DEAR DR. GOTT: About ten years ago I bought two hearing aids for $900. Three years ago I paid $1,600 for two hearing aids. Now I need a more powerful aid and the price is $1,900.
Would you please explain to me and others why hearing aids are so expensive? It consists of the body and an amplifier. The batteries are bought separately at the drug store. Good grief, you can buy a small color television set with hundreds of parts for $100 so what am I missing?
DEAR READER: Before we get down to brass tacks (money), let me explain a little about hearing loss which, for many, appears to be part of the aging process unless heredity and/or exposure in a workplace environment or even from mowing a lawn without ear protection may be to blame at an earlier age. Other contributing factors to include something as simple as cerumen (ear wax) infection and a ruptured ear drum that can keep a person from hearing well.
The ear consists of three major areas – the outer, middle and inner ear. Sound waves pass from the outer ear, creating vibrations at the eardrum itself. The eardrum amplifies those vibrations that pass along to the middle ear bones which then communicates with the inner ear. A snail-shaped structure in the inner ear known as the cochlea is filled with countless hairs that turn those vibrations into electrical signals that pass along to the brain. When the hairs become damaged or are missing, the electrical signals don’t get transmitted as they did previously and hearing loss occurs. As long as we are talking about the inner ear, I must mention that specific medications to include very high doses of aspirin, loop diuretics, some pain relievers, those taken for chemotherapy treatment or gentamycin, an antibiotic, can damage the inner ear and cause hearing loss.
Signs of loss include turning up the volume on a television or radio, asking others to speak louder and withdrawing from conversations. When we might think a person is becoming rather anti-social in crowds, it may be because he or she needs to concentrate harder in order to comprehend what someone is saying. When you multiply that times 10 or 20 at a party or public gathering, the different tones and inability to concentrate on only one person speaking can become a frustrating, insurmountable task.
Cochlear implants and hearing aids can be of assistance for the hard-of-hearing individual. The implant works by assisting the damaged portion of the inner ear, while a hearing aid amplifies sound and directs it into the ear canal. Not all that long ago, an inexpensive device was prescribed that acted as a microphone and fit over the ear. It was visible and anyone could easily see that the person to whom they were speaking was hard of hearing. Since then, a digital open fit device that sits behind the ear was designed for mild to severe high frequency hearing loss. A behind the ear form that is larger hooks over the ear and rests behind has more features and is designed for people with major hearing loss. A full shell in the ear aid can be custom made and essentially fills the majority of the area of the outer ear. A half shell is larger but easier to handle than smaller units. An in-the-canal unit is less visible but may not fit well in smaller ears. Lastly, a unit that fits inside the ear canal and is least noticeable is available. Wow. Wonder why people get confused?
Consumer Reports even addressed the issue in 2009 by following 12 patients for six months as they purchased and used hearing aids. This was followed by a national survey of 1,100 people who had bought a hearing aid within the past three years. What they found was that the individuals contacted purchased two pairs of hearing aids each, 48 in all, that ranged in price from $1,800 to $6,800 per pair in the New York city metropolitan area. And that was three years ago! Just imagine what they cost today. Anyway, audiologists were brought in and found that two thirds of the 48 hearing aids were misfit and amplified too little or too much. One fourth of the wearers didn’t know whether their hearing aids had feedback suppression and a third didn’t know if theirs had directional microphones. Both features can be critical to good performance. All in all, the individuals approached were hearing more than they did previously and more than 70% were satisfied, despite now knowing the capabilities or shortcomings of the units used.
Hearing technology has progressed by leaps and bounds in recent years and the costs of this progress has kept up, as well. The public does not want to have any device seen, so units are smaller and fit directly into the ear in an almost invisible manner. Generally speaking, the smaller the device, the less powerful it is (although they are becoming increasingly efficient as the technology improves), the shorter its battery life is, and the more it will cost. And that, sir, as with any progressive device, is why costs continue to rise.
Speak with your audiologist. Medicare does not cover the cost of hearing aids but if you are a veteran you may be able to receive aids at no cost. Visit your local VA office and ask for clarification. Some private insurance companies may cover all or a good portion of the cost of aids so do your homework before making a purchase.
