The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

The word “cheap” has dual meanings. For anyone on a small budget, it means “affordability”. Conversely, it indicates low-quality, turning a seemingly economical purchase into a not-so-smart decision, epitomized by the adage “You get what you pay for”.

Regrettably, differentiating between an economical purchase and an item of minimal value is frequently tricky. When it comes to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more valid.

With hearing aids, the axiom “you get what you pay for” rings especially true. This doesn’t necessarily imply going for the top-tier option, but rather, looking closely at products that boast a price tag too appealing to be authentic. Consumers need to be aware that important information is frequently left out of the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

Cheaper hearing aids are pretty much only amplifiers

Boosting the overall volume is typically the only thing cheap “hearing aids” can handle. If you amplify the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also pick up background noises like the dishwasher, a fan in a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house slippers moving across the floor.

The purpose of having a hearing aid is totally defeated if it also amplifies undesirable sound.

A contemporary state-of-the-art hearing aid, in comparison, does much more than simply turn the volume up. It expertly manages sound, improving the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background noise. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom tuned to your specific hearing needs.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

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

Unfortunately, many personal sound amplification products PSAPs are falsely marketed as hearing aids even though they just amplify sound.

The majority of reputable providers follow the rules. But there are some vendors, particularly 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. Some even falsely advertise that they are approved by the FDA.

They aren’t helpful for most types of hearing loss

Most individuals who lose their hearing will slowly lose certain frequencies of sound before others. You may have a difficult time understanding a little kid or a woman, for example, but you have no problem understanding a man with a low voice.

You get overall amplification with cheap hearing aids. But simply turning up the total volume will not be adequate for individuals who have a hard time hearing certain frequencies. Moreover, turning the volume up substantially to hear the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor might result in your adult son’s speech sounding like a roar, potentially adding to hearing loss if subjected to high volumes for extended periods.

High-quality hearing aids can be programmed to boost selected frequencies offering a much better solution. They provide a more personalized hearing experience by shifting frequencies you can’t hear very well to frequencies you hear better.

You might get a lot of feedback

Cheap hearing aids are generally not custom fit to your ears. A feedback loop is often the consequence of poorly fitting hearing aids. As the speaker in your ear wiggles around, the microphone picks up the sound. This will generate a deafening screech.

They normally won’t help you on your cellphone

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. When thinking about phone connectivity, the lack of Bluetooth is a major hurdle. Trying to amplify a cheap hearing aid while on the phone results in capturing not just the caller’s voice but also the sounds of your ear, lips, clothing, and hair brushing against the phone, making it even more difficult to hear the person on the other end.

In contrast, digital hearing aids utilize telecoil or Bluetooth technology, establishing a wireless connection between your hearing aid and the phone. Overall communication and clarity will be improved so you can be sure you will hear your daughter’s voice on the phone.

They were never meant to treat hearing loss

The majority of individuals would probably be surprised by this. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were designed to amplify sound for individuals who have fairly good hearing.

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

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

There are lots of ways to get hearing aids affordably. They may even be covered by insurance or other third parties. There are also affordable brands, leasing programs, and financing possibilities. The first step is to get a hearing assessment if you think you may have hearing loss. Call us today for a consultation, we can help figure out what’s best for you, depending on your amount and type of hearing loss, and make certain you get a pair that won’t break the bank!