced technology. These aren’t your grandpa’s hearing aids.

Like most modern hearing aids, Resound hearing aids are targeted at the baby boomer generation, a massive demographic force that’s revolutionizing everything from walking sticks to the food they serve on cruise ships.

The X-plore: Resound’s Newest Hearing Aid Innovation

It looks like Resound’s hit that elusive hearing aid sweet spot, because 9 out of 10 X-plore users recommend the product. X-plore customers can opt for a more natural, behind-the-ear (BTE) fit that leaves the ear canal open to admit more sound, which results in a fuller hearing experience for the wearer, blending the hearing aid’s output with the ambient sound. A thin-tube coupling routes the hearing aid’s output into the wearer’s ear canal.

Resound’s hearing aid also adapts to the more vibrant, athletic lifestyle of today’s hearing loss sufferer with heavy-duty reliability. The Resound X-plore hearing aid is meant to accompany go-getters on their marathons, kayaking trips, mountaineering journeys, and globe-trotting fishing trips.

In addition, this Resound hearing aid runs for 330 hours on one size-13 battery and is factory-protected by an anti-corrosive coating.

The Resound X-plore Delivers Hearing Aid Performance

The directional microphone of the Resound X-plore, assisted by the innovative electronics in the heart of the hearing aid, excels at picking up soft speech, even in a busy restaurant or assembly hall. Feedback suppression from the Resound Dual Stabilizer prevents shrieking feedback from complex audio environments. The X-plore hearing aid also comes with Resound’s Active Wind Stop package, which prevents buffeting winds from turning into amplified roars of deafening noise.

The nice thing about all this engineering know-how is that, rather than complicating your life, the Resound X-plore hearing aid makes your life easier, not more complicated. How sweet is that?

Making the Switch to the Resound X-plore Hearing Aid

As you know, switching to a new Resound hearing aid can be a daunting challenge if you’re new to hearing aids. It’s quite a mental adjustment to go from the sounds you’ve heard for months and years to a completely new aural environment.

Fortunately, the Resound engineers have anticipated this problem with the Acceptance Manager, a digital audio coach that gradually increases its amplification over time, giving you plenty of time to adjust. At first, the Resound hearing aid does little to alter your sonic universe; as time passes, it gets more and more involved, bringing you the sounds you’ve been wanting to hear while weeding out the noise. The result? A short, painless transition to better hearing without any disorientation.

Consider This Resound Hearing Aid

A marvel of technology, the Resound X-plore hearing aid should be on your short list if you’re an active person with high standards about your hearing aid needs. If you’d like to see an X-plore in person, contact us or seek out one of our hearing aid store locations!

We recently came across a helpful article about hearing loss. Published in Frost Illustrated, the article reminded us of the all-important truth that summer noises can lead to permanent hearing loss. When we typically think of summer, we look forward to warm weather, sunshine and maybe even trips to the park or beach with family. But what’s often forgotten is the many loud noises that come along with summer that can actually cause permanent hearing loss.

The article points out that noises louder than 80 decibels such as lawn mowers and fire crackers are loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss, so you should wear ear plugs or another type of hearing protection. Really, noise from fireworks, marching bands, lawn mowers and traffic can get between 90 and 140 decibels, according to an assistant audiology professor quoted in the story.

The assistant professor went on to say that when people ride bikes, they wear helmets to protect themselves. So when we go to places with loud noises, we should take the same care to protect ourselves by wearing ear plugs or another kind of hearing protection. “Once your hearing is gone, it is gone forever,” he said.

The article also mentions something we’ve talked about here many times before: hearing loss in young people as a result of listening to music too loudly on MP3 players. More and more  young people are experiencing hearing loss because of this.

Hearing Loss Help at Hearing Aid Express

If you’re experiencing hearing loss, it may be time to look into the option of getting hearing aids. At Hearing Aid Express, we proudly carry a variety of models from several different brands such as Unitron, Starkey and ReSound. Stop by one of our convenient locations in Austin, Houston or Dallas to find out more information about hearing aids, or feel free to contact us.