Congratulations! Modern hearing aids are an amazing piece of technology, and you’ve just become the proud owner of a shiny new set. But, just like with any new device, there will be things that hearing aid owners wish someone had informed them about.
Let’s go over nine typical mistakes new hearing aid owners make and how you can avoid them.
1. Neglecting to understand hearing aid functionality
To put it simply, learn your hearing aid’s features. It probably has unique features that considerably enhance the hearing experience in different environments like restaurants, theaters, or walking down the street.
Your wireless devices, like smartphones and televisions can most likely sync wirelessly to your hearing aids. In addition, it may have a specific setting that helps you hear on the phone.
If you use this sophisticated technology in such a basic way, without learning about these features, you can easily get stuck in a rut. Hearing aids nowadays can do more than make the sound louder.
Practice using your hearing aid in different settings in order to learn how to attain the clearest sound quality. Ask a friend or family member to help you so you can test how well you can hear.
Like anything new, it will get easier after a little practice. Simply turning the volume up and down won’t even come close to providing the hearing experience that utilizing these more sophisticated features will.
2. Thinking that your hearing will immediately improve
In line with number one, many new hearing aid users think their hearing will be perfect as they leave the office. This isn’t a correct assumption. It usually takes up to a month for most new users to get comfortable with their new hearing aids. But don’t get discouraged. They also say it’s very worth it.
Give yourself a few days, after getting home, to get accustomed to your new experience. It won’t be that much different than breaking in new shoes. Usually, you will need to go slow and use your new hearing aids a little at a time.
Begin by just quietly talking with friends. It can be somewhat disorienting at first because people’s voices may not sound the same. Ask about the volume of your own voice and make corrections.
Slowly increase the time you wear your hearing aids and progressively add new places to visit.
Be patient with yourself, and you’ll have countless wonderful hearing experiences to look forward to.
3. Not being honest about your degree of hearing loss during your hearing assessments
Responding truthfully to the questions during your hearing test will ensure you get fitted with the proper hearing aid technology.
Go back and get another test if you realize you may not have been totally honest after you get your hearing aids. But it’s easier if you get it right the first time. The hearing aid type and style that will be ideal for you will be determined by the level and kind of hearing loss you have.
As an illustration, individuals with hearing loss in the high frequency range will need a particular type of hearing aid. People who have mid-range hearing loss will call for different technology and etc.
4. Not getting a hearing aid fitting
Your hearing aids need to handle a few requirements at once: they need to be comfortable on or in your ears, they need to be easy to put in and take out, and they need to amplify the sounds around you efficiently. All three of those variables will be addressed during your fitting.
During hearing aid fitting sessions, you might:
- Undergo hearing tests to adjust the appropriate power for your hearing aid.
- Have your ears precisely measured or have molds made (or both).
5. Not tracking your results
Once you’ve been fitted, it’s important to take notes on how your hearing aid performs and feels. If you have trouble hearing in big rooms, make a note of that. Make a note if one ear seems tighter than the other. Even note if everything feels great. This can help us make custom, minute changes to help your hearing aids reach optimum comfort and efficiency.
6. Not thinking about how you will utilize your hearing aid ahead of time
Water-resistant hearing aids do exist. However, water can seriously damage others. Some have sophisticated features you might be willing to pay more for because you enjoy certain activities.
We can give you some suggestions but you must decide for yourself. You won’t wear your hearing aid if it doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle and only you know what features you will utilize.
You’ll be wearing your hearing aid for a long time. So if you really need certain functions, you don’t want to settle for less.
A few more things to contemplate
- Talk with us about these things before your fitting so you can be certain you’re totally satisfied.
- You might care about whether your hearing aid is able to be seen. Or maybe you want to wear them with style.
- You may prefer something that is really automated. Or perhaps you’re more of a do-it-yourself type of individual. How much battery life will you require?
Many issues that come up regarding fit, lifestyle, and how you use your hearing aids can be resolved during the fitting process. What’s more, many hearing aid brands will let you demo the devices before deciding. During this trial period, you’ll be able to get a sense of whether a specific brand of hearing aid would meet your needs.
7. Not correctly taking care of your hearing aids
Most hearing aids are really sensitive to moisture. If where you live is very humid, acquiring a dehumidifier might be worth the money. It’s a bad idea to keep your hearing aid in the bathroom where everyone showers.
Before you handle your hearing aid or its battery, be sure to clean your hands. Oils encountered normally on your hand can impact how well the hearing aid functions and the life of the batteries.
Don’t let earwax or skin cells accumulate on the hearing aid. Instead, the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures should be followed.
The life and function of your hearing aid will be improved by taking these basic steps.
8. Not getting spare batteries
New hearing aid wearers often learn this concept at the worst times. All of a sudden, when you’re watching your favorite show, your batteries quit just as you’re about to find out “who done it”.
Your battery life depends, like any electronic device, on the outside environment and how you use it. So always keep an extra set of batteries nearby, even if you recently changed them. Don’t allow an unpredictable battery to cause you to miss out on something significant.
9. Not practicing your hearing exercises
You may assume that your hearing aids will do all of the work when you first get them. But the parts of your brain in charge of interpreting sound are also impacted by hearing loss not just your ears.
Once you’ve got your hearing aids, you’ll be able to begin the work of rebuilding some of those ear-to-brain pathways and connections. This may happen quite naturally for some people, particularly if the hearing loss was somewhat recent. But for other people, a deliberate approach might be necessary to get your hearing back to normal again. The following are a couple of prevalent strategies.
Reading out loud
One of the most efficient ways you can restore those pathways between your ears and your brain is to spend some time reading out loud. Even if you feel a little weird initially you should still practice like this. You’re doing the essential work of connecting the words (which you read) to the sound (which you say). The more you establish those connections, the better your hearing (and your hearing aid) will work.
Audiobooks
You can always try audiobooks if reading out loud isn’t appealing to you. You can get a physical copy of the book and an audio copy. Then as the audiobook plays, you can read along. This does the same work as reading something out loud, you hear words while reading them. This will train the language parts of your brain to hear speech again.
Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/