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Tips Before Buying New Hearing Aids

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. with Steve Barber

Steve Barber is a great hard of hearing guy and a friend of mine. He also knows his stuff. If you are thinking about getting hearing aids, you would do well to read the following.

Steve writes:

I get asked a lot about how to shop for hearing aids:

I usually tell people several things:

1. Get all the free hearing screenings you want, but don’t buy a hearing aid based solely on one. Especially, if you don’t know what is causing your hearing loss, then a full audiological exam and consultation with an ENT is a very good idea. Some losses don’t need hearing aids; some can be helped by other means; and some may be a symptom of another medical problem that you don’t want to ignore.

2. The bigger, and more frequent the advertisement, the more cautious you should be.

3. The more the ad promises, the less you should be willing to believe it.

4. Never buy an aid that is offered at a “special price” if you must decide immediately.

5. If the seller’s primary selling point is that the aid is “invisible”, be very suspicious; If that’s your primary desired feature, then examine your motives. Hearing better is the real reason to buy a hearing aid, not invisibility.

6. If you can’t name and describe possible benefits for at least 3 features of hearing aids, then do more homework. There are a lot more things to consider, but at the very least, you should know the benefits of directional mics, telecoils and vents or open fittings.

7. Make sure you know the terms of the trial period. 30 Days is a minimum with only a relatively small fitting fee charged if you decide not to buy the aids—typically around 10% of the total price.

8. If you ask the provider about whether the aid has a telecoil, and the seller says you don’t need one, get a second, unbiased opinion. You may not need or want one, but you may be missing out on a great feature if it turns out that it would help you.

9. Unbiased opinions are most readily obtained from people who are successfully using hearing aids; not from people whose aids are in a drawer! Successful users can often be found by attending any Hearing Loss Association of America chapter meetings. (See their website for the location of the numerous HLAA chapters throughout the USA.)

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Free Visor Cards

Download your free Visor Cards for hard of hearing or deaf people here.

Loop Systems

Loop your home or meeting room. Discover how you can hear wonderfully clear sound again when listening to the TV/radio, etc, or when listening to a speaker at a meeting.

Loop systems are one of the best-kept secrets in town. To learn more about Loop Systems and what they can do for you, click here.

Take Control of Your Tinnitus—Here’s How

If your ears ring, buzz, chirp, hiss, click or roar, you know just how annoying tinnitus can be. You do not have to put up with this racket for the rest of your life. This book teaches you many things you can do to help bring your tinnitus under your control so it no longer bothers you.

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Sounds Now Too Loud for You?

Hypersensitive to Sound front coverIf some (or all) normal sounds seem so loud they “blow the top of your head off”, or make you wince or jump, or cause you headaches or ear pain, or affect your balance, or result in fear or annoyance of sounds so you feel you have to avoid these sounds, this book is for you!

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Hearing Phantom Sounds?

When hard of hearing people begin hearing phantom voices or music, they immediately worry they are going crazy. It never crosses their minds that they are sane and are just experiencing Musical Ear syndrome.

To learn more about the strange phantom sounds of Musical Ear syndrome and what you can do about them, click here to read a comprehensive article about Musical Ear Syndrome.

Or get the book—Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

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Center for Hearing Loss Help

Neil G. Bauman, Ph.D.

1013 Ridgeway Drive, Lynden,
WA 98264-1057 USA

Email: neil@hearinglosshelp.com

Phone: 360-778-1266 (M-F 9:00 AM-5:00 PM PST)

© 2025 Center for Hearing Loss Help – Help for your hearing loss, tinnitus and other ear conditions

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life [which also includes perfect hearing] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 6:23]

"But know this, in the last days perilous times will come" [2 Timothy 3:1]. "For there will be famines, pestilences, and [severe] earthquakes in various places" [Matthew 24:7], "distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring"—tsunamis, hurricanes—Luke 21:25, but this is good news if you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, for "when these things begin to happen, lift up your heads [and rejoice] because your redemption draws near" [Luke 21:28].