Why You Should Consider Used Hearing Aids


As of this writing (July 3, 2007), hearing aids cost a small fortune. They can cost thousands of dollars per ear. And, of course, most health insurance companies will not cover hearing aids as that would make too much sense. But not everyone who suffers hearing loss really needs a customized hearing aid in order to improve their quality of life. This is why many people have turned to the internet in order to purchase used hearing aids.

See Your Doctor First

Before you buy used hearing aids or any other kind of hearing aid, you need to know why you are losing your hearing. Is it due to age, injury, illness or something else? Can you hear low sounds but not higher pitched sounds? Can you hear mechanical or repetitive noises and only have trouble hearing speech? If you want to get used hearing aids instead of customized hearing aids made just for your ears, then you need to have an accurate diagnosis.

Mention to your doctor or audiologist that you are thinking of getting used hearing aids. Is your kind of hearing problem a common one? If it is, then you will most likely benefit from used hearing aids just as much as new, customized hearing aids.

Caveat Empor

You can go to online auction sites such as eBay and see who is selling their used hearing aids. You may certainly get a bargain, but keep in mind that used hearing aids might not fit your ear as comfortably as they did the original owner. You also will need to take a couple of weeks to get used to the used hearing aids. If at all possible, only buy used hearing aids that still come with instructions. If you have questions about a pair of used hearing aids on eBay, a reputable eBay seller will be happy to answer your questions before you bid.

Dont Be Too Proud To Ask For Help

There are charitable organizations that collect, sterilize and distribute used hearing aids for needy recipients. This is based on very successful eyeglasses-recycling programs that send your old glasses to someone who really needs their vision improved but cant afford to buy a pair of glasses. Contact your local chapters or the official websites of these charities and organizations to see if you qualify for used hearing aids:

The Knights of Columbus
The Lions Club
Sertoma
Hear Now

Hearpod Digital Aids

Some companies may request that you send them a copy of your doctors diagnosis for your hearing loss.

Again, this is because there can be no single tests to adequately compare hearing aids. Typically, the life of a hearing aid battery, in use every day, ranges from four or five days, to a maximum of one month. Some individuals may only need help hearing sounds in a specific frequency range, such as high frequencies, one of the common types of hearing loss. One of the reasons cited for the sky high cost of hearing aids is that they have to be tailor made for each customer.

Even pamphlets that are blatant advertisements for one kind of hearing aid can still teach you what to look for in a hearing aid.
Also remember that batteries tend to last longer when left in a cool environment, and so you want to avoid storing them in very cold or hot places, because this can drain the power from them or even wreck them completely, rendering them useless. Much of your choice may depend upon the type of hearing loss that you are suffering from and how much you can afford to spend on an aid. Hearing aids are used to magnify the vibrations of sound that are coming in the ear, so that people with hearing problems are able to make sense of it. Never mix old batteries with new, never store batteries in an area that may get hot, and never remove the tab from the back of the battery before you are ready to use it. It is important that you properly store your discount hearing aids batteries. Due to the individuality of anyones hearing loss, it is next to impossible to compare one kind of hearing aid against the other.

Things that are big demand tend to cost higher than those that dont.
So, hoping to bring the cost down, self-programming hearing aids have been released to the general public. And, federal law requires that all telephones made after 1989 are Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC). Often times the best idea is to just put out that extra bit of money and get better quality hearing aids, so that your hearing problem is helped as much as possible and because these hearing aids are going to last you a lifetime and so you will never have to worry about shelling out more money or worrying about them breaking down on you. However there are disadvantages to these cheap hearing aids just as there are advantages, all of which you should be aware of before purchasing so that you know whether it is actually worth it or not.