“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

There are a couple different ways to interpret the term “cheap hearing aids”. For someone on a tight budget, it means “affordability”. But we’ve all heard the phrase “You get what you pay for”, and in this case, the word “cheap” suggests low-quality hearing aids.

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

The adage “you get what you pay for” is especially relevant with hearing aids. This doesn’t necessarily mean going for the top-tier option, but instead, looking closely at products that boast a price tag too tempting to be genuine. Consumers need to be aware that essential information is often excluded from the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

They often just amplify sound

Increasing the overall volume is usually the only thing cheap “hearing aids” can handle. If you boost the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also get background noises like the dishwasher, a fan in a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house slippers going across the floor.

If everything is louder, it totally defeats the purpose of using a hearing aid.

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does a lot more than just crank the volume up. It decreases background sound while skillfully managing sound and maximizing clarity. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom tuned to your particular hearing needs.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

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

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

Most reputable companies follow the rules. But there are some vendors, particularly online, that may be misinformed about what defines the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and consequently, they put out misleading statements about their products. Some even inaccurately advertise that they are approved by the FDA.

They’re not helpful for most types of hearing loss

Most individuals who lose their hearing will gradually lose specific frequencies of sound before others. For example, you may have no trouble hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to understand.

A cheap hearing device typically results in overall volume amplification. But, if you struggle with particular frequencies, merely boosting the volume will be insufficient. Furthermore, turning the volume up considerably to catch the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor may lead to your adult son’s voice sounding like a roar, possibly adding 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 specific frequencies. They can instantly adjust the frequency you struggle to hear to one that is more audible, providing a more customized and reliable hearing experience.

You might get a lot of feedback

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. A feedback loop is often the result of poorly fitting hearing aids. As the speaker in your ear jiggles around, the microphone picks up the sound. What does this sound like? An ear-shattering screech.

They normally won’t help you on your cellphone

Functionality is often sacrificed when choosing budget devices, and this holds true for many inexpensive hearing aids lacking Bluetooth connectivity. When thinking about phone connectivity, the lack of Bluetooth is a huge obstacle. With cheaper hearing devices, when you attempt to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your lips or ears rubbing against the phone, or clothing and hair.

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 could come as a shock because so many people think otherwise. PSAPs were never made for individuals with hearing loss. They were designed 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 use for people who actually need hearing aids.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids isn’t hard. Insurance or other third parties may cover them. There are also affordable brands, leasing programs, and financing options. If you think you have hearing loss, begin by getting checked out. Call us today for a consultation, we can help figure out what’s best for you, depending on your level and type of hearing loss, and make sure you get a pair that won’t break the bank!