Congrats! Modern hearing aids are an impressive piece of technology, and you’ve recently become the proud owner of a shiny new set. But, as with all new devices, there will be things that hearing aid wearers wish someone had informed them about.
Let’s go over nine typical mistakes new hearing aid owners make and how to avoid them.
1. Failing to understand hearing aid functionality
To put it bluntly, learn your hearing aid’s features. It probably has unique features that considerably improve the hearing experience in different settings like restaurants, movie theaters, or walking down the street.
Your wireless devices, including smartphones and televisions can probably connect wirelessly to your hearing aids. Additionally, it might have a specific setting that helps you hear on the phone.
If you don’t learn about these features, it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut by using your technologically-advanced hearing aid in a rudimentary way. Modern hearing aids do more than simply increase the volume of external sounds.
Practice using your hearing aid in different places 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.
After a little practice, as with anything new, it will get easier. Just turning the volume up and down won’t even come close to giving you the hearing experience that utilizing these more sophisticated features will.
2. Expecting instant improvement in your hearing
In line with number one, many new hearing aid owners think their hearing will be optimal as they walk out of the office. This is an incorrect assumption. It usually takes up to a month for most new users to become comfortable with their new hearing aids. But stay positive. They also say it’s very worth it.
Give yourself a few days, after you get home, to get accustomed to your new situation. It won’t be that much different than breaking in new shoes. You may need to use it in short intervals.
Start by just quietly talking with friends. It can be a bit disorienting initially because people’s voices may sound different. Ask your friends if you’re speaking too loud and make the necessary adjustments.
Slowly begin to visit new places and wear the hearing aid for longer periods of time.
Be patient with yourself, and you’ll have many great hearing experiences to look forward to.
3. Being dishonest about your degree of hearing loss at your hearing exam
Responding truthfully to the questions during your hearing exam will assure you get fitted with the correct hearing aid technology.
Go back and get another test if you realize you may not have been completely honest after you get your hearing aids. Getting it straight the first time is easier. The level and kind of hearing loss will determine the hearing aid styles that work best for you.
For instance, some hearing aids are better for people with hearing loss in the high-frequency range. People who have mid-range hearing loss will call for different technology and etc.
4. Neglecting to have your hearing aid fitted
Your hearing aids need to juggle several requirements at the same time: They need to effectively boost sound, they need to be simple to put in and remove, and they need to be comfortable in your ears. Your hearing aid fitting is intended to correctly calibrate all three of those factors for your personal needs.
During hearing aid fitting sessions, you might:
- Have your hearing tested to determine the power level of 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 worthwhile to take notes on how your hearing aid feels and performs. Make a note if you are having trouble hearing in a big room. Make a note if one ear feels tighter than the other. If everything feels right, make a note. With this information, we can personalize the settings of your hearing aid so it works at peak efficiency and comfort.
6. Not foreseeing how you’ll utilize your hearing aids
Water-resistant hearing aids are available. Others, however, can be damaged or even destroyed by water. Some have advanced features you might be willing to pay more for because you take pleasure in 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 use.
You and your hearing aid will be together for a number of years. So you don’t want to regret settling when you really would have benefited from a certain function.
Some other things to consider
- Talk with us about these things before your fitting so you can be sure you’re completely satisfied.
- How visible your hearing aid is might be something you’re worried about. Or, you might want to make a bold statement.
- Maybe you want a high level of automation. Or perhaps you like having more control over the volume. How much battery life will you require?
Throughout the fitting process we can deal with many of the challenges regarding lifestyle, fit, and how you use your hearing aids. What’s more, many hearing aid manufacturers will let you demo the devices before deciding. This trial period will help you figure out which brand will be best for your requirements.
7. Not correctly maintaining your hearing aids
Moisture is a real challenge for the majority of hearing aids. You may want to invest in a dehumidifier if you live in an extremely humid location. Keeping your hearing aid in the bathroom where people bathe is a bad idea.
Before you handle your hearing aid or its battery, be sure to clean your hands. Oils found naturally on your hand can effect how well the hearing aid works and the duration of the batteries.
The hearing aid shouldn’t be allowed to collect earwax and skin cells. Instead, clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The life and function of your hearing aid will be increased by taking these basic steps.
8. Failing to have a set of spare batteries
Frequently, it’s the worst time when new hearing aid owners learn this one. Suddenly, while you’re watching your favorite show, your batteries die just as you’re about to learn “who done it”.
Your battery life depends, like any electronic device, on the outside environment and how you use it. So even if you recently replaced your batteries, keep an extra set with you. Don’t miss out on something important because of an unpredictable battery.
9. Neglecting your hearing exercises
You may assume that your hearing aids will do all of the work when you first get them. But it’s not only your ears that are affected by hearing loss, it’s also the regions of your brain responsible for interpreting all those sounds.
You can start to work on restoring those ear-to-brain pathways after you get your new hearing aids. This may happen quite naturally for some individuals, especially if the hearing loss was rather recent. But for other people, a deliberate strategy might be necessary to get your hearing firing on all cylinders again. A couple of common strategies include the following.
Reading out loud
Reading out loud is one of the easiest ways to restore those connections between your ears and your brain. Even if you feel a bit strange at first you should still practice like this. You’re practicing reconnecting the experience of saying words with the sounds they make. Your hearing will get better and better as you continue practicing.
Audiobooks
If you don’t like the idea of reading something out loud yourself, then you can always go the audiobook route. You can buy (or rent from the library) a physical copy of a book and the audiobook version together. Then, you read along with the book while the audiobook plays. You’ll hear a word as you’re reading it just like reading out loud. This will teach the language parts of your brain to hear speech again.
Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/
