3 Reasons Not To Buy Your Hearing Aid Online

More people are turning on their computers and going online to go shopping for everything from tennis shoes, crafts and tools. While purchasing these types of products online may be harmless, we don’t recommend buying a hearing aid online.

Hearing Loss Is Personal.

Everyone’s hearing loss is unique. When you begin to lose your hearing, often, it’s just in certain frequencies. Which frequencies you are missing varies from person to person. When a hearing professional administers a hearing test, they will know exactly what frequencies you are missing and will be able to determine the best solution.  Just like every hearing loss is different, so are hearing aids. Not every hearing aid will work for every type of hearing loss. It’s best to make an appointment with a professional to determine your needs.

 Don’t Forget About Warranty, Service.

When you buy a hearing aid online you may be swapping price for warranty and service. When you buy a hearing aid from a hearing professional, your instrument will come with a warranty. That means when breaks there will be someone who can repair it. It also means that the professional you purchased your hearing aid from will be able to make programming adjustments if your hearing changes.

 Is It Really A Hearing Aid?

When you buy online, you might not be purchasing a hearing aid. Personal sound amplification devices are also sold online and may look very similar to hearing aids. These devices may cost only $19.99, but are not classified as hearing aids. They amplify sounds you may not need amplified.

Hearing Aids Are Disappearing … In The Ear

Over the years they have gotten smaller and smaller. Now, they are even invisible. 

As consumers demaned a hearing device that sounded much like human ear, but one that was also so discreet it couldn’t be noticed, manufacturers responded. Starkey responded with the OtoLens.

The OtoLens is titled an invisible CIC. This hearing aid fits deep into the ear’s canal. So deep, in fact, that you won’t be able to see it.  It is designed to fit inside the second bend of the ear canal and uses the ear’s natural shape to help create a natural sound quality, according to Starkey.

The OtoLen fits and operates much like a traditional CIC.  Even though it fits deep into the canal, it is designed to be removed daily much the same way a traditional CIC would be removed.

There’s another product also being marketed as an invisible hearing aid, the Lyric.

This hearing instrument also fits deep in the canal and is advertised as the “world’s first and only 100% invisible, extended wear hearing device.” 

The Lyric is not like most hearing aids. It is inserted and worn, day and night, for up to 120 days. Patients then must visit their hearing care professional for a replacement. Unlike traditional hearing aids, Lyric is sold on a subscription basis.

Not everyone is a candidate for the Lyric or Starkey OtoLens. If you are interested in a nearly invisible hearing aid, but want something other than the Lyric or Starkey OtoLens, try a traditional CIC, which are made by nearly all hearing aid manufacturers.

ReSound and Beltone (both Great Nordic companies) make a CIC that  has a remote mic. These hearing aids fit entirely inside the ear and are also made to be nearly invisible.

Panasonic Unveils 3 Digital Hearing Instruments In U.S.

 Panasonic Corporation of North America has announced that Panasonic Hearing instruments have been delivered to the U.S. market.  The company is debuting three types of digital hearing instruments, including a new form factor that resembles the style of an MP3 player, a receiver-in-canal and behind-the-ear models.  Panasonic is currently establishing a distribution network throughout the U.S.

“We are thrilled to bring three new Panasonic digital hearing instruments to the U.S. and make products available from a brand that is associated with quality sound.  Panasonic digital hearing instruments deliver the same high-quality, reliability, and innovation that our customers have grown to appreciate from our audio products.  We manufacture our own digital signal processors and have developed a unique algorithm to enable precise sound reproduction,” said Yoshi Yuasa, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Corporation of North America. “Panasonic is known as one of the leaders in acoustic science, and is committed to provide innovative hearing solutions through advanced technology.”

Panasonic digital hearing instruments are designed for the patient and provide the features, convenience and performance requested by hearing care professionals and their patients.  They are attractive, comfortable to wear, easy to use and have a unique circuit design for high performance and long battery life.

Panasonic introduces the JZ Series, a newly-styled digital hearing instrument that resembles the style of an MP3 player.  This palm-sized unit features an LCD screen and a stereo binaural headset (earphone with microphones), created for increased usability and designed to be comfortable for long hours of wear.     

The JZ Series is ideal for individuals with dexterity challenges, impaired vision and those with situational hearing loss, such as when watching TV.  This digital hearing instrument features a Scene Select function that allows the user to view the listening modes on the LCD screen and select the most appropriate mode based upon the surrounding environment from the four modes available.  This unit includes a rechargeable battery that can easily be charged by placing the main unit in the charging cradle.  Alternatively, the JZ Series can also use commercial AAA alkaline batteries.

The Panasonic 4-Series is a Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) digital hearing instrument that is the smallest of Panasonic’s three introductions.  The stylish waveform design and small size of the device make it possible for it to be worn discreetly behind the ear.  The RIC provides a comfortable open fit solution for patients with mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

The Panasonic 2-Series is a Standard Behind-the-Ear (BTE) digital hearing instrument that integrates Panasonic’s advanced digital signal processing technologies and is designed for moderate to severe hearing loss.

Panasonic 2-Series and 4-Series digital hearing instruments both feature Dual Focus technology that integrates noise reduction and directivity control to improve the accuracy of analyzing noise components.  Dual Focus suppresses noises coming from the rear and sides.  Accordingly, the focus is on voice communication coming from the front producing comfortable hearing conditions and optimizing speech intelligibility.

“Panasonic is delighted to introduce digital hearing instruments line to the U.S. market, and we are currently planning a wide-spread rollout working with customers who embrace our vision for the hearing care business,” said Delain D. Wright, Director of Sales, Panasonic Corporation of North America, Healthcare Group. “With the power of the Panasonic brand, and our innovative technologies, Panasonic is committed to being the preferred manufacturer for the independent hearing care professionals. We will work with professionals who know how to use the power of the brand to grow the market with us”.

Your Pain Mediciation May Cause Hearing Loss

Warning: your common over-the-counter pain killer may cause hearing loss.

That’s probably not a warning you will see on your Tylenol, Aspirin or Advil bottles, but it may be added soon.  A recent study showed that medicines and these non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increased the risk of hearing loss in men under the age of 60.

“Regular use of aspirin, NSAIDs or acetaminophen increases the risk of hearing loss in men and the impact is larger on younger individuals,” according the study, which did not examine women.

The study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, indicated that the association between these drugs and hearing loss was “substantially higher in younger men. For men younger than 50 years, the hazard ration for hearing loss was 1.33 for regular aspirin use, 1.61 for NSAIDs and 1.99 for acetaminophen.”

Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the United State and Aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most commonly used drugs in the U.S., according to the study.

Hearing professionals have long known that some medications can cause hearing loss. To determine if you have a hearing loss, visit a hearing professional in your area.

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