Hearing Aid FAQs

• People who come to your house complain or make jokes about how loud the TV is.
• You often find yourself asking people to repeat themselves. Or you rely on someone close to you to repeat what others say. You may even get nervous when that person isn't around to help.
• You often have trouble understanding the person at the other end of the phone. Answering the phone may be frustrating.
• You find yourself participating less in conversations, even with family and friends.
• You strain to study people's faces as they're talking so you can fill in the gaps by reading their expressions or lips.
• You get irritated with people when you can't understand what they're saying. You may even feel depressed.
• If you saw yourself, or someone you love in more than a couple of the examples above, it really may be time to admit there may be an issue and have a hearing test done to truly see what the concerns are.

Hearing loss, like your thumbprint, is very individualized and unique. There are several tests that can be run to test your hearing loss. Those tests serve as the foundation for the hearing aid recommendation you will receive from your Costco hearing aid dispenser.

Most hearing loss is the result of noise exposure or the natural process of aging. It can also sometimes be caused by illness, genetics or some medications, like chemotherapy.

Most hearing loss can also be effectively addressed with hearing aids. It is well worth getting your hearing tested at least once a year to make sure you are getting the help you need sooner rather than later.

Contact a Costco Hearing Aid Center near you to schedule a hearing test appointment. In preparation for your appointment, please print and complete a Patient Intake form and bring it in with you to your appointment.

A hearing test is no more disruptive, difficult or embarrassing than getting your eyes checked. The test takes about an hour and is done in a private sound booth.

Costco's non-commissioned hearing aid staff will let you know whether hearing aids might be able to help you. We'll work with you to find the most appropriate solution for your lifestyle. Our staff will help you through the entire process, from testing and fitting to follow-up visits.

Costco works with four major hearing aid suppliers and offers a variety of styles. Our staff will work closely with you to select the best hearing aid for your needs.

There is no one best kind of hearing aid. Your hearing aid professional can explain the different types of hearing aids to you, and will select the type of hearing aids most closely matched to your hearing loss, the anatomy of your ear and your lifestyle. All of these things must be considered in order to make the right recommendation for you.

There are several different styles of hearing aids everything from tiny completely in-the-canal models to behind the ear hearing aids. Each style has specific performance characteristics that will be taken into consideration when you receive a recommendation. The tiniest hearing aids are not the right choice for everyone, nor does everyone need the most powerful kind of hearing aid. If you have questions about which style is right for you, the Costco hearing aid staff can explain the pros and cons of each individual style.

The most important thing you can do to choose the right hearing aids is to work with someone you trust, who will work with you to make sure you are getting the most from your hearing aids.

Hearing aids are designed to improve your performance in most listening situations. Even a normal hearing person will struggle if the noise in the room is louder than the conversation, as they would at a loud party. Hearing aids are not a replacement for normal hearing, but there have been significant advances in recent years to make hearing aids work well in most situations.

Some hearing aids have features like special noise reduction circuitry, or multiple listening programs that can be adjusted to suit certain environments. If you have a very active lifestyle, you should be discussing that with your hearing aid professional so that they can take that into consideration when they make their recommendations for you.

The length of time it takes to adapt to hearing aids really depends on how quickly you address your hearing loss. Research shows that most people can adjust to hearing aids within 30 days with regular use. The longer you wait to try hearing aids, the longer it will take your brain to make sense of the new sounds that are heard. It is important to wear your hearing aids regularly so that you can adapt more quickly and more completely.