PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — You can save a lot of money buying hearing aids online or in big box stores, but that’s not the best idea.
Dr. Holly Reynolds, an audiologist in the Ear, Nose and Throat department at AtlantiCare, said it's essential to be evaluated by a doctor to rule out any medical issues that may need to be treated.
"Do I have wax in my ears? Do I have a middle ear infection that can be treated? Do I need surgery to correct my hearing loss? Not all types of hearing loss are appropriate for hearing aids,” she said, “so this should be done with a medical evaluation and an audiological evaluation at the same time.”
There are many different types of hearing aids, and they must fit properly and correct the specific hearing issue of each patient.
Many cheaper alternatives sold online claim to be hearing aids, but they are not.
“Some of those being called hearing aids years ago would have been a personal amplifier, and they are meant to just flat-line amplify all tones at the same level,” said Reynolds, “so they are not accurately fitting most people’s hearing losses.”