The most common form of a hearing amplifier is behind the ear hearing aids. You might see them abbreviated at BTE hearing aids. These hearing devices consist of a plastic case that holds the electronic parts which then has a tube that fits into the ear piece of the hearing aid.

The BTE hearing aids were created to help revive the entire spectrum of hearing loss. People with mild to severe hearing loss have enjoyed the improvement in hearing. One of the problems of this type of hearing amplifier is that it is rather large in size but in the last five years have made quite a few improvements and just like every other tech device, has gotten smaller. Still users complain of the size of behind the ear hearing aid.

On the plus side of the larger size is the fact that the hearing amplifier can be bigger which can give users better results. The bigger size can also permit the use of a bigger battery so that you don’t have to charge it as often. BTE hearing aids are also great because they come in many sizes and are able to fit most users. BTE hearing aids are also available in both analog, and digital hearing configurations.

It is important to note that a behind the ear digital hearing aid may be visible to others because of its larger size, although the versions that are available today are still much smaller than those that were offered in years past. This type of hearing aid may also require extra maintenance, as the ear mold and tubing may need to be replaced periodically in order to maintain the seal. Another potential draw back of this type of hearing amplifier is that since the microphone is positioned in a close proximity to the hearing aid receiver, feedback occurs more often.

Please feel free to email if you have any questions about Digital Hearing Aids hearing aids or any other hearing amplifier.

First let’s take a look at how the human ear functions. The human ear has two basic functions. It is responsible for amplifying sound. A person cupping their ear to hear something is simply over exaggerating what the ear already does. And of course the ear is responsible for delivering the sounds to the brain.

There are several kinds of hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is when a person looses the volume of sound. Hearing aids are great for helping with this kind of hearing loss. Hearing aids are not your only option with this however. Doctors are also able to get good results by treating hearing loss with new surgeries. There are even new drugs available that have shown remarkable results.

Inner ear hearing loss, which is caused by the deterioration of the nerve in the ear, is the most common form of hearing loss associated with old age. This affects how the ear processes sounds. Digital hearing aids can help but are not a perfect fix by any means.

Hearing aids used to big bulky and a very unattractive. Not only were they not astatically pleasing but they also did not work very well. The most common complaint was about loud annoying feedback. In the last ten years digital aids have made big improvements to the hearing aid. Digital Hearing aids are basically programmable hearing aids that can provide a very custom replication of sounds. These electronics also have greatly improved on the problem of buzzing feedback that users had complained about for years.

Digital hearing aids were hailed as the fix all for those suffering from hearing loss. There is no question that the new hearing devices are much smaller and are packed full of the latest digital circuits and microprocessors. There is also no question that the new technologies have tacked on thousands more dollars to the already very over priced hearing devices. People are used to having the latest and greatest when it comes to technology and everyone just assumes that just because it’s made with cutting edge technology that it will work the best for them. Check out our page on hearing aids reviews and hearing aid comparisons before making a decision.

It is no secret that these hearing electronics cost big money. Years back hearing aids were sold by door-to-door sales men, which gave way to big time abuse. Today hearing aids can only be sold by licensed doctors but the top-down sales structure still leaves people suffering from hearing loss vulnerable to being over sold. Digital hearing aids are big business with millions of dollars being spent each year on marketing these new devices. For many out there, this type of hearing aid is over kill. Often seniors and those with hearing loss are just wanting to hear there TV. For them a cheaper device such as TV Ears or something similar works just fine. With the cost of such devices under $100 dollars, it’s a cost savings that many people choose.

Digital hearing aids turn everyday sounds into a digital format, which boils down to zeros and ones. Then a microcomputer processes the sounds and relays them to the wearer according to how the hearing device has been programmed. The technology is very much like adjusting a fancy sound system with an equalizer. The end result is that the digital aid relays the sounds according to how loud the background environment is. So if it’s a quite room then the digital aid relays the sound much quieter than it would if you were in a crowed courtyard with lots of background noise.

Studies show that people seem to be more satisfied with digital aids compared to the older analog style of hearing device. A non-profit organization found that 77 percent of those people using digital aids were satisfied with the hearing aid. This is higher than the 66 percent ration of people satisfied with the hearing amplifier. It is not surprising then that almost 50 percent of hearing devices sold today are of the digital aid variety.

Although people seem to be happier with the digital hearing aid, there is a huge price to pay. All the bells and whistles can tack on thousands of dollars, which is not covered by most health insurance companies. In fact, most insurance companies will only pay a few hundred dollars towards the cost of the hearing device. There is a movement is some states however that would require insurance companies to pay up to 85 percent of the cost.

For those people with a small pocket book, the cheaper analog options will not be as available in years to come as the hearing aid manufactures switch over to digital aid models. The programmable hearing aids are cheaper for them to manufacture and also are easier to repair. The good news is that these same companies are starting to introduce a low hearing aid product line.

The cost of one digital hearing aid can range from $1700 to $4,750 at the retail level. There are many reasons why the digital hearing aids bring high prices but the major one is the cost of research and development. Also, these devices contain miniaturized computer chips, which makes them more expensive then their analog counter parts.

If you step up to the high end of digital hearing aids, you will be blown away with the things you can hear. Users can hear even the faintest noises, and eliminate all feedback without having to turn down the volume. These high tech devices also have a directional microphone which can be directed at the users front which will eliminate any surrounding noises.

consult an audiologist if you think that digital hearing aids might be right for you. The doctor needs to determine the degree and cause of your hearing impairment. Keep in mind that if you have been using analog hearing devices, it may take some time to fully adjust to your new digital haring aids. Also be prepared to make several visits to the audiologist so they can make the final adjustments to your high tech digital hearing aid. So now you can see why answering the question how much do digital hearing aids cost is  such a difficult question.