Hearing aids are a significant investment. Prices range from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars per hearing aid. The price is determined primarily by the technology required to meet your hearing needs.
If the person's primary need is to be able to carry on a one-on-one conversation in a quiet setting, the cost will be lower. For those who are active and need to hear in a wider variety of settings, the cost will be higher.
If you can not afford hearing aids, Eichler Hearing Center may be able to help you with them.
Payment plans are available.
There are both no interest options and low monthly payment options.
Payment options include:
- Check (3%) discount
- Credit Card
- 12 months 0% interest financing
- Payment plan with low monthly payments (start at $75/month)
- Combination of any of the above methods
Generally speaking, you will need hearing aids in both ears if you have hearing loss in both ears. Hearing aids are designed to work together to give you appropriate directionality and sound coverage.
At Eichler Hearing Center, hearing tests are free.
Most insurance companies do not cover hearing aids.
Medicare does not cover hearing aids.
Eichler Hearing Center offers a 60 trial period, during which we will work with you to adjust and refine the sound to work best for you. It takes time to adjust to the new experience of wearing hearing aids, which is why we encourage you to wear them all the time the first week you have them even if it sounds and feels strange. At first it may seem difficult and distracting, but within a week or two, your brain will adjust. It also may take 2 or 3 adjustments by your hearing professional before you are completely comfortable with your hearing aids. Be as honest and specific as possible with the person adjusting your hearing aids. If at any time during that trial period you are not satisfied with the results, you may return the hearing aids for a full refund minus a $200 restocking fee.
Hearing aids normally last 5-7 years. The most important factor in determining longevity is cleaning and preventing wax buildup.
Wax is the biggest threat. This is a bigger problem for some people than for others, but anyone who wears hearing aids needs to be aware of it. Wax can literally block the ear canal (blocking sound also) and even push its way into the hearing aid and potentially damage it. To prevent this from happening you need to be carful about doing two things. First—change the wax guards often. How often depends on how big of a wax problem you have. For those with bigger wax problems that may mean every day or two, for others maybe every 2-3 weeks. The second thing is to clean them. Take a small alcohol prep pad available at any pharmacy, and clean the hearing aid every day when you take them off for the night.
A hearing aid battery will generally last 5-7 days with normal use. Always open the battery door when you take your hearing aids out to prevent the battery from losing power when it is not being used. The hearing aid will usually notify you if your battery is getting low by emitting a warning “beep”.
**Tip—the batteries are activated by exposure to the air, so try to wait 5-10 minutes after removing the sticky tab from the new battery before putting it in the hearing aid. This can increase battery life for up to a day.
Clean your hearing aids daily when you take them off for the night. Use an alcohol prep pad available at any pharmacy to wipe down all of the surfaces, being carful to remove any wax buildup that may have happened over the course of the day.
The most important consideration for choosing a hearing aid is to make sure the technology included will function properly in the activities and situations you encounter each week. Discuss your normal routine with your hearing professional and he/she can advise you of the features necessary to meet your needs in those situations.
The second consideration is choosing what style of hearing aid you want. Today, there are many styles to choose from--behind-the-ear (BTE), Receiver-in-the-ear (RITE), in-the-canal (ITC) and completely-in-the-canal (CIC). Some may prefer the style that rests deep in the ear canal and is virtually invisible. Others may prefer the traditional behind-the-ear styles that can be a little more comfortable.
Yes. Hearing loss is a progressive process that happens, for most, gradually over time as a result of exposure to noise or simple age. We may not even notice it at first, because we tend to adjust and compensate as it is happening--we turn the TV volume up a little higher or accuse others of mumbling making it difficult to understand them.
This process is called "auditory deprivation." When the tiny hair-like nerve cells in the inner ear begin to deteriorate and become less responsive to sound waves, they begin to atrophy, much like a muscle that is not used.
Recent medical studies, however, indicate that hearing aids do help slow the process of hearing loss. Hearing aids provide stimulation to these small hair-like nerve cells in the inner ear and get them working again much like exercise strengthens muscles. It is thought that this stimulation (exercise) can significantly slow the deterioration of the nerve cells and the process of hearing loss.
New technologies which have been developed in recent years are successfully helping people to hear voices clearly. These technologies enable hearing aids to detect and clarify speech and even better isolate what direction that speech is coming from.
Background noise used to be one of the primary complaints of hearing aid users. Today's hearing aids, however, can tell the difference between speech and noise, amplifying speech and minimizing the noise.
Functionality: Hearing aids need to be cared for and maintained properly to keep them working at an optimal level.
The most important thing in keeping your hearing aids working properly is cleaning them. They should be cleaned daily using an alcohol prep pad to wipe them down. If they are not cleaned daily, wax build-up can begin to block sound and damage the delicate technologies of the receiver and other components of the hearing aid.
A weak battery may also contribute to less than optimal performance. Make sure you keep fresh batteries on hand.
It is important to get your hearing aids checked by your hearing professional every 6-12 months to ensure the settings are appropriate to your needs and to compensate for any changes in your hearing. If you purchased your hearing aids at Eichler Hearing Center, there is no cost for a hearing aid check.
If your hearing aid should quit working completely, bring it to your hearing professional for evaluation.
Fit: Hearing aids should not be painful to wear. If your hearing aids cause you discomfort, your hearing professional can make adjustments to alleviate the problem. Your ears can change over time requiring changes to your hearing aid to help them fit properly. Do not hesitate to call for an appointment if your hearing aids are not comfortable to wear daily.
Sound: Hearing aids come with settings that can be adjusted to fit your individual needs and preferences. A simple adjustment may be all that it takes to alleviate this problem.
No. Hearing aids are designed with settings that can be adjusted as needed. You will most likely need several adjustments to the settings throughout the life of the hearing aids as your hearing changes.