I can't believe I waited 20 years to do this…read more
I have struggled with hearing loss for about 20 years, and over time it affected almost every part of my life. It interfered with my relationships, made me feel isolated, and gave me a tremendous amount of anxiety in conversations. It was especially frustrating when people would get annoyed because I had to ask them to repeat themselves. It was even starting to affect my performance at work. Eventually, I was having difficulty hearing even in a quiet room.
Hearing aids are expensive, so I kept putting it off. Hearing loss also runs in my family, with several people on my mom's side experiencing early hearing loss.
I finally had my hearing tested at another office in Northridge, but I wasn't impressed with the experience. The office was run down, and they didn't offer me any discount through my Kaiser insurance. That's when I decided to try Hear USA.
The difference was immediate. The office was clean, I was able to get an appointment within a couple of days, and I felt like I was actually listened to during the hearing test and consultation. What really sold me was their 7-day trial period. I could take the hearing aids home, live with them, and see how they worked in my actual life. If they weren't right for me, I could return them once and try a different model.
When I put on the mid-level model I chose for the first time, I actually choked up. I could hear EVERYTHING. The air conditioning whooshing through the vents. My pen moving across the paper. The clicking of the keyboard. My clothes rustling. Sounds I had completely forgotten were there.
I left with the $4,500 hearing aids to try for the week, and it was genuinely life-changing. About four days later, Hear USA called to see how I was doing. I never felt pressured or like they were wasting my time. I went back, decided to keep them, and paid for the hearing aids.
Going back to work was incredible. I can now hear people talking to me when they're facing away from me or speaking from across the room. It took a couple of days for my brain to adjust to all the sounds I hadn't been hearing, like my feet on the carpet and all the noises around me while driving. Eventually, they just became normal background sounds again.
I also love that the hearing aids pair directly with my phone. I can listen to podcasts and take phone calls without having to remove my hearing aids and put in earbuds. They're lightweight, comfortable, and I don't even notice I'm wearing them anymore.
I don't need subtitles on the TV anymore, and I don't have to blast the volume.
The biggest thing is that I no longer feel like I'm constantly struggling to keep up with conversations. After 20 years of adapting my life around hearing loss, that's an enormous change.
I'm very grateful to the people at Hear USA for making it so easy to finally take that step. It was a major purchase, so I really appreciated having the 7-day trial before committing, as well as the 60-day return period after purchasing.
I've been surprised by some of the negative reviews I've read here, and honestly, I'm glad I didn't read them before making my appointment. My experience has been excellent, and I would absolutely recommend giving them a chance if you've been putting off getting hearing aids.