Are Hearing Aids Worth It?

Deciding if hearing aids are worth it

Whether or not hearing aids are worth it requires more than performing a cost-benefit analysis. Yes, hearing aids have downsides, but the upsides include protecting your mental health, improving your quality of life and reducing the progression of future hearing loss.

Benefits to using hearing aids

• Reduced cognitive decline: A study by John Hopkins found hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia, while the Mayo Clinic notes the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study found hearing aids reduce this decline.
• Reduced fall risk: While hearing aids themselves aren’t shown in studies to reduce inner-ear issues that lead to falls, anecdotal evidence suggests that hearing your surroundings better can reduce some fall risks associated with crowds.
• Improved social life: Hearing loss can lead to a sense of isolation, especially if you withdraw from friends and events because you can’t hear conversations and feel embarrassed. Hearing aids can return the enjoyment of social events.
• Increased safety: From driving a car and needing to hear horns or sirens to walking on a sidewalk to hearing a fire alarm, hearing is your first line of defense in personal safety.
• Preventing further hearing loss: The less you hear, the more the brain forgets how to process sound. Hearing aids help keep the brain functioning longer and, in many cases, reduce further hearing loss.

Downsides to using hearing aids

• Costs: Hearing aids typically range from $200 for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids to around $4,700 for professionally fitted hearing aids without insurance assistance.
• Inconvenience: Beyond appointments for fittings and maintenance, remembering to wear and keep track of your hearing aids can feel inconvenient.
• Upkeep: Hearing aids need to be kept charged and batteries replaced on schedule.
• Comfort: While there are many types of hearing aids, from over-the-ear to in-the-ear, you may find them uncomfortable due to interference with glasses or uneven ear canals.
• Misplacement: Hearing aids are typically small and can be easy to lose, leading to replacement costs.

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Hearing aid features that matter most

Important hearing aid features are the ones that improve quality of life and protect your hearing. After all, some of the early signs that someone needs hearing aids revolve around quality of life.

These signs can include:

• Struggling in conversations
• Asking people to repeat themselves
• Avoiding social situations
• Turning up the TV volume
• Family members expressing concern
• Missing doorbells or alarms
• Difficulty hearing in restaurants
• Feeling mentally exhausted after conversation

Top features of modern hearing aids

Modern hearing aids offer a variety of features to make them more convenient and effective. These features include:

• Smartphone app control: Hearing aid apps give you the freedom to make preference adjustments to your hearing aid without an appointment with the manufacturer.
• Automatic environment adjustment: Many hearing aids automatically adjust to changing sound levels to keep what you hear even, rather than exposing you to intermittent, overly loud sounds.
• Telecoil for public venues: Modern accessibility features in public venues often include Hearing Loop technology that helps properly equipped hearing aids connect to public address (PA) systems.
• Feedback cancellation: Sudden bursts of loud, high-pitched sound are painful, but modern hearing aids often prevent feedback with phase inversion and notch filtering.
• Bluetooth streaming: Connecting to your TV via Bluetooth allows your hearing aids to stream sound directly, improving clarity.
• Sound reduction and frequency separation: Using advanced sound profiles, AI and multi-channel digital signal processing, many higher-end hearing aids filter out background noise and process frequencies more strongly or more lightly depending on your needs.
• Rechargeable batteries: Rechargeable batteries make keeping hearing aids working as simple as keeping your cell phone charged. Most fit into a charging case, similar to AirPods, that is plugged into the wall.
• Directional microphones: These specialized microphones help reduce ambient noise, allowing you to focus on conversations. They give more weight to sounds in the front than to those in the sides and rear.

Hearing aid costs and what you get

Hearing aid costs are typically closely aligned with the features and level of service included. Personal sound amplifiers (PSAPs), OTC hearing aids and prescription hearing aids each have distinct feature sets.

UL-listed hearing aids meet rigorous safety standards for fire, shock and other hazards.

For example, safety features such as noise limiters and fall alerts, UL-listed components and moisture resistance are usually absent in PSPs, but common in prescription-level hearing aids.

While Costco improved access to OTC hearing aids, prescription providers also offer a variety of brands, such as Phonak and Oticon.

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Average prices and included services

The table below compares average costs for different types of hearing aids and the services typically included with each option.

Prescription hearing aids typically include a hearing exam and professional fitting. The level of ongoing service depends on the device class:

• Premium prescription: Follow-up adjustments, routine cleaning, repairs and a loss-and-damage warranty
• Mid-level prescription: Scheduled adjustments and routine cleaning
• Basic prescription: Limited adjustments and cleaning
• Over the counter: Sometimes includes a hearing exam, limited fitting help and limited after-sale support
• Amplification device: No professional services included

Expensive hearing aids vs. cheaper options

The wide variation in costs for hearing aids — often ranging from under $30 to thousands of dollars — makes no sense until you look at the features, what’s included with the price and the potential risks of each option.

Here are the key benefits and drawbacks of different hearing aid classes:

Amplifiers vs. hearing aids

The cheapest hearing aids, often advertised online, are usually only amplifiers. They work like putting a tiny speaker in your ear and turning the volume all the way up. Unfortunately, this can further damage your hearing, just like listening to loud music. Technically, these devices are called personal sound amplification products, but improper labeling creates confusion.

Personal sound amplification products also don’t selectively amplify certain frequencies, clarify speech or separate voices from background noise. Furthermore, they typically don’t meet FDA requirements and may use unregulated batteries or harsh chemicals.

Hearing tests and underlying conditions

While often ignored by over-the-counter and amplifier ads or dismissed as a hassle, hearing tests and hearing aid fitting appointments matter. Audiologist and medical doctor appointments for hearing loss help diagnose what is wrong with your hearing and the best way to address it.

Hearing loss isn’t the same for everyone, and hearing evaluations help determine the type of hearing loss and what kind of hearing aid is best suited for you.

Types of hearing loss include:

• Sensorineural hearing loss: Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear, the hearing nerve or the hair cells in the cochlea. Common causes are age, exposure to loud sounds and certain illnesses and medications.
• Conductive hearing loss: When sound is blocked from reaching the inner ear, it is called conductive hearing loss. Eardrum injuries, abnormalities in the ear canal, fluid, foreign objects and wax buildup can all cause conductive hearing loss.
• Mixed hearing loss: A combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss can be complex to treat and sometimes requires surgical intervention.

Medical professionals sometimes find that hearing loss is due to a serious condition such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular problems, a head injury, diabetes or even tumors. Sudden hearing loss is especially concerning, and it is typically recommended that you seek out medical evaluation quickly from an ER, your doctor or an otologist.

FAQ

Bottom line

Hearing aids are generally worth it for most people with hearing loss. They improve quality of life, reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia and enhance safety and social engagement.

While costs and upkeep can be barriers, the proven health and lifestyle benefits often outweigh any downsides. Investing in hearing aids can mean maintaining independence, staying connected with friends and family and protecting long-term health.