Game Changer: Hearing Aids Now OTC

[tvguy]

You can certainly find cheaper models. But I wanted to find the best I could find in this category, and these were the ones most recommended by many reviewers. I consider them a bargain.

I thought about the battery model, but I read they must be changed every 6 days or so. That would, for me, be inconvenient and expensive over time. Rechargeable make it as easy as charging my phone, with no added cost over time.

My mom got about 2 weeks to a battery. Like I said, my concern would be them needing a charge when I needed them and they are useless for hours. Can the rechargeable batteries be replaced when they wear out? That is my frustration now with so many items with rechargeable batteries. The device works fine, but the rechargeable batteries are toast and can''t be replaced. My tablet and my wife's Kindle are in that situation right now. Working fine, but battery life is down to just a few hours, and the only option is to throw them out and buy new ones.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My mom got about 2 weeks to a battery. Like I said, my concern would be them needing a charge when I needed them and they are useless for hours. Can the rechargeable batteries be replaced when they wear out? That is my frustration now with so many items with rechargeable batteries. The device works fine, but the rechargeable batteries are toast and can''t be replaced. My tablet and my wife's Kindle are in that situation right now. Working fine, but battery life is down to just a few hours, and the only option is to throw them out and buy new ones.

I know they are under full warranty for three years. The charges last for 30 hrs. You charge them like you do your phone. Mine are fully charged daily. Most of the middle age people I know today who have hearing aids have rechargeable ones.

I hear your frustration with battery issues on some of today’s electronics. I have had to get rid of a phone because of it. I currently have an iPhone 8Plus (which came out in 2017) and it still holds a decent charge. I almost never run out, but I do keep a charging block in my bag just in case I have to use it a lot.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

I know they are under full warranty for three years. The charges last for 30 hrs. You charge them like you do your phone. Mine are fully charged daily. Most of the middle age people I know today who have hearing aids have rechargeable ones.

I hear your frustration with battery issues on some of today’s electronics. I have had to get rid of a phone because of it. I currently have an iPhone 8Plus (which came out in 2017) and it still holds a decent charge. I almost never run out, but I do keep a charging block in my bag just in case I have to use it a lot.

Thank you @Pea-n-Me for sharing your experience with the Lively (now a new name) model. My husband wears hearing aids and we purchased them a few years ago for $4,800 from the ENT's office and they were the middle of the pack model with the top of the line model coming in at $6,000. When it comes time to replace them, I'm relieved to know they'll cost less and also am assured by your experience so far.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I realized today I haven’t updated this for a while. Has anyone else gotten hearing aids in this manner?

I’ve definitely gotten used to them. As I said, I only wear them under certain circumstances (work), and for that they’re working pretty well. I haven’t had to use support from my associated Audiologist after our initial teaching session, but it’s nice to know she’s there if I do. She can make any adjustments remotely if need be (and I can also adjust myself on the App).

Playing around with the settings on my iPhone has been interesting. I find I like the All Around setting most, with noise reduction, and I can set it to about 80%. The situations I wanted the hearing aids for (improving one on one conversations in the middle of a very noisy environment) have definitely improved. I’m not saying, “Huh?” as much or having to move closer to people to hear, etc.

So, so far, so good! I‘m glad I got the ones that charge. It’s very simple (like a phone), and how much of a charge they have left shows up on my iPhone as well as by lights on the case. As soon as I get home I put the case on the charger for a little while and they’re good to go at full charge for the next day.

I was comparing mine to someone I know who got hers the traditional way and she was surprised how much like hers mine are. As I said, these are simply direct to consumer now, simply cutting out the middle man. Makes total sense for today.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

An official 2023 Review of the hearing aids I got from TopTen.com under Best Hearing Aid

https://www.top10.com/hearing-aid/reviews/jabra-enhance

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[Pea-n-Me]

The charging case:

https://www.jabraenhance.com/start/enhance-select-200/charge

 

[Her Dotness]

One important question to ask the person fitting them before buying these, IMO, is--Are you an audiologist or a hearing specialist? Also ask where they got their degrees if they say they're an audiologist. Then, check the schools' reputations to determine how well-regarded their training programs are.

State laws vary as to which you're likely to encounter in OTC or retail hearing aid salescenters like Beltone vs. ENT clinic audiology departments. I strongly advise finding out what your state's laws are.

I learned that in Missouri the people working in retail hearing aid centers are typically hearing specialists, not actual audiologists. A Missouri hearing specialist needs only a year of training in administering and interpreting hearing tests and advising what type of hearing aid will be suitable. They get marginal training in other important concerns such as precision adjusting and potential medical issues.

An audiologist must have a doctorate degree in audiology which means they've earned a bachelor's degree in a related field (generally 4 years), a master's degree (another 1-2 years) and finally the doctorate (another year or more). Their training is consequently far more thorough and demanding.

Interestingly, my hearing aids fitted by an audiologist were almost $1000 cheaper than the similar ones recommended by the hearing specialist I first consulted for comparison.

The hearing specialist dodged a number of my questions about why she recommended the particular type she did and didn't appear to know why other aid styles wouldn't work for my needs, just insisted they wouldn't. (Price, maybe?) On the other hand, the audiologist explained precisely why an in-the-ear type wasn't advisable for me based upon my test results and her having asked extensive questions like what I noticed were issues for me, what social situations I was involved in, whether I played or listened often to music, did I do sports indoors or out--specific lifestyle questions. She also asked about any allergies or other health concerns I had that might affect my hearing such as sinus congestion.

Basically, a hearing specialist is a salesperson while an audiologist is a healthcare professional. That's a significant difference, IMO. Knowing which you're getting could be vitally important.

 

[DCLMP]

This is good news. I think most young people will need them by the time their 45. The headphones and earphones....no surprise they are not good for your hearing. My 18 year-old asked me to turn on sub titles when we were watching a movie the other night and I thought the volume was too loud. My I-phone warns me all the time about my ear pod usage.
Your hearing declines naturally as you age, but now with all the children using head phones and ear pods..not good.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This is good news. I think most young people will need them by the time their 45. The headphones and earphones....no surprise they are not good for your hearing. My 18 year-old asked me to turn on sub titles when we were watching a movie the other night and I thought the volume was too loud. My I-phone warns me all the time about my ear pod usage.
Your hearing declines naturally as you age, but now with all the children using head phones and ear pods..not good.

And their eyesight, as well.

 

[DCLMP]

And their eyesight, as well.

Oh yeah the screens. They'll need hearing and glasses at middle age.

 

[PezRuth]

As a 45 year old woman who has hearing aids, I am happy to hear that they are becoming easier to access. As a side note, the suspicion is that I was born with hearing loss. I have had a hard time hearing since I was about 8 but refused to get hearing aids. Around 10 years ago I finally looked into it. I went with a kind that went entirely in my ear because I didn't want anyone to see them. I hated them. They were horrible. Everything reverberated. Refused to wear them. then a few years ago I realized I was missing out on life and went back. I know have Phonak over the ear. If I wear my hair down it is really hard to tell I have them. There is a small clear tube that goes from the part in my ear to what is over my ear. I still hate that I wear them. I hate that I am 45 and everyone just thinks that this only is an issue for older people. I am so glad to see some pop culture things starting to address this like Hawkeye wearing hearing aids, American Girl and Barbie dolls that have them. My point to all of this rambling is this...they are different for every person. I highly recommend going to an audiologist to talk to someone about what is the best course of action for them.