Before You Buy a Hearing Aid

Don't just look at the advertisements for hearing aids. Look for consumer reports about the company that you are considering. Even though a consumer report about a particular model of hearing aid may not be applicable to your situation, a consumer report about the company most definitely will be helpful. You will learn about their quality and their customer service.

Also, you need to have your kind of hearing loss professionally diagnosed. You can't avoid going to the doctor on this one. If you don't and buy a hearing aid anyway, it could be like taking medicine for malaria when really all you have is the flu.

Don't rule our ready made or over the counter hearing aids that consumer reports on the web and from investigative journalists report. Since the demand is getting higher for more reasonably priced hearing aids, some over the counter hearing aids can help dramatically. But again, before you buy one, check with your doctor and ask if you need a special kind of personalized hearing aid. Some people just need some amplification, while others cannot hear certain tones. For example, this writer is partially deaf in her left ear. I can hear vowel sounds without any trouble, but consonants are tricky. Because my right ear is still working, I haven't needed to check out hearing aids, consumer reports or doctors' opinions just yet.

So while consumer reports about a hearing aid company will be helpful, you will need to find the particular type and model based on recommendations from your doctor or audiologist. They will have the best information available about the particular type of hearing aid you will need based upon your type of hearing loss.