Hearing Aids in the Media – The News Keeps Getting Better!
Monday, November 09, 2009 – 0 Comments
Any time a hearing aid story hits the national press, HearingPlanet gets inundated with phone calls and emails. Last week was no exception. The front page of USA Today’s Life section featured an article titled, “Hearing Aids Made Easier.” It discussed a recently released online guide launched by the FDA. FDA Hearing Aid Guide
This follows several other stories to make the rounds in 2009. Thankfully they all point to continued positive trends towards hearing aid acceptance and satisfaction. For example, Consumer Reports surveyed 1,100 hearing aid wearers and found that 73% were very or completely satisfied with their hearing aids! This percentage puts hearing aids very high on consumer satisfaction lists for healthcare and consumer electronic devices. We see an even higher percentage with our patients at HearingPlanet.
There have been suggestions and facts mentioned in these various news stories worth repeating here:
- People with untreated hearing loss (choosing not to wear hearing aids) experience lower wages, poor communication, poorer overall health, and increased stress in all personal relationships. Once fitted with hearing aids, the positive changes one experiences in these situations are documented and profound.
- Buying hearing aids can be confusing with great price variations. It pays to research and work with someone who will take the time to make certain you are well informed with the entire process.
- When buying hearing aids, make certain you receive a minimum 30-day trial period.
- To achieve the best results from a hearing aid fitting, it is critical you work closely with a licensed hearing professional for the proper testing, selection, fitting, and coaching during the adjustment phase. Getting used to hearing aids takes time so be patient!
- Today’s hearing aids have options for wireless connectivity, including Bluetooth. See this link for more information -
- Don’t confuse today’s hearing aids with cheaper and similar looking “sound amplifiers” you can buy direct without the assistance of a hearing professional. They are not intended for hearing loss.
I’m thrilled with all the positive press, as you can imagine. There are still too many people who choose not to wear hearing aids, and I believe we’ll continue making progress as technology and acceptance continues to grow. With communication so very important in today’s culture, the effects of hearing loss are having an even greater impact.