The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

There are a couple different ways to think about the term “cheap hearing aids”. On the one hand, it implies affordability, a sensible option for a budget-conscious individual. But we’ve all heard the phrase “You get what you pay for”, and in this example, the term “cheap” indicates low-quality hearing aids.

Regrettably, differentiating between a thrifty purchase and an item of negligible value is frequently tricky. This is particularly true in the realm of hearing aids.

With hearing aids, the axiom “you get what you pay for” is especially true. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” range, not automatically going for the most expensive option. Companies marketing inexpensive hearing devices often leave out essential details about their products that customers should know about.

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Amplifying the overall volume is usually the only thing cheap “hearing aids” are capable of. If you amplify the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also get background noises including the dishwasher, a fan in a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house shoes going across the floor.

If everything is louder, it completely defeats the purpose of having a hearing aid.

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in comparison, does a lot more than simply turn up the volume. It expertly manages sound, enhancing the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background sound. Real hearing aids simulate natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom programmed to your specific hearing needs.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

The Food and Drug Administration has written guidelines for companies who sell hearing devices and have strict rules as to what can be called hearing aids.

Sadly, there are many devices out there that market themselves as hearing aids when they are actually personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), named such because they can only amplify sound.

There are many legit and reputable companies that comply with proper marketing. But there are some vendors, especially online, that might be misinformed about what characterizes the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and consequently, they put out misleading claims about their products. You may even find some that claim that they’re FDA-approved when that’s actually false.

For the majority of kinds of hearing loss they won’t be effective at all

The slow loss of hearing frequently involves trouble hearing certain frequencies instead of a sudden complete loss. You may have a hard time understanding a small child or a woman, for instance, but you have no issue understanding a man with a low voice.

You get total amplification with cheap hearing aids. But just turning up the total volume will not be adequate for people who have a tough time hearing particular frequencies. Furthermore, turning up the volume substantially to hear the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor might lead to your adult son’s speech sounding like a roar, potentially contributing to hearing loss if subjected to high volumes for prolonged periods.

High-quality hearing aids offer a solution by being programmable to compensate for the loss of particular frequencies. They provide a more personalized hearing experience by shifting frequencies you can’t hear very well to frequencies you hear better.

You may get a lot of feedback

Cheap hearing aids are usually not custom fit to your ears. A feedback loop is frequently the result of poorly fitting hearing aids. The microphone picks up the sound from the speaker in your ear as it jiggles around. This will generate a deafening screech.

They normally don’t have cellphone support

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they often sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. The lack of Bluetooth becomes crucial when thinking about phone connectivity. Trying to amplify a cheap hearing aid while on the phone leads to capturing not only the caller’s voice but also the sounds of your ear, lips, clothing, and hair rubbing against the phone, making it even more difficult to hear the person on the other end.

More sophisticated hearing aids are digital and utilize Bluetooth connectivity to connect directly to your phone. Overall communication and clarity will be improved so you can be certain you will hear your daughter’s voice on the phone.

They were never meant to treat hearing loss

This may come as a surprise because so many people think otherwise. PSAPs were never made for people with hearing loss. They were made to help individuals who have relatively good hearing hear things a bit louder.

If you have very slight hearing loss then cheap devices may help a little. But they won’t be of much help for individuals who actually need hearing aids.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

Getting affordable quality hearing aids is not difficult. They might even be covered by insurance or other third parties. You can also find financing options, leasing plans, and more affordable brands. The first step is to get a hearing test if you suspect you might have hearing loss. Make an appointment with us so we can help you find the best and most affordable hearing aids for your level and type of hearing loss.

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