Congratulations! Modern hearing aids are an impressive piece of technology, and you’ve recently become the proud owner of a shiny new pair. But, just like with any new device, there will be things that hearing aid owners wish somebody had informed them about.
Let’s go over nine common mistakes new hearing aid owners make and how to steer clear of them.
1. Not learning how hearing aids work
To put it simply, learn your hearing aid’s features. It probably has unique features that significantly enhance the hearing experience in different settings like restaurants, movie theaters, or walking down the street.
Your wireless devices, like smartphones and televisions can most likely connect wirelessly to your hearing aids. It may also have a setting that makes phone conversations clearer.
If you use this sophisticated technology in such a basic way, without learning about these features, you can easily become stuck in a rut. Modern hearing aids do more than simply raise the volume of outside sounds.
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 check how well you can hear.
As with anything new, it will get easier after a little practice. Simply raising and lowering the volume won’t even come close to providing the hearing experience that using these more advanced features will.
2. Thinking that your hearing will instantly improve
It’s not unusual for a new hearing aid users to think that their hearing will be optimal from the first day. This is an incorrect assumption. It generally 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 getting home, to get used to your new situation. It won’t be that much different than breaking in new shoes. Usually, you will need to go slow and wear your new hearing aids a little at a time.
Start in a quiet setting with a friend where you are just talking. Familiar voices may sound different at first, and this can be disorienting. Ask about the volume of your own voice and make corrections.
Slowly increase the time you use your hearing aids and progressively add new places to visit.
You will have wonderful hearing experiences ahead of you if you can only be patient with yourself.
3. Being dishonest about your degree of hearing loss at your hearing exam
In order to be certain you get the right hearing aid technology, it’s crucial to answer any questions we may ask truthfully.
Go back and get retested if you realize you might not have been completely 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’re experiencing.
As an illustration, individuals with hearing loss in the high frequency range will need a specific type of hearing aid. Others are better for those with mid-frequency hearing loss and so on.
4. Not getting a hearing aid fitting
Your hearing aids need to juggle several requirements at once: they need to be comfortable on or in your ears, they need to be easy to place and take out, and they need to boost the sounds around you effectively. Your hearing aid fitting is intended to correctly calibrate all three of those factors for your individual needs.
During hearing aid fitting sessions, you might:
- Have your hearing tested to identify the power level of your hearing aid.
- Have your ears accurately 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 feels and performs. Make a note if you are having difficulty hearing in a big room. If your right ear feels tighter than your left, make a note of that. Even note if everything feels right on. This can help us make custom, tiny changes to help your hearing aids achieve optimum comfort and efficiency.
6. Not thinking about how you will use your hearing aid in advance
Water-resistant hearing aids are available. Others, however, can be damaged or even ruined by water. Maybe you enjoy certain activities and you are willing to pay extra for more advanced features.
We can give you some recommendations but you must choose for yourself. Only you know what advanced features you’ll actually use and that’s worth committing to because if the hearing aids don’t work with your lifestyle you won’t use them.
You and your hearing aid will be together for several years. So you don’t want to be disappointed by settling when you really would have benefited from a certain feature.
A few more things to think about
- Speak with us about these things before your fitting so you can make sure you’re completely satisfied.
- How obvious your hearing aid is may be important to you. Or perhaps you want to wear them with style.
- Maybe you want a high level of automation. Or maybe you enjoy having more control over the volume. Is a longer battery life important to you?
Throughout the fitting process we can deal with many of the challenges with regards to lifestyle, fit, and how you use your hearing aids. Also, you might be able to try out your hearing aids before you commit to a purchase. During this trial period, you’ll be able to get a sense of whether a particular brand of hearing aid would fit the bill.
7. Not correctly taking care of your hearing aids
The majority of hearing aids are very sensitive to moisture. If you live in a humid place, acquiring a dehumidifier might be worth the money. Keeping your hearing aid in the bathroom where people take baths or showers may not be the best idea.
Always wash your hands before handling the hearing aid or batteries. Oils found naturally on your hand can impact how well the hearing aid functions and the life of the batteries.
Don’t let earwax or skin cells build up on the hearing aid. Instead, clean it based on the manufacturer’s guidelines.
The life and function of your hearing aid will be improved by taking these simple steps.
8. Failing to have a spare set of batteries
New hearing aid users frequently learn this lesson at the worst times. When you’re about to find out who did it at the crucial moment of your favorite show, your batteries die without warning.
Like most electronic devices, battery life varies depending on how you use it and the external environment. So always keep an extra set of batteries nearby, even if you recently changed them. Don’t miss out on something important because of an unpredictable battery.
9. Not practicing your hearing exercises
You may assume that your hearing aids will do all of the work when you first purchase them. But it’s not only your ears that are impacted by hearing loss, it’s also the regions of your brain responsible for interpreting all those sounds.
Once you’ve got your hearing aids, you’ll be able to start the work of rebuilding some of those ear-to-brain pathways and connections. This might take place quite naturally for some individuals, particularly if the hearing loss was somewhat recent. But for others, a deliberate strategy might be required to get your hearing back to normal again. A couple of common strategies include the following.
Reading out loud
One of the most efficient ways you can recreate those pathways between your ears and your brain is to spend some time reading out loud. It might feel a little silly at first, but don’t allow that to stop you. You’re practicing reconnecting the feeling of saying words with the sounds they make. The more you create those connections, the better your hearing (and your hearing aid) will work.
Audiobooks
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of reading something out loud personally, then you can always try audiobooks. You can get a physical copy of the book and an audio copy. 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/