Don't Buy Hearing Aids Online

About The Hearing Matters Podcast

The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CCC-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA.

On this episode, Blaise Delfino discusses why you SHOULD NOT purchase hearing aids online.  If you purchase "hearing aids" online: 

1. You do not receive a comprehensive audiological evaluation 
2. You do not receive outcome measurements/real ear measurement 
3. Customization of the hearing technology is not an option 
4. Purchasing hearing aids online will cost you more over time 
5. You're most likely treating a symptom rather than a cause 
6. Hearing aids are not a one and done solution 
7. "Hearing Aids" sold online are not legally considered to be hearing aids 

Schedule Your Annual Hearing Evaluation with an Audiologist or Licensed Hearing Healthcare Professional

Purchasing hearing aids online is a business model that has been attempted by a few companies. However, the model is not in the best interest of the patient. Could you imagine purchasing braces online? How about glasses? Well, in today's day and age it seems as though you can buy anything and everything online. However, that doesn't mean that you should!

If you feel as though you present with hearing loss it is essential to make an appointment for your annual hearing evaluation with an audiologist or licensed hearing healthcare professional. When patients schedule their hearing evaluation at Audiology Services, we conduct a battery of tests to collect information with regard to the status of the patient's outer, middle, and inner ear. After we conduct comprehensive testing, we review the results with the patient. If the patient presents with hearing loss, we discuss technology options AND communication strategies.

Audiology Services Case Study: Custom Hearing Aids

At Audiology Services, we've treated patients who present with hearing loss, but also decreased visual acuity and decreased dexterity. When we fit patients with decreased visual acuity and dexterity, we need to ensure that we customize the hearing aid AND introduce a rechargeable option; we need to make sure that our patient is set up for success so he/she wears their new hearing aids all day, every day. Recently, we fit a patient with Starkey's Custom Livio 2400 ITE Rechargeable hearing aids. The patient not only has hearing loss, but also decreased visual acuity and dexterity. The custom and rechargeable option allows this particular patient to enjoy their new hearing world. They are able to successfully insert and remove the hearing aids with ease due to the customization.

If this patient were to purchase hearing aids online, they would not have the option to customize their hearing aids. In addition, they would not h

Transcript

Blaise Delfino: 0:06

You're tuned into the Hearing Matters Podcast with Dr. Gregory Delfino and Blaise Delfino of Audiology Services and Fader Plugs, the show that discusses hearing technology, best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. I'm your host Blaise Delfino, and on this episode, you will learn why you should not buy hearing aids online. But before we dive in, here are a few hearing facts. 12 and a half percent of kids between the ages of six and 19 have hearing loss as a result of listening to loud music, particularly through earbuds at unsafe volumes. Even a mild hearing loss can cause a child to miss as much as 50% of classroom discussion. Hearing issues are the most common service connected disability among American veterans. An estimated 50 million Americans experienced tinnitus or ringing in the ears - 90% of those have hearing loss. Hearing loss has been shown to negatively impact nearly every dimension of the human experience, including physical health, emotional and mental health, perceptions of mental acuity, social skills, family relationships, and self esteem as well as work and school performance. Approximately 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. To our listeners tuned in right now hearing loss is a national epidemic that needs to be treated by a licensed audiologist and or hearing health care professional. Hearing loss is not an Add To Cart model by any means. Ladies and gentlemen, hearing loss does not discriminate. Children can present with hearing loss, adults can present with hearing loss, and individuals over the age of 60 can experience hearing loss now, if left untreated, hearing loss can adversely affect the overall health and well being of the individual who presents with hearing loss such as cognitive decline, isolation, depression, and many more comorbidities. So at this point you may be asking, well, Blaise, why shouldn't I buy hearing aids online? Well, number one, when you buy hearing aids online, you do not have to go through comprehensive testing. This is alarming and unsafe for many, many reasons. When you visit a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional, they will conduct otoscopy. When the hearing healthcare professional or audiologist is looking in your ear, they're looking for any scarring, discharge, perforation of the tympanic membrane, which is also known as and referred to as the eardrum. If you purchase hearing aids online otoscopy is not conducted. So at this point in time, how will you know if you present with impacted ear wax? How will you know if you present with a cholesteatoma? You won't. When you visit a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional, they will conduct tympanometry which tells the professional valuable information about the status of the middle ear. If you buy hearing aids online tympanometry is not conducted. Now you might be asking, "Well Blaise, what is tympanometry? Why is it so important?" Tympanometry is a test that measures the function and movements of the eardrum and the middle ear. The results of tympanometry are represented on a graph, which is what we call the tympanogram. Now the test is quick, it's painless, unless the middle ear or the eardrum is inflamed. And tympanometry is typically used to detect or rule out several things, such as the presence of fluid in the middle ear, a middle ear infection, a hole in the eardrum or perforation, or Eustachian tube dysfunction. If you buy hearing aids online tympanometry is not conducted. So how will you know if you present with a middle ear infection or perforated eardrum? You will not. During your visit with a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional a comprehensive evaluation will be conducted. Now Dr. Delfino and I have an episode titled"The Importance of Visiting a Hearing Healthcare Professional." So what I'm about to discuss really dovetails off that episode, but we're just going to briefly dive in here. A comprehensive audiological evaluation includes speech audiometry, pure tone audiometry, speech in noise testing, which is essential because this allows the the uh hearing healthcare professional to understand and compare how you understand speech and quiet versus speech in complex listening situations, which also assists in the hearing aid recommendation process. A comprehensive audiological evaluation also includes otoacoustic emissions. The aforementioned allows the audiologist or licensed hearing healthcare professional to evaluate the status of your hearing acuity, your hearing sensitivity, and your ability to understand speech in quiet and complex or noisy situations. A comprehensive evaluation ladies and gentlemen tells us so much. It tells us the type and degree of hearing loss. If you purchase hearing aids online, a hearing test is not conducted or required. So my question is, how will you properly be fit without knowing the status of your hearing sensitivity? You won't. You will most likely be under fit or over fit with a quote"hearing aid" that really only makes sounds louder, whereas the goal is to make speech clearer. Again, I'd really like to repeat that because this is really the point that we're trying to drive home here is that if you purchase hearing aids online, a comprehensive hearing test is not conducted or required. And if the company states that,"Well we have our hearing test, you're going to put the headphones" on the reliability of that test as compared to a comprehensive audiological evaluation conducted by an audiologist or hearing healthcare professional is absolutely not comparable. The results that we get in the office are going to be accurate. Again, if you buy hearing aids online, the above tests the comprehensive audiological evaluation to prescribe the correct hearing technology based on the patient's type and degree of hearing sensitivity, speech scores, and speech in noise scores are not conducted. The test we described right now cannot be done online. Period. The second reason why you should not purchase hearing aids online is because hearing aids are not a one and done solution. Periodic checkups and follow ups with your hearing health care professional are essential. And I can speak from experience in that many of the patients that we have fit with hearing technology at Audiology Services, we always bring them back for follow up visits because the counseling - when it comes to onboarding a patient who's never worn hearing aids before is essential. If you buy hearing aids online, you might be able to discuss your experience with a dedicated customer service rep who literally has no experience in the hearing healthcare field, or is even credential to discuss hearing healthcare. However, if your hearing aid stops working, and you need to send it in for repair, you will not have a dedicated hearing healthcare professional who can service the hearing aid. So if you purchase your hearing aids online and they stop working, you have to go to the post office, send them back to the company you purchased them from and you might have to go seven to 14 days without hearing aids. My question is this. What if you had a major presentation at work that week? What if your child has a play that week and you won't be able to hear their part in the play? And what if you're having a big family party and your biggest struggle is in noisy situations. If you purchase hearing aids from a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional, and your hearing aid had to go in for repair and that professional had to send the hearing aids to the manufacturer, they would more than likely fit you with a pair of demo hearing aids so you don't have to go a week or two without hearing aids. Ladies and gentlemen, online hearing aid vendors have one goal and that's to generate profit, not necessarily assist you throughout your new hearing journey. And that's sort of the elephant in the room with this whole over the counter and purchasing hearing aids online and selling hearing aids online. The goal of these companies is to generate profit, not necessarily assist you throughout your new hearing journey. In terms of the hearing aids not being a one and done solution - this brings us home to the outcome measurements that we implement at Audiology Services. So, what are outcome measurements? And this is number three of why you should not purchase hearing aids online, because outcome measurements are not implemented if you purchase hearing aids online. And what do I mean by this? If you purchase hearing aids online, you are not going to experience what is called Real Ear Measurement. Now real ear measurement is an objective verification tool that allows us, the provider, to measure the sound pressure output level of the hearing aid at the eardrum. We're not getting close to your prescription, we're getting exact! I'm going to say that again, we're not getting close to your hearing loss prescription we are getting exact. A second outcome measurement that won't be conducted by the hearing aid online store that you purchased from is something called the International outcome of inventory for hearing aids. This allows the provider to measure and to see how much the hearing aids have actually improved your life and what your thoughts and challenges may have been. It takes into consideration how long you've been wearing your hearing aids, were they worth the investment in your hearing health? Things of that nature. The third outcome measurement conducted by a audiologist or hearing healthcare professional that you don't get online is something called the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit. Now this is a questionnaire. And it really allows the provider to measure the success of the patient through the patient's eyes. The fourth outcome measurement, of course, is counseling. While these online vendors will say, "Well, you have lifetime of counseling and this and that," we we don't hear with our ears we hear with our brain. And that, again, is a point that we have to drive home as well. We hear and listen with our brain, not so much our ears; our ears are the gateway, right? Our ears are a mechanism that sends the signal via electrochemical impulse to the brain via the eighth nerve. But counseling is so essential, and is one of the many reasons why patients wear their hearing aids because licensed audiologists, and hearing healthcare professionals are spending time with their patients that they just fit with hearing technology. They're counseling them on how to properly clean the hearing aids. They're counseling them on "Yes, this is a new hearing world, and this is why it sounds different." And what we do is we get the patient to target with that real ear measurement. But that patient might present with sensitive hearing or individuals who are - who present with hyperacusis. We're not going to over amplify them. Right? So the counseling aspect of the hearing aid journey is so important. And this is something that you don't get with purchasing hearing aids online. If you buy hearing aids online, will outcome measurements be implemented? Absolutely not. The fourth reason you should not purchase hearing aids online, is because you actually may be treating a symptom, not a cause. And what I'm about to read is a direct quote from Dr. Lindsay Banks. She is a Doctor of Audiology. And I really loved this segment that Dr. Lindsay banks wrote."While hearing loss can naturally occur over time, there are instances where it is a symptom of a bigger issue. According to the Mayo Clinic, hearing loss can result from certain medications, such as Viagra or some chemotherapy related drugs. It can also be caused by illnesses like meningitis or other conditions that cause a high fever, which may need to be identified and addressed by a professional. Buying a hearing aid to fix the symptoms of a far more serious issue could lead to further problems down the road. A qualified hearing specialist will be able to identify if your hearing loss is part of a bigger issue and direct you to another medical professional." Ladies and gentlemen, if you purchase hearing aids online, you may be treating a symptom, not a cause. Please, do not buy hearing aids online. Visit an audiologist; visit a licensed hearing healthcare professional to assist you throughout your new hearing journey. As I'm sure some of you can hear my energy behind this conversation. To briefly reintroduce myself, I grew up in hearing healthcare. My father and my mother started Audiology Services in 1998. So ever since I was the age of seven, every dinner table discussion I had at home, growing up, hearing aids was typically a topic. And I've seen what my parents have been able to do with patients in terms of introducing them to a new hearing world. We live in a day and age where everything needs to just be convenient. And you know, I could go and add to cart, and I can purchase this specific widget online, and it is at my front doorstep. Ladies and gentlemen, I would not buy a filling, a dental filling, online. I'm not purchasing glasses online. I'm not purchasing a heart transplant online. I'd encourage you to please reconsider purchasing, even the thought of purchasing hearing aids online. The fifth reason why you should not purchase hearing aids online is because it will cost you more over time. There is a huge difference between price and cost. So with that being said, purchasing hearing aids online may save you some money on the front end. However, I have some rhetorical questions here. What happens when the warranty runs out, and you need to pay for the repair out of pocket? What happens when you buy hearing aids online, and the hearing aids cannot be repaired, your warranty has expired, and you may need to purchase a brand new set of hearing aids? What happens when you purchase hearing aids online and you need to send the hearing aids in the mail back to the company you purchased them from? This just cost you time. What happens if you have a sudden onset of hearing loss and the hearing aids you purchased online aren't getting the job done? In this case, I would encourage you to seek medical attention immediately because there could be some underlying health conditions presenting themselves. To our listeners: When you purchase hearing instruments from a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional, you're buying a package! And this includes the hearing aids, the hearing aid fitting process, outcome measurements as previously described and reviewed, which are very, very important to ensure. And the outcome measurements are essential to a positive hearing aid outcome. Your purchasing counseling on how to properly use the hearing aids; follow-up visits and check ins. And the hearing instruments typically come with a two or three year repair warranty. Which means if physical or internal damage occurs, you are covered during that time. There's typically no out of pocket costs. Shipping is typically free, which is wonderful. So those are many of the pros of purchasing hearing aids online. Again, if you buy hearing aids online, it's actually going to cost you more over time. We receive a lot of questions via Instagram, or even email and some individuals will say you know, "My hearing aids are uncomfortable," and these questions and these statements are from individuals who purchased hearing aids online. The sixth reason number six, why you should not purchase hearing aids online, is because you will not get a custom fit. Purchasing hearing aids online do not allow you to properly be fit with a custom hearing solution. And you run the risk of being fit with an uncomfortable, ineffective product that - ladies and gentlemen, you most likely won't end up wearing. Think back to the time that you ordered shoes online. They showed up in your front doorstep. They were either too small or too big. My question is this, did you wear them? No, you did not. And how long did it take you to send those shoes back? One of our trademarks is Custom is King. And it truly is. When you purchase hearing aids online, you're not getting fit appropriately. You're not receiving a custom hearing solution specifically to your type and degree of hearing loss or the anatomy of your ear. We've had patients in the past who present with what is called high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. And patient might present with poor speech in noise scores, so we fit them with over the ear hearing instruments because of the multiple microphones, and those specific instrument's ability to increase speech understanding and decrease listening effort in complex listening situations. Now, depending on the patient's Ear anatomy, that patient might have a very deep ear canal. The diameter of the ear canal might be large. So those little domes that get put on the end of the hearing aid speaker are just not cutting it. We have that patient programmed, and we've conducted real ear measurement. So we're hitting their targets exactly where they need to be. But because of the length of the ear canal and diameter of the ear canal, we have so much feedback. So in instances and cases like this, I will take a custom ear mold of the patient's ears, and I will fit them with a custom ear mold that attaches to that speaker. We're still hitting targets for best speech understanding and intelligibility. And there is reduced feedback. I also want to bring up to the point regarding dexterity, and a decrease in vision - things of that nature. So, we've had patients in the past who present with decreased dexterity, decreased vision, maybe they have glaucoma, and they present with a mild to severe hearing loss or even a flat, moderate severe sensorineural hearing loss. Now, what we're doing as clinicians is number one, ensuring that we're going to fit this patient with the correct hearing technology. So in this case, what we've done with patients who present with decreased dexterity/vision, they want rechargeable. Well, we'll fit that patient with a custom in the ear hearing aid that is rechargeable. And what we're doing is we're ensuring that we've addressed the patient's dexterity issue, vision deficit, and he or she is going to have a listening, understanding, and hearing experience they wouldn't have otherwise had if they purchased hearing aids online. So again, the sixth reason why you should not purchase hearing aids online is because you won't get a custom fit. The seventh reason and this is our final reason of why you should not purchase hearing aids online, is because hearing aids sold online are not legally considered to be hearing aids. I'm going to reference Dr. Lindsay Banks one more time during this episode because she recently released an article titled "Nine Reasons Not to Buy Hearing Aids Online". And Dr. Delfino and I sat down with each other and we kind of mapped out why patients and consumers should not buy hearing aids online. And then I was able to cross reference and conduct some comparative analysis to other articles that are currently online. And we came across Dr. Banks' article on why you should not buy hearing aids online. So this is direct quote. "If nothing has convinced you so far, then you should know that any hearing aid sold online cannot legally be labeled a hearing aid, at least in the eyes of medical professionals. The only eyes that matter in this case. Despite the fact that we've been saying the phrase online hearing aid, when you buy a hearing aid online, what you're actually buying is a PSAP, a personal sound amplifying product. While this may sound close enough to what you're looking for, when it comes to your health, close enough isn't enough. PSAPs are far more basic than a hearing aid, which may be why they offer such a deal and perform a far less intricate process. These mass produced gadgets might work in a pinch, but for a device that you're going to be relying on for years to come, you deserve something that is actually classified as a hearing aid. You may occasionally come across a website that does sell hearing aids online. This however, is almost always against the manufacturers distribution guidelines, and is not endorsed by any of the large hearing aid manufacturers. Although there are many low cost hearing devices available online or at warehouse stores, they are not true hearing aids. They simply make everything louder, including background noise, which is what you are struggling with. Buying hearing aids from a professional ensures a better listening experience with technology that's right for you and established a relationship for adjustments and follow up care over time." End quote. Ladies and gentlemen, I, I would like to dovetail off what Dr. Banks said there and Dr. Banks that is, that is incredible. The hearing aid manufacturers invest$90 Million dollars in Research and Development. Let me repeat that again. The hearing aid manufacturers invest $90 million dollars plus into research and development. The hearing aid fit by a licensed audiologist or licensed hearing healthcare professional is a device that has research behind it. The hearing aid that is fit by an audiologist or hearing health care professional is specifically prescribed to your type and degree of hearing loss. And what we're doing is we are decreasing your listening effort. We are increasing your speech intelligibility. We are giving your brain the input that it needs to actively and effectively engage in communication with family, friends, loved ones. Buying hearing aids online is not the solution. When you are fit with hearing aids by an audiologist or licensed hearing healthcare professional, we are taking into consideration your lifestyle, your social activity level, again your type and degree of hearing loss. Do we need to engage frequency lowering? We at Audiology Services and Fader Plugs and myself personally, I am very passionate about this. Again, during this episode - I have a lot of energy behind this because I don't want consumers to be misdirected. And the companies that are selling hearing aids online are more interested in making a profit than they are to assist you throughout your new hearing journey. And I want you to take that into consideration. I encourage you please do your research. Please email our team at the Hearing Matters Podcast should you have any questions, comments, or concerns about your hearing healthcare. We will be able to team you up with licensed audiologists and hearing healthcare professionals that truly are in this industry because of their passion for helping patients communicate with their friends, family and loved ones. I know we covered a lot of information and I truly hope you learned the importance of visiting a hearing healthcare professional and why you need to be fit with your hearing aids by a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional. Ladies and gentlemen, our goal of this episode was not to convince you but rather educate you on the importance of visiting a licensed audiologist or hearing healthcare professional. DO NOT buy hearing aids online. We encourage you to pick up the phone and make an appointment for your annual hearing evaluation with a licensed audiologist or hearing health care professional. You get your eyes checked your vision screened; it's time to get your hearing screened. You're tuned into the Hearing Matters Podcast with Dr. Gregory Delfino (who we missed having on this episode) and Blaise Delfino of Audiology Services and Fader Plugs. The show that discusses hearing technology, best practices, and a growing national epidemic: Hearing Loss. Until next time, Hear Life's Story.