Nano Hearing Aids: Your Ultimate Buying Guide
Buying hearing aids for the first time can be difficult. If you are just starting out buying aids to help with everyday hearing, it is understandable that you may not know what to look for. That isn’t helped by the fact that there are so many devices on the market! To assist, we’ve put together a catch-all guide on what to know before buying hearing aids.
Nano Hearing Aids offers a handful of distinct hearing aid choices, all of which have incredible long-term benefits for wearers. Before you buy a device, however, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the different options and technology available. Read on for the full lowdown!
What to Do Before You Buy
You’re keen to choose the right hearing aid – that’s great. But what you must always do is make sure you prepare yourself before you buy the first model you see. We recommend that you undertake a number of checks before you start shopping around.
Get a Hearing Check-Up
Nano Hearing Aids can be used immediately without prior consultation. However, we do recommend that you consult a doctor or audiologist if you are worried about your hearing. There are many different factors which can affect our hearing, and not all of these can be remedied with hearing aids.
In some cases, your hearing loss may be resolved with medical treatment. In other cases, your hearing loss may be more severe than aids can support. To avoid all doubt, always make sure you approach a medical practitioner before you buy hearing aids outright.
Think About Longevity
Once a doctor has analyzed your level of hearing loss, it's time to think about a long term plan. When learning how to choose the right hearing aid, you'll need to look for technology which will support you over years of use. Is your hearing loss likely to change? If so, are the hearing aids you're looking to buy likely to keep giving you the support you need?
Think About Budget
At Nano Hearing Aids, we’re proud to be able to offer fantastic hearing aid technology at such low prices. The cost of hearing aids in the broader market was what led to the creation of our brand. Regardless of where you buy a device from, you should always do some research and make sure you have money available to purchase hearing aids outright.
Enquire About Warranties
It’s always worth asking your hearing aid professional about how long your products are protected for. After all, it may be inconvenient and expensive to pay to repair or replace your aids if they break down. Nano Hearing Aid warranty options are clear to understand and give you plenty of protection for years of regular use.
Check Your Health Insurance
In many cases, hearing aids may not be covered by private health insurance. However, it is always worth discussing such concerns with your provider. If you need hearing aids to be able to work, for example, your employment carrier may be able to cover the cost of purchase and operation.
Types of Hearing Aid
Now that we’ve considered what to know before buying hearing aids, it’s time to take a quick look at the various styles of device available.
In Canal Hearing Aids
In canal hearing aids are preferred by many wearers because they offer direct hearing support and are barely visible. They sit partially in your ear canal, despite the name. These hearing aids may require more frequent cleaning than other models.
CIC or Completely in Canal
These hearing aids are generally more expensive as they are molded to fit the inside of your ear canal. However, they are preferred by many users as they are very discreet and are less susceptible to feedback and noise interruption. However, again, they will require regular cleaning. They may also be less feature-rich than other models.
BTE or Behind the Ear
As the name suggests, these hearing aids comfortably fit behind your ears. These, hook over and are connected to an earpiece. This sits in your ear canal and provides direct hearing support. These are perhaps the most common hearing aid types. They are generally more powerful, though are seen to be less discreet than in canal options.
ITE or In the Ear
Rather than fitting snugly in your ear canals, these hearing aids will sit gently in the bowl of your ear or its lower shell. These hearing aids are thought to be more convenient and comfortable than most, but they may lose out on added features and upgrades. They may be more visible than canal models and will need regular cleaning.
RIC or Receiver in Canal
RIC hearing aids are similar to BTEs. However, they are seen to be more discreet. They will need to be cleaned regularly, though they are seen by some users to be more capable and feature-rich than CICs.
Features to Consider
When considering hearing aid benefits, you are going to need to look closely at what each model of aid offers to you in terms of daily relief and support. The type of hearing aid you buy may not be as important to you as the features they come with. Let’s expand this hearing aid buying guide to look at specific controls and options.
Batteries
Hearing aid batteries are notorious for running out very quickly, even in modern fittings. That is why the vast majority of devices now come fitted with rechargeable power. That means you will be able to charge up your hearing aids in a relatively short time to continue using them throughout your day.
Nano Hearing Aid batteries are built to be used over and over again. What’s more, they are reliable, and unlike some other hearing aid models, you won’t have to swap them out. Think carefully about whether or not you are happy to switch out hearing aid batteries regularly when you come to make a purchase.
Sensitive Noise Reduction
While the purpose of a hearing aid is, ultimately, to amplify sound, they should also work to reduce background noise. Modern hearing aids will adapt to certain settings and areas, meaning that you can easily filter out different levels of noise in the background as you wish. It is worth looking for hearing aids which support extensive noise control for maximum clarity.
Visibility
While wearing hearing aids shouldn’t ever be considered taboo, many people prefer that their aids remain as discreet as possible. When buying hearing aids, look carefully for models which offer maximum discretion. Are they easy to spot, or are they virtually invisible in the ears? The type of hearing aids you choose, as discussed above, will also likely affect visibility, too.
Alongside noise reduction, feedback reduction is a hearing aid feature that can help to improve hearing clarity. Feedback can come from a variety of sources, such as TVs, nearby electrical equipment, smartphones, and more besides. Feedback can be extremely annoying and aggravating to listen to on a regular basis.
Anti-Click
Clicking and buzzing noises, along with feedback, are very annoying. They were unfortunately prominent in older hearing aid models, which is why there has been considerable research undertaken to remove this type of noise from current technology.
Telecoils and Loops
Telecoils and loops work in tandem with hearing aids to let you directly connect to specific sound sources. You may find these offered in public arenas or libraries. There are also many different types of telephones which support telecoil and loop technology, too.
Remote Control
How easy are your new hearing aids to control? Can you remotely tweak them, or do they come fitted with on-aid controls? Some more advanced hearing aids even have apps and programs. However, providing you have access to simple controls, this may not be a feature you are too fussy about.
Directional Microphones
Directional microphones are modern hearing aid standards which are well worth looking out for. These can be used to enhance the performance and clarity of your device. This is one of the more modern features observed in this hearing aid buying guide; however, it is a feature which many people have come to rely on.
Programmable Features
Finally, do consider buying hearing aids which are easy to program. These will react to different environments and scenarios and can be adjusted with just a few button presses. You can even set up modern hearing aids to automatically adjust to your own needs. In time, you will be able to customise your hearing aids your way.
Conclusion
We hope this hearing aid buying guide has been informative. At Nano Hearing Aids, we strive to offer you the best in comfort and the best in hearing technology. If you’d like to know more about how to choose the right hearing aid, our team is here to help.
Call us today on (888) 310-6266 to learn more, or take a look at our fantastic range in our online store!