Buying Hearing Aids Online

Online shopping is a trend that has skyrocketed in recent years. You can now get almost anything you could ever need or want delivered right to your doorstep, sometimes in barely any time at all.

While the advantages of online shopping may seem to know no bounds, there are a few pitfalls to be wary of, as consumers “skip” important steps when selecting the products they put in their carts. For example, if you’re shopping for clothes or shoes, you won’t be able to try them on before paying for them. As a result, they might not live up to your expectations, and it’s not always easy to exchange them or get your money back.

The flaws of this type of shortcut or impulse purchase become even more worrisome when shopping for products that relate to physical health. Without the help and advice of a healthcare professional, the risk of error is quite big, and the potential repercussions on your health are not to be ignored. That’s why buying hearing aids online is a practice that hearing health professional discourage.

One of the main problems with buying hearing aids online is the lack of professional supervision. When you buy online without the advice of a properly trained person to guide you, you don’t benefit from personalized support to help you adjust the hearing aids correctly and use them to their fullest potential. Success rates are low when it comes to online shopping, since people are left to fend for themselves, without advice or follow-up care.

Let’s use physiotherapy as an example to draw parallels about the importance of professional support. If you buy a brace online without first consulting a healthcare professional and following up with a clinic, the physical problem (e.g., shoulder mobility) won’t be resolved, since you won’t benefit from the advice and care required to heal it properly.

Every appointment, consultation, and discussion with an audioprosthetist paints an increasingly precise picture of the patient’s hearing aid needs. So, it’s vital not to bypass the steps that will allow you to adapt to the world of sound and reach general well-being.

These steps include acclimatizing to your hearing aids, a key moment during which the knowledge and skills of an audioprosthetist can make all the difference.

Adapting to hearing aids isn’t just a physical process, but also a psychological—and sometimes emotional—one. For some people, it’s a whole new soundscape that becomes accessible. An audioprosthetist’s professional skills, like programming and sound adjustment, are essential to a successful experience with hearing aids.

There are countless benefits to having appointments and follow-ups after you have your hearing aids fitted. Not only will you feel cared for, but you can also get reassurance and stay informed at every step of the process.

Very often, audioprosthetists work hand in hand with specialized educators. These professionals are also trained to provide invaluable advice about using and maintaining your hearing aids. They are equipped to answer any questions you may have about wearing them on a daily basis. Whether you want to know more about specific listening situations or your hearing aids’ connectivity with other devices, such as your cell phone, specialized educators have answers and can share best practices.

It should also be noted that in most cases, insurance companies require a prescription and medical recommendation to cover the cost of hearing aids. Online purchases are therefore generally not refunded. In Quebec, the approach to getting hearing aids is medical rather than commercial. What’s more, accessing them is easier here than anywhere else in the world. In fact, their acquisition is supported by a range of social programs that provide full coverage for either one or two hearing aids. The hearing health professionals at Lobe clinics are here to support patients with their applications to paying organizations, such as the RAMQ, the CNESST, and Veterans Affairs Canada.