Hearing aids are a big, big business. Who to believe?
I went to my HMO and had my hearing tested sitting in a sound booth. Mild hearing loss. I have trouble understanding some people, but not others. The audiology nurse (I think that’s what she was), told me that hearing aid wouldn’t help me much if at all.
A year later I went to a free Italian lunch funded by a local hearing aid shop and signed up for a free initial hearing test. This time I sat next to the owner of the shop (whose speech I understood perfectly!), computer screen in front of him, and I tapped my knee whenever I heard a sound in the headphones. Mild hearing loss at certain frequencies, he explained quite a lot, and invited me for a comprehensive test which I knew would be followed by a high pressure sales pitch. Told me that of course a hearing aid would help me. Costs had been explained during that group lunch a week earlier. I declined the invitation.
Go to a professional first, whose interest is in your welfare, not just your wallet. Your first test was the comprehensive one. Did they give you the report for other professionals to evaluate? Your audiology (nurse?)(certified?) person might have been right -- at this point in your life, that is.
The owner of your hearing shop was also probably right. That was just a preliminary evaluation, not an analytical one. You might have to pay a fee for another comprehensive one, as I did. Glad I got one -- but not connected with a brand.
I got burned royally by an Audibel Dealer and their Free Testing. The person owning the dealership did not deliver on features promised. My second set came from V.A. and their Audiologist tested me. They issued me a pair and reset my old pair to where they worked a little better. If you are a vet the VA has a great Audiology program.