Category: Hearing Health

Total Cost Involved- Hearing Care

Cool Group Of People, Woman And Man Holding Hand Near Ear Trying

Who doesn’t like to save a buck? In fact, who doesn’t like to save a LOT of bucks?

When it comes to saving money, that money is saved on purchasing the exact same 2 items, one costing less than the other.

Hearing healthcare is never the same between 2 providers, because no two providers are the same!

Here, we will show you things to consider when evaluating the TCI (total cost involved) with your hearing healthcare.

Oftentimes it’s worth the additional spend to receive the best care available. There are many things to consider when it comes to what kind of hearing healthcare you receive:

  1. What type of devices are you receiving?
  2. What is the warranty period for the devices AND the services?
    1. How much is the deductible for loss and damage?
    2. How are you notified about the end of warranty period?
    3. What additional services and expenses are included with warranty service
  3. What kinds of services are optional/additional and what kinds of services are essential/required?
  4. Could you please provide me a list of the services that are available, and their associated fees?
  5. How often should I expect to replace my hearing aids/devices
    ** This is a very loaded question and the answer will tell you VOLUMES about your provider or prospective provider. Hearing aids are sensitive, sophisticated, computer driven prescription medical devices that live in a warm, moist environment. Similar to your cell phone, earbuds, computers, tablets etc, they all have a sunset- meaning that they are either outdated by emerging technologies or the circuits fail from use and exposure.

    Of course there is a person out there using the original Apple Iphone from 2007, and I’m sure it makes phone calls! It is, however, severely restricted in performance, and use, compared to the current generation of cell phones.
    Think of hearing aids like cell phones- you can upgrade them often, if you like. Or you can hold onto them as long as they benefit you. You should expect a 5 year life from them, so as not to be disappointed by expecting them to be a once in a lifetime purchase. It is just unlikely to happen…

  6. What insurance companies is your provider contracted with?
    Alternatively: With which insurance companies are you participating providers?
  7. Will you verify my insurance benefits prior to my appointment? Should I verify it myself?

All of the answers to these questions should give you a pretty good jump off point to discuss what the total cost of hearing health care will be over a 5 year period.

From our experience here at Evolution hearing in the past 36 months, optimal hearing health care should cost around $3400 (this is an average) for a pair of devices, and around $492 each year for services, repair and diagnostic testing to keep your device prescription updated. So, you should expect to pay around $5900 over a 5 year period for excellent quality hearing health care, Total Cost Involved.
** Every patient is different, and some patients will need more services, and some fewer. Your individual costs may vary.

For perspective as of June 2023, JD Power reports the average cell phone consumer pays $144 a month for their bill.
That’s a 5 year TCI(total cost involved) of about $8640 compared to hearing health care of $5900.

What do you think about this? Does Hearing Healthcare compare favorably or poorly to smart phone billing, considering Total Cost Involved?

Can a Healthy Diet Lower the Risks of Hearing Loss?

a woman standing outside and holding a basket of cabbage

Diet impacts almost all areas of your life. So, it isn’t a surprise that it has been shown that diet can impact your hearing too. A healthy and well-balanced diet will help you to have more energy, maintain a good weight and generally feel great.

So how does what you eat impact your hearing?

 

Research on hearing loss and healthy diets

In a study of more than 81,000 women, it was found that there was a correlation between what the participants ate and their hearing. The study took place over several years, from 1991- 2013. The data was examined, and the study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.

One of the most notable findings in studies done on hearing and dietary choices was that women who had a diet that had at least two portions of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids were in the lower risk category when it came to hearing loss.

As well as a dietary approach to your hearing loss prevention, you can still lower your risk further by using the following guide:

  • Don’t listen to music on a higher volume than 60% for more than 60 minutes.
  • Always take a break when using headphones at least once an hour.
  • Use hearing protection aids like earplugs when in a loud area.

What can you eat to lower your risk of hearing loss?

When you eat well, you will lower your chance of heart problems, diabetes, enjoy lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels too. The study found that people who ate a DASH diet or the Mediterranean diet were more likely to have less hearing loss.

The DASH diet comprises of:

  • Whole grains, fruits, vegetables
  • It is limiting foods that are high in saturated fats. This is full-fat dairy, palm kernel, palm oils, coconut oils and fatty meats.
  • Reducing and limiting sugar – in sweets and drinks
  • Having low-fat or fat-free dairy products
  • Beans, fish, vegetable oils, nuts and poultry

What does DASH stand for? Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. The diet was initially created to help people reduce blood pressure. It was also found to help people lose weight and the link between lower risk of hearing loss and the DASH diet was also discovered.

 

What other foods are good for your hearing health?

Above covered the DASH diet but briefly mentioned the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is great for your hearing health. It promotes a healthy intake of whole grains, herbs, olive oil, seafood and seeds. Dairy is only eaten occasionally, and red meat should be eaten rarely, if at all.

The basis behind these diets being so good for you is that they lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. So, the blood keeps pumping around your body and lowers the risk that the hair cells in the ear will be damaged.

There are also several foods that have a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids and zinc. These two boosts your immune system and can prevent sudden hearing loss. Here is a list of foods that can help you lower your risk of hearing loss:

  • Artichokes
  • Bananas
  • Eggs
  • Fortified milk
  • Oranges
  • Melons
  • Kales
  • Spinach

Magnesium is also a great addition to your diet.

 

Are there other measures I can take to protect my hearing?

While your diet can play a vital part in protecting your hearing and lowering your risk of hearing loss, there are other measures that you can take.

It is critical that you book regular appointments with your audiologist. Regular appointments will mean you will easily be able to spot if you have reduced hearing happening. If you notice any reduction in your hearing, it might be as simple as an ear wax build-up, but the sooner you seek treatment, the better.

Your hearing is something that you should be looking after as early in your life as possible. This is another reason it is essential that we instill these preventative measures in children as early as possible.

Many people don’t think about their hearing until they are already noticing a decline. This tends to be around the ages of 50 or 60. It is never too early to take care of your hearing.  If you want to find out even more ways to prevent hearing loss or to discuss your hearing with an audiologist, then give our friendly and professional staff a call.

Call Evolution HEARing today at:

  • Charlottesville, VA: (434) 216-3599