Where is the Best Place to Get Hearing Aids?

You may have heard that hearing aids will soon be available over-the-counter at retailers like Walgreens and CVS. With hearing aids also available from a hearing care professional like an audiologist, at big box stores, and from online-only retailers, you have options when it comes to where you get your hearing aids. So, where is the best place to get hearing aids?

Hearing aids have changed a lot in the last 20 years, but the answer to this question has not. Despite the availability of new options for accessing hearing aids (which will enable more people who need hearing aids to get them—great news!), the best place to get hearing aids is from a hearing care professional. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Accurate solutions tailored to your needs.
   You are unique, and so is your hearing. You can think of it like your sense of taste; you don’t like all the same foods as everyone else. Your hearing loss is nuanced, unique, and complicated. For example, you may have hearing loss in one or both ears, and even if both ears are affected, the loss may not be the same in both. Other factors to consider when it comes to hearing loss include your hearing thresholds, which frequencies you struggle to hear, and more.
   Your hearing aid professional can make certain that your hearing aids are tailored to your personal hearing needs. In addition, your hearing professional can consider factors that would not come into play in an OTC environment, such as the types of listening environments you frequent, whether you are more active or relaxed, how tech savvy you are, whether you have dexterity issues, what you prefer when it comes to style and features, and much more.
   Your hearing aids should be unique to you. Choosing OTC or big-box hearing aid solutions does not give you the same personalized care as seeing a hearing aid professional. Hearing professionals can fit, program, and support your hearing aid in a way that is tailored to your specific needs. This is the best way to ensure reliable results and the benefits you need.
2. Long-term care to support your investment.
   Let’s face it: hearing aids aren’t cheap. No matter where you purchase your hearing aids, they are a financial investment. Hearing aids are also an investment in better communication, your connection to other people, improved health and happiness, and better quality of life.
   The best way to make the most of your investment is to have your hearing aids fit, programmed, and supported long-term by a hearing aid professional. Your hearing professional will provide expert consultation, personalized fitting, and ongoing care. You deserve the best support when it comes to an investment this important.
3. Expert services for high-tech devices.
   Today’s hearing aids are sophisticated devices. While a range of features and options are available, high-tech hearing aids can connect to your smartphone, computer, or TV, filter sounds in noisy environments, and much more. In addition, they are much smaller and lighter than they used to be!
   With such high-tech options available, you need an expert who knows how to make the most of every feature—and who can tell which features will work best for you. A hearing care professional has the knowledge and experience needed to help you achieve optimal benefits from your advanced hearing aids.

The answer is clear: the best place to get hearing aids is from a hearing aid professional. To learn more about hearing aids and their benefits, we welcome you to contact our hearing practice today.