Buying a hearing from Specsavers: expert interview

Rebecca Day, Specsavers’ Regional Audiology Training Manager, shares her top tips for finding the right hearing aid for you

From hearing loss to tinnitus, hearing aids are commonly used to help with a number of different hearing conditions. Yet, finding the right hearing aid for you can be challenging.

From understanding the different types available to knowing how long they last, it can be difficult to determine which will work best with your condition.

Why should someone get hearing aids?

When loss of hearing is starting to have an impact on your quality of life, such as missing out on conversations or having to turn the television up, you should consider hearing aids.

They may also be worth considering if you’re feeling fatigued from concentrating on people speaking just to hear them.

What problems do hearing aids solve?

Hearing aids can help with a range of hearing difficulties, such as hearing conversations in both one-to-one and noisy situations, difficulties with speech clarity and understanding and hearing the TV properly.

There is also wider ongoing research into whether hearing aids can help to reduce the cognitive load (the amount our brain has to work in order to take in new information) a person experiences, which could ultimately help reduce the risk of dementia and improve cognitive fatigue.

What kinds of hearing aids does Specsavers produce and provide?

Specsavers provide a huge range of different options and styles of hearing aids to suit the varied needs of our patients and their hearing loss — from our own advanced digital range to NHS digital hearing aids.

These include custom-made options to fit the patient’s ear, rechargeable aids that remove the need to change batteries, and aids that provide a direct connection from mobile phones that allow users to stream phone calls and audio from their phones.

What kinds of technologies do Specsavers hearing aids use?

To ensure users have a flexible approach to their individual conditions, our hearing aids use the latest technology, including lithium-ion batteries, in addition to Made for iPhone and Made for Android technology, which allow the users to have a flexible approach to their hearing loss.

How are these technologies industry-leading?

We work with world-leading hearing aid manufacturers: two of which provide hearing aids that use Made for iPhone technology, and another who is the first to produce Made for Android hearing aids. This ensures we have the latest features and the fastest processing available.

What do hearing tests do? What do they measure?

When we test your hearing, we first ask questions about why you’re visiting and in what ways you’re having problems with your hearing.

We then get to know about your lifestyle, any hobbies you may have and where and when you’d like to hear well, followed by a detailed medical history of your hearing. We also check both ears to make sure they are healthy and safe for us to proceed with the hearing test.

When we test your hearing, we play you a series of tones through headphones at different pitches and intensities to find the quietest sound you can hear and move forward from there.

How do hearing tests help me pick the right hearing aids?

The hearing test itself only forms part of the selection process when choosing the right hearing aids for you and your hearing loss. We also consider where you would like to hear better and your current lifestyle when picking out the aid.

Are there any reasons why hearing aids may be unsuitable for me?

From a technological standpoint, the range of styles offered by Specsavers ensures that there is nothing that would make hearing aids unsuitable for you.

However, it’s important to be in the right mindset before proceeding with hearing aids. From worrying about what people might think to your own fear of what wearing a hearing might mean for your lifestyle, it’s important to discuss any negative thoughts with your audiologist.

What should a person know before buying Specsavers hearing aids?

Before buying hearing aids it’s important to know that they won’t cure your hearing loss. Hearing aids are personal listening devices and are designed to make one-on-one communication easier. In busy or noisy places, you may still struggle with your hearing even while wearing them — just the same as someone who has no difficulty with their hearing may.

Common questions about hearing aids

The price you pay for a pair of hearing aids depends on the level of technology of the aid, so our entry-level aids start from €300 a pair with PRSI*. At Specsavers, we provide four years’ worth of batteries (for non-rechargeable options) as well as a four-year warranty with our hearing aids. There may also be additional costs of wax filters, which prevent wax from going into the devices or domes, which start at €9.95 a pack. It’s recommended that they are changed every three months.

*PRSI subject to eligibility. Funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Hearing aids generally have a life span of at least four years, however if you take care of them they can last longer than this. It is recommended that hearing aids should be updated every four years, to ensure you are wearing hearing aids that are providing the biggest benefit for your hearing loss and lifestyle.

Getting new hearing aids will be dependent on various things such as your lifestyle needs, the change in your hearing and money.

Whenever you get new hearing aids, they will always feel better than your previous pair. However, like a pair of shoes, you will need to take some time to adjust and adapt to them.

For more information about hearing aid options, head over to our hearing aid learning resource. You can also book an appointment here with your local Specsavers audiologist, who will be able to take you through the steps further.

Book a free hearing test