@amberwaves Welcome to the hearing loss forum on MCC. You're key word is 'young'. You sound ready to move forward to better hearing. Don't short change yourself. Hearing aids are very helpful. Yes, they cost too much. But if they help you hear, and keep you in the hearing mainstream it's worth it. Online hearing aids for the most part are PSAPs, personal sound amplification products. They are not hearing aids that are regulated by the FDA. Proceed in that area with caution.

Go to a clinical audiologist; one that has AuD after their name. Let them test you and recommend a hearing aid. Try what they recommend during the required trial period. If you don't feel you're getting help, return it and go elsewhere. Be sure to ask for a copy of your audiogram so you can take it elsewhere if you choose to.

Big Box stores like Costco, do sell hearing aids for much less. However, there are some disadvantages. One, being most fitters there are not audiologists. Another being that the products they sell may be 'last year's models'. But, those may work just fine. There are a lot of quality hearing aids that sell for $2000, not $5000. Again, the key to being fit properly lies with the person doing the fitting, and the buyer who is willing to try the product in different settings during that 30 day trial period. Warning: If you return it one day late, you are likely stuck with it no matter where you go unless the provider clearly states there is a longer trial period.

You sound like a positive person who will do well with a hearing aid. I could not manage without mine, but I've been using hearing aids for decades.

Several answers. Where 2 go depends on your location. I would first suggest ENT visit and hearing test. Then shopping (in person) with at least 3 providers. Check the ratings of recommended choices for hearing aids (Consumer Reports), prices, and most importantly, the feeling of service and quality you get from providers. If too pressured, don't choose that one. But do get help for hearing loss

Remember to ask if bundled or unbundled (see the checklist for purchasing Hearing aids on the http://www.hearingloss.org website), and always get the ones with a t-coil

Hope this helps

I don't know if this is allowable, but if you had a copy of your audio, I could give you an array of choices that could help you. The most important thing is to remember is dexterity because batteries are small and so are battery doors. The rechargeable aid might be good. Starkey Mgr has a foundation for free hearing aids. And one is always better than none at all. Be glad to help you and definitely keep the cost down for you (I only am offering advice but I know my manufacturers and price points for pretty much all of them.) Thanks, Gina

@amberwaves. You've come to the right place to get some good advice about purchasing a hearing aid and learning all about the things available to help us hear more easily. I was in the same place you are several months ago, i.e. I knew nothing about how to go about buying a hearing aid. You are a step ahead of me, actually, since you've been tested by an ENT. With the help of people on this site, I learned there are hearing aids and devices that will help me hear better, located an audiologist to visit, identified the kind of hearing aid I need, and put together a plan to try them out this summer.

In addition to this wonderful site, where kind smart people share their wisdom and knowledge, I'd like to recommend three sources of information that really helped me: (1) HLAA, (2) Consumer Reports, and (3) DrCliff AUd videos on You Tube. Other people recommended the first two.

1. HLAA - Hearing Loss Association of America,
https://www.hearingloss.org/ Years ago Julie, who responded to your post right away, helped establish the national organization Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). They have state and local chapters around the country and a great website. It is a wonderful source of information and has become one of my go-to places to get good information about a whole host of issues related to hearing. I'm hopeless when it comes to understanding new technologies and am learning a lot about technologies from their website I didn't know existed to help people hear better, not just hearing aids. She and Toni in Michigan, who post here, are leaders in their state and local HLAA branches and have volunteered thousands of hours over decades to helping people hear better through HLAA, MayoConnect, etc. I'm looking forward to getting involved with that organization when it's safe to attend their meetings.

2. I love Consumer Reports and printed out their articles on hearing aids. I'm not sure how often they test hearing aids and print their reports, but I trust their evaluations. They have a great website too.

3. DrCliff AUD on You Tube. Toni in Michigan recommended some wonderful informative YouTube videos by DrCliff AUD on everything I ever wanted/needed to know about hearing aids. People learn in different ways; and it is so easy for me to learn new things from his short fun videos He even reviewed Consumer Reports articles on hearing aids and Costco's hearing aids in two separate videos. His pet peeve is audiologists who don't practice best practices and really shortchange their patients. He set up a network of audiologists around the country who vow to practice best practices. The audiologists pay him to be in his network, and he uses the money to produce videos. I recently moved and had no clue how to find a competent audiologist. I found one near me in his network that I'll be visiting this summer. She seems to have sterling credentials, including working for 4 years in the department of one of the nearby major medical centers testing people and fitting hearing aids. I usually am wary of these cozy relationships, but I think he is genuine in wanting to connect patients with good audiologists. Audiologists pay for advertising in fancy magazines and might as well give their money to him to be used for a good cause. I'll also be going to Costco, since Consumer Reports and DrCliff AUD, recommend their hearing aids.

I don't know anything about OTC things you can get over the internet. Anyway, I hope these suggestions help you. Good luck! Nancy