About Hearing Shortlist

How this started

In August 2019, I woke up with what felt like a simple ear infection. I ignored it for a week so I could focus on work. That mistake led to major surgery, sudden hearing loss and loud tinnitus. A month later, my other ear suddenly lost hearing too. By 2021, I was wearing hearing aids and trying to make sense of a completely new reality.

Early on, I spent hours reading online forums. Seeing so many people in distress made my own tinnitus worse, so I stopped. Over time I adjusted. I learned to tune out the noise and get on with my life.

I built this site to be the calm, practical place I wished I’d had back then. No scare tactics, no doom-scrolling. Just straight answers.

Why I built this tool

Over-the-counter hearing aids should make things easier. Instead, shopping for one means wading through ads, countdown timers and “best of” lists that read like sales pages. It’s hard to tell what a device actually does, and even harder to tell whether it’s right for you at all.

So I built a tool that does one job. You describe your hearing and your days in plain English. It shows you three OTC hearing aids that fit, with the honest tradeoff for each one. Every fact comes from a device file I check against the maker’s own website, and every result shows the date that device was last checked.

Why it sometimes tells you to see a doctor

My own hearing loss started with something I should have had checked. Some signs need a professional, not a gadget: a sudden change, trouble in only one ear, ear pain, drainage or dizziness. When the tool spots one of these, it stops and points you to a doctor or audiologist instead, with no product links. The medical disclaimer lists all of them.

Who I am

I’m Dilum Senevirathne. I spent nearly a decade as a tech journalist, explaining technology for sites like MakeUseOf, Guiding Tech and Online Tech Tips. These days I build AI tools. I live in Sri Lanka.

I am not an audiologist or a doctor. What I bring is lived experience as a hearing aid wearer and years of reading spec sheets for a living. If you need a diagnosis or a hearing test, please see a professional.

How this site pays for itself

Some “Check price” links earn me a small commission if you buy. That never changes which devices you see, and the code that ranks devices doesn’t even know which brands pay. The affiliate disclosure explains how it works.

Found a mistake?

Prices and features change quickly in this market. If you spot something wrong, email me at hello@hearingshortlist.com. I read every message, and corrections make the tool better for everyone.