RULE 1:
Remember: advertisers know what you want.

It sounds obvious, but remember that it is the job of the people who design adverts and send you leaflets to grab your attention and get you to respond. And how's the best way to get you to respond? To offer you something you want.

Almost everyone with a hearing loss want at least one of the following:

• To hear better in background noise.
• To have something that is discreet and doesn't show.
• To feel they've got a bargain.

So that is the recipe for almost every advert for a hearing aid you will see, so be wary of believing the 'miracle cure' that is 'exactly what you want'.

RULE 2:
There's no such thing as a 'free lunch'

Much current hearing aid advertising out there uses a free gift as a "sprat to catch mackerel". Sometimes that "free" thing is a TV Listener, sometimes it's even a hearing aid, sometimes it's a hearing test. You have to ask yourself why is it free, and how do they make their money back on it?

And if you're in any doubt, ask yourself would your dentist try to attract your attention that way? If they did, what sort of practice do you think they'd be?

RULE 3:
Beware of Price-Cutting

Most people love a bargain, and nowadays we are encouraged to seek the best price we can rather than the best service. Within healthcare this can be foolhardy...

If a Dentist started advertising half-price fillings, most people would avoid them like the plague! Why? Because you would assume they are cutting corners somewhere, which is not a pleasant thought when it comes to your teeth!

But the mistake many people make is thinking of hearing aids as being equivalent to a product such as a TV or stereo rather than a specialist medical device. They ignore the fact that because hearing aids are medical devices, they have to be fitted in conjunction with the correct level of professional expertise.

Hearing is one of your most important senses, so if you 'cut corners' – either in terms of technology or accompanying professional expertise – you are going to limit the effectiveness of your hearing solution.

So beware of 'price-cutting', but don't fall into the trap of RULE THREE (below).

RULE 4:
Beware of People Taking Advantage of Rule Two!

It does not automatically follow that the more expensive a hearing aid is, the better it is for your hearing. Or the more expensive the service, the better the service. The best advice is don't judge a hearing aid provider simply on price because there are just too many variables.

Instead find a practice that you feel confident with, whose expertise you trust. How do you do this?

• Go and visit them (or ask them to visit you if you are housebound) and get a feel for them. (Make sure you are not under any obligation and check to see if there's a charge for the visit.)
• Ask them questions, and satisfy yourself with their answers.
• Find out from friends, family and acquaintances where they got their hearing aids from and whether they have been pleased with the aftercare and ongoing support. Have a look at their testimonials.
• Make sure they have a proper complaints procedure (although hopefully you'll never need to use it) and find out what happens if you are not satisfied after you have purchased your hearing system.

For more advice visit the Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals' website.

RULE 5:
Remember: results will vary according to hearing loss and lifestyle

Many hearing aids really are as good as they are claimed to be. They're based on years of extensive research and development and are tested both in the laboratory and on real people.

But results will always vary according to who's wearing it.

That's because hearing aids don't replace the entire human hearing system. The enhanced sound still has to travel through your ears up to your brain, so the sound could get distorted or muddled en route after its left the hearing aid. Or your brain may not be able separate out the different sounds it receives.

A good analogy is tyres on a car. If the car is a high performance car, you can put high performance tyres on it and it will enhance the performance of the car. But put those same performance tyres onto a "runaround" car or a clapped out old banger and you won't see any improvement in the car's performance, because the car just hasn't got the ability to make proper use of the qualities of those performance tyres.

RULE 6:
Remember that identical hearing aids are not identical

Did you know it's possible to have the same hearing aid from two different providers and get totally different results with each?

That's because each hearing aid needs to be specifically tuned for your hearing and your lifestyle. Modern hearing aids have so many variables that it takes an expert with lots of experience to tune them properly.

A good analogy is a Stradivarius violin, famed for its excellent sound quality. But if it's not tuned properly it will sound awful. Similarly, put that same violin into the hands of a beginner and you'll not get the best out of it. No, a precision instrument needs to be put in the hands of an expert to get the most out of it.

So remember, a good results depend on a combination of your hearing, the hearing technology you are using, and the expertise of the person fitting it.

Conclusion

What you do about your hearing is one of the most important decisions you can make. So if you are going to invest in it, you want to be sure you're doing it properly – or not at all.

So don't be taken in by all the hearing aid advertising that's out there. Yes, it can inform you about what's currently available (although we have seen plenty of old technology advertised as "new"). But adverts can't tell you anything about the results.

On the other hand, if you choose the right hearing care practice, you'll not only be provided with the technology that's right for you, but you'll also be sure of getting the best results.

And after all, it's the results that count in the long run.