Don’t you just love the internet? You get to enjoy the convenience of buying almost anything you could think of without going to a store. Including hearing aids! Yes, we can now purchase hearing aids online. But is it a good idea? Here’s what we at Hearing Healthcare Centers think!
Buyer beware of online hearing aid purchases!
The following are points you should give serious consideration to before ordering hearing aids online.
Point 1:
Testing should take place in a sound treated room with calibrated equipment. Only a licensed hearing care professional is qualified to thoroughly test a patient’s hearing to determine the type and cause of the hearing loss. In the initial hearing evaluation, you might be recommended to get further tests. Those tests will show if the hearing loss is medically treatable and/or to rule out a tumor.
Point 2:
It’s important to have a professional recommendation for hearing aids if the hearing aids are needed. They need to make sure it’s appropriate for the patient’s lifestyle and hearing loss. Hearing aids are medical devices that are prescribed specifically for a person’s hearing loss. They aren’t just sound amplifiers. Hearing aids purchased online may not meet your hearing needs.
Point 3:
Continued service, reprogramming, periodic testing and support are important components of successful hearing aid use. These services are not typically included in your online purchase of hearing aids. When you purchase hearing aids from a licensed professional, it will be fitted and adjusted using a computer software. This may take several visits while the patient adjusts to amplification. Sometimes the aids have to be sent back to the seller for reprogramming, leaving the patient without them for awhile. If the user is able to find a local service provider for aids purchased online, the ongoing costs for servicing the aids will often surpass any initial savings.
The bottom line is, purchasing from a local licensed hearing professional is better than buying it online! It’s important to be able to establish a working relationship with a professional for many years to come.