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Comment by colonelxc | Hacker News Reader

So it sounds like they do know why they are still so costly...

My cynical reaction is it sounds like they know, but the author didn't like the answer: experts, plus tech-medical research, is expensive.

Also, for something as life-transformative as a high quality modern hearing aide, the prices didn't strike me as outrageously expensive.

And the next question is: "Why can audiologists charge so much?".

Two hearing aids cost $7,000 because they cover a Dr visit?

And the point of the Dr. visit is to tell you if your hearing loss requires a hearing aid, or is just the result of wax buildup.

So...basically, the Dr. visit could be replaced with a Q-Tip.

Maybe each pair of hearing aids results in $6,500 worth of audio research, but if so, I think those researchers may not be a great return on that money.

It's a matter of time before Apple's Ear Buds, come with a $200 hearing aid upgrade.

By the way, don't stick a Q tip in your ear. Even the manufacturer tells you not to, or at least their lawyers have told them to say that.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/01/no-more-q-tips-your-e... . Or if you prefer video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYqeUJda2Qs

Yes, the modern medical recommendation is "don't fuck with your ear canal". Nothing goes in there, and Q-tips are "officially" just for cleaning around the outer parts of your ear (lol ok). They can cause some real hardcore wax impaction and introduce germs, they are not a medically recommended product at this point.

Earwax is a natural antibacterial mechanism, like mucus. If your ears are fucked up they do sell Debrox kits with a compound to soften it and an irrigation bulb, use those. The irrigation does a number on your ear's protections too though.

Hearing loss has many possible underlying etiologies. Some are easily treated, like wax buildup. Some are not, like noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss. Both of those are not dangerous, but others like acoustic neuroma and cholesteatoma are potentially fatal if left untreated. There's good reason for someone to be checked out and cleared by a specialist before they are fitted with hearing aids.

I don't know much about audiology, but I suspect it's a niche expertise that is much more complicated than deciding between a Q-Tip or a generic hearing aid.

There's a lot of different types of hearing loss, and being able to determine the exact requirements for any given person (right hardware, right settings for it, etc) is (as I'm led to believe) not trivial. Sure, you can get better hearing with something off the shelf, but the comparison is similar to off the shelf glasses compared to ones measured specifically for your eyes.

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