Sceptical about hearing aids:

I have bought privately before and am very wary You need to explore your options very carefully. A FREE TRIAL is what you need. I think private hearing aids and batteries cost a fortune? Not necessarily. Have a look at the audiology companies online that list complete product price lists. For batteries etc, you should buy them on EBAY, AMAZON or hearingaidparts I have or had a particular make (of hearing aid) in mind Keep an open mind. In my experience, consumers who ask for a specific make have usually been unduly influenced by a less-than- independent opinion and over-the-top marketing. Many audiology retailer practices are now owned by individual manufacturers, and so they do not offer a truly Independent opinion. Which magazine’s article in November 2014 found that independent Practices were the most likely to give you the best overall service. I have tinnitus noise in my head / ear / ears The advice you are given is of paramount importance. Try to select an audiologist with tinnitus therapy / tinnitus management / tinnitus matching skills. They will often mention / advertise this in their literature. Generally speaking, most forms of tinnitus are ‘camouflaged’ successfully with hearing aids. A higher than expected level of amplification is often needed. trial and error is the key. Make sure (I know I keep saying this) you get a free trial. The Widex Zen and Phonak Tinnitus matching programmes are now routinely fitted on their respective products. I have tinnitus - that is my main concern ( this overrides hearing problem) It is commonly understood that hearing aids are the easiest technological way to mask tinnitus. I am not a fan of ‘maskers’ but now there are hearing aids with tinnitus masking natural sounds included in their features: PHONAK V Series WIDEX hearing aids with ZEN feature   I can only hear in one ear A revolution in how this problem can be addressed occured in 2013. The PHONAK V CROS II unit matched with any PHONAK WIRELESS hearing aid has given some spectacular outcomes. Get a demo of this as soon as you can. It is without doubt my favourite hearing device. I have ongoing ear infection / discharge Assuming your ear drums are intact, and you have seen your ENT consultant recently AND you already wear/ own NHS aids, try the following: Any RIC aid (because the domes can be changed regularly) Any BTE with mould (because the moulds can be renewed with spares) Consider a remote control or volume control (to alter your amplification if and when your hearing level changes / fluctuates). I have perforated eardrums If the perforation is recent, large in size or causing you discomfort, do not buy aids with domes (thin wire or thin tube open fit aids). These can be used in some cases. Your audiologist can advise you better once your ears have been examined. Good results can be achieved so long as the fitting is accurate. On a budget, try PHONAK DALIA in the ear, If your loss is very severe, for a pretty good aesthetic look, try the PHONAK NAIDA SP (in any version) with a canal-sized mould. If profound, try the OTICON CHILI UP with soft acrylic moulds (with back-up moulds made at the same time).