If you are suffering from hearing loss, using hearing aids may help. Fixing hearing loss will improve your communication and mental health.
I am a long time sufferer of hearing loss on both ears due to a genetic condition. I have been using hearing aids for the past ten years. They allowed me to survive the final decade of my career as an engineer.
In this article I will share what I learned about managing hearing loss, how to maximise health benefits of using hearing aids and minimise cost of ownership.
Hearing aids
Hearings aids market size was valued at around USD 9.68 billion in 2022. It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.7% from 2023 to 2030. This growth is driven by factors such as an ageing population, increased prevalence of hearing loss, advancements in hearing aid technology, and greater awareness and adoption of hearing aids. - ChatGPT -
At the time of this writing there are 5 types of hearing aids:
- In the ear
- Behind the ear
- Rechargeable
- Bluetooth
Hearing market
In Australia (probably applies to most countries) the market is made of the following tiers:
Patient
The person who suffers from hearing loss that has an adverse impact on their wellbeing.
Otolaryngologist (ENT)
A physician who provides diagnosis, medical and surgical care, and treatment of the ear, nose, throat, and neck. In most cases you might want to take advice from an ENT specialist to diagnose the root cause of your problem and in case an operation, such as stapedectomy can improve your hearing.
Audiologists
Audiologists are health care professionals who diagnose, manage, and treat hearing, balance, or ear problems. They work in the field of audiology, which is the science of hearing and balance. With hearing tests they determine the severity and type of hearing loss a patient has and develop a plan for treatment.
💡Always ask a copy of a Clinical Audiology Report that should include an audiogram. It is crucial to keep them among your personal health records that will show progress of hearing loss for a professional analysis. The audiogram is a chart that shows the results of a hearing test. It shows how well you hear sounds in terms of frequency (high-pitched sounds versus low-pitched sounds) and intensity, or loudness.
Hearing Clinic
A clinic where the audiologist will take a medical history and ask you about your hearing in different situations. The audiologist will check your ears for wax, infections or any other abnormalities. Almost certainly they will run a hearing test and generate a Clinical Audiology Report. Based on the report they will advise how you can effectively manage your hearing problem.
The nature and severity of your hearing loss based on the Clinical Audiology Report allows the audiologist to advise the best hearing aid type that suits your case. For example “in the air” invisible hearing aids can only be suitable for slight or mild hearing loss.
A hearing clinic is a commercial entity. It is in their interest to sell you hearing aids and accessories through them. That said, there are advantages to work with them especially when they provide competitive prices.
💡 Purchasing hearing aids is half of the story. You need to maintain them well, via periodic clean-ups, fitting adjustments, fixing wire breakages and so on. Make sure the clinic is responsive and good at in those areas.
If you purchase the aids from the hearing clinic that runs the hearing test make sure they honour manufacturer’s warranty including free return policy following a trial period, they can fix breakages, and they can do custom fitting suitable for your ears’ anatomy.
💡 It is always good to shop around. In my experience most hearing clinics put enormous price markup. Check the wholesale operator HearingSavers website for the prices of exact hearing aids, this should be your reference price. HearingSavers will most certainly beat prices in majority of clinics' quotations.
The health clinic I have visited recently quoted $10,875/pair for top of the range Phonak hearing aids. I shopped around and found the same hearing aids on HearingSavers website for $5490/pair, half the price. You may ask a price match, but it is unlikely clinics can compete if the gap is in the order of thousands.
According to the information on their website HearingSavers work with many clinics throughout Australia that do periodic assessments, tests, fitting, follow up and maintenance.
Audiometrists
Audiometrists are Hearing Care professionals who specialise in the non-medical assessment and management of communication difficulties caused by hearing loss.
The Audiometrist will clinically assess the hearing thresholds of the client to determine if a hearing aid fitting is indicated. At the fitting appointment the Audiometrist will give instruction to the client and any family or friends who may be involved, in the management of the hearing device/s, how to care for the instrument/s and how to gradually become accustomed to hearing and listening again.
The Audiometrist will develop a rehabilitation program to ensure the optimal benefit is gained from the hearing instruments that are prescribed. Hearing instruments are available in different makes, models and styles. The device/s prescribed will be determined with regard to the individual requirements of each client taking into consideration their needs.
💡Ask your hearing clinic whether they work with qualified Audiometrists. They are the technical experts that knows ins and outs of hearing aid instruments and how to best configure and fit them to your satisfaction. Be wary of clinics where audiologists are masquerading as audiometrists. In my experience not all audiologists are good fitters as well as audiometrists.
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