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5 Tips To Help You Select a Hearing Aid That Will Fit Your Ear, Condition, and Lifestyle

Shopping for a new hearing aid can easily become overwhelming. You may prefer a certain style, your doctor may recommend another—and the thought of having to keep track of and care for your device makes you want to go back home and forget the whole thing.

A hearing care provider can take some of the stress out of the decision by having you try on several different devices, programming each one to correct your degree of hearing loss. Such “demonstration” hearing aids allow a patient to see how the device will work and how it will fit so they get a basic real-world experience with the hearing aid right in the office.

How to Evaluate Each Hearing Device You Try On

If you are buying hearing aids for the first time, you may not notice much of a difference between the devices, as everything you hear will be much more amplified than usual. To help first-time wearers find their perfect device, we offer the following tips to help you compare each hearing aid in your evaluation. Take these with you to your appointment (and don’t forget to take notes!) to find the right hearing aid for you:

  • What do you sound like? You may not have heard the sound of your own voice in a long time, but it will be one of the most common sounds you hear with your new device. As you try on each device, recite the same phrase or paragraph (such as the alphabet or Pledge of Allegiance) to discover if there are any problems in the way you hear yourself.
  • Play with menus and settings. Sometimes it’s the technological difficulties rather than the sound quality that can rule your love or hatred of a device. If you live alone or will be primarily responsible for your own tech support, you should make sure that each set of hearing aids you evaluate is easy for you to adjust.
  • Check its versatility. Your device should make an improvement in all types of listening environments. If it works well when talking to your specialist, try turning on a radio or music player and see if the device compensates. Pull out your cell phone and make a call.
  • Examine the batteries. Larger hearing aids typically have larger batteries, while the batteries in in-the-ear devices can be tiny. Open the battery compartment in each device and attempt to change the batteries. You’ll be doing this often, so choose a device that allows you to swap batteries as easily as possible.
  • Play with accessories. If you require a device that pairs with your TV or cellphone, ask your hearing provider to demonstrate how those work as well. The different accessory options could be a tipping point if you’re having trouble choosing between one or more devices.

Are you ready to get started? Let us help relieve your anxiety and bring the fun back to hearing device shopping. Call us at 866-517-4415 or stop by one of our Florida locations today!

Our Locations

Sarasota Office
1901 Floyd Street, 2nd Floor
Sarasota, FL, 34239
(941) 203-4233

Lakewood Ranch Office
8433 Enterprise Circle, Suite 150
Lakewood Ranch, FL, 34202
(941) 548-4227

Venice Office
400 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 260
Venice, FL, 34285
(941) 486-0950