The first time you are shopping for a hearing aid you might wonder where to begin. Unlike most of your purchases, you can’t just walk into a store and pick one out. You are buying an expensive piece of electronic equipment that someone has to adjust to your specific hearing needs. Because most hearing aids are custom-molded and custom-adjusted to your needs, you can’t easily "try one on for size." No in-store demonstration will show you what your experience will be in actually using a particular aid. A "discount" price just for the aid does not include the necessary services for testing, fitting, and after care.

Selecting a Hearing Instrument

Hearing instruments come in many types, designs, and styles. Some provide a variety of special features such as programmability, telephone pickups, adjustable tone controls, and microprocessors for noise filtration. Therefore, hearing instrument prices vary greatly, depending on the type of instrument, the number of special features, and the services provided by your specialist.

Price should not be the primary concern, except for the limitations of your budget, when selecting hearing instruments. The objective is to select hearing instruments that will meet your needs by providing the most effective assistance for your hearing impairment.

Extensive laboratory and field research has scientifically proven that people benefit most from wearing a hearing instrument in each ear. This is commonly referred to as a binaural fitting.

Benefits of binaural hearing include an improved overall sound quality, clearer speech perception in normal listening environments, increased understanding in groups and noisy background situations, more relaxed hearing, no longer straining to use the best ear, and a feeling of more balanced hearing.

Members of the Oklahoma Hearing Aid Association have the experience and expertise needed to assist you in selecting the hearing instrument that will provide optimal amplification for your individual hearing loss.

The proper selection of a hearing instrument encompasses not only a person's hearing loss, but other factors, as well. Occupation, lifestyle, environment and physical limitations (because of the dexterity needed to adjust the hearing instrument's volume, change batteries, etc.) must be considered before proper selection of the hearing instrument can take place.

Expert, personal assistance is required in the evaluation of your hearing, the selection and fitting of the hearing instrument and the follow-up services needed for the successful use of your hearing system. This can only be accomplished through a professional relationship between you and your hearing aid dispenser. Hearing instruments today come in different styles and different circuit-types for improved hearing for individual hearing needs.

Digital and microprocessor technology is a part of the newer hearing aid designs. The cost of hearing aids reflects differences in size, advanced technology and professional services. As a result, the range of prices will vary from a few hundred to $3000 or more for each aid. Allow your hearing aid dispenser to advise you of your options. They will combine their expertise of fitting hearing instruments with your personal needs for hearing.